Travelers are constantly looking for accommodations that provide the comfort of home away from home and the functionalities of a home office. From the budget-conscious student or leisure traveler whose mind is set on touring the world, to the jet-lagged international business traveler who has important virtual meetings scheduled, guests’ requirements for WiFi speeds can differ greatly.
The availability of fast Internet is often a deciding factor in the choice of hotel, and guests are prone to check reviews from previous guests before making their booking decisions for their upcoming “staycation,” or working holiday. Whether they are on YouTube, browsing through their emails, checking through their social media accounts, watching a movie on Netflix, downloading music, updating their apps or playing games online, guests require decent WiFi speeds immediately upon checking-in.
Providing Wireless Internet Systems for Hotels
Numerous experiences exist where a room is too far from an internet router, leading to guest frustration and a never-ending, spinning loading icon.
Some of the bypasses travelers have depended on include occupying a place in the lobby nearer to the router, traveling with a USB wireless adapter to improve on the transmitter signals, converting a wired connection in a hotel to a wireless network with a travel router or the reverse, VPN use, change of browser, reducing the number of open tabs on a laptop, clearing their cache, and even moving around the room looking for the best spot, hoping it is at least somewhere comfortable.
Leaving a hotel room to locate the nearest Starbucks might also solve the problem if weather or walkability permits. These are pretty disruptive measures to solve shortfalls in technology expectations and bandwidth, causing a drop in customer satisfaction. Such bad experiences will lead to negative customer reviews and worse — diverted potential bookings and loss of repeat guests. Improvement in guest experience will surely be achieved if this challenge is solved.
Similar challenges could exist in large conference areas, stadiums and outdoor spaces where there is the need for high-speed Internet to stream live events and cater to the various needs of large crowds. Customers expect a decent level of WiFi speed. It is no longer just a “good-to-have” service. While the absence of this could damage an organization’s brand, an improved WiFi connection is a sure way to improve hotel guest and conference experiences across the board.
How to Sell WiFi Access Using Tiers
A tiered wireless payment plan that provides fast Internet connections is a better, more efficient alternative. The customer who is expecting a complimentary (free) WiFi connection can satisfy their requirements, and the heavy user has the option to upgrade at a small fee. This network monetization comes as a solution to high productivity requirements. To make business sense, the hotelier needs to find a way to monetize these specific requirements to provide a win-win situation for the business and the customer.
The additional charge paid would offset the cost of the additional bandwidth. WiFi tiers and the need to sell faster WiFi access to the more demanding client who can upgrade seamlessly to a faster connection solves this problem.
Finding a third-party provider to take away the stress of managing this will enable the hotel to concentrate on its core business. The benefits should be presented clearly on the hotels’ booking sites, at their front desks during check-in, and should be accessible in specific rooms and designated spaces. Passive sales will occur when guests leave positive reviews of their experience.
For the hotel industry, it is apparent that an improved WiFi network will facilitate check-in on portable devices from the lobby and support faster room cleaning after the departure of a guest. The log-in portal could also generate interest in local businesses if the businesses advertise on it, thereby generating additional revenues.
It is clear how a business traveler, who needs to, quickly on arrival, connect to the office network, hold a virtual meeting, or download and send large files, will expect the availability of a more powerful WiFi connection. This could greatly influence a booking decision.
Improve Guest Experience in your Hotel with Tiered Wifi
Hospitality Network is committed to helping your hotel develop raving fans and delighted guests. We can provide managed WiFi to ensure that there is a fast connection provided as a complimentary service. In addition, Hospitality Network can help design and implement tiered WiFi for your hotel, including additional faster WiFi connections that cover the traveler with more demanding requirements of Internet speed and efficiency.
Connect with us today to learn more about how we can help you improve your hotel guests’ experience and monetize your WiFi offerings.
