Episode 7: “Hotel phone business is a dead-end!” Really?
In today’s digital era, the traditional hotel phone system finds itself in a somewhat awkward position.
So how to push my business forward in the hospitality sector?
Drawing on the experience with Yeastar’s new hotel module, Jason and Ramon share flexible strategies tailored to 3 different hotel tiers. The hotel market still brims with opportunities, highlighting the need for an integrated, lightweight, and cost-effective phone system.
If your business intersects with the hotel industry, this episode is a must-listen.
Tune in to the episode here.
Key Discussion Points
#1: Why is the upcoming hotel module so well-accepted?
Ramon [02:13]
The reason is the hotel application is actually quite important for our customer base. Because this solution that we show you is a smaller hotel module.
Jason [02:35]
It’s not a PMS.
Ramon [02:37]
Just a simple hotel application, but it turns out to be quiet enough because it has minimum feature that a basic hotel possibly need. And doesn’t comes with a overwhelming price.
Jason [03:00]
Yeah, that’s just the point. — The price and also the functionalities. If it’s capable to cover our customers’ need, and the price is fair, then that would be a good choice absolutely.
Ramon [05:14]
If you really look into the demo we did in the Yeastar Day, you will find out quite a few features has been cut down, including the billing and mini bar. And we offer enough features for our customers and we don’t overprice it.
#2: Is the hotel phone obsolete?
For Outbound Call
Ramon [06:21]
When was the last time you use the hotel phone to make an outbound call?
Jason [06:28]
Me? Never. I never use it for outbound call.
Ramon [06:33]
Nowadays the hotel phone has one function only to talk with the receptionist.
Jason [06:44]
Yeah, if you need some room service or you just wanna check with front desk something about your room, you might call. That’s the only reason why we keep the phone in hotel.
Ramon [07:08]
If you look at the new hotel phones nowadays, you will find that the design of the phones reflects this trend as there are less button.
Jason [07:24]
Yeah, all the buttons you have on the phone, they’re totally customized.
Ramon [07:35]
It’s kind of like hotkey machine or intercom.
Ramon [08:13]
With smartphones being so popular, people use them for everything. If they need to make an outbound call, they’ll just use their mobile phone.
For Internal Communication
Ramon [15:10]
There is another important part for hotels, internal communication. Do the employees really use it for internal communication?
Jason [15:22]
I think they use Walkie-talkie.
Ramon [20:36]
Traditionally, the hotel phones works as communication tools for the customers, but the big chunk of that has been replaced by the smartphones. So now the hotel phone system are only used between the customer and receptionist.
#3: How can I make my hotel phone system work?
Ramon [24:58]
The interest interesting, the interesting thing is the food delivery business has interestingly bring the hotel phone system back to life in China.
Ramon [25:40]
The hotels won’t allow the delivery guy to come in for security reason. So who will do it?
Jason [26:22]
Here it comes the smart way. In China, robot solution is so popular in hotels.
Ramon [27:10]
The hotel employee will put food in the robots and enter your room number. You will receive a call from your room phone and there will be a pre-recorded voice to tell your food is deliverd.
Jason [29:21]
There are so many possibilities, guys. The opportunity is the integration.
Ramon [29:43]
The more automated the hotel is, the more opportunity you got. The system within the hotel cannot be connected to the phone. It’s a relatively enclosed system.
#4: 3 types of hotels and the corresponding phone system needs
Type1: Traditional Big Names
Ramon [35:50]
Hotel is a quite standardize, enclosed business. It regulate that all hotels of certain level has to have a phone system. If you are already in their list, you don’t need to be worried about being creative, about being fit in.
Jason [36:30]
They will purchase your solutions all the time because you are the member in the list.
Ramon [38:03]
That’s why Yeastar has done the FIAS protocol on our system to make it possible for you to shoot a project with those big hotels.
Type2: New Challengers: 4-Star Hotels, New Creative Brands, .etc
Ramon [38:38]
They have to be creative and different to beat the old names. So they will be more open to new phone system, like food delivery robot we’ve just mentioned.
Type3: The Majority：Smaller Hotels, Airbnb, .etc
Ramon [43:58]
They are smaller hotel, even airbnb owners, they won’t need that much overfuction in the hotel phone system.
Jason [44:02]
They want a convenient solution to manage these rooms.
Ramon [44:07]
That’s exactly why our hotel app has been well-accepted.
Now Over To You!
We’d love to hear your voice of this episode or anything about our UC & C Huddle podcast. Want to be the next guest? Got any topics you want to hear in future episodes? Whatever it is, feel free to drop a comment or contact us through the ways below to tell us!
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