Boost Voice: Exciting New Developments and Enhancements

Boost Voice: Exciting New Developments and Enhancements

by | Apr 3, 2019 | Boost News

Boost Voice: Exciting New Developments and Enhancements

 

Upgraded Boost Voice to further enhance hotel employees’ language skills

351 new topics included in the latest upgrade to Boost Voice, including disaster preparedness content, more detailed engineering phrases, as well as robust testing and assessment, and paced learning to ensure maximum language absorption

We are very pleased to announce the newest release of our Boost Voice app. Following a review period that included feedback from hotel leaders we have developed an enhanced Boost Voice mobile training solution that will provide users with even more opportunities to grow their language skills and abilities. Upgrades to Boost Voice include new content across multiple departments, from more technical detail in Engineering and disaster management skills for Security, to specific fitness and culinary vocabulary and phrases. Robust new testing and assessment features have been added, providing training managers with an even more complete picture of their employees’ abilities, coursework pacing has been fine-tuned to ensure maximum language absorption, and a CEFR-aligned Boost competency scale has been introduced.

The newly upgraded Boost Voice will equip hotel employees with English and / or Mandarin language skills that are highly-relevant to their departments, allowing them to interact with their guests with more confidence.

 

Rich New Content

We have added new content across all departments. Spa & Fitness have now been separated into 2 departments. Boost Voice now has 8 total hotels departments (up from 7). A few key highlights:

 

Engineering

  • Significantly more detail in maintenance and repairs to in-room features from plumbing and electricity to furniture and fixtures
  • Reporting and repair of on-property features
  • Topics for Hazard Safety and Working with Other Departments to resolve issues

 

Security

  • Timely and relevant new content centered around Emergency and Crisis Management topics such as Bomb, Terrorist, Active Shooter, Typhoon, Earthquake, Tsunami threats
  • Content focused on working with local authorities (Police, Fire, EMS) and dispute resolution scenarios

 

Fitness

  • Goes beyond just welcoming a guest – now content includes explaining facilities, safety rules, using equipment, training guests, renting equipment, workout tips, managing complaints, special guest needs and enhanced engagement such as suggesting activities and tips

 

Culinary

  • Introduction of Food Safety & Health Inspection, Managing the Kitchen with special events and new menus, and handling many more special guest requests and complaints

New content under Special Events – setting up, preparing and managing Banquet staff

 

 

Enhanced Testing & Assessment

Boost Voice level tests, pre & post-tests, and quizzes make learning more effective. Continuous assessment via mandatory quizzes and pre & post-tests throughout coursework helps reinforce what is learned.

Users begin their learning journey with a level test to have their language capabilities evaluated and appropriate packages recommended. Boost Voice customises learning for each individual user and lays out a progression plan.  Not a cookie-cutter approach or ‘one size fits all’.

 

 

Results-driven Course Structure and Pacing

Content structure and pacing of coursework designed to ensure maximum language absorption. Now, learning rhythm is much more structured with a focused, deliberate and realistic pace of learning set to encourage improved language absorption and retention.

If a user studies at the recommended pace they should technically be able to improve 1 CEFR level within 12 months. This would mark a significant improvement in language capability and have a definite measurable impact on guest satisfaction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CEFR-aligned Content & Competency Scale

We have introduced a Boost competency scale that is aligned with the CEFR levels of ability. CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) is an internationally-recognized standard for describing language ability and employs a six-point scale for assessment, from A1 for beginners, up to C2 for those who have mastered a language. HR teams can easily compare our qualifications to other standardised international exams in their countries (TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL) and gain a quick and clear understanding of a user’s language skill level.

 

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Boost’s Manuel Salvisberg on EHL Presents

Boost’s Manuel Salvisberg on EHL Presents

by | Nov 11, 2018 | Boost News

Boost’s Manuel Salvisberg on EHL Presents

 

Manuel Salvisberg, a member of Boost’s Advisory Council, sat down with École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) on the sidelines of their recruitment fair in Switzerland in October, to discuss Boost and the future of technology in Hospitality.Manuel explained that ultimately, Boost wants to empower people in the Hospitality industry to be better at what they are doing, more confident and provide better quality of service for guests. Current methods of learning are outdated, expensive and ineffective with hotels pulling away dozens of front line staff to learn in a classroom for an hour where there is very little chance to practice and speak. With Boost, employees can learn anytime, anywhere.

