Boost Voice: Exciting New Developments and Enhancements

Boost Voice: Exciting New Developments and Enhancements

oleh | 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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The Continent Hotel Bangkok Applies Mobile Learning for Employee Training

The Continent Hotel Bangkok Applies Mobile Learning for Employee Training

oleh | Mar 11, 2019 | Success Stories

The Continent Hotel Bangkok Applies Mobile Learning for Employee Training

“I just keep reading, ‘great English, great English, great English’.” So, said Jay Jhingran, the General Manager of The Continent Hotel Bangkok, to the Bangkok Post when describing the effects that Boost Voice has had on guest service.

Located in the heart of Bangkok, complete with a rooftop pool with breath-taking views of the city, few guests will know that behind the scenes, technology is making a big difference to their stay at The Continent Hotel.

Employees such as Phatsuda Boonlum, Front Office Supervisor and Supattra Pakthong, F&B Service can both be seen on their mobile phones during their time off. Instead of viewing their social media profiles, they are learning English language using Boost Voice and upselling skills using Boost Upsell, designed specifically for hospitality.

The results have been threefold. Firstly, there have been real benefits to the bottom line. “Since the hotel started using the app it has seen a 5 per cent year-on-year increase in upselling revenue” commented Jhingran to The Nation newspaper.

Secondly, there have been clear and consistent improvements to service, clearly viewable in guest feedback both in person and online, “we received positive online reviews on the quality of employees’ English-language skills… This has yielded a number of flow-on benefits as our employees are able to understand and communicate better with the guests, as you cannot separate guest service from the language they speak,”, added Jhingran.

Lastly, employee confidence has risen significantly, resulting in happier employees and genuine service.

Employees like Phatsuda and Supattra are able to learn at a time and place of their choosing with Boost, unlike traditional and costly classroom-based learning. Importantly, mobile learning gets results, as the guests of The Continent Hotel Bangkok can attest to!

The Athenee Hotel Applies Mobile Learning for Employee Training

The Athenee Hotel Applies Mobile Learning for Employee Training

oleh | Feb 4, 2019 | Success Stories

The Athenee Hotel Applies Mobile Learning for Employee Training

 

Boost’s mobile learning solutions bring many benefits to hotels, from better guest service to increased upselling revenue and more loyal guests. However, some of the biggest benefits are accrued by the service employees themselves, many of whom emerge from their Boost course having learnt an entirely new language and set of service skills. Not only does this give them more confidence at work, but improves their employability and improves their career prospects.

Boost spoke to Ms. Tiplada Tangmanomana, Concierge at The Athenee Hotel, Bangkok, about her experience using Boost Voice.

What have you learnt while using Boost?

Tiplada: I have learnt a lot! There are many parts to Boost Voice including vocabulary, and pronunciation, and also grammar and I have become much more proficient in all of these areas.

When is your favourite time to learn?

Tiplada: I like to learn when I have free time or on my day off. For some parts of Boost Voice – such as pronunciation – I am required to say words and sentences out loud so a day off is the best time for this. Other parts do not require speaking so I can take time off during my working day to learn. What I like about the app is that we can choose what we want to learn. For example, sometimes I prefer to do the listening modules, so I click on that part, continuing with the other modules at a later date.

What is the most enjoyable part of learning with Boost?

Tiplada: I really like all of the modules, but I would say my favourite is the game. I was actually very surprised when I first found out about the game but I think it is very fun and useful. It is enjoyable and this is important as it encourages you to keep going, and of course I end up learning more.

How much has Boost improved the way you work?

Tiplada: It has definitely improved my vocabulary. I am now able to say complete sentences and speak with guests much more confidently and clearly.

What do you love about hospitality?

Tiplada: I am a graduate in hospitality and I love my job very much. Every day I see the guests, I talk to the guests, I learn new languages and many cultures. I am very happy when I serve things to the guest and help them, and when the guest is happy and it makes me feel happy too.

 

Boost’s Manuel Salvisberg on EHL Presents

Boost’s Manuel Salvisberg on EHL Presents

oleh | 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!

Mobile Learning Put to Work in Indonesia’s Hotels

Mobile Learning Put to Work in Indonesia’s Hotels

oleh | Nov 10, 2018 | Success Stories

Mobile Learning Put to Work in Indonesia’s Hotels

The HARRIS-POP! Hotels & Conventions Solo shows how modern learning technology and traditional Indonesian hospitality can work together.

HARRIS-POP! Hotels & Conventions Solo, Indonesia, is located in the heart of Solo with 138 rooms providing guests with unique views of the city. What guests don’t see, though, are the dozens of service staff learning how to communicate in English, upsell and perform their daily duties via their mobile phones.

Quicker, more efficient, lower cost and, most importantly, more effective, Boost’s mobile learning solutions have allowed the hotel to train its staff in new languages and skills at a time and place of their choosing, bypassing costly classroom-based learning.

Willy Prasetyo started his hospitality career as a waiter in the hotel’s restaurant. The Solo native had precious little English language abilities, and this often manifested itself in shyness, and an unwillingness to engage with guests.

However, after a few months learning English via Boost Voice (often after hours at home or one the way to work) via his mobile phone Willy’s confidence improved dramatically. He is now able to understand and communicate key restaurant-specific words and phrases which has resulted in noticeable improvements in performance.

“Boost Voice helps me to improve pronunciation of some common words in the restaurant” says Willy, adding “I love the type of course that involves games or when they give us some animation”

Whenever he has time, even at home, he manages to open the app, knowing that his target is also far from an end. “Now I feel more confident when there is a foreign guest at the restaurant. Even though I don’t really have much time to chat with the guest, I don’t feel shy anymore”

Happy, more confident service employees lead to happier, more loyal guests.