In recent years, consumer attention on the environment has risen drastically, with 87 percent of consumers saying that they’ll have a more positive image of a company that supports social or environmental issues.
To accommodate the eco-friendly needs of their guests many hoteliers focus on improving the features of the services they offer — optional laundry, low-flow appliances, LED lights, and so on.
However, one important feature you might not have thought to review is your phone system. The difference in environmental impact between an analog phone system and a digital VoIP system can be drastic — if you want to optimize your hotel for green operation, you should consider upgrading to a VoIP system today.
Reduced Commuting Costs
One of the primary advantages of a VoIP system is that it facilitates remote work, forwarding calls and voicemail to any remote location seamlessly. There are many jobs associated with running a hotel that can be carried out remotely, so you can allow those employees to work remotely. If your staff is working remotely part- or full-time, they won’t be commuting, which cuts down on the substantial carbon footprint of their cars or other transport.
VoIP systems also make it easier to connect all your locations, using mobile apps, video conferencing, virtual extensions, and find me/follow me features to keep you in touch with all your employees no matter where you (or they) are. Rather than traveling from one location to the next to check on the operation of various branches, you can conduct your checks virtually, cutting down on travel and saving time.
Less Hardware and Infrastructure
A big hotel contains tens of thousands of feet of copper wire dedicated to the phone lines, all of it insulated with plastic. As these wires get older, they degrade and leach chemicals and heavy metals into the ground and water around the hotel. Eventually, they need to be replaced, adding to landfills and scrapyards.
Rather than dedicating an entire hotel infrastructure to phone calls, VoIP phones piggyback on the existing internet system in your hotel. Thanks to the power of modern wi-fi, you might not need to run any new wiring at all — and if you do need to use power-over-ethernet to ensure that the entire building has a strong signal, you can do so without having to open up the walls.
Reduced Paper Needs
Hotels go through an enormous amount of paper, and most of it is unnecessary. Customers rarely need printed bills when you can simply email them a PDF, maintenance reports can be viewed on a screen, and with the digital features afforded by a VoIP system, you can sign and fax documents completely digitally.
By upgrading your phone system to a digital PBX and integrating it with the rest of your hotel’s systems, you’ll be able to create much more streamlined processes and workflows and minimize the amount of paper you print and throw away.
