Motel Boosts Telephony Performance

Tue Feb. 10th 2015

​With the implementation of the 3CX software-based voice over Internet Protocol PABX system by Christchurch-based installer Phone VoIP, Canterbury motel Lorenzo Motor Lodge has significantly improved the performance of its telephony services while simultaneously reducing the monthly phone bill by up to 80%.

What's more, with the implementation of the 3CX solution taking just one day, the savings and performance gains were practically instant.

Situation

An organisation which takes obvious pride in the quality of accommodation and customer service provided to its guests,

Lorenzo Motor Lodge is a multiple-award winning operation, with three Trip Advisor Certificates of Excellence (2011-2014), and twice named a Traveller's Choice winner (2012 and 2014). Lorenzo Motor

Lodge is located in Riccarton, near Hagley Park.

According to proprietor Ping Liu, cost was the predominant driver for considering a replacement for the company's ageing hardware PABX. "Our monthly phone bills were just too high while the PABX also routinely required expensive maintenance," she recalls.

Liu points out that, despite practically every guest these days carrying their own mobile phone, telephony still constitutes an indispensable service in the hospitality industry. "Guests expect a phone in their room and they expect that phone to work well," she notes. "Furthermore, incoming calls are critical for the operation of our business, as guests and prospective guests still use the phone to make enquiries and reservations, or to speak with people staying in our motel."

Solution

When Lorenzo Motor Lodge approached Phone VoIP to look at alternatives for its 'old world' PABX solution, it was immediately impressed with the 3CX solution. "There wasn't any need to look at anything else," relates Liu. "Phone VoIP demonstrated the solution and its many features and benefits which quickly showed that this was the right solution for our business needs."

Liu points out that Lorenzo Motor Lodge has two separate premises, which historically made routing of calls slightly more complex with a 'hardware' PABX; the ability of a software-based system to 'find' you, regardless of specific location, was among the features which impressed.

But perhaps most pertinent, since cost reduction was a primary driver for a new telephony system, Phone VoIP promised two critical advantages: a greatly reduced monthly bill and predictable costs. "It is far easier to budget and manage when you know what your costs will be from one month to another – that means no surprises and no shocks," Liu points out.

With many new technology systems, getting to the benefits generally follows a lengthy and often difficult and complicated implementation phase. Not so with Phone VoIP and 3CX. "Phone VoIP did a lot of scoping and planning prior to the installation, so it knew the nature of our business and what was required from the phone system," says Liu. "And the implementation itself took a couple of hours and just like that, it was working."

The 'gold standard' for technology useability has always been the telephone: people shouldn't need to be trained to use one. That's the case with 3CX – "No user training was required; the system is very simple and easy to use," Liu confirms.

Results

With 3CX designed as a business system, it is ideal for the hospitality industry, integrating with existing billing systems to provide a seamless integration of services to the front desk. The fact that the system is supplied as a 'prepaid' setup means guests can be provided with a valueadded service; "We get 2000 free minutes as part of the standard monthly cost," confirms Liu. "That means guests can use their in-room phone to call overseas, a valuable service to them, which doesn't cost our organisation much to provide."

From paying a very high monthly bill, today Lorenzo Motor Lodge is able to provide a better service to its guests while enjoying a fixed cost per month which is up to 80% less than that which resulted from the old PABX system. Critically, Liu says the reliability of the 3CX system is unimpeachable: since installation, not a single problem has been experienced.

"This system does what it should. It is easy to use, it saves us money and, when other moteliers ask us what we are using, I have no hesitation in recommending it," she concludes.