When choosing a new property management system for your hotel or resort, you may be focused on functionality or deciding between cloud-based, hosted or on-premise systems. You may be weighing the advantages and disadvantages of all-in-one systems vs. best-of-breed integrations. However, to ensure a successful deployment and a long and fruitful partnership, evaluating PMS vendors by the application support they provide should be at the top of your list of considerations.
PMS providers in the hotel and resort space come in all shapes and sizes, from established giants to bootstrapping start-ups. The application support that they offer also comes in many flavors and can further differentiate their offerings. Here are some of the factors that you should consider when comparing Property Management Systems or any hospitality technology, for that matter:
1- Determine your application support needs. Most hotels and resorts operate 24/7 and expect that assistance from their technology providers is also available on that schedule. After all, problems arise anytime, not necessarily between the hours of 8-5 Eastern Standard Time.
Some hotel and resort PMS providers offer round-the-clock phone support while others offer a mix of phone support during their business day and pager support after hours for critical issues. A few offer even more limited support. Understand your business to determine if limited support is possible for your operations. If you have a talented tech staff or an on-site help desk, a limited schedule may be fine. However, other hotels and resorts will require the assurance of always having a support agent available for their needs. Clearly review the support language provided by the PMS vendor so you are not caught unaware by off-hour issues.
2- What is your preferred support channel? While phone support is considered the gold standard in application care, many providers are now offering clients email and chat support. As part of a tiered maintenance program, some PMS providers may limit your use of phone support in favor of web-based or email contact. This can potentially save you money but could also leave you frustrated with slower response times.
Consider your own communication preferences whiles reviewing support offerings. Ensure that the PMS provider is able to offer assistance in the channel that works best for you and your staff.
3- Do you need unlimited support? Many technology applications are moving away from a one-size-fits-all unlimited support model and offering a “pay-per-play” alternative. This can be in the form of a tiered support model which would offer unrestricted access to support at a premium cost while lower pricing levels would have limits on how a client can consume resources. If you go over your allotted number of calls or emails, you can expect to pay a surcharge.
Compare the plans alongside your current support usage to ensure that you are getting the right fit for your staff and organization. Understand how your property currently consumes application support to determine the best value to ensure your property can run interruption free.
4- Do you have an in-house support system? If so, is the PMS provider willing to work with your property to help you triage issues? Are they also able to limit support access to your authorized employees? Investigate the resources available to enhance your in-house support team such as a customer service portal and online documentation and training. These additions can empower your staff and help them manage cases more effectively. Access to webinars, operations blogs and a searchable knowledge base can lower the amount of cases opened and help you vet issues before escalating to support.
5- How many calls and cases does the PMS provider handle in a day? In a month? In a year? Understand the support organization and their clientele to ensure that you’ll be adequately supported. Will you be a little fish in a big pond or swimming among equals? It can be challenging to get attention from a supplier when high-revenue clients receive priority service. If prompt, personalized PMS support is important to your hotel or resort operations, ensure it is equally important to your PMS provider.
6- What else does the company provide to back up their support offerings? Access to an online customer community, context-sensitive help system and extensive documentation can assist your staff in providing easy access to informational questions. Look for continuing educational opportunities such as online training or webinars. Review the structure of the support fees to verify if these ancillary offerings are included in your price or if they are an extra cost. Look for a PMS provider that is invested in creating opportunities for self-service support. This will help save you time and empower your team.
7- Learn more about the support team. What is the employee longevity? High turnover plagues application support providers just as much as hotels and resorts. Look for an organization with longer than average employee tenure. Those support agents will have more experience with both the application and the hospitality industry and will be able to provide more efficient support.
8- Where are the support employees located? Are they direct employees of the PMS provider or outsourced? The internet and cloud technology has really opened up possibilities for providing global support. While the quality of support provided is not dependent on geographic location, it’s helpful to set your own expectations for communication and accountability.
In a hotel or resort, the property management system is a mission-critical application. While you can reduce support needs through training and in-house expertise, when problems happen you need to be able to rely on your provider for timely, effective product support. These are just a few of the key points to consider when comparing PMS providers.
Contact us to learn more about our PMS support offerings. Find direct contact information for the Springer-Miller Support Team here.