September 2021 | Relay Blog

Nearly 50% of Hospitality Workers Might Switch Jobs for Better Tech

September 15, 2021/3 Comments/in Relay for Business

In the hospitality industry, great technology is not a luxury, but a crucial part of running the best possible hotel or resort. It’s sobering to realize that while the best possible technology will keep things running smoothly, unreliable or outdated tech might just cost you your staff.

So, just how much do your workers dislike unwieldy and unreliable walkie-talkies? In a new survey, we discovered that hospitality workers dissatisfied with their current tech would seriously consider switching jobs for access to updated tech.

Better tech is a tempting job incentive

In a survey* conducted in August 2021, we examined hospitality staff satisfaction with current walkie-talkie radios.

They’d quit for better tech. We found that almost 50% of workers would consider quitting their jobs for better, safer workplace communication technology.

Survey takeaway: All the employee incentives in the world won’t matter if your staff hates your current walkie-talkies.

They won’t wait around for upgrades. Approximately one in three respondents consider the need to upgrade workplace communications such a priority, they would contemplate leaving their current company immediately.

Survey takeaway: Even if you promise upgrades in the future, it is unlikely your staff will wait around indefinitely for you to revamp your tech stack.

Safety matters:

The survey results also reveal some of the deeper reasons that updated walkie-talkie technology is so important to hospitality staffers. They don’t feel safe at work without it.

Approximately one in five employees felt unsafe at work because of faulty walkie-talkie radios.
More than 70% of workers reported being forced to use their personal smartphones on-the-job because of chronic radio malfunctions.
Approximately one in five respondents felt they’d been placed in unsafe situations, or reported feeling unsafe in general at work because of failure to connect quickly over radios.
Some of the trickier issues shared included malfunctioning radios, frustration at being repeatedly and inexplicably out of range, or simply being unable to connect on the right channel.

“While the best tech will elevate your brand and keep things running smoothly, unreliable or outdated technology could cost you your staff.”

Safer employees = more loyal employees:

The good news is that upgrading or updating your associate alert devices might inspire staffers to remain at their current positions; here’s why.

The lack of confidence with workplace radios among employees comes at a time when the nation’s hospitality industry faces a labor shortage brought on by the extended pandemic. The hospitality industry needs to realize that they’re not only catering to guests anymore, Employee safety via tech concerns must be given high priority status. Putting an emphasis on updated panic buttons reassures your staff their concerns are being addressed.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect workers and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

**Keep improving guest experience and employee experience**

This may sound a bit harsh, but it’s a huge mistake to cheap out on the technology your staff relies on while upgrading only guest experiences. Now would be a great time to reevaluate the way you compensate your team for their hard work.

“Employees who work in the hospitality sector require better terms, including higher pay and improved benefits.” Chris Chuang, CEO of Relay said. More than that, after analyzing survey results Chuang said “ innovative workplace technology is gaining greater appeal as a driving factor of retention, and it’s essential that these employees can perform their responsibilities, safely and without any shortcuts.”

3 important takeaways from the survey

Spoiler alert: By hobbling your staff with malfunctioning or outdated radios or ancient walkie-talkies, you could end up alienating guests thereby impacting your bottom line.

Slow front of house operations: Almost 40% of employees have had an operational issue or guest request take too long because of failure to connect effectively over traditional radios.
Guest satisfaction scores suffer: More than a third of employees have admitted that guest satisfaction scores have suffered because of slow response times over faulty radios.
Consensus to upgrade: Nearly 90% of employees stated they would feel better if their current employer updated their radios to something more reliable and capable of increasing guest satisfaction.

Full details on the survey can be found below

DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC

*Survey information: The shared results are from a nationally-represented survey of 250 U.S. participants 18+ years old working in the hospitality industry. They specifically shared gripes and grievances about their experiences with company-issued walkie-talkie radios.

