As the hospitality industry strives to continually enhance the guest experience, many companies have been embracing digital transformation. In addition to helping to create a pleasant and memorable guest experience, digital transformation brings with it other benefits, such as brand reinforcement, competitive advantage, efficiency, resilience, and cost savings. This blog post will discuss three specific areas that a hospitality company can focus on in the digital transformation of their communications and networking environment – managed SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Networking), CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service), and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) Transformation to digital voice.
SD-WAN
SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) can serve as a foundational technology for a digital transformation initiative, streamlining operations, improving network management, strengthening security, and creating resiliency, all of which positively impact the guest experience. Hotels will be able to provide their guests with fast and consistent Wi-Fi access, which is made possible by aggregating multiple internet links, such as broadband, MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), and 4G/5G, and prioritizing internet traffic. Through intelligent traffic routing, SD-WAN can prioritize guest-facing applications, ensuring that online check-in and streaming services, for example, operate with high bandwidth and low latency for a seamless and high-quality experience.
Network resilience is another important benefit of SD-WAN. Dynamic path selection and automatic failover are built into the network and provide network continuity, even during internet link failure, crises, and natural disasters. This reliability is pivotal for keeping guests happy, employees connected, and facilities up and running.
SD-WAN Benefits
Centralized Network Management
With SD-WAN, IT teams can monitor and manage network performance and troubleshoot issues across multiple facility locations using a single centralized interface.
Network Security
Most SD-WAN solutions also have built-in security features, such as encryption and firewall capabilities, which could come in the form of Firewall as a Service (FWaaS). This helps safeguard data and sensitive information – for guests and across the entire organization – and also ensures compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and other data governance regulations.
Scalability
SD-WAN simplifies network expansion and change as hospitality companies build or acquire new properties, offer new network-related services, or shift to accommodate evolving business strategies. Rapid provisioning and deployment capabilities ensure a consistent and reliable network across the organization.
IoT & Smart Room Technologies
An SD-WAN network can facilitate connectivity with intelligent devices like IoT sensors and voice-activated assistants, which enhance guest comfort and convenience by giving them the ability to manage room temperature, lighting, and entertainment systems through their smartphones or with vocal instructions. These technologies also have the potential to enhance energy efficiency.
Cost Savings
SD-WAN optimizes network traffic and reduces the need for expensive, dedicated MPLS circuits. Leveraging cost-effective broadband links and efficiently routing traffic enable hospitality companies to realize significant cost savings. The company can better understand the behavior and preferences of guests by tapping into an SD-WAN solution’s capability to collect and provide insights into network usage and trends. This data can be leveraged for optimization and to enhance the overall guest experience.
CCaaS
Through the use of automation and AI-driven engagements, CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) helps agents operate more efficiently. The flexibility of this unified cloud-based platform allows it to serve a diverse range of businesses from a small group of support agents to a globally dispersed call center.
CCaaS enables hotels to leverage various communication channels, including voice, chat, email, and social media, improving the guest experience. By facilitating accessibility, the organization allows guests to speak with the property through their preferred communication channels. Additionally, from a training/onboarding standpoint, CCaaS platforms help the organization educate new agents and improve employee performance with call recordings, real-time feedback, and notes on improved service quality, creating uniformity and superior guest outreach and response. Valuable insights can be extracted to pinpoint opportunities for enhancement, and base decisions on data for improving guest services.
CCaaS Benefits
Improved Guest Experiences
Agents can promptly retrieve guest details and preferences with a CCaaS platform, enabling individualized and tailored services and responses and enhancing the guest experience. In addition, features like intelligent call routing help ensure that guests are directed to the most suitable agent for their requirements. Personalized Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus, call pathways, and routing guidelines can be set up to facilitate specific business processes.
Scalability
With CCaaS, hotels can quickly scale and adjust to seasonality and scheduled events by adding agents or resources to handle the higher call volumes. Conversely, they can scale down for off-peak seasons. The agility of the technology helps hotels optimize resource utilization.
