Being able to differentiate your hospitality services from the next guy is half the battle in securing leisure and business travel dollars.  Using exceptional service is a big way to do this.  Below is a list of five ways to use your communications to increase your hospitality efficiency.

1- Communications without disturbing guests

There are many areas of your facility in which radio chatter can disturb your guests.  They don't want to hear that Room 2102 has a clogged toilet while they are relaxing at the pool or having a snack in your lounge.  There are many discreet communication alternatives that will not only decrease the chatter but also increase response time.  Various earpieces, headsets and surveillance kits can achieve this.  Each worker can have the accessory that best suits their job.  Some two-way radios now come equipped with text messaging capabilities and also enable data applications such as work ticket management that would operate right on the radio.  The Motorola MotoTRBO radio is perfect for this.

2- Enhanced Battery Life

By using batteries equipped with advanced TDMA digital technology you can operate up to 40% longer between recharges than the typical analog radio.  This will give you the confidence that your radios will last through lengthy work shifts.

3- Location Software

Using location software to enhance security and speed operations.  Integrates GPS within two-way radios will help monitor your staff.  Knowing where the closest worker is will allow you to handle emergencies quickly and efficiently.  This will save repair time and being able to dispatch security quickly will maximize both guest and personnel safety.

4- Hands Free Operation

Two -way radios have a plethora of accessories available today.  By combining a nylon case with swivel belt clip with a lightweight headset, you allow your employee to concentrate on their task at hand and not their radio.  This will also decrease the chance of an employee losing their radio.  We all know how easy it is to put something down, get involved, forget about it and walk away never remembering where you left it.

5- Expanded System Capacity

The digital technology of the MotoTRBO system allows you to double the capacity available compared to analog radios.  This gives you the ability to send and receive large amounts of voice and data communications or connect to a large staff.

By using the above tips with regards to your radio communications system, you will increase your customer service, improve your efficiency and save money.

For an example of how one resort uses Motorola's MotoTRBO system to optimize their guest's experience, download this case study.  How do you increase your guest's experience  through your communications system?  We want to know.  Post a comment and fill us in.

Throughout the ages businesses have always been looking for ways to cut costs and save money.  What makes todays world different is that they now have the added responsibility to conserve the environment.  Did you know that your communications can help you do both?  Below are five ways to use your communications to help your company "go green"

1) Distributed Antenna Systems (D.A.S.)- Through high efficiency and properly designed D.A.S., the demand on equipment is lowered therefore lowering the consumption of energy required, while keeping the amount of power transmitted from radios, cell phones, blackberries and others to a minimum with relation to exposure.

2) GPS- GPS greatly reduces miles driven, excessive idling, wear and tear on vehicles and maintenance while also slowing down drivers.  This will decrease the amount of gas used through better routing and planning.

3) Two Way Radio- Radios save time and energy through efficiency of instant communications without recurring costs.  They also allow for improved routing which will cut fuel costs and energy use.  According to the EPA (www.epa.gov), by saving just 1 gallon of gasoline the eco-savings are 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent.

4) Mobile Computing- Mobile computers allow for field workers to decrease the amount of paperwork created.  They also help in managing inventory and assets thus avoiding over purchasing and improves utilization and lifespan.  This will help in saving natural resources and trees while cutting waste and paper spend.  By saving 1 pound of paper you can claim eco-savings of 11.1 gallons of water, 2.9 pounds of carbon dioxide, 0.95 pounds of solid waste (Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environments Defense Fund Paper Calculator. For more information visit www.papercollector.org)

5) Battery Maintenance Systems- These allow your batteries to be charged properly and optimized for maximum usage allowing you to save money, have longer lasting batteries leading to less waste and easier working radios.

 How do you use your communications to help you "Go Green"?

Does it really matter how you charge the batteries for your two-way radios?  To answer that, yes it does.  Thanks to Motorola for the proper battery charging instructions below.

These battery tips will help you obtain optimized performance and a longer life cycle from your Motorola rechargeable battery.

1. Charge your new battery overnight before using it. This is referred to as INITIALIZING and will enable you to obtain maximum battery capacity. a. Nickel Cadmium or Nickel Metal Hydride: 14-16 hours. b. Lithium Ion/Polymer: 1 to 2 additional hours after the charger light turns green.

2. New Motorola impres batteries, when inserted into a Motorola impres charger, will indicate a calibration cycle by displaying a steady Yellow indication on the charge status indicator. Allow this calibration process to complete by not removing the battery from the charger until it has completely charged and displays a steady green indication.

3. In order to minimize capacity loss and cycle life reduction, new, NON INITIALIZED batteries must be stored in well ventilated, cool and dry locations. Batteries stored in these conditions may be stored:

a. Nickel Cadmium up to 2 years.
b. Nickel Metal Hydride up to 18 months.
c. Lithium Ion/Polymer up to 18 months.

4. If used batteries are to be removed from service for extended periods (greater than 30 days) they should be discharged to about 50% of their capacity before storage in a cool, dry location.

