Using Two-Way Radios in a Hotel Environment



Wow Your Guests, Save Time, and Increase Business
Many hotels do not employ two-way radios, but the reality is that no hotel business should go without them. The usage of instant communication systems can drastically improve day-to-day operations in any hospitality oriented business, and in turn, increase profit. Every minute saved is money saved in an industry where service is number one. Having to walk to a phone or across a facility to track someone down in order to share information is a very clunky and outdated way to run an operation. In this short article we are going to share some information as to why every hotel should add two-way radios to their arsenal, let's do it department by department.

The Front Desk and Valet
First and foremost, your front desk team needs to be able to communicate instantly, both amongst themselves and also with other departments. With push-to-talk devices they can immediately inform housekeeping of a checkout in order to expedite turning rooms and thus capturing an additional stay here and there, which adds up over the course of a year. It also allows them to call a bellhop to carry bags so quickly it will make a guests head spin. What about valet? They can let the front desk know a guest has arrived before they ever reach the front desk, giving the desk a leg up on greeting and check-in, and even give them the opportunity to hear that a guest is in a not-so-good mood, allowing them to think and be prepared to provide the appropriate service to please even the toughest customers. Flip it around on valet and when the guest checks out their car is waiting out front before they even arrive! "How do they do it so quickly?!" What if a guest is extremely unruly or intoxicated and needs to be escorted out of the building? The front desk is calling security in a heartbeat, no time wasted. Or, maybe you have a very classy restaurant in your establishment, and the desk can inform the crew that an important guest is on their way in so that they have the opportunity to prepare and really wow them. The endless possibilities of having walkie talkies at a front desk can profoundly benefit the operations, customer satisfaction, and ultimately profits of every hotel.

Housekeeping
One of the most important, if not the most important department in any hotel is housekeeping. This particular team is responsible for the most important part of a guests stay, the clean sheets and towels, the stocked toilet paper, and just generally making the room look stellar for the guest. With two-way radios at their disposal they will be able to coordinate turning rooms over at light speed by staying connected, being in the know, and being instantly located and delegated. Even better, they can bring fresh towels or other on-request accoutrements on-the-fly to the guest almost as quickly as the guest requested it. Front desk staff can take the call and request, quickly switch to a housekeeping channel and inform them, and without the head of housekeeping even getting involved the person closest to the supply can have the item in their hand and be on their way there in an instant. Imagine requesting an item from the phone in your room and hearing a knock at the door in less than two minutes... WOW! Now imagine a child has vomited in the front lobby, how quickly can we get housekeeping here to clean it up? Instantaneously someone at the front desk is informing them that they are needed and within minutes the problem is solved.

Maintenance Staff
Maintenance staff are usually roaming the hotel and grounds repairing various equipment and taking care of the building. As such, each team member's efficiency could dramatically benefit from carrying a two-way radio, making them instantly accessible at any given moment. Just like housekeeping, the closest team member can instantly take a call and be there in moments without any delegation from the head of maintenance, because the entire maintenance department instantly gets the message. "Maintenance, Barbara in room 408 says her AC is not blowing out cold air" is broadcast in seconds, and in record time a maintenance team member is in her room repairing it and Barbara is waiting as little time as humanly possible. In fact, she's so pleased that she was attended to so quickly that she recommends the hotel to all of her friends and family and never stays at another establishment when she comes to visit because she knows where the service is.

Security Team
Security isn't something every hotel has, but many do. And if you have a security team that has ever dealt with a serious security problem they know the importance of speedy communication in an emergency situation. If an altercation breaks out in the lobby multiple security team members can be informed in less than 10 seconds and be there in an instant. Every member of your hotel staff becomes an "agent of the matrix" and are now the all seeing and all hearing eyes and ears of your security staff. Suspicious individuals in the parking lot, loud and intoxicated guests in the hallway, complaints of noisy gatherings, all reported to security by any and every other department in the blink of an eye and taken care of in moments. We've all heard the horror stories of catalytic converters being stolen from under cars in parking lots and we've all experienced the "party people" having a bit too much fun in the room next door. This level of teamwork and communication will keep a smile on your guests faces. More importantly, having two-way radios increases the safety of your guests, and the safety of customers and staff is always good business.
Restaurant Staff
If you've got a restaurant in your hospitality business then you know all about the challenges of satisfying guests. Imagine that a very important guest comes walking in to the restaurant and no one knew they were coming. With a walkie talkie the front end host can immediately inform the staff of this guest's arrival, allowing them to hastily prep the guests favorite table, drinks, food, etc. A server can call a manager in a heartbeat when a guest has a complaint, the kitchen can inform wait staff the soup of the day is depleted and no one misses a beat. Hundreds of steps and hundreds of minutes saved each day can add up to thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars (or more, depending on your business!) over the course of a year. Not to mention, over-the-top service always keeps 'em coming back, and when they come back so does their wallet!
Event Staff
Many hotels have ballrooms, courtyards, or terraces that are used for events. Events that require an incredible amount of coordination and communication! "Tell Thomas to go ahead and roll out the cake, the guests are ready!" In an event scenario timing is critical, and in a timing scenario instant communication is essential. From table setting, to lighting, to serving, lightning fast communication is a game-changer! You can even allow guests to have a radio assigned to them if they need to coordinate bringing in gifts or other event related items from outside. Maybe some unexpected attendees have arrived and you need more chairs, instantaneously the person nearest chair storage at any given moment hears about it and is on their way. Furthermore, the front desk can inform event staff that guests are arriving, and event staff can inform the front desk that the event has ended and a large number of people will be exiting the building. The ways in which instant push-to-talk communication can benefit an event are endless! Give them the service that keeps them booking with your hotel and avoiding your competition.
What's the next step? Check out our article on "Choosing the Right Radios for Your Hotel" for information about finding the right system for your business!

Thank You!
Black Diamond Radio thanks you for visiting our site and learning how two-way radios can positively change the teamwork dynamic in a hospitality environment. We are always eager to answer your questions and have no wait time to speak to a human being in our offices, so feel free to give us a call any time! We are not just here to "make the sale", we are here to answer your questions so that your business can thrive!