From omelettes to cocktails: how Embassy Suites College Station maximizes employee earnings and guest satisfaction
900%
Increase in monthly tips for breakfast staff
$1300+
153
Challenge
Embassy Suites College Station faced a common problem in the hospitality industry: how to empower guests to leave gratuity in a world where cash is becoming increasingly less common.
The hotel hosts complimentary breakfast and happy hour daily, but employees often find their tip jars are left mostly empty; and not for lack of service, but because guests rarely carry cash. In the morning, guests wake up and make their way to the breakfast bar, typically only bringing their phone and keycard, making it challenging to leave gratuity. At happy hour, guests aren’t being charged for their drinks, so their only option to leave gratuity is with cash.
These are just two examples of many meaningful interactions that guests have with employees that have a significant impact on their experience.
Embassy Suites was looking to tap into these tippable moments by enabling guests to leave gratuity the same way they complete all of their other transactions: digitally.
Solution
In search of a solution to enable guests to easily leave digital tips and positive feedback for employees, Embassy Suites College Station turned to Grazzy.
Branded QR codes are leveraged to capture gratuity in moments where guests want to thank employees for great service, but don’t have cash on hand to do so. As an added benefit, guests can also leave positive feedback for the associate and/or positive reviews on travel review sites. All in less than 10 seconds with no app required.
It was important to us to implement Grazzy throughout our entire property, not just in rooms. We noticed that guests rarely carry cash anymore, so we wanted to empower guests to leave gratuity in moments where they felt connected to our employees through great service. And we believe that all of our customer-facing employees deserve to benefit from digital tipping enablement.
Results
After 3 months with Grazzy, Embassy Suites College Station has witnessed a remarkable transformation. Employees are now reaping the benefits of instant access to increased earnings, while guests are appreciating the ease and convenience of leaving digital tips in seconds.
The Grazzy platform has proven to be a success for breakfast staff, particularly the omelette chefs, who have experienced a staggering 900% surge in monthly tips. This sizable increase in earnings coupled with instant access to funds is life-changing for hourly workers. And the success doesn’t stop there. Bartenders and servers have also enjoyed a significant uptick in tips. With over $1,300 in digital tips collected, gone are the days of the lackluster tip jar.
“Grazzy has been a game changer for us. Our employees and guests love it! With Grazzy, our bartenders, breakfast staff, and servers are earning more money and are able to access it instantly. And our guests appreciate the convenience of being able to leave tips digitally. Grazzy has helped us improve our guest experiences and increase effective wages, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.” – Mark Karbotly, General Manager, Embassy Suites College Station
I love greeting guests with a delicious meal to start their day. In the past, they often apologized for not having any cash on hand to tip. I’ve been blown away by how many guests leave me a tip and kind words now that Grazzy is here. It means a lot and it makes me feel good.
