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CLH News
Dec '23/Jan '24
Hospitality Technology
Boosts Customer Experience and Business Operations with Cloud Telephony Running a business in the hospitality sector has many communication challenges. Utilising cloud telephony enables you to face these business challenges by making informed business decisions and provides you with the time you need to focus on your customers.
them to contact you via WhatsApp, Email, or Live Chat. • What is a Property Management System integration? Offer simple solutions to enhance guest experience with guest voicemail, wake-up, maid status and guest call charges.
Evolve IP provides a range of products to help ease these business pain points. But without understanding the value that these technologies bring; how can businesses be expected to invest? Cloud telephony is more than making a phone call, it’s everything else around it that enables a business to collaborate effectively internally and externally with the customer. All of these moving parts to a business's operations seem small but once you see how disjointed they can become, it slowly evolves into a much bigger business challenge. We look at how we can help you better understand how cloud telephony can help your business.
TRANSFORMING OPERATIONS WITH CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
Focusing on Customer Experience From taking payment, managing bookings, and responding to queries across a range of communication platforms, the front-of-house team is a busy department. Utilising cloud telephony brings all day-to-day administrative tasks into one space. For example, tools like business analytics, call recording, CRM integration, Property Management System Integrations and even an
omnichannel contact centre all support these intertwined platform communications. Providing your team with focus whilst also optimising the team operations effectively. How do these technologies help? Understanding the wide range of technologies can be a challenge. Utilising a service provider to act as your trusted advisor will help you with managing this element of your business is invaluable.
• What does Call Recording mean? Access sentient analysis to identify trends and pain points within the business. E.g., “unable to make a booking”. • How can Business Analytics help? Identify business times within the business and ensure you’re sufficiently resourced. • Why is a Contact Centre important? Be where your customers are, enabling
Airwave Upgrade the Royal Society of Medicine’s TV System
Situated on the corner of central London's Wimpole Street and Henrietta Place, The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is one of the UK's leading providers of postgraduate medical education. Delivering multidisciplinary, specialist and general education to a global network of 20,000 members, the RSM brings together healthcare professionals across multiple specialties, offering learning resources, specialty events, club facilities and a hotel.
THE HOTEL Domus Medica, offers 47 member only guestrooms set within a hotel environment on the RSM's first floor. Stylish, comfortable accommodation complements amenities such as a restaurant, lounge bar, meeting rooms and library - providing a welcome respite for members staying before or after a RSM meeting. Members also benefit from the hotel's fabulous location, set within a few metres of London's iconic Oxford
Street.
THE TECHNOLOGY Having previously supplied TV technology to the London venue, Airwave was delighted to be invited back to upgrade and refresh the hotel's TV system. As the typical Domus Medica guest uses the guestroom for sleeping and bathing only, a simple Freeview system was all that was required on this occasion. Airwave installed an IPTV headend, updating the network infrastructure and providing access to on-demand content and an extensive selection of TV and radio channels. 32-inch LG LT661H Series displays were wall-mounted on tilt and swivel brackets ; the LT661 Series is run on LG's WebOS 4.5 platform, and offers fully customisable hotel TV features. For further information on Airwave, see the advert on the front cover or visit www.airwave.tv
Technologies available to the hospitality sector come with unique requirements for each business and providers need to work with each business to better help alleviate those pain points. Investing in technology will ultimately increase your revenue and customer retention long term. Onboarding your team and business to the cloud is a worthy investment into your communications strategy which will give you the tools to grow and scale your business efficiently. Capturing live data and your current business output gives you a full view of the business and empowers you to invest in the correct areas of the business. To find out more about cloud telephony and how Evolve IP can support your business visit evolveip.uk. See the advert on the previous page for details.
HotelREZ Increases Revenue and Market Share for Accommodation Providers HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts is one of the UK’s leading hotel representation companies, dedicated to connecting independent properties with bookers. With market-leading sales, marketing and revenue teams, combined with cutting-edge technology, HotelREZ helps hoteliers achieve their commercial potential by working closely with their customers to produce high-rated revenue from the most suitable target markets at an attractive cost of sale. Partnering with over 600 UK independent hotels, aparthotels, pubs with rooms and hotel groups, HotelREZ drives more direct bookings via distribution systems through its’ best-in-class booking engine ‘REZbooker’, meta, OTA and GDS travel agency system. A dedicated account manager assists to secure additional incremental income from corporate travellers, RFPs, and chain level agreements with global TMCs, consortia and agency networks alongside niche marketing programmes. To generate greater demand and reach a wider audience, HotelREZ gives access to its leisure subsidiary brands, World Rainbow Hotels and Best Loved Hotels.
HotelREZ focuses on exceptional support, speed to market and cost effective interfaces to PMSs, channel managers, RMS, payment gateways and unique booking widgets.
ADVANCING OPPORTUNITIES HotelREZ representation, technology and its’ in depth distribution knowledge, helps properties gain greater market share at an increased value per reservation by strengthening the quality of its global exposure. In 2024, HotelREZ will be rolling out a newly enhanced WebServices division, including a marketchanging retail booking engine to help hoteliers sell more than just rooms or F&B, expanding into upgrades, amenities and external products like transfers and tours. The HotelREZ team has a proven record of consultative, communicative account management where you speak with a real person, committed to helping your hotel generate increased revenue at an attractive cost of sale. Open a world of new booking and revenue opportunities. Learn more https://www.hotelrez.com/
SumUp Launches End-To-End Product Package For Quick-Service Businesses The quick-service package from SumUp includes a range of solutions for coffee counters, takeaways and everything in between—all at a discounted price. Kitting out your business with tools that support your staff and satisfy your customers improves the flow of your venue. SumUp is launching an all-in-one setup for quick-service businesses that transforms how these businesses operate. The quick-service package includes a range of SumUp solutions with savings on hardware, software, transaction fees and more. Each included product optimises a different customer or staff touchpoint, simplifying orders and payments, reducing queues and relieving staff—especially during those busy periods. Point of Sale Pro One POS solution for all of your daily tasks. SumUp Kiosk Customers order and pay freely, while your team focuses on the food. Solo card reader Never miss a sale with reliable payment acceptance. Kitchen display screen Give your kitchen staff the boost they deserve. Point of Sale Pro, SumUp’s most extensive POS solution, is the central hub within this package. Made up of easy-to-use hardware and software, staff can take orders, accept payments and make important changes in a few clicks.
The POS system provides valuable insights through data and reports, and is integrated with tools like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Xero—ensuring businesses have everything they need in one place. Orders can also be accepted via SumUp Kiosk, a self-service terminal where customers order themselves—reducing queues by up to 50%. The kiosk suggests add-ons to customers at checkout, potentially upselling on every order. When it comes to payments, kiosks have an integrated card reader so customers can pay right away. The package also includes a Solo card reader, which can be used to accept flexible payments with POS Pro. All orders—including those from delivery apps—are synced with the kitchen display screen, a separate display that supports staff by organising orders on-screen in real time. With these solutions, SumUp provides an ecosystem of tools that work seamlessly together at an accessible cost. All of these individual products can now be purchased as the quick-service package, priced at £599 (instead of £1,929). Software costs are reduced to £59 per month (instead of £118) and card reader transaction fees are discounted to 0.99%. These fees are guaranteed to never be increased. Businesses can access their daily earnings made via SumUp the next day at 7am—even on holidays and weekends. See the advert on the facing page for details.