Boost makes learning more accessible and achieves real results in high-end five-star hotels, as well as smaller boutique properties. We have big plans for Boost including in Southeast Asia and eventually Europe, Middle East and Americas. Ultimately though, we want to conquer the world!

École hôtelière de Lausanne invests in Boost

École hôtelière de Lausanne invests in Boost

by | Oct 18, 2018 | Boost News

École hôtelière de Lausanne invests in Boost

Mobile learning technology firm, Boost, receives significant investment from École hôtelière de Lausanne

École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), backs Boost with a strategic investment, growing its presence in the mobile learning platform space.

Boost, a leading mobile learning solutions provider for the Hospitality industry, announces a partnership with École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) that will see the Swiss hospitality management university make a strategic investment into the mobile technology learning firm. This will allow Boost to continue to build its presence across the world of hospitality, expanding its suit of mobile learning solutions as well as tap EHL’s expertise built over more than one hundred years. Boost’s platform leverages mobile technology to provide a holistic team management system that brings together mobile learning, messaging, communication, recruitment (including assessment), measurement and organisational capabilities under a simple-to-use mobile umbrella.

“Since our founding in 1893, EHL have set the international standard for tertiary education in hospitality, with over 25,000 alumni going on to take leadership positions throughout the industry” says Rémi Walbaum, Chief Innovation Officer, adding “Innovation is one of our core values, and today in 2018 we see technology as a key means of learning both in schools and universities, and in the workplace, that is why we have decided to invest in Boost.

The needs of the industry are changing at an ever-greater pace, as are the language skills required by hotel employees, many of whom are more used to reading and learning from a screen than from a book. By developing our mobile learning capabilities we remain the forefront of hospitality, driving education, upskilling and learning, and helping talented students around the world build a successful and fulfilling hospitality career”

EHL is the world’s first hospitality management school and was founded in 1893 to meet demand for more professionalised hospitality employees who could cater to the growing sophistication of hotel guests at that time. The school pioneered hospitality education, mixing classroom-based teaching with hands-on learning in real hotels, all the while ensuring their curriculum met the demands of the industry at the time. The resulting graduates were thus able to leave the school equipped with the knowledge and skills to take leadership positions in the industry and drive innovation.

EHL’s presence in the mobile learning space will allow them to address many of the challenges faced by hotels today and in the future, namely the change in the way hospitality employees, many of whom are young, consume information and learn, and the need to meet the demands of guests whose expectations have risen in the age of social media and instant reviews.

“Boost’s suite of mobile learning solutions are tailor made for the hospitality industry, not only allowing individual hotel employees to learn new languages and other skills, but enabling management to organise their teams, recruit new team members and communicate better” says Allan Taylor, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Boost, adding “20,000 hotel employees are already using our mobile learning solutions, we have seen them learn Mandarin allowing them to communicate with their Chinese guests, we have seen them learn how to upsell improving hotel revenues, and we have seen them learn many more skills vital to improving service and thus their hotel’s bottom line. Unlike traditional classroom-based teaching, mobile learning allows hotel employees to learn at a time and place of their choosing. Importantly, it is measurable and scalable, and available at an enterprise level allowing for group and team organisation, HR and recruitment functions and inter-team communication”

The investment from EHL will allow Boost to continue developing its existing mobile learning solutions and develop new solutions to address the needs of the hospitality industry. Lastly, Boost will be able to tap the knowledge and expertise of some of the world’s leading thinkers, thought leaders and academics in the hospitality field, ensuring their mobile solutions are tailored to the unique and ever-changing needs of the industry.

About École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL)

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) is an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality and has been a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893. It has created and inspired a unique professional community of over 25,000 hospitality managers, united by the values and the legacy of EHL.

EHL is a leading university that provides learning solutions for enthusiastic, talented and ambitious students from 119 different countries. With undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, EHL offers its students a range of on-campus and online education opportunities at different stages of their professional journey.

EHL is regularly recognized as the best hotel management school in the world with the highest graduate employment rates in the industry. EHL is a member of EHL Holding SA, a Group dedicated to hospitality management education.

