Why I love Ritz Carlton

How many times has it happened that you stay in a more luxurious and known hotel, yet you miss being in the another hotel... with me...every time I’ve not stayed at the Ritz Carlton when I’m in Bangalore. Here’s why.

This was my 3^rd stay at the hotel and I approached the reception desk in a drowsy and exhausted state coughing all along and that’s when began my connect with the hotel or should I say a place that’s more like home. I requested at check-in if a steam inhaler could be sent to my room. To my delight, I didn’t just get that but some oil capsules which must be dripped in the water to that helps in inhalation, throat lozenges and the manager accompanying the housekeeping person asking if there’s anything else they could do for me…. Truly touching. Now you may say, “oh it’s there duty and you are paying for service” … really am I paying for someone to come to my room with throat lozenges and other medication…. More importantly the concern and care that was displayed… am I really paying for it? The three days I spent at the hotel were nothing like staying in a hotel; it was like staying in hotel with the comfort of family around you. At every meal, I had at the restaurant, the staff went out of its way to prepare special dishes and hot beverages for me that would soothe my throat. Mind you, I didn’t pay for any of it… despite those preparations not being a part of the buffet. To top it all, the duty manager goes out his way to arrange a complimentary airport drop to ensure I reach the airport safe and sound just because he knew I wasn’t keeping well… this and all of the above I what I find truly touching.

One might think that all the concern and care was because of I was not well and would have been a one-off incident. So here it is; how many times do you see in a hotel that:

·         Your favorite garlic pickle is always there on your table in the restaurant as soon as you sit

·         An extra floor mat is laid out in the bathroom coz the hotel knows you like it

·         Your favorite dessert, which even if is not a part of the buffet is offered to you without any extra charge

·         The chef comes over to you and hands over a box of your favorite garlic pickle for you to take it with you at the time of check-out

·         The front office executive who always welcomes me stays beyond his office hours to ensure I’m greeted well at the time of check in and also escorts you to your cab at the time of check-out

Do you really think I pay for all of the above. The Ritz Carlton, Bangalore is a beautifully done up hotel – very chique and contemporary. However, it is not the infrastructure or the designs or the long corridors or the elaborate spread in the restaurant, it is the Ladies and Gentlemen of Ritz Carlton who touch your heart everytime you interact with them. They take such good care of you and that they leave a lasting impression on you mind and heart. They make you fall in love with them and the brand.

God bless them all and God bless Ritz Carlton… truly truly love it.  

The T&E Automation Wave: What it means … and why you should be a part of it

Did you know that using an automated travel and expense management solution cuts booking fees by 79%? That’s a significant cost-saving¹! Also, as much as 41% of time can be saved in completing expense reports.

T&E automation is a big part of the latest technology wave which is set to put the nation on a fast track to success—especially with the support of the country’s new leadership. Technology and automation have become a top priority as we connect every Indian school to the Internet, incorporate railway e-ticketing, provide mobile based wakeup calls for passengers and offer Wi-Fi services at stations as well as in select trains!

Optimism is at its peak, and positive results are expected as both corporations and individuals are welcoming the change. Long-term developments may take some time, but your business can benefit from automation now—starting with expense management.

Why? Because using manual processes for expense management can be time consuming and often result in errors. So the answer, of course, is automation. It eliminates the approval-cost-approval loop while simplifying travel bookings as well as expense submission.

Here are the top six benefits of expense automation:

1. Save time during the approval process.

Businesses often involve sudden travel plans — and — the process of research and approval can further delay planning, resulting in very expensive last-minute bookings. With an automated travel and expense management solution, employees can quickly and easily change or book flights, hotel rooms, taxis, etc. The system creates an itinerary including the costs involved, and it can be sent to the manager for approval from anywhere. If approved, the trip can then be booked automatically!

2. Stay in compliance via a designated booking tool.

Many companies require employees to book only through a corporate travel-booking tool or designated travel management company (TMC). An automated travel and expense management system makes it easy to offer just those options that align with a company’s policy.

3. Submit receipts on the go.

Employees need not carry every single receipt collected during their trip, anymore! Automated expense management solution enables them to capture their expenses either via a mobile app or online. They simply need to click images of their receipts and route the expense claim for approval, electronically. This reduces the time for the business traveller to complete expense claims as they can do it all on the road.

4. Anywhere, anytime approvals.

Managers can access expense receipts and claims easily on their mobile device or any computer with internet access — no matter where they are in the world. The claim is then routed electronically to the finance team for further processing, thus saving a great deal of time.

5. Avoid duplication of work.

An automated expense management solution eliminates the need to re-key the data. Data submitted by employees and approved by managers can simply be integrated with their financial system to allow them to process payments and keep their general ledger up-to-date. The receipts can then be archived and accessed as needed.

6. Faster reimbursements.

Delayed reimbursements only result in irritating employees and decreasing productivity. On the other hand, automated expense management helps speed up reimbursements.

According to research, using an end-to-end travel and expense management system reduces expense processing costs by 51% and allows for more accurate monitoring.

So bid adieu to manual processes, and hop on the automation wave!

Learn more about Concur on www.concur.co.in

https://www.concur.co.in/blog/the-te-automation-wave-what-it-means-and-why-you-should-be-a-part-of-it/