Remote Work Capabilities
Remote work is made easier for call center agents, allowing organizations to tap into a broader talent pool, and assuring uninterrupted customer service, even during on-site disruptions. Disaster recovery features are typically incorporated into CCaaS solutions. Should network interruptions or natural disasters occur, calls can be redirected to different sites or remote agents, guaranteeing the uninterrupted operation of the business.
Cost-Efficiency
With CCaaS, there is no need for expensive on-premises hardware and the maintenance of that equipment. In addition, hotels can pay for the services they need on a subscription basis, increasing flexibility and reducing capital expenditures. CCaaS platforms integrate with customer relationship management (CRM) systems so agents have a holistic view of guest data. This helps resolve issues quicker and personalizes the guest experience.
Compliance
CCaaS providers typically remain informed about compliance regulations specific to the industry. This enables hotels to adhere to data protection and privacy laws, like GDPR, through the implementation of secure call management and data handling procedures.
Guest Feedback & Surveys
Post-call surveys and feedback collection are easy to facilitate with CCaaS systems, helping organizations gain valuable insights into guest satisfaction and areas for improvement.
POTS Transformation
The transformation of POTS services for hospitality firms provides financial advantages, enhanced guest interactions, simplified administration, and access to advanced features and functionalities. Traditional telephone communications have been used from guest room phones, front deck communications, POS (Point of Sale) and credit card processing, guest internet and more. Transitioning from analog service that is built on 100-year-old infrastructure saves on cost and improves service; it helps hotels address the evolving communication requirements of both guests and employees.
POTS Transformation Benefits
Cost Savings
Maintaining POTS lines is expensive, particularly when multiple lines are necessary for various hotel functions. POTS replacement frequently results in substantial cost reductions by shifting to digital and more economical voice services.
Enhanced Guest Experience
Digital voice services provide enhanced call quality and dependability. This results in guests experiencing clearer calls with fewer interruptions or disconnections, ultimately elevating their overall satisfaction when communicating with the hotel over the phone. Advanced features and functionality like voicemail to email, call forwarding, and integration with other hotel systems better enable hotel staff to provide a positive experience.
Streamlined Management
Overseeing numerous POTS lines from diverse carriers can be complex and a drain on resources. POTS transformation streamlines voice services by consolidating them, simplifying network management, and diminishing administrative burdens.
Hotels can readily incorporate or eliminate lines, modify call routing, and introduce functionalities, easily. POTS transformation solutions frequently include remote management features, enabling IT teams to oversee and control voice services from any location, which is especially advantageous for hotel chains with multiple sites.
Easier Integration
Digital voice services have the capacity to smoothly integrate with various hotel systems, including property management systems (PMS) and customer relationship management (CRM) software. This integration simplifies procedures and enhances guest interactions. Additionally, POTS Transformation incorporates voice, video and messaging services, improving operational efficiency.
Reliability and Redundancy
Digital voice services commonly provide backup and alternative options, guaranteeing the continuity of essential voice communications even in the event of network disturbances or failures. POTS transformation solutions can help hotels adhere to regulatory mandates, such as E-911 emergency service compliance.
Environmental Benefits
Shifting from outdated POTS infrastructure aligns with sustainability objectives as it diminishes the necessity for copper wiring and promotes environmentally friendly practices.
Scalability for Multi-Location Chains
In the case of hotel chains operating numerous properties, POTS replacement solutions can be uniformly expanded to all sites, delivering a consistent and effective voice infrastructure.
SD-WAN, CCaaS, and POTS Transformation are three examples of key focus areas for a hospitality organization as it begins or continues on a path of digital transformation. Each would move the needle considerably in terms of guest satisfaction, brand affinity, employee productivity, and cost savings. In an effort to future-proof infrastructure and stay competitive, modernizing communications and networking helps a hospitality organization maintain high levels of service while simultaneously offering a great place to work for employees.
If you have any questions about modernizing communications and networking within a particular industry, please contact us.