Septeo Hospitality (formerly Sequoiasoft), a subsidiary of the Septeo Group, a leading software publisher in Europe, has renewed its trust in Docoon for 2024. A major player in the digitization and security of information flows, Docoon began by managing Septeo Hospitality's multi-channel SMS campaigns, before offering an integrated solution that allows its client to successfully manage both E-MAILS and SMS messages on the same interface. As a result, nearly one million emails and several hundred thousand SMS messages were sent via the Docoon platform in 2023. Focus on a successful and fruitful collaboration...
1. Septeo, Europe's leading software publisher
Septeo Hospitality is a subsidiary of the SEPTEO Group, a French software publisher with nearly 3,000 employees worldwide and more than 150,000 users. With a turnover of €310 million in 2022, the group is growing rapidly and its recent acquisitions include Sequoiasoft, a specialist publisher in the hospitality (tourism) sector. The entity, now known as Septeo Hospitality, offers management and e-commerce software for the tourism sector (hotels, campsites, holiday residences, restaurants, and wellness). Its expertise lies in customer data management (CRM, stay management, etc.) and it has 430 employees. With 7,000 customers across Europe, the company's client list includes brands such as Belambra, Nuxe Spa, Yelloh! Village, etc.
A few years ago, the company faced a problem with SMS management. Its Hospitality business, which is supported by the eSeason software for campsites, manages large volumes of SMS messages and encountered deliverability issues. Distributed in several European countries, including nine major countries, eSeason needed to enhance its offering with a solution capable of guaranteeing the sending and receiving of all SMS messages for end customers.
In the tourism sector, integrating SMS into the communication strategy for accommodation businesses is not only an effective way to stay connected with customers, but also an essential strategy for improving the customer experience, optimizing operations, and promoting a responsible commitment to the environment. SMS allows establishments to send crucial information quickly, such as last-minute changes, weather alerts, or booking confirmations, ensuring that customers remain informed in real time. SMS has also become a tool for personalizing service, as it allows businesses to send welcome messages, suggestions for local activities, or reservation reminders for events, thereby helping to improve the customer experience.
For Septeo, the challenge is therefore crucial and strategic: the publisher must find a service provider capable of providing a tailor-made solution for its camping customers... and that provider will be Docoon.
2. How Docoon was able to address Septeo's challenges
In search of a trusted service provider, Septeo has joined forces with Docoon, a French software publisher specializing in the digitization and security of multi-channel information flows. Docoon offers a comprehensive solution for digitizing customer relations and multi-channel communications, covering transactional messages, alerts and critical flows, campaign management, and certified messages.
As Freddy Pintus, Managing Director of Septeo Hospitality, explains: " When we met with Docoon, the goal was clearly to ensure and secure the delivery of text messages to all recipients at our campsite customers, whether they were French or foreign tourists. Docoon immediately won us over with the professionalism of its teams, its availability, and the quality of the solution it offered. As soon as it was implemented, our clients were able to effectively manage all of their SMS campaigns. They were able to improve customer relations at their campsites and work on building loyalty. "
Convinced by the solution, Septeo did not hesitate to call on Docoon when these same customers (camping business) later faced a challenge with email management. "We were delighted with the results we achieved with Docoon for our SMS campaigns. So when we needed to take action on managing our email campaigns, we didn't hesitate to call on them. At the time, our customers were using their STMP for emails, but over the years, the amount of spam was increasing and many emails were no longer reaching their recipients," explains Freddy Pintus. This was an issue that required a quick response from Septeo, as invoices, vouchers, etc. were no longer reaching tourists consistently.
To simplify the daily tasks of teams, Docoon has implemented email and SMS management directly within the eSeason software and on the same interface. Given its success, the solution has also been integrated into Septeo Hospitality's Asterio software to manage SMS campaigns for hotel customers. Today, more than 500 Septeo client establishments across Europe use Docoon to manage their multi-channel campaigns.
3. Docoon develops APIs to enhance the functionality of business applications and software.
Docoon was able to work with Septeo thanks to APIs linking the eSeason and Asterio software to the Docoon platform, which handles bulk mailings. The use of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) offers considerable advantages, enabling:
- Automation and Efficiency: APIs enable process automation, such as bulk sending of personalized SMS and emails in the case of Septeo Hospitality. This reduces the time and effort spent on repetitive tasks, improving operational efficiency.
- Personalization of Communications: With APIs, companies can easily integrate merge variables into their messages. This makes communication more personal and relevant to each recipient. Septeo Hospitality customers write standard messages (SMS or emails) and add fields such as the customer's first and last name, their dates of stay, the location, or any other data related to the customer's stay.
- Real-Time Data Integration: APIs facilitate access to and integration of real-time data between different systems. This means that the most up-to-date information is always used, improving the accuracy and relevance of communications. This is essential in the tourism sector, where customer experience is paramount.
According to Florence Delorme, sales manager at Docoon and project lead: "Our collaboration began with text messages, then evolved to include email to ensure optimal deliverability for Septeo. To do this, we developed custom APIs to meet their needs for mass text and email messaging. The APIs enable effective communication between Septeo's software and the Docoon platform. Users of eSeason and Asterio software program the campaigns, and our pre-configured platform takes care of customizing each message, whether it's an alert, a promotion, or a transactional message, for example. "
With nearly one million emails and several hundred text messages sent in 2023, the collaboration between Docoon and Septeo Hospitality continues with confidence, and 2024 looks just as promising and ambitious for both companies. This vision is confirmed by Freddy Pintus, CEO of Septeo Hospitality: " When we met Docoon, we immediately felt confident. Their expertise in multi-channel communication is undeniable, and their teams are knowledgeable and available. When Sequoiasoft was acquired in September 2023, we were confident in their ability to continue supporting Septeo just as effectively. Docoon offers a reliable and proven solution in terms of deliverability. The results speak for themselves: we are steadily increasing our use of the solutions made available to us. "
