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CBP's vision for the virtual office in a restaurant setting would have a positive impact on the level of service enjoyed by the guest in the dining room and is the latest revolution in the hospitality industry. At a cost that you can afford, virtual office answers almost every restaurant management need, including reorder points, online table reservations, multi-location inventory tracking, bar code scanning, real time order entry, data mining, virtual accounting, virtual marketing services, and much more.
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Virtual Office provides a single snapshot of your entire restaurant business that can be accessed in real-time, from anywhere. Now you can stay informed with detailed information and enhance your management capabilities at the click of a button. |
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An easy way to understand the concept is to follow a fictional couple, Joe and Jane, who are searching the web and found "Chez Ernie,” a restaurant with a website that appeals to them. |
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They like the site and will make a reservation at the restaurant because it has the following: |
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- An eye popping flash introduction that shows the fine dining ambience
- Visual representations of specials of the week with wine and drink options
- A virtual reality tour of the restaurant
- Snapshot views of different seating options available
- Reservations available on site or through a 24/7 reservation help desk
- A menu available in multiple languages
- Detailed directions to the restaurant complete with maps
- A live chat operator who can answer any questions in real time
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The key to the virtual office application in a restaurant is the investment that "Chez Ernie" had recently made in an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) program that moved their search engine rankings from 1,050 to the Top 10. The portfolio of amenities would include: |
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- A distinctive CD of dinner music given in exchange for joining the preferred restaurant members' club.
- The Chef's selections for the day would be generated on an easel - color coordinated with the motif of the restaurant.
- The menus and wine list would also be designed and color coordinated through CBP's virtual program.
- Menus presented in several languages. Imagine, especially in a market like New York, being able to present your menu in the native language of your guests!
- The guests' visit would include their order to be entered on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) by the waiter, ensuring that every item was available and that the order could be stored in a database on the restaurant's computer for future retrieval.
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The real attraction of this virtual concept is the impact that it will have in generating the “back of the house” savings. The virtual strategy will dramatically cut operating overhead and increase profits by utilizing a paperless office, which has the following benefits: |
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- Vendor invoices and orders are transmitted electronically.
- Accounting is outsourced, providing daily financial operating statements. Governmental requirements (including meals tax, employee withholding) are filed automatically.
- Disbursements are handled through electronic banking.
- Inventory control produce a suggested purchase order each morning.
- Payable systems produce suggested daily disbursements.
- Employee absences are noted and substitutes are notified electronically.
- An Application Service Provider (ASP) model eliminates expensive hardware and software.
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Dramatic opportunities also exist to use the virtual concept to create and implement a marketing program that will fill seats and maximize turns seven days a week. These marketing functions include: |
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- Newspaper articles ghost written and submitted
to all local papers in the area on events that occurred
in the restaurant.
- A monthly newsletter delivered through email and/or snail mail.
- A forum on the website that provides a free space for fellow diners to share
their feedback, rate dishes, write their own reviews,
etc.
- Gourmet article links on the website and information about culinary events
held locally and worldwide.
- Invitation to register and participate in a monthly hands-on cooking workshop,
under the guidance of the master chef available to
all members of the restaurant's club.
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Imagine that the virtual office equipped restaurant will enable the restaurateur to go on vacation and from the golf course's pro shop computer, log on to their virtual office, and review the status of the restaurant's financial reports and check operations through live surveillance cameras. |
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Life couldn't get any simpler than this. |
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