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As a business in the hospitality sector, you depend on a reliable phone system to ensure excellent customer service and smooth operations. This guide explains how VoIP can help level up your hospitality business' communications by explaining the benefits and the must-have features.
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Establishing a reliable and efficient communication system is the backbone of your business, especially in an industry that places a premium on customer satisfaction. You must feel confident knowing that you can deliver exemplary client service, and having a reliable phone system ensures you can fulfil essential duties to maintain this high standard.
It's a fact - your customers demand exceptional service, and rightfully so. It is the norm for them to seek round-the-clock access to client services and a seamless process when conveying their needs to your staff.
Do not let your communication system get in the way of customers leaving unsatisfied, as unhappy customers can easily share negative experiences on review sites, which can deter potential clients. Feedback sites are rising in popularity, with customers using these as a research tool to find the best establishment that fits their high standards. So, prevent poor ratings stemming from communication issues by ensuring your system meets the demands of your customer-focused business.
VoIP is one such technology that has revolutionised how businesses connect with their customers. It's becoming increasingly popular among hospitality businesses due to its outstanding benefits, features and capabilities of this advanced technology. In the following sections, you will discover how VoIP can enhance your customer communications to improve service.
Are you ready to learn more? Let's find out how VoIP can help your company grow.
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If you are a hospitality business that is unfamiliar with VoIP - VoIP essentially allows voice and multimedia content to be transmitted over the internet rather than traditional telephone lines. Every communication you make, such as phone calls, messages, file transfer and video calling, is all made using the internet.
If you would like to discover more information about VoIP, check out this blog: What is VoIP?
Switching to a VoIP phone system can bring many advantages to hospitality businesses, leading to a substantial overhaul in your communication setup. From lowing phone costs to enhancing personal touch and improving client service, here are seven of the many highlights that you can benefit from when upgrading to VoIP:
There's no greater satisfaction than experiencing a seamless and hassle-free process, especially regarding booking management. VoIP systems integrate seamlessly with online booking platforms, allowing real-time updates and synchronised availability across all channels.
This simplified booking process makes it efficient for both staff and guests. So guests can easily check room availability, make reservations, or modify bookings, enhancing their experience and saving staff time.
Did you know that by implementing a VoIP phone system, you will most likely save money? Typically, companies can anticipate savings ranging from 30% to 50% after adopting a VoIP system. The actual amount saved depends on factors such as the business size and the previous communication system in use.
VoIP reduces costs because it operates using the internet, so it can help lower expenses when making phone calls, especially international ones. Internal calls within the hotel or between branches are also often free, and external calls become more affordable.
Most times are peak times at your busy hospitality business. With incoming calls coming in 24/7, you want to ensure you constantly provide the best service.
VoIP is jam-packed with many features designed to help you improve your customer service. Features such as auto-attendants can make your job much easier during busier periods as they offer automated menus and responses to manage incoming calls better. For more information on other features that will benefit your hospitality, skip to the end of this blog.
Adding a personal touch can go a long way with customers. Remembering their preferences and something as little as their name can really go a long way in making a guest feel valued. The great thing about VoIP is that you do not have to remember everyone's unique requirements. VoIP does that all for you. VoIP has the ability to store and personalise client profiles so staff can access detailed guest profiles and preferences instantly.
So, for example, if a guest prefers a particular room temperature or has dietary restrictions, this information can be readily available to your staff. It's as simple as bringing up their profile, and voilà, you can tailor their experience to the exact way they like it. What's not to love about this nifty feature?
A business's reputation can suffer from poor call quality as frequent misunderstandings occur with dropped calls and broken lines. This is especially common with older phone systems.
However, modern VoIP phone systems now offer clear and reliable communication by providing high-definition voice quality. This enhancement is a valuable addition to your customer service toolkit. Clear communication enables customers to interact with your staff effectively, ensuring their messages are received accurately and leaving them satisfied with the service they receive.
VoIP systems can effortlessly integrate with reservation software widely utilised in the hospitality industry and other third-party applications, including hotel management software. This seamless integration enables employees to access essential data directly from their communication platform, including booking details and call history. This streamlined system will ensure teams maintain effective communication with customers and provide personalised services.
Integrating your third-party system with VoIP also eliminates the hassle of switching between various systems, saving time and boosting overall productivity.
There is no need to be concerned over system maintenance or upgrades as this is all done for you by your VoIP provider. Yes, you read that right - the most challenging parts are all done for you! As most VoIP systems are cloud-based, your VoIP provider can provide all the hosting, upgrades and maintenance on your behalf externally. This also means that you will not need on-site hardware if you do not require this.
