The Importance of Two Way Radio Communication for Hotels
Guest satisfaction is the number one goal for any hotelier. Without it, customers won’t come back. One of the key ways of meeting this goal is fast and effective response to the needs of each hotel guest. The typical tool used by hotels is to provide their staff with two way radios.
Two-way radio communication enhances operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. For example, with a two way radio, the central reception desk can contact any member of the team wherever they are in a hotel. If there is a guest issue or if someone needs assistance, it is the best way to get the issue resolved straight away (rather than taking the issue back to the front desk).
In larger hotels you find two way radios are used to communicate between management and staff. Most of the time, a manager will be away from the front desk checking on the status of the hotel and its guests. It is important to have a portable two way radio solution that can be carried around.
Considerations for a two way radio system
What Type of Two Way radio:
UHF licenced up to 5 Watt radios are the best option for hotels because the UHF signals penetrate steel and concrete and with a hotel you are dealing with that type of structure. Licenced radios will also have the facility for mutli channels so that they can be allocated for management, housekeeping, maintenance and security. For a smaller hotel, licence free radios may be sufficient. With a medium sized hotel with several storeys you may need a 5W licence radio to get the full coverage. For a very large hotel with 15 to 20 floors you may find yourself needing a repeater.
Radio using Wi-Fi?:
If your hotel has full Wi-Fi coverage, an IP radio system would be an excellent solution. With an IP radio system you can quickly establish a high-quality radio network by just plugging in a control server to existing wireless networks. This allows you to make group and individual calls through the network and control the entire system through a PC using a PC Dispatcher. The Dispatcher has a map feature which makes it easy to see where all your employees are in the building. If connected over an Internet VPN, the system can communicate between different hotels....even in different cities.
Radio Coverage:
Coverage is an important issue and you may require a site survey to assess if there are any drop outs or dead zones. If there are, then you may have to consider selecting either a repeater of if you have full Wi-Fi coverage, an IP radio system.
Two Way Radio Battery Life:
Battery life is an important issue and a good lithium ion battery should last well past the shift. A fast multi charger is desirable so that you can have spare batteries fresh for the next day’s shift.
Icom have a complete portfolio of analogue, digital and IP radio solutions to suit all requirements. From simple licence free radios to sophisticated radio systems with tracking and health and safety features, Icom can cater for all your two way radio requirements.
If you are interested in seeing our latest radio systems, visit the the
Icom UK Business Radio Systems Page.
Alternatively, contact our sales staff on 01227 741741 or via email at
sales@icomuk.co.uk.
