Member Article

Connectivity and Customer Experience

For guests visiting a hotel for the first time, first impressions are vital. From the cleanliness of the building, the attitude of the staff and the ambience of the lobby, every nuance can have a significant impact on the overall experience of the guest. Of course, most successful hotels have realised this, investing their time and effort in ensuring these areas are up to the standard they should be. However, in the age of connected devices, with customers expecting to stay online during their travels, a stable and effective Wi-Fi service is just as important.

A recent survey by Hotels.com found that 30 per cent of consumers now see Wi-Fi as their top amenity when choosing a hotel, emphasising how important this is. For business guests unable to access important emails, or parents withstanding complaints from teenagers that can’t access social media, factors such as nice food and a decent pool will quickly be forgotten. In the age of TripAdvisor, where these complaints can be aired online, this presents a significant risk in terms of reputation, resulting in an inevitable loss of customers in the long term.

However, it’s not just customer service where this is important. High performance Wi-Fi connectivity also provides a great opportunity for new revenue streams through additional services such as media streaming, ecommerce and promotional offers. In addition, good connectivity in function rooms will be a massive factor for event planners, attracting larger conferences and meetings to the venue.

In order to reap the benefits that these services provide, hotels must gain an understanding of their guest’s requirements, and tailor their online services accordingly. By taking the time to thoroughly asses this, hotels can avoid the common downfalls that may be experienced.

For example, Celtic Manor – a luxury hotel resort in the UK – is able to provide targeted promotions to guests via its Wi-Fi network. It can subsequently track the success of these offers by monitoring the uptake of specific spa deals or tracking the length of time that guests spend on specific content. This ultimately helps it to better understand the needs of its guests and provide more personalised engagement through their own devices.

Catering for multiple devices

Today’s consumers bring with them more than just one connected device. Smart phones, tablets, notebooks, gaming devices, even wearables like smart watches and fitness trackers, have all entered the connected equation. Although this means there are more opportunities to generate revenue as services evolve, more devices on the network place a bigger strain on bandwidth (the range of frequencies within a given band) which could cause slower speeds and a loss of connectivity. Although some hotels have combatted this by limiting the number of devices at a set number per room, this is not a long term solution, and will be unlikely to please customers as more devices require connectivity.

To discover whether Wi-Fi is up to scratch, hotels can perform bandwidth tests in different areas of the building, either by using simple online tests such as speedtest.net, or by bringing someone in to do this professionally. In order to provide data heavy media and streaming services, hotels should aim for a minimum of 20+ mbps in all parts of the building at all times, with an ideal score of over 50+mbps if possible.

For smaller venues, simple and relatively cheap Wi-Fi access points (APs) should provide enough connectivity to achieve these speeds, while medium to large businesses should opt for solutions that meet the 802.11ac 5 Ghz wireless standard. By using signal boosters throughout the building, hotels will also be able to boost signal in parts of the building furthest away from the main Wi-Fi point.

Although this sounds complex, these can be easily controlled and monitored through using an access point interface, which can enable employees to shift signal depending on where in the building is showing the highest demands. By doing this, hotel staff can reduce any guest complaints and the time spent in rectifying them.

Security blanket

As the Internet and the ways which we connect to it have evolved and proliferated, so too have the number and variety of security threats users’ face. Identity theft, malware, viruses, trojans, and phishing are just a few of the security concerns that guests are potentially subject to when logging onto a public network, highlighting the importance of installing adequate layers of protection. To highlight the potential danger this can cause, hackers in Russia and Asia were recently exposed as stealing data from businesses executives by using public networks in hotels. Along with the damage done to the guests themselves, any security breaches could have a hugely negative impact on the hotel involved.

As a result, neutralising these threats while protecting customers and their data must be a top priority for hospitality businesses that want to preserve their peace of mind and protect themselves and customers from attack. Luckily, by implementing some simple security products and features, the vast majority of these attacks can be prevented.

Firewalls, which prevent unauthorised access to the network, should offer the first line of defence, as well as anti-virus and anti-spam protection, which prevents attack by malicious software. In addition, other essential elements such as content filtering to block dangerous or inappropriate sites, intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) to handle hacking and snooping attacks, and SSL inspection for detecting encrypted threats will be essential to secure the network. As guests become increasingly concerned with device security as time moves on, hospitality businesses should act now to ensure their networks are as secure as possible.

It’s online or nothing

At ZyXEL we know the importance of Wi-Fi in the hospitality industry is no longer disputed, with guests now seeing a secure and reliable network as an essential element of their experience. Although most hotels now provide Wi-Fi in some form, inadequate connectivity and security could prove disastrous for reputation, causing complaints to come in thick and fast. By ensuring a robust, and effective Wi-Fi service, hotels can ensure customer satisfaction, while having the ability to monetise this connectivity and drive business growth at the same time.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mick Paddington .