If you’re thinking of switching your hotel’s communication systems from a traditional analog system to a modern VoIP system, there’s no time like the present to get started. VoIP systems offer significant benefits over analog phones, allowing you to work more efficiently and offer your guests a better experience. Before you make the switch, here’s what you need to know.
The Benefits of VoIP
A digital PBX system that runs over the internet rather than through copper wires is a significant technological leap for many hotels, allowing them to offer new services and run their hotels in ways they never thought possible. The benefits are numerous, including:
- Advanced phone features: with a VoIP PBX system, you can automate check-in and check-out calls, set wake-up calls automatically, run room status through your computer systems quickly and easily, and more advanced features.
- More efficient staff: VoIP automation reduces time spent on repetitive tasks, enabling staff to spend more time providing quality customer service.
Future-proofing your hotel: Investing in VoIP ensures your PBX system is current, allowing for easier software and compliance updates, with opportunities to expand your hotel's capabilities.
Before You Switch
Before you make the transition to a VoIP system, there are a few things you should keep in mind. A VoIP system runs over the internet, so you’ll need to make sure you have a high-quality, high-speed internet connection throughout your hotel in order to run it.
Internet speed is your primary consideration. A VoIP call takes a relatively small amount of bandwidth compared to other internet usages — about 100 kilobits per second per concurrent call. Prepare for the maximum possible traffic. If your hotel has 250 phone trunks, you’ll need an internet speed of at least 3.125 megabits per second to have calls running over all of those trunks simultaneously. To accommodate these considerations, we typically recommend that no more than about 20 percent of your bandwidth be occupied by your VoIP system. If you have 250 phone trunks in your hotel, bandwidth for the whole system should be around 15 Mbps. Talk to your internet service provider to make sure they can give you the bandwidth that you need.
Network quality is another significant factor. One of the best features of a VoIP system is that you don’t need to wire every handset to the same network. Simply connect the handset to wi-fi, plug the base into the wall, and it’s ready to use.
However, in some hotels, especially very large ones or very old buildings, wi-fi doesn’t travel through the walls well. You might need to install repeaters or multiple access points to make sure that every handset has a strong connection to your hotel’s internet.
Installing Your VoIP System
Once you’ve considered the pros and cons of an on-premise system vs. a managed service platform, you’re ready for installation.
At Phonesuite, we've created a proprietary installation process focused on minimizing disruption and designed with your specific needs in mind. To ensure we're meeting your needs, we take the following steps:
- Information gathering: We’ll work with you to choose the best Phonesuite system based on your specific business needs.
- Design: our engineers will examine every detail of your network, telephony, and infrastructure requirements to ensure that our Managed VOICE system will integrate seamlessly with your existing system, while still offering you the best possible services.
- Pre-installation: a Lead Sales Account Manager will be your liaison between your hotel and Phonesuite. Our deployment team can answer any concerns you may have about the installation process. Later, we’ll schedule a meeting to go over what you can expect during the installation process.
- Onsite deployment: a Project Manager, Lead Onsite Engineer, Remote Tier 3 Engineer, and local factory-trained technicians will install any hardware that your system requires.
- QA and testing: we’ll go over our QA checklist with your onsite staff, testing every feature and making calls to ensure that your system is working properly. During this phase, we’ll also conduct training to familiarize your staff with the new system, including reporting, the configurator, the browser console, and general operation.
- Support: after the installation, our support system includes:
- 24/7 Proactive Monitoring and Factory-Maintained Call Center.
- Lifetime “No Questions Asked” Warranty on all Phonesuite manufacture equipment.
- Upgrades on all Phonesuite manufactured hardware and software.
- Free Move, Adds, and Changes (MAC) configuration changes
- Free daily encrypted backups for “peace of mind” disaster recovery
- Rapid Call Center and Onsite Response
Talk to Phonesuite Today
Once the installation is complete, you’ll be up and running with a brand new phone system, featuring incredible versatility, a low initial investment, a reasonable monthly fee, and round-the-clock monitoring and support in case anything isn’t working properly.
If you’re ready to take the next step and bring your hotel’s communications into the 21st century, get in touch with Phonesuite today! We’ll talk about your needs, explain the costs, and give you a sense of the installation process so you know exactly what to expect.