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10 Ways to Maintain a Human Touch As Hotels Transition toward Tech-Focused Operations

September 10, 2021/0 Comments/in Relay for Business

The hotel industry has evolved drastically over the past year or so, and in most ways, it’s for the better. But as we collectively figure out what’s next for the industry overall, it’s crucial to take stock of what we do best and what could use tweaking. More than that, those in the hospitality industry are trying to figure out how to update and upgrade the notion of high tech/high touch.

It’s somewhat ironic that an industry known for touch points, has been scrambling for the past few months to figure out how to amp up their tech approach. Even as you update your own operations, it’s worth repeating that your hospitality service points should always be a top priority.

To help you figure out how to keep the human touch while upgrading your tech approach, we came up with a list of ten things to keep in mind.

1. Always keep your touch points updated. As much as guests love the reliability and comfort of a trusted hotel chain, they love novelty as well. Keep updating and improving the places your clientele interacts with your brand.

2. Personalize as often as possible. If you’ve ever attended a conference you’ve seen the ubiquitous “Hello my name is” name tags. People like seeing their name or initials on things, even if it’s the foam of their morning latte. Some years ago we stayed at the Glasshouse Hotel in Edinburgh and still marvel over the fact that they made up customized cards saying we were in residence.

3. Add sensory experiences. From a signature scent to home-baked cookies, people remember the scent of their favorite spaces. One hotel cited often for their signature scent is the Ritz Carlton, New York iconic hotel’s 50 Central Park scent. Most amazing about this fragrance is the fact that it was inspired by what its creator, Antica Farmacista, refers to as a “scent map” of Central Park.

4. Create a way to stay in touch. Whether it’s a birthday greeting or a secret recipe shared with specific guests, you can create the feeling of a relationship instead of a transaction.

5. Add visual cues. Infographics work online for a reason, they provide visual cues to help absorb information. Remind guests that their safety and that of employees is always a priority, by creating an easy-to-understand visual guide to both safety exits and a key to associate alert devices. In this way, you reassure guests instead of making them wonder why staffers have suddenly started wearing panic buttons.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect workers and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

“Don’t just pay lip service to human contact, be sure to actually have someone available to address concerns that might arise along the way.”

6. Offer alternatives to A.I. Be sensitive to older guests, non-tech natives, or those with potential hearing impairments or other issues. Make it clear that while there is now an electronic way of connecting, there is also an easy way to connect with a human being.

7. Make it easy. Don’t just pay lip service to human contact, be sure to actually have someone available to address concerns that might arise along the way. Don’t make your guests struggle to find a way to interact with an actual person.

8. Create “easter egg” type amenities accessible only through your app. If you want to encourage interaction, you should probably come up with reasons for guests past and present to stay in touch. Maybe it’s a weekly treasure hunt (virtual, of course) or points-based system that rewards guests for checking in and offers them incentives to keep doing that.

9. Remember the hand-written note rule. Sure a quick “TY” counts for a thank you note these days, but it isn’t particularly thoughtful, even as it acknowledges someone’s kind act. Instead, try to send out hand-written notes to your best customers or even to commemorate an occasion. If a couple celebrated their destination wedding at your location, consider sending them a hand-written anniversary card inviting them back. It’s thoughtful, it’s also good business.

10. Keep updating. Much in the same way that your favorite software requires regular updates and upgrades, so should your human touch approach.

The Relay difference:

Relay is establishing a benchmark for the next technological revolution that focuses on innovative, durable, and highly adaptive voice-first technology for frontline workers. Our vision is to empower frontline teams with technology that allows them to safely and quickly connect to the people and information they need to get their jobs done more efficiently.

3 Reasons Cloud Access Improves Operations

September 1, 2021/0 Comments/in Relay for Business

Over 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.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect frontline workers and empower them through a cloud-connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff and clientele through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

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.

The Relay difference:

Relay is establishing a benchmark for the next technological revolution that focuses on innovative, durable, and highly adaptive voice-first technology for frontline workers. Our vision is to empower frontline teams with technology that allows them to safely and quickly connect to the people and information they need to get their jobs done more efficiently.