Log out

Session expired

Your reply has been posted successfully!

Blog

Publish
 
    • You can't do that with a mobile phone when you work in hospitality!

      Published Dec 09 2016, 8:23 PM by Clare McFarlane

      Why two-way digital radio is out-performing mobile phones for hotel communications, every time!

      I'm sure you've experienced the problem... you're trying to reach a colleague or staff member on their mobile phone, but either you're in a black-spot, they've got no signal or perhaps you're both in busy, noisy places? Interrupted conversations, voicemail messages, shouting and straining to hear… the sheer frustration of it all is stressful enough, let alone the lost time and poor guest experience it leaves in its wake. And I've not even mentioned cost, durability or usability issues yet!

      So - are you struggling-on with mobile phones, or joining the increasing number of organisations heading back to two-way radio? Because efficient communication between staff is the key to meeting your guests' demands, which in turn generates good reviews, personal recommendations and increased bookings.

      65% of enterpise mobile users say their phone batteries "frequently" or "occasionally" don't last even one shift1

      BUT CAN MOBILE PHONES REALLY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE GUEST EXPERIENCE?

      Well, yes, I believe so. For hoteliers and the hospitality industry, mobile phones have proved to be not-so-mobile - and not so smart - afterall. They don't actually work anywhere and everywhere; they aren't as rugged as a radio; and they certainly can't connect you to multiple people, in different locations, all at the same time and all at the push of just one button.

      Here's some food for thought....

      - Consumer devices (mobile phones and smart phones) are 3x more likely to fail than digital radios2. It's quite simple, they tend to break when they're dropped, unlike radios.

      - Each failure costs 60 - 120 minutes of lost work time1. So, that's up to 2 hours your staff are not available to you or your guests and, in effect, prevented from doing their job.

      - And over a 5 year period, consumer devices incur 50% higher costs than radios3. Because there are no monthly charges, call charges or package limitations with two-way radios.

      Even if you have good mobile network coverage, the signal is unlikely to reach places such as your kitchens, service corridors, cellars or underground car parks. Plus you're typically limited to one-to-one communication; finding the number, dialing, waiting for a connection and finally talking, can be surprisingly time-consuming, especially when you have to do it multiple times.

      All of which means when your guests need information or assistance, they may just have to wait for it - and we all know how much guests like waiting around don't we?

      11 REASONS WHY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS 'OUTSMART' MOBILE PHONES

      Some of you may still be thinking: "Two-way radios? Aren't mobile phones the obvious choice these days?" And yes, they may be obvious - mainly because we all have one for personal use - but are they the right choice for your critical staff communications?

      For instance, did you know the annual failure rate of consumer mobile devices in taxing applications is 18% - 20%.

      So, before you commit to a potentially lengthy and expensive mobile phone contract, it pays to arm yourself with all the facts. In a comparison of key attributes, it's easy to see how two-way radios 'outsmart' mobile phones...check out the infographic:

      INFOGRAPHIC: 11 Reasons Why Radio Communications Outsmart Mobile Phones

      Do you use mobile phones in the workplace? Have they ever let you down?

      Digital radio has never looked better
      Discover more here >>


      Sean Fizgerald is Senior Manager, Solutions Marketing EMEA
      Connect with Sean on LinkedIn at
      http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sean-fitzgerald/1/705/4a0

       

       


      1"Business-Critical Communications: Benefits of Selecting Two-Way Radios over Cellular Phones"; VDC Research, 2014
      2Krebs, David. "Enterprise Mobility & Connected Devices"; VDC Research, August 2013
      3Mobile Device TCO Models for Line of Business Solutions; Volum 1/Track 7: Enterprise Mobile Device TCO; VDC Research Group, Inc; Mobile and Wireless Practice; February 2013

    • Wish Your Hospitality Job was Easier?

      Published Dec 09 2016, 8:23 PM by Clare McFarlane

      Authored by Michael Ruscitti

      Hospitality professionals across the globe measure success by how well they satisfy their guests. Whether staying at a five-star luxury hotel and spa in Singapore or a simple, comfortable room in London, managing guest issues quickly and effectively is critical, and exceeding these expectations is the lifeblood of the hospitality industry.

      To serve their guests, hospitality professionals around the world currently deploy digital two-way radios for their push-to-talk voice communications. This often includes interacting with various work ticket management software applications that allow the hotel to quickly dispatch personnel to manage guest issues. From needing towels to an air conditioner that needs servicing in a guest room, to requesting extra tables to seat guests more comfortably at an event, systems like the MOTOTRBO™ digital two-way radio system work in conjunction with software solutions to increase effectiveness in resolving these issues.

      To understand the unique challenges within the hotel environment, a cross-functional team from Motorola Solutions – consisting of Engineering, Industrial Design, and Marketing – visited with dozens of hotel managers and their staff globally. We observed their guest interactions and reviewed their guest-relations systems. Through this partnership with our customers, we learned that we could further customize our radios to meet their needs. Watch this video to see some of the results from that collaboration.

      With customer service as the top priority, bulky radios for front-desk staff, hotel managers and covert security personnel are not comfortable to wear all day, especially when tucked into a suit or attached to a dress. In addition to wanting a radio that was thin, compact, and lightweight, we also learned that reading work tickets on a single-line display was challenging, and it took multiple steps to navigate through menus to read them. Some customers had turned to alternative technologies, such as mobile phones, Blackberries, and iDEN phones, but the devices they were using could not perform the “one to many” functionality of a two-way radio, and were often not rugged enough to survive within an enterprise environment with drops, getting caught in the rain, etc.

      Based on our close partnership with our customers, the new SL Series portable was uniquely designed to meet these challenging requirements. With its thin, compact design and a weight comparable to a smartphone, the SL Series can be discreetly and comfortably worn with business attire. And, with a new five-line color display, work tickets can be easily read without scrolling, and its newly designed user interface lets staff members quickly access, respond, and manage their work ticket queue. Adding new features such as vibrate alert and covert mode made effective communication more discreet, and integrated Bluetooth offers a wireless audio option for additional comfort and convenience.

      More than 200 MOTOTRBO application partners worldwide further expand functionality and provide solutions to increase guest satisfaction and provide enhanced safety, security and situational awareness to all. Applications provide many benefits including transforming the radio system to a total system solution by integrating the radios to existing hotel work ticket management systems and even connecting the radio system to the existing hotel phone system, enabling radios to receive and place telephone calls.

      Click here to see how our complete MOTOTRBO system solution helped the Peabody hotel deliver four-star guest service with voice and data applications. To learn more about the new thin and lightweight MOTOTRBO SL Series of digital two-way radios, please visit www.motorolasolutions.com/mototrbo.

      Michael Ruscitti is the Product Manager for the Global Application Development program at Motorola Solutions Inc.

    Please wait...