Friday 17 September 2010

uniCenta oPOS Point-Of-Sale | Download uniCenta oPOS Point-Of-Sale software for free at SourceForge.net

uniCenta oPOS Point-Of-Sale Download uniCenta oPOS Point-Of-Sale software for free at SourceForge.net

Toolkit - Getting British Business Online

Toolkit - Getting British Business Online

Great opportunity to get yourself a free, real, pukka web site.
We did. www.unicentaopos.co.uk

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Don't understand. Need help...

What is it about hoteliers; not seeing the trees for the wood? (Yes. I know the vigilant amongst you will spot the debilerate deliberate mistake)

I'll come to the point and tell you what's bothered me for the last few years;
I've travelled quite a lot in Europe on business in my time, and have stayed in my fair share of hotels that's for sure, only to find the same-old out-moded telephone system and services wherever I stay.  If that wasn't enough, the astronomical per minute call rates continue to amaze.  
As a Guest though, I can take it or leave it... I'll leave it for now, thanks.  I've got my trusty mobile phone.

OK Mr Hotelier, you will catch a needy traveller, or two, and scrape up a bit more secondary spend every now and again.  You know very well that's the case.
You've done your costings as well; the revenue numbers in your worksheet have continued to shrink, and you have convinced yourself that it's no longer worthwhile even providing an in-room Guest telephone.

So, what if I told you you are missing a trick here.  Missing a way of restoring an area of your business to profit you currently regard as a liability.  A way of generating secondary spend that's just gagging to be exploited.  Yes.  Exploited.
Offended by the word, exploited?  Look what the dictionary says;

ex·ploit (eksploit, ek-sploit) n.
An act or deed, especially a brilliant or heroic one.
tr.v. (ek-sploit, eksploit) ex·ploit·ed, ex·ploit·ing, ex·ploits
1. To employ to the greatest possible advantage: exploit one's talents.
2. To advertise; promote.

Would you exploit, Mr Hotelier?  Of course you would. 
You did it back in the days when mobile phones were a rarity.  It's in your blood.  So, why not do it again?  You have the opportunity.  You could exploit and you should exploit.
The equipment's already installed; you're more than likely signed up to a provider giving you insanely low local and international tariffs; you've even installed VoIP... now all you need to do is encourage Guests to use your phones instead of their mobiles. 

Great.  All ready and rarin' to go then!

Er.  No.  What do you do?  You continue to charge insanely high Guest rate call charges - just like the good old days, eh - and yet still have difficulty understanding why that particular budget line refuses to nose upwards out of the red.  You thought by lowering call cost you'd make more money.  Well, yes.  I guess you do.  I can't argue with the equation; Sell High - Buy Cheap = More Profit.  It's a given. 
You really need to "get" this though;
Unless I have a pang of conscience about depriving you of a living or I've forgotten to pack my mobile phone... the handset in the room is just an ornament and will gather dust.   
Give me lower, realistic international call rates - which beat the mobile operators - and my money is all yours for the taking!
On the other hand, if I also have my trusty laptop me with me, you are going to need to compete with the likes of Skype.
 
But, how you do that... is for my next post.

See you then.