What are Advantages of Having an Automated Phone Answering Service in Your Hotel

What are Advantages of Having an Automated Phone Answering Service in Your Hotel

If you run a hotel you will need a cost-effective, efficient, friendly and informative phone service for your front of house. Customers should be able to use it at any time of day and be assured of a rapid, friendly answer. The best solution might be automated phone answering service, rather than a human one.

Why? For several reasons, not least the fact that your staff are freed up for face-to-face tasks. Technology is also generally faultless when it comes to effective automation. Ironically, your hotel could deliver better customer service by installing a piece of equipment.

The benefit of an automated phone line for a customer is the ability to quickly access information or be transferred to the correct department seamlessly. Unlike the manned phone lines of the past, a member of staff does not have to be present to answer the phone, have the knowledge required to offer the required level of customer service, or be able to transfer the call without losing the connection. An automated system handles everything smoothly and easily, offering the customer the quickest possible service.

Automated lines also do not rely on the old-fashioned approach of having voicemail systems for manned phone lines when staff are not present. Research shows that 70% of callers will never leave a message when encountering voicemail. Since many of them will be people calling to inquire about booking a room, this is an expensive missed opportunity. It's even more expensive when you consider that happy guests tend to be repeat customers. You might not have lost just one booking, but many over the coming months or years.

How Automated Phone Services Help

Automated phone systems automatically kick in when the customer calls the service number. There's no prolonged waiting for an answer. The front-end announcement can be tailored according to the hotel's needs and then the system will route the call intelligently to a range of devices, including mobile phones. Systems can also turn voice messages into emails and deliver them. The services are hugely flexible, with the ability to instantly change both messages and routing. This represents a more advanced solution to voicemail and one that puts the customer first.

The Benefits

Automated phone-answering services are cost effective. They reduce labour costs and overheads and can save many hundreds of pounds a month. They are reliable, as they always answer and are friendly, accurate and quick. They can also work around the clock reliably. The features of these systems are improving all the time, with sophisticated additional services being developed. They are also highly customisable. You can change any feature, according to what your business requires. They are also good for automated announcements or to give detailed instructions.

Other Options

There are other systems, such as IVR systems, which combine automated systems with live voices. A good IVR system can incorporate features such as voice recognition, which can adapt to various languages and act as a receptionist and customer-services agent.

Using the Services Intelligently

The trick lies in making the technology work for you. You may not wish to replace your customer-services staff entirely with a recorded voice or automated system. However, most businesses can use automated systems to great effect by setting them to provide basic information to customers, with options to transfer to a member of staff when necessary. This offers the customer choice and shows that you value their interaction.

About the Author:

The above article is composed and edited by Rosette Summers. She is associated with many Technologies communities as their freelance writer and adviser. In her free time she writes articles related to social media, internet providers in my area related articles etc.