Interview with Mandy Princen, General Manager of Mercure Hotel Tilburg Centrum
In the heart of Tilburg, on the lively Heuvel, lies Mercure Hotel Tilburg Centrum - a place where hospitality, urban energy and efficiency come together. General Manager Mandy Princen diligently manages all the teams there on a daily basis. That includes the reservations team, responsible for the flow of group requests the hotel receives daily.
Until recently, that process was far from smooth. The team was working with loose notes, Excel files and endless emails, which led to errors, frustration and sometimes confusion for the guest. Since the switch to Groupz this has completely changed: there is peace, overview, cost savings and - most importantly - structurally happy guests. Mandy shares how they achieved this.
The group requests came in through one central mailbox. What followed was a process full of loose notes, Excel files and endless e-mail exchanges. "If someone was on vacation, no one knew the status ofa requestanymore," says Mandy. "The system leaned too much on people, and not enough on structure."
That chaos caused not only errors, but also frustration - both on the team and for Mandy herself. "I am ultimately responsible, but had far too little grip on what was going on. I couldn't manage numbers, requests or revenues. And that didn't feel right. In addition, the reservations team was a considerable cost item for the hotel."
For Mandy, it was clear: this had to change. "I was looking for a solution that provided peace of mind - not only for our team, but also for our guests. Something that allowed us to streamline processes, but actually strengthen the guest focus."
She found that solution in Groupz. "What immediately appealed to me: it's intuitive. Everything is in it - requests, communications, comments, quotes - and everyone works together in it. As a result, we always know where we stand. And so do our guests. What was the decisive factor for me to choose Groupz: everything is bundled in one portal, you have an overview and you save costs."
Mandy deliberately chose to include the reservations team in the implementation of Groupz from moment one. "The team joined the introduction, in which Jenneke explained Groupz, and they were involved in the implementation. As a result, we created immediate support and the team immediately saw the added value of Groupz."
On the onboarding, Mandy looks back with a good feeling. "Jenneke guided the onboarding very nicely. The team was well guided and included. We chose a moment to go live, and from then on we transferred everything. From then on, every group request went through Groupz. No exceptions." And it worked. "Colleagues could use it right away. That was nice - because with change, that's often the most exciting part: does everyone get it? But it went surprisingly well."
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Mandy Princen - General Manager Mercure Hotel Tilburg Centrum
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Since switching to Groupz, the process has become much more transparent. "Bookers manage their own booking, we see real-time what is happening, and communication is clear. Fewer mistakes, fewer phone calls to 'just check' if something went through correctly. That inspires confidence, and our guests feel that."
The results also speak for themselves: "We now need one less full-time employee in the department, purely because we work more efficiently. That's a direct cost savings. But just as important: we can switch faster and pick up more requests. You can see that reflected in the turnover."
For Mandy personally, the overview is a big win. "I can see at a glance where we stand. Which offers have been sent, which have been approved, which have been rejected and why. This allows us to make targeted adjustments and respond to requests that might otherwise have been missed. This ultimately ensures that we respond faster and better to the needs of the guest and that we can get more profit from requests."
But most importantly: the guest notices the difference. "We get positive feedback all the time. A regular customer who books a large group every year was skeptical at first, but now she says, 'This works so well for us, it has taken away so much stress.' That to me is proof that we made the right choice."
Mandy sees the positive effects not only in the reviews, but also in business goals. "The costs in the department are simply lower, which means huge savings. In addition, we are able to respond better to guests' needs, which contributes to higher customer satisfaction."
The impact is clearly visible: "Employee satisfaction has also increased because the lines of communication to guests are much clearer. There is less frustration within the team, and that in turn benefits the guests."
Mandy is convinced of the importance of digitization, especially in a sector where hospitality stands. "Precisely by setting up processes well, you keep space to really give attention to the guest. Not being concerned with whether a request has been picked up, but with: how do we make this stay unforgettable?"
Her advice to other hoteliers? "Don't hesitate, just do it. You gain so much - peace of mind, overview, fewer mistakes, lower costs ánd satisfied guests. It's an investment that pays off handsomely."