5. Batteries which have been in storage for more than two months should be fully discharged and recharged.

a. Nickel Cadmium or Nickel Metal Hydride: 14-16 hours.
b. Lithium Ion/Polymer: 1 to 2 additional hours after the charger light turns green.

6. When using a Motorola rapid charger, leave the battery in the charger for an additional 1 to 2 hours after the steady green light appears. (Applies to non-impres batteries only.)

7. Do not leave your radio and fully-charged battery in the charger when not charging. Continuous charging will shorten battery life. (Do not use charger as a radio stand.)

8. Only charge a battery when it needs it. If it is not fully discharged, do not recharge it. We suggest that you carry a spare. This is the most cost effective solution for users requiring longer operating time.

9. Do not return fully charged non-impres batteries to the charger for an "extra boost." This action will significantly reduce cycle life. Repeated short cycle charging of non-impres batteries will shorten battery life. (Do not use charger as a radio stand for non-impres batteries.)

10. Stabilize batteries to room temperature (72ºF) before charging. Charging below 40ºF and above 104ºF will decrease cycle life.

If you have been on the internet, read the newspaper lately or even just through word of mouth you have most likely heard about the FCC Narrowbanding Mandates.  To understand the changes first you need to understand how two-way radios operate.

When two-way radios are operated, they do so in licensed bands called UHF and VHF.  Inside those bands are radio channels that the FCC regulates.  This is where radio licensing comes in.  In the past, each channel for commercial two way users used 25 kHz of spectrum per channel.  Throughout the years the number of radio users has increased and since there is a limited amount of radio spectrum available, the availability for new users has decreased.  Enter the FCC and Narrowbanding.

The FCC has mandated all business and public safety users operating on channels between 150 and 174 mHz and 421 and 512 mHz in the United States to transition from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz.  What this will do is increase the amount of channels available to two-way radio operators.

So the next question becomes why should I - the FCC would never know.  In short, Yes they would.  By not converting to Narrowband, not only will you experience increased interference but you also risk loss of radio communications, substantial FCC fines and/or the revocation of your FCC license.

Okay, okay you know you need to do it but when does this all happen?  You've been hearing about this for years.  Well the time for conversion has finally arrived.  Key dates for the transitions:

January 1, 2011: The FCC will not grant applications for new voice operations or applications to expand the authorized contour of existing stations that use 25 kHz channels.  Only narrowband authorization will be granted

The FCC will prohibit manufacture or importation of new equipment that operates on 25 kHz channels.  This will reduce the availability of new equipment for legacy radio systems and will affect how agencies maintain and upgrade older systems.

January 1, 2013: All existing licenses must operate on channels with a bandwidth of 12.5 kHz or less

So now you have the who, what, where, when and why but what about the how?  To prepare for the migration, users should begin by assessing their current radio system.  This will allow them to see what can be reprogrammed to meet the requirements and what needs to be replaced.  Because radio manufacturers have been aware of the mandates since 1997, most equipment purchased in the past 5 years should be able to just be reprogrammed.  Once the assesment is complete, radio operators need to obtain new or modified FCC licenses.  The final step is to set a date to begin your narrowband operations and make sure all your radios are tuned to the new bandwidth prior to that date. 

If you would like more information of the FCC Narrowbanding Mandates you can check out the sites below:

National Institute of Justice Communications Technologies

Federal Communications Commission

Telecom Communications, Inc.

Television turned digital, music turned digital and now two-way is going digital as well.  As a user of two way, you may ask yourself "why should I go digital? Why should I invest in the new technology when my analog radios are working just fine?"

Well, there are many features and advantages that digital radios can offer that your run of the mill analog ones can't.  Digital radios work with a greater spectrum efficiency which in turn allows for a higher calling capacity.  They provide enhanced signaling for user-friendly operation, they enable flexible privacy between individual users and groups, and they combine voice communication and wireless data applications in the same device. 

Digital radios can save you money.  Because of the technology used, there is a calling capacity double that of analog radios.  This creates two virtual channels while allowing a company to only pay the price of one "real" channel license.  It also elminates the need for an additional repeater or combiner system for the second call.  With digital radios battery life is also increased by approximately 40% leading to less costs incurred for replacing batteries.

With analog radios, signals are often distorted creating audible static.  Some digital systems have the ability to surpress background noise at the transmitter which are therefore not heard at the receiver.  They can also provide voice and privacy without requiring extra hardware or altering the quality of the transmission. Motorola has a great example of the sound quality difference between analog and digital radios. Click Motorola hear the difference to check it out.

Converting your radio fleet from analog to digital is simple and can be done over time.  There are devices that can offer both analog and digital modes in a single unit.  By choosing these units, companies can gradually convert to a digital system when the time is right for them.

Have you tried digital radios yet?  Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of them.

To find out more about the future of professional two-way radios, download this white paper "The Future of Professional Two-way Radio: Digital"