10 Reasons for Moving Your Hotel Phone System to the Cloud
Travelers expect unparalleled service of their hotels from the time of research, reservation and engagement. With an infinite number of brands to choose from, keeping your hotel phone system simple, easy-to-navigate and reliable can create a guest experience that sets you apart from the competition.
Cloud technology plays a leading role in this– in turn, helping multinational hotel brands see improvements in essential metrics.
As the leader in managing your global communications system, you know better than anyone how important streamlined, secured and reliable voice service is for conversations between your customers and guest services agents. And to do that– you need superior market reach, uptime and call quality to deliver. Moving your hotel phone system to the cloud has several benefits:
1. Enhance Legacy Architecture
Your phone system is an investment, and no, you don’t need to replace your existing system for cloud migration. Hosted PBXs enhance the systems you already have through SIP integrations and provide feature-rich tools and capabilities that on-premise systems lack.
Plus, cloud platforms are easy to maintain. Your provider takes care of system upgrades and maintenance automatically.
2. Reliable Global Connection
Cloud communications systems provide hotels with global coverage, high call quality, reduced lag time and jitter because they're backed by regional servers that can support their volume needs.
This means that hotels and resorts - especially those in remote locations - don’t have to be at the mercy of the age and quality of local PBX infrastructure. Cloud PBX providers are able to offer them the reliable connection across cities, countries and continents that guests need.
3. Lowering Communications Total Cost of Ownership
Moving your hotel phone system to the cloud can help your business cut costs by reducing the expense to host on-site communications infrastructure. This translates to cost savings in these areas as well:
- Subscription, usage-based or a hybrid billing plan that’s cheaper than maintaining on-prems
- Competitive call rates and global business phone numbers that reduce total cost of ownership
- Less time and money spent on infrastructure upkeep and expensive trunk lines
With cloud communications features like softphones, call forwarding and Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, you can maximize your hotel communications budget, reduce the reliance on on-prem equipment and reallocate those savings elsewhere.
4. Better System Interoperability
A cloud-based phone system offers more flexibility than traditional analog systems. Integrated SIP trunking allows users to get more out of their existing communications stack than they thought possible– more call features, better call quality and coverage when you SIP enterprise-voice services into your existing PBX, UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS platforms.
Additionally, integrations also extend to helpdesk, sales and customer-relationship management tools for streamlined agent workflows that boost productivity.
5. More Robust Phone Features
Your legacy system has its worth, sure– but a VoIP hotel phone system can enhance it! When you integrate your hotel PBX into a cloud environment, you’ll benefit from several voice and performance tools, including:
- Audio analytics. Get greater visibility into your network voice quality to discover and address packet loss, jitter and MOS reports so your guests aren’t left frustrated by poor audio quality.
- Call routing. Easily route guests to the agents and experts who can best support their needs with no-code configurations.
- IVR/auto-attendant. Provide guests with customized greetings, intuitive ring strategies and self-guided menu options that support your global operations– but also feel personalized in the process.
- Software integrations. Expand inbound and outbound reach, routing, and performance monitoring by SIP trunking into your preferred platform so your teams can work on the tools they know best.
- Compliance-ready. Stay in full compliance with local regulations wherever you operate.
- Curate business numbers. Quickly purchase, directly route, port, forward and manage all of your business numbers across departments and locations in one place.
- APIs and webhooks. Build a customizable voice solution that fits your business model and circulates data the way you want.
- Call journey. Record every customer interaction to uncover and remedy call flow navigation gaps.
In short, a cloud-based voice infrastructure unlocks a series of helpful and intelligent features that equip you with the tools and data needed to elevate the guest experience.
6. Simplified Voice & Vendor Mapping
Opening new locations and expanding into uncharted territories requires more voice and communications services. Generally, you would need to scope out local vendors to connect your phone system– leaving you with a complex portfolio of registrations, documentation, vendor contacts, inventory and more.
When you partner with a cloud voice provider, it’s easy to regain control. Everything is housed and managed in a centralized platform, and you liaise with a single point of contact for all of your vendor questions and support needs.
7. Improves Personalization Opportunities
Voice services are becoming more than just ways to call a hotel– they’re being used to anticipate guest needs and personalize journeys.
Cloud communications platforms empower multinational hotel brands to collect, share and collaborate using data from phone conversations, website and mobile app behaviors to better tailor messaging and hyper-personalize the guest experience, so guests feel like VIPs and are more likely to book with you again.
8. Improves Agility and Scalability
Cloud-based PBX phone systems allow you to scale your hotel phone lines easily and without disruption. IT leaders can add, modify and remove lines and users right from the platform. And with solutions required to adapt and automate to satisfy a changing market, integrations can help team members access intuitive call features they need to perform in their roles.
Here’s how agile and scalable cloud communications can amplify your reservations and guest service hotel teams:
- Sales-oriented teams: Anticipate needs and personalize conversations with screen pops and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) to increase bookings and upsell opportunities.
- Support-focused teams: Provide your inbound and outbound support with queue callback, PSTN replacement services and automatic call logging to follow up on your guests’ travel experiences.
- Voice operations: Customize call routing and your multinational hotel brand’s IVR setup with drag-and-drop functionality for faster voice deployment.
9. Improves Overall Guest Experience
The guest experience starts at the first interaction with your hotel brand. And while it doesn’t end, following up with unified communications regarding their recent stay and feedback is a great way to continuously evolve.
As you continue upgrading the guest experience to meet the demands of the modern traveler, remember to include your hotel PBX in those upgrades. The reliability of service and SIP integrations ease make cloud-based communications a smart choice for multinational hotel brands and their guest services.
10. Quick to Set Up and Deploy to Teams
Setting up a cloud communications system is quick and easy. Once you’ve selected a VoIP provider, you’ll be able to carry out calls in no time at all. Below are the basic steps:
- Either download the software or go to the web-based portal and sign in
- Set up your call routing, IVR, and number preferences and meet your account manager
- Start making and receiving calls
With a web-based communications provider, it’s easier to deploy the software to your remote customer service teams’ devices. No-code configuration, hands-free updates and accessibility to work on desktops and laptops give your hotel agents the convenience of working anywhere with an internet connection.
Power Your Hotel PBX and Guest Experience
A cloud PBX system is absolutely essential for growing multinational hotel brands. And upgrading your hospitality voice service to the cloud doesn’t mean you’re completely replacing your current system. You’re simply enhancing it as a way to better serve your guests.
The experience your guests have with your hotel brand is everything. Travelers have a lot of demands, and the latest trends show you should be prioritizing customer experience to maintain your competitive edge. Our latest report highlights the emerging trends for travel and hospitality in 2023. Click here to see how.
2023 Global Cloud Communications Outlook
Lift up the guest experience.
Emerging trends are shaping guest experiences and business growth. Get your report to see how you can amplify CX and voice services worldwide.
