"Voice over Internet Protocol."
These four simple words can be absolutely mystifying for business owners, including those of us involved in the hospitality industry. After all, once you're accustomed to a particular type of system and know its ins and outs, and even its quirks, the last thing you want is to make a change. This is how many hotel owners view the use of their standard phone communications system. Not only do they fall back on the old adage of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," they're not really sure how VoIP works and, therefore, want nothing to do with it.
Whether you are a certified LAN administrator or are aren't tech savvy at all, there's no reason to be afraid of VoIP. Although it may be a mystery for now, it's definitely not rocket science, and a quick breakdown will help demystify it rather easily. In fact, VoIP requires only three primary items -- a speedy internet connection, a reputable VoIP provider, and a quality system capable of handling Business telephony with a healthy set of features.
Speedy Internet Connection
Any company that relies on the internet for conducting business knows how important a fast connection is to delivering proper service to their customers, in addition to providing an effective working environment for their employees. When you choose to upgrade to a VoIP communications system in your hotel, the most important element is that you are able to deliver exemplary voice and data communication. The required speed of your internet setup will depend on the size of your hotel and how the system will be used (whether you'll engage potentially bandwidth-intensive features like video chat, for instance). To make this determination, a reputable VoIP provider can run down the numbers and help you figure it out.
Reputable VoIP Provider
The VoIP provider you choose will be, in a lot of ways, your "right-hand man." This is especially true if you decide to go with a hosted VoIP solution, which will take the technical day-to-day aspects of your communications out of your hands and put them in the hands of a company with much more experience in the matter. What traits should be looking for in a VoIP provider? Three important ones include: 1) a provider that will monitor your system on a regular basis, 2) provide you with feedback as to how the system is functioning and what might be done to make improvements, and 3) react immediately to any system problems that crop up so that disruption to communications is either very slight or nonexistent.
Quality System
To get the most out of VoIP, it's important that your system be one of high quality. If you skimp, your hotel's entire communications system will be negatively affected. Your VoIP provider can provide you with recommendations for various components, and this includes the phones that you choose. Whether you're looking to use a hybrid system that allows you to integrate your existing phones or a setup where you'll need to upgrade all of your phones to those designed specifically for VoIP, the primary element to consider is quality. This is true with each technical element, which a well-known VoIP provider like PhoneSuite can go over with you in great detail.
The above elements are the primary ones that are required for a positive VoIP communications setup. PhoneSuite offers all three of these requirements and has proven quite adept at helping hotels make the transition from a standard phone communications system to one that utilizes VoIP as painlessly as possible. If you'd like PhoneSuite to handle all of your VoIP needs or simply get you started, contact us today.