It's a new year and a whole new decade, which means people are embracing new and exciting prospects and technologies. But even though we're now closer to the year 2050 than we are to the year that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came out, many hotel phone systems haven't changed since the day they were installed.
Maybe it’s time for a change! VoIP (voice over internet protocol) systems are getting cheaper, more widespread, and easier to install, prompting many organizations to make the switch. Is it time for your hotel to upgrade? Here are some things to consider.
VoIP calls are transmitted over your existing Internet and data connections, so they’re all lumped in with the rest of your online traffic. They constitute a tiny amount of your total internet usage. A VoIP call only needs about 100 kbps for crystal clear sound, whereas Netflix uses anywhere from 10 to 100 times that bandwidth.
Since VoIP data is the same as any other, local calls are free, regardless of their location. International calls can incur a small fee, but it’s still a tiny fraction of the amount charged by traditional phone companies. If you make a lot of phone calls, especially internationally, your savings could be enormous.
You might shy away from a whole new phone system because you don’t want to go through the time and hassle of upgrading, but don’t worry! Upgrading to a VoIP system requires a very small amount of new hardware and no complicated infrastructure. As long as your hotel has internet, you’re ready for a VoIP system.
Depending on the current hardware in your rooms, you might need to upgrade the handsets themselves. Some modern VoIP handsets have a host of new features, like shortcut buttons for the front desk, room service, or maintenance, that you might want.
Best of all, the system is future-proof. Once you implement a VoIP system, future upgrades are done entirely through software and can even be uploaded remotely. Keeping up with new features, adding and removing lines, and re-routing your phone tree is a piece of cake.
It’s no secret that hotels involve a lot of paperwork. Faxing credit card statements, receipts, passport scans, and other documents can cost your hotel time, not to mention the ink, paper, and phone costs associated with each fax.
Online faxing can all but eliminate those costs. You’ll be able to turn incoming faxes directly into the document format of your choice, then email it to the right destination or file it away without ever printing.
One of the most appealing features of a cloud-based PBX system is the wide variety of new features it brings to your hotel’s phones. With internet-connected phones and Phonesuite’s proprietary software, guests can automate check-in and check-out calls, set wake-up calls without calling the front desk, and receive room status alerts and billing information automatically. You can even integrate your maintenance and housekeeping systems so that housekeepers know immediately when guests vacate a room.
Other features include:
If your hotel is ready to save money, improve your guest experience, and make the leap into the 21st century, give us a call! We can give you a ballpark estimate or a more detailed quote, breaking down exactly what your costs are likely to be with a new VoIP system. Hotel technology has lagged for too long — it’s time to catch up!