For more information, please visit our website or follow us on twitter @EHLnews

 About Boost

Boost improves employee service skills through mobile spoken language assessment, learning, upselling and vocational skills training; empowering employees to provide better service, resulting in happier more loyal guests. Boost’s mobile learning solutions can be accessed and used anytime, anywhere, with employee performance tracked and measured in real-time. Boost is scalable, consistently providing high-quality learning for organisations of all sizes, from independent hotels to global hotel chains. Boost provides a range of learning solutions through six different mobile applications, each designed to address different learning requirements in the hospitality industry. Boost is currently used by over 225 hotels throughout Asia, teaching over 20,000 hotel employees the skills needed to enhance guest service and grow their careers. Boost is headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and China, with R&D centres in Europe, Asia, and North America.

 

Boost has launched!

Boost has launched!

by | Oct 16, 2018 | Boost News

New technology firm, Boost, launches the most comprehensive mobile learning solution yet for the hospitality industry

Mobile learning platform to allow a level of management, upskilling and measurement unseen in the hospitality industry today

SINGAPORE, October 16, 2018 – Mobile learning solutions provider, Boost, officially launches today unveiling a suite of mobile solutions designed to empower hospitality employees to provide higher guest satisfaction, improved team communications, greater productivity, and allow hotels to upskill, manage and organise their workforce more efficiently.

Boost’s platform leverages mobile technology to provide a holistic team management system that brings together mobile learning, messaging, communication, recruitment (including assessment), measurement and organisational capabilities under a simple- to-use mobile umbrella. The platform upskills employees in vocational and language skills, where results can be monitored and viewed in real time by the properties’ leadership teams – a true 360° view of the hotel’s staff performance and engagement. Hotel HR professionals can use Boost to conduct accurate first-line screening of candidates, while team leaders are able to manage, monitor and organise their teams while communicating with them through Boost’s advanced messaging application.

“The globalisation of travel has seen massive disruption in the hospitality industry, not least in changing guest demands, the emergence of new tourist profiles, growing guest expectations often led by the increased use of social media, more competition and changing employee habits among other changes” says Allan Taylor, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Boost, adding “Yet the way we train, manage and develop our employees has stayed largely the same, with most hotels relying on traditional classroom-based learning, inefficient recruitment processes and outdated organisational practices. Boost finally provides a solution for hotels to connect all of the dots, from learning and upskilling to performance measurement, assessment, team organisation, and recruitment – from the individual to enterprise level. We now have a solution that will empower employees to provide better service, and leaders will have the tools needed to organise and lead better, resulting in happier staff (improved staff retention) and better guest loyalty/satisfaction levels”.

Boost’s suite of mobile solutions is available on Android and iOS mobile devices and accessible anytime, anywhere – fitting neatly into the famously busy schedules of hotel employees.

The following mobile solutions are available to hotels worldwide:

  • Boost Profile

Giving you access to Boost’s suite of mobile solutions, Boost Profile is customisable to each user, and allows for easy organisation of user information and access to apps. Boost Profile has the ability to be aligned with a hotel chain’s Brand strategy.

  • Boost Voice

Boost Voice teaches employees English and / or Mandarin language skills using content that is department specific and developed by hoteliers. Boost Voice provides a highly interactive continuous learning experience, teaching employees to speak a language that is most relevant to their workplace.

  • Boost Skills

A highly cost effective and scalable vocational training solution, Boost Skills features over 130+ practical lessons that simulate real life service scenarios in food and beverage service and housekeeping. Boost Skills provides self-paced lesson plans designed to improve service delivery standards and consistency across both disciplines.

  • Boost Upsell

A situational upselling training tool that enables hotel staff to position and capture additional revenues in-hotel or on-property, through food and beverage upsells, room upgrades, and promotional specials. The tool features self-paced lesson plans and multiple Asian and European support languages, for front-of-house including Food and Beverage, Front Office and Lounge management.

  • Boost Select

A CEFR-aligned recruitment and screening package that allows HR teams to accurately screen the first line of applicants for suitability, identifying candidates who are then able to move on to the next stage of the recruitment process. Available anytime, anywhere, Boost Select reduces the workload on HR teams and efficiently narrows down the pool of candidates to identify the right person for the job.

Boost is currently in use by 225+ hotels throughout the Asia Pacific region, teaching over 20,000 hotel employees the vocational and language skills needed to provide superior guest service and excel in their hospitality careers. Boost is headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and China, with R&D centres in Singapore, Vietnam, Canada, and China.