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The unmatched match day service
When Glasgow Celtic FC refitted its hospitality suites last summer, it aimed to improve the dining facilities and levels of service offered for guests. At the centre of the refurbishment was the Jock Stein Lounge, with a capacity for up to 300 guests over 30 tables and additional room for standing.
The club contacted Call-Systems Technology (CST) to enhance efficiency within the lounge, and installed two of the company's leading paging systems to help speed up service times.
Catering in Scotland visited Celtic Park to find out how CST's products improved the sales as well as the customer experience …
The newly refitted Jock Stein Lounge now boasts CST's EasyCall system, with table-mounted buttons for customers to alert staff that they are waiting to be served.
The system transmits a signal to a stylish, stainless steel LCD panel that alerts staff visually, or by audible tone. The technology also sends an alert to a silent pager worn by waiting staff, so an instant response for the customer is never far away.
Because the Jock Stein Lounge is only open during the 26 home games of the football season, speeding up service and maximising sales during these busy periods is vital for the club's income.
David Stothers, Head of Catering at Celtic Park, explained that while the old lounge was warm and homely, its traditional carvery-style service - where customers receive assisted service to collect their meals and drinks - was out of tune with what modern customers wanted: "We had to revisit waiter-to-table service," he says. "We wanted to keep the warm atmosphere of the old lounge, but in bistro-style, with meals served quickly and efficiently to the tables, and sandwiches and other snacks for standing customers."
As a simple, wireless button that customers press when they need service, EasyCall is a revolution for restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs to help reduce customer waiting times and mixed-up orders. The discreet button transmits a signal to an LCD panel in the waiters' area, which shows the table number and alerts the numeric pager carried by the relevant waiter.
"EasyCall saves staff time by ensuring they go to the relevant table immediately, and allows guests to call for staff who might not otherwise see them in a busy room, like here in the Jock Stein Lounge," continues David. "The system makes it easier for our customers to call for service, and easier for staff to respond, allowing the operator to quickly identify which table or standing area requires service, as well as the correct time to serve them and in which particular order."
"Our staff got used to the system very quickly, and it's helping us to improve staff-efficiency, customer service and satisfaction," says David.
To further improve the service they offer, Celtic Park has also installed CST's PageCall system in its private conference and hospitality boxes. Each PageCall unit is wall-mounted and features three buttons for summoning either sales staff, room service or the duty manager. Like EasyCall, each button activates a pager carried by the relevant member of staff and it is equally simple and intuitive to use:
"Having PageCall in the boxes means guests can call for the correct member of staff who can deal with their reques instead of having to pass it on or call for someone else's help from another department," says David. "It's improved the customers' experience here at the football ground and we're receiving some positive feedback from clients who have noticed an improvement in the service we offer them."
From David and his F&B team's experience at Celtic Park, it's clear that installing paging systems like EasyCall and PageCall can really make a difference when it comes to customer service. For a Premiership football club like Celtic Park, it's not just a matter of keeping the terraces happy - it's about looking after the diners and corporate hospitality guests, too.
With over 10,000 customers worldwide and an acclaimed, award-winning product portfolio, Call Systems Technology (CST) are leading providers of on-site paging systems, voice-communication devices, alarm and security monitors and other wireless products.
With their existing range and endless bespoke solutions, CST's experienced staff work closely with companies to develop a communications system specifically tailored to suit all locations and budgets.
For more information on EasyCall, WaiterCall and CST's other hospitality systems, freephone 0800 389 5642, or visit www.call-systems.com
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature, please see Catering in Scotland magazine November/December 2007.
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