RelayOver the past year or so the majority of us have become more reliant than ever on the cloud to power our businesses. But that doesn’t mean we understand what exactly that means.
As more hotels and hospitality-related businesses reopen, there’s a flurry of activity to upgrade and improve performance and customer experience. And for many, that means harnessing the power of the cloud to continue to maintain and grow their businesses. Before we tackle the way that cloud access improves operations, here’s a bit more about what cloud access actually means.
What is the cloud anyway?
In the most basic terms, the cloud is the internet. Where businesses once stored massive amounts of data on even more massive servers, it is now stored on internet servers, otherwise known as, the cloud. That means that instead of having to track down the right person with access to your company’s hard drive, you now simply type in a password or protocol and have access to what you need.
And while we now have the ability to connect 24/7 and in nearly every situation, some businesses are not quite there yet.
What the cloud means for your business
Do you know those magic tricks where someone pulls a handkerchief out of a hat followed by another and another and still another? That’s sort of what the cloud is like for your business. Every piece of your business is connected to the next.
So how does cloud access improve operations?
The need for speed
Imagine this. Your most loyal customer calls you at the last minute asking for your best room. You might not want to keep them waiting, but without the cloud, you could end up making a flurry of phone calls to find out whether or not you can accommodate them.Now picture this alternate scenario. Your best corporate client emails with a request to accommodate a last-minute conference with twenty guests in need of twenty rooms and a weekend filled with entertainment and delicious food. If you have cloud access, you can immediately tap into your entire organization’s resources and map out a plan without the need for constant back and forth. Create a group in Slack or a new workspace in Monday and you’re already on your way to fulfilling this request. Now try to imagine doing the same thing without access to the cloud. Not a great option, is it?
Bottom line: Cloud access improves operations by speeding up nearly every process. Instead of wasting time, you improve productivity and keep access (hopefully) uninterrupted.
Once upon a time working on a project collaboratively could take months. By learning to harness the power of the cloud you just might drastically improve operations.
Seamless collaboration
If you’re a digital native, this may seem foreign to you, but once upon a time working on a project collaboratively could take months. Doing anything immediately was all but impossible, as team members waited anxiously for everything from feedback to approval for the next steps. And waiting for any kind of response could take weeks, while opportunities mere missed. Besides all that, without cloud access, it was nearly impossible to track the progress of your teammates other than taking someone’s word for it their part of a project was complete.When working collaboratively in the cloud, you know when a project stalls and if someone needs an extra lift from a co-worker. When you’re working in a high-pressure setting, this means that if you need extra housekeeping sent to a room or someone to manage the front desk, you can make the request immediately and track the progress of the situation. And in case of an emergency, you could track everything from response time to actions taken.
Bottom line: Life would be so much easier if you could press a button and access immediate results. With Relay’s associate alert devices, communication operates over our cellular network so accessing help is literally available at the touch of a button.
Keep up with or outperform the competition
Many who work in the hospitality industry thrive on new experiences and ideas, and it makes sense. If your business model relies on providing others with a stay that exceeds their wildest expectations, you have to constantly monitor what your competitors are doing.If your communication and booking system is outdated, you can’t provide guests with the best possible experience. If you can’t provide guests with the best possible experience, they’ll visit a destination that does. By switching to cloud access for everything from booking to managing housekeeping services, you can best keep track of the elements of your organization that outperform others. And by having immediate access to updates when needed, you can keep your hotel or property on the cutting edge rather than always trying to keep up. And who knows? Maybe your service will be so superior to other resorts that you’ll decide to have on-site tech ambassadors to walk guests through the process.
Bottom line: Your brand reputation is only as good as your guest’s most recent experience — and possibly their online reviews. Having a system with full cloud access means that you can track your competition and pivot as needed when needed.
