With more and more people using smartphones, who would have thought that telephones can still help businesses generate lots of money?
Companies that provide hospitality services are the number one users of telephones. Without these, hotels and resorts would lose millions of dollars from their room service. Guests can order food or drinks, or ask for services that range from laundry arrangements to phone sex through room service.
Revenues in Room Service
Nowadays, room service is a requirement especially at four- or five-star hotels and resorts. As a matter of fact, a study conducted by Smith Travel Research shows that more than half of the hotels in the United States offer diverse rooms services. In a separate data from Celtis, a major hotel in California had at least 65,000 room service orders in 2011 alone. If an average cost of a certain room service is at 20 dollars, this means that the hotel had an annual net income of over $1 million in room services alone.
Most Sought Room Service Items
One of the favourite foods of Americans is a club sandwich. But did you know that a club sandwich at hotels costs $15.85 on average? Well, this data is based from TripIndex. However, the amount does not include service fees, dining-in charges and taxes. Throw in the base cost of a club sandwich plus other surcharges; a $16 clubhouse sandwich now costs at least a whopping $25.
Burgers and comfort foods are also quite popular room service items among guests of luxurious hotels and resorts. A simple burger costs $21 when you’re at Silicon Valley while a serving of Fish and Chips can be yours for $29 in a London-based hotel.
Guests also get a wakeup call from staffs through phone service. Imagine that! They can also arrange laundry services and ask for fresh linens and towels just by pushing a single button on their telephone. Booking a spa or requesting for housekeeping is also possible with hotel’s room service.
Innovations in Room Service
Due to increasing number of smartphone or tablet users, telephone-based room services may soon be a thing of the past. Eye for Travel reported that hotels that are currently using tablets provide a more efficient in-house service that their guests need. For instance, the Four Seasons Hotel recently installed iPads on all their guest rooms. According to them, this recent innovation made their hotel more attractive to a bigger market.