VoIP technology requires minimal hardware and technical expertise, eliminating the need to hire extra staff to maintain additional equipment in your office. Therefore, this saves you time, money and stress from maintaining your communication system.
A phone system for your hospitality business which is most effective is one that helps you reduce expenses and increase your customer satisfaction. With that in mind, here are seven features to consider when selecting your new VoIP phone system.
Being in the hospitality industry, you most likely have multiple departments and various job roles within your company. Everyone depends on each other to carry out their jobs seamlessly, meaning you rely on streamlined communication to ensure all teams and job roles run smoothly.
If your hospitality communications are brought onto one system, would that not make communications so much more simplified? The great thing about VoIP is that you can have all your communication requirements in one place, therefore becoming less confusing and more productive for your staff.
Fast and reliable connectivity ensures you stay informed about every operation and event within your hotel, keeping you well-prepared at all times.
Call analytics is a nifty feature that can help you better understand your hospitality company's performance. You can track essential statistics such as customer behaviour and call volumes to determine areas for improvement and make informed decisions.
The information generated from call analytics empowers you to make data-driven decisions to improve customer service. When you have assessed your analytics and addressed pain points, you can create a smoother, more efficient communication process. Once you have implemented improvements following the analytics, these enhancements can lead to a more satisfying guest experience.
Plus, Call Analytics can help you determine the busier call periods within your hospitality business. This insight allows you to strategically allocate resources to ensure adequate staff during high-demand times. This can help to minimise wait times and optimise staff productivity.
As mentioned earlier in our blog under benefit: 'improves customer service,' Auto Attendant is a great tool for strengthening telephone management. Auto Attendant transfers incoming communication based on what options the caller selects before directing a call. It takes out the guesswork of the caller's requirements and takes them to the team or employee they require.
As a busy hospitality operation, there are limited hours in the day to deal with customer requests. So, Auto Attendants will save an employee's time as your phone system transfers incoming communication for you.
Plus, it can improve customer service as the phone system can efficiently direct the caller straight to the appropriate department without being transferred multiple times.
As a busy hospitality business, you probably find that your phone is constantly in use with customers calling about bookings, asking general enquiries or discussing issues. Often, there are queues of callers waiting to speak to the main desk, which can leave clients feeling frustrated - some may even hang up or complain due to the wait. Unfortunately, these situations are unavoidable during peak times, but to lessen the frustration, we have a solution to help - and that is Music on Hold.
Listening to plain silence is tedious and can feel like it's prolonging the wait. So, Music on Hold plays a key role in maintaining customer satisfaction and easing discontent, as there is something to listen to while they wait.
Implementing this handy feature will ultimately improve customer service and keep your callers happy and engaged.
This feature is particularly useful for those with a hotel business. In certain VoIP phone systems, extension calling can align room numbers with up to four digits to enhance usability.
You can programme one-touch service numbers that allow guests to directly connect to any department required of the guest, including the front desk, housekeeping or restaurant, with a single number from inside the room. This allows the client to stay better connected to the hotel without having to phone different numbers externally, ensuring the simplicity of direct access to essential services.
Instant messaging is a great way to strengthen communication and connectivity among your hospitality staff members. It fosters real-time collaboration among teams, which can help immensely when needing quick answers to issues or fast assistance with guest requirements. This rapid information flow can improve efficiency and enhance guest experience, as employees can promptly address customer needs. With the capability of creating group chats, it allows specific teams to collaborate efficiently. This feature will enhance teamwork and ultimately elevate the overall service standards within the hospitality industry.
Another great thing about instant messaging platforms is that they also enable the sharing of multimedia files and documents, which aids in productive coordination among different departments.
When it comes down to selecting the right features for your hospitality business, the choice is yours. Every business's needs are different, so when you are finding the right communication system for you, make sure to assess your requirements before settling on suitable options for you.
As customer needs evolve, your hospitality business must adapt to those growing requirements and having an efficient and reliable phone system will ensure you meet those demands. If you are ready to upgrade your communication system and take your business to the next level, then T2k is here to help. With over 25 years of experience backed by a team of highly professional experts, we are here to help you make the right decision when finding the perfect VoIP phone system for your business.
Don't let outdated communication methods impede your progress in improving customer service. Reach out to T2k today and discover how we can transform your hospitality business with advanced VoIP solutions
Having worked for T2k for nearly 25 years, it's fair to say that Lee is an expert when it comes to all things telephony and business communications. Overseeing the commercial side of the business, he has helped the company evolve and grow through the decades. In recent years, and with the advent of VoIP and hosted telephony, Lee has made sure that T2k is at the forefront of technological developments. With a firm interest in helping businesses navigate the world of telecoms, Lee is responsible for the majority of the content on this website.
