Call Accounting for Hotels and Motels

                                                                                         

It is in the interest of better hotels to provide superior service to their guests. Part of that service is the availability of a high quality telephone service. Even though modern technology has provided many new options, such as cell phones and high-speed Internet access, not everyone avails themselves of them. Despite the availability of other communication media, many high-level executives prefer the convenience of the hotel’s telephone system and are willing to foot the bill. Call accounting assists in combining quality of service with reduced cost.

Call accounting works on the principle that the hotel’s PBX system creates Call Detail Records (CDR) that contain information about where the call originated, its date, time and duration, the number called and the duration of the call, as well as its cost. A well-integrated call accounting system interfaces to the hotel’s property management system (PMS), which permits the charges for the call to be added to the guest’s bill.

In the past telephone charges frequently accounted for 3% or more of the hotel’s revenue and hotel telecom bills often were marked up 80% or more, with the phone charges sometimes exceeding the price of the room. In recent years, however, there has been a dramatic decline in telecom costs and revenues have been dropping by 3 to 6 percent per year. Because of the decline in telecommunications costs and the availability of other alternatives for the guests, some hotel owners have been holding off on getting a call accounting system. In the majority of cases, however, that would be a mistake. With declining revenues it becomes even more important to get paid for every billable call. The thing to do is to get creative about billing calls.

For example, while free local calling would tempt guests to use the hotel’s telephone system, imposing a time limit of, say, 15 minutes would provide the opportunity to bill some of the longer calls. This can also be applied to Internet usage. While it is a good promotional point to advertise free high-speed Internet service, it makes sense to apply a reasonable ceiling to this free service. Some of the lost revenue from these limited-duration free services may be recovered by raising the room rates somewhat.

One of the challenges in providing superior telecom service is to avoid busy signals. A good call accounting system can report the incidence of any busy signals that occur during peak calling hours and may even recommend an appropriate number of trunk lines. Another common problem is that rooms with multiple extensions don’t always have all their phones being billed. All phones used by the hotel, whether landline or mobile, should be tracked by the call accounting system.

Analysis of calling records can reveal some interesting information, such as where the majority of guests are coming from and where they are going next. This can result in more effectively targeted marketing efforts.

Call accounting does not just apply to guests. Staff sometimes runs up phone bills with private calls. The knowledge that all calls are recorded and analyzed should help to reduce unwarranted staff use of the telephone system.

When implementing a call accounting system, it is important to get a system that is adaptable to changing technology. Another point to consider is that different rates may be applied to groups, VIPs or preferred guests. The call accounting system should be able to make that distinction.

Call accounting software can detect possible telephone misuse or fraud. It can also spot trends in telecom usage, which helps in price optimization. Further, it can compare telecom carrier bills against actual usage and thus avoid being overcharged as well as ensure you get the best rates.

To learn more about call accounting, visit the Telsoft Solutions website at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.

About the author:
Author, Peter Verhoeff, writes articles on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.

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