Use a telephone booking service to avoid the ‘pingdemic’ staffing crisis

The staffing crisis facing hotels, restaurants and events venues

 This blog will make the case that businesses who use a telephone booking service, can weather the Covid related staffing crisis.
On 20^th July, BBC News ran a story with the headline: ‘Is there a solution to the hospitality staff crisis?’ Apparently, one in five hospitality workers have left the sector during the pandemic. This situation has been further exacerbated by the ‘pingdemic’ which has led to many workers having to self-isolate.

One way in which the pressures created by the staff shortages can be alleviated is for hotels, restaurants and events venues to review which core activities could be delivered by external parties with no loss of customer services quality. A longstanding example of this are the linen and laundry services provided by companies such as Shortridge and Johnsons.

Using a telephone booking service can ease the pressure

Telephone answering and telephone bookings/reservations are key services for most hospitality venues. They are also services that can be successfully delivered by companies like Paperclip, freeing up hospitality staff to focus on customer service whilst ensuring that no bookings or reservations are missed.

How do telephone booking/reservation services work?

Firstly, the hotel or restaurant diverts its calls though to Paperclip. The divert can be for all calls (‘full divert’) or for calls that in-house staff have been unable to answer within an agreed time window e.g. 15 seconds (‘delayed divert’). When the call is answered by a member of the Paperclip team, the hotel or restaurant’s details ‘pop’ on their monitor. This enables the Paperclip team member to answer the call with the greeting agreed with the client at set-up. When Paperclip answers your call, at that moment we are truly part of your team.

The concerns and questions of the majority of callers cover a narrow range of issues: room availability, cancellations, table reservations, FAQs on issues such as opening times, hotel facilities and parking. A telephone answering company, like Paperclip, can handle all of these scenarios. It also means that if a call is put through for the hotel or restaurant staff, it is urgent.

The importance of FAQs

With new hotel or restaurant clients, the Paperclip set-up team works with the client to develop a simple FAQ list which can be accessed by team members. This list is often extended over time with answers added to questions unforeseen at start-up. Taking bookings and reservations is simple and straightforward. Being able to give callers up-to-date information on room and table availability means the Paperclip team can ‘close the sale’ and update the system in real time whilst they are on the call to the customer. That being said, Paperclip still has a few hospitality clients that rely on pen and paper. In such cases we update a copy of the diary and email or text the client to let them know a booking or reservation has been taken.

A ringing telephone is a disruption and an annoyance

A telephone ringing in a hotel or restaurant is both a disruption to service delivery as staff rush to answer it, and an annoyance for existing residents and diners. Using third-party telephone answering and telephone booking/reservation services eliminates both of these factors. Importantly, it also ensures that prospective residents or diners don’t ring off before their call is answered. Covid has played havoc with hospitality businesses’ revenues, so it is essential to capture every opportunity.

Making telephone answering a variable cost

In the case of Paperclip, we only charge the client for the minutes we are on the phone with their customers. This makes telephone answering and telephone booking/reservation services a variable cost in the truest sense of the word. If call volumes are high, typically occupation and cover rates are high too.

Whilst it isn’t true for all telephone answering companies, Paperclip’s offer extends to live chat and admin support services as well. Adding live chat to your website is an excellent way of converting a ‘visitor’ into a customer.

Releasing hospitality staff from the burden of the phone

In summary, Paperclip’s telephone answering and telephone booking/appointment services release hospitality staff from the yoke of the phone, translate a previously fixed cost into a variable one, and increase revenue by ensuring all reservations and bookings are captured.

If you would like to know more about Paperclip’s telephone answering and telephone booking/appointment services please call us on 01246 418181. We’re ready to answer your call and make your life easier.

 

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