What Phone Systems do Hotels Use?
Today’s guests rely heavily on mobile technology to stay connected but hotel phone systems still play a vital role in allowing hotels to remain competitive. PBX (Private Branch Exchange) is a privately managed telephone system that is primarily used by hotels and other businesses. PBX enables internal and external dialing and allows hotels to manage calls with features such as call routing and queue management.
The hotel phone system plays a vital role in enhancing the guest experience and helps hotels to operate more efficiently. PBX phone systems allow hotels to handle guests’ requests more efficiently and connects team members regardless of location, helps to increase the productivity of staff, and creates a safer hotel experience for guests.
Compliance with Emergency Dialing Laws
PBX phone systems also play an essential role in allowing hotels to comply with emergency dialing laws by enabling hotel phones to directly access 911. RAY BAUM’s Act and Kari’s Law requires that hotel phone systems enable callers to directly dial 911 without the use of any prefix or access code. Hotel phone systems should also be programmed to show the caller’s exact location during an emergency call. And requires that all IP- enabled phone systems be programmed to alert the front desk and emergency services of a 911 call.
On-Premise PBX Phone System
Hotels have options when it comes to which PBX phone system to choose for their business. On-premise PBX is managed on the hotel’s premises and requires the monitoring, the upgrading of technology, and troubleshooting by the hotel’s IT department. On-premise PBX connects via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) with the use of traditional phone lines and all hardware is on-site.
On-Premise PBX Benefits for Hotels
Hotels that want a PBX that has low running costs could benefit from an on-premise PBX phone system. On-premise PBX typically has a lower cost in the long run and the use of SIP Trunking (Session Initiation Protocol) can help hotels to reduce costs. S.I.P. Trunking allows business telephone systems to operate using an existing internet connection, instead of traditional phone lines.
On-premise PBX allows hotels to have more ownership and could be beneficial for hotels that prefer to own their own hardware instead of paying a monthly fee to use the equipment that is hosted. Owning your own network and server systems and keeping them on-premise gives hotels more control.
On-premise based PBX ensures that phone service is available even in the event of an internet outage and allows hotel operations to continue without disruption. On-premise PBX also gives hotels the option to choose from a range of manufacturers, such as NEC, Panasonic, Unify, Avaya & LG.
Hosted/VoIP/Cloud PBX Phone Systems
Depending on the specific needs of your hotel, hotel owners can also choose a PBX that is hosted by providers. Hosted PBX phone systems are cloud based and rely on an internet connection instead of traditional phone lines. Hosted PBX offers hotels a fully managed PBX phone system that decreases costs and reduces the burden placed on IT departments. Hosted PBX allow hotels to offer the latest technological features while improving service.
Hosted PBX require S.I.P. Trunking to be in place, allowing hotel telephone systems to operate using an existing internet connection, instead of traditional phone lines. SIP utilizes VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which moves your PBX phone calls over an internet connection. This allows your PBX to connect with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) without the use of traditional phone lines. On-premise PBX can also utilize S.I.P. Trunking to modernize phone systems and remove the need for traditional phone lines.
Hosted PBX Benefits for Hotels
Hotels can use hosted PBX to improve efficiency and productivity by giving employees access to the hotel’s system through a mobile application, allowing them to work from anywhere. Employees will be able to stay in contact with their team through conferencing and business messaging.
Hosted PBX can be more cost effective, allowing hotels to avoid the cost of purchasing and installing hardware and can reduce the burden placed on IT departments to maintain PBX systems. Pricing is predictable and allows hotels to add and remove features as their business needs changes.
Hosted PBX also allows hotels to consolidate all their communication needs in one place and use the same network for voice, video conferencing, instant messaging and other features. There is no need to subscribe to multiple services, as businesses grow, features and services can be easily added or removed.
Hosted PBX phone systems allow hotels to provide reliable phone service that can be rerouted in the event of a power outage.
Whether a hotel’s PBX is kept and maintained on the hotel’s premises or is hosted by providers, both offer unique benefits for hotels. A knowledgeable Hospitality provider can help you decide which is the most beneficial for your business.
PBX Phone Features
PBX Phone systems offer lots of Hospitality features that allow hotels to operate more efficiently, while increasing guest satisfaction. When calls are placed to the front desk, the guest’s information is automatically displayed allowing the front desk agent to offer a personal greeting.
Call forwarding
Call forwarding diverts calls from office phones directly to your mobile phone without interruption. This feature allows employees to work from home or to work from different locations.
Call Routing & Queue Management
This feature allows callers to be placed in a queue when an employee is not immediately available to take their call. An automated message notifies callers of their position in the queue and lets them know their expected wait times. Call routing also allows calls that are sent to the wrong department to be diverted to the most appropriate department without the need for callers to rejoin the queue.
Auto Attendant
Auto attendant reduces the number of missed calls and voicemails by ensuring that calls are always answered by directing calls to an available staff member. The feature uses a prerecorded menu to give incoming callers information and directs them to different departments.
Voicemail to Email Forwarding
The voicemail to email feature transcribes voicemails to emails and allows hotel staff to receive voicemails directly to their inbox. Emails are routed to the appropriate department and will include the caller’s information.