Text communication is a time of need system.
It’s vital that your guests know it exists and how to use it.
You’re probably thinking:
How can you ensure your system is not only known to your guests, but also provides your property with the quickest return on investment?
That’s a good question, because it’s the most important question to ask.
Look:
Many properties use a text notification system, but most of those properties don’t use the best system nor do they use their existing system effectively.
It’s crucial that you understand this before you keep reading.
Having a system is one thing…
But, having and using an elite system can bring your operation to the highest level.
Now:
We’ve defined rules in the past for specific areas of your operation and today we’re going to use a very similar framework.
In this article, we’re going to outline the only way text communication will effectively improve your operation and the security of your guests.
If you’re ready to feel good and achieve peace of mind…let’s begin.
Being Proactive is Significant for Text Communication Success
So, what do we mean when we say “Being Proactive?”
Well…proactive leadership, management and processes are the only ways to be successful. That’s your first step.
For many years, property managers like you have worked harder.
When these managers started working “smarter,” they weren’t really working smarter either.
Look:
Let’s be honest with ourselves, this only led to ambiguity, more paperwork and lots of unneeded stress.
You don’t need unnecessary stress anymore or at all, do you?
Then, this happened…
So-called proactive leaders began developing customized databases and spreadsheets to track incidents or issues at their property.
But, the problem is:
A spreadsheet won’t provide you with a means for analyzing your success…or your failure.
See what we’re getting to?
Increased efficiency is essential for operational success. But, when you add more reports and paperwork to the mix, you’ll eventually need more tracking, filing and finding.
You probably already know that’s not very effective.
Can you imagine how exhausting it was to track and predict potential incidents or issues before software was developed?
We get it:
Your property or industry will impact the methods for which incidents are handled. However, we also know the types of incidents don’t vary greatly across industries.
Any incident or issue can affect the performance of any of your departments. Most of the time, the incidents are the same.
These incidents can impact your property.
- Financial loss
- Unhappy guests
If you’re not giving your guests the ability to contribute to their well-being and security, you’re already failing at your job. This is serious.
On a positive note:
We have good news for guest services and security.
Identifying the challenges associated with security and ensuring guest safety has led to the development of progressive text communication solutions.
These types of systems are the only way to augment security at your property.
Your success and peace of mind depend on it.
6 Must-Use Traits to Ensure Top-Notch Security of Guests
From the moment a message is sent into your system, to the time you close out the incident or issue, the system must afford you the ability to be effective across your total operation.
Think about it:
Your ability to combine all departments into one solution is the right step for ensuring a significant boost in security operations that’ll help protect your guests.
Let’s put the possibilities into perspective for a moment…
We’ll use a fight as an example. It’s an incident type that could potentially affect the well-being of many.
Let’s say, two guests start to argue. The situation quickly escalates into shoving.
In no time, another guest sees the fight in progress and reports the incident by sending a text message into your system.
Your response teams are notified and everyone’s safety is accounted for.
Now:
While all of this is great and appears to be effortless, there’s a number of factors that resulted in the quick resolution of this incident.
Here’s the kicker:
In order for your property to have top-notch performance like the example above, you’ll need to do and have the following.
They’re listed by importance, because if you don’t employ the first trait, well, you might as well forget about peace of mind.
Prominently Displayed Signage is the Only Way Your Guests Will Know
You must promote your system!
Why?
It’s the only way your guests will know it exists.
If they know it exists, then they’ll know how to use it – and use it.
Now:
You’ll need to make sure your signage provides the right information so everyone can take part in your security (and safety) initiatives.
Your system will only have meaning if it’s used.
With that said…
You might already know, you have to display visible signage throughout your property for guests to see.
Or...it’s useless.
Here’s a quick overview of how it works.
- Display your shortcode and keyword on banners throughout your property.
- Information required by operations should also be included on your signage.
Once a text message is sent into the system, the systems we’re talking about will automatically respond with a message to your guest. A message you’ve created, of course.
This message will let them know your team has received the message and will get right on it. It’s not just a way to enhance security measures.
Your guests will have peace of mind too.
Once you have the signage up and running and your guests start sending in text messages, you should be proud.
Signage is a BIG piece of the picture.
Now the backend magic happens for your operation.
Your Operation is Distinguished, Your Text Panel Should Be Too
Once a message is received, its color coded. This gives your staff a visual representation of the new message.
Each message, depending on its status, will be marked so nothing ever slips through the cracks.
Then:
Messages can be prioritized in real time. Your team will now know which stage in the process the message is.
By doing this, the system prevents any confusion and ensures efficiency.
Effective Security is Always a Two-Way Conversation
Your conversation thread provides your staff with an in-depth visualization of what’s occurring at your property.
The system displays the thread of any two-way conversation in progress.
It’s in an organized format so all messages can be looked at for vital information. Your ability to make real-time decisions has been upgraded.
It gets better:
Unclear information has been quickly replaced by facts.
Facts you can use to make proactive decisions.
A Framework for Purposeful Communication…In One Click
Response templates lets your team respond to a message in one click. It’s that simple.
As a leader, you can establish the appropriate responses and have the peace of mind knowing your team is executing effective communication procedures.
Need more information from a guest about an issue or incident?
Staff can quickly and easily request additional information as needed.
Your communication processes now have purpose.
Getting Your Team on the Same Page Can Be Life-Saving
Sometimes you have non-incident related information that you need to share with your team.
This system will let you accomplish all of it.
Create user groups for alerts. It’s a convenient way to communicate specific information.
You can efficiently send out news, parking, traffic, and weather alerts to these groups – automatically or manually.
Believe it or not:
This alone can mitigate incidents and save lives.
Think about it…
Send out a storm warning alert and watch your staff immediately initiate severe weather protocols.
You didn’t even have to engage in conversation.
Chatter leads to lost time and lost time leads to…bad things you don’t want to happen.
An Assumption Can Be a Dangerous Threat – Replace with Insight
When you bring everything together, employ it and use it…you then need to measure it and review it.
Reporting and analytics in a system will provide that value and ability.
If your team is able to perform top-notch security and if your guests are being protected is no longer a question, its fact.
Know the time it takes for a message to go from new to pending to closed. Know what to improve so you can continue boosting your security efforts.
Knowing, because it’s the only way to achieve peace of mind.
Over to You
Once you implement text communication, you empower your staff and guests to mitigate incidents or issues while they’re occurring.
It’s the only way and the best way to keep everyone safe.
Will you be implementing a system like the one we’ve outlined in this article at your property so you can improve the security of your guests?
