A common feature of hospitality phone systems is the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) function. Guests can set a flag informing hotel staff they wish not to be disturbed, and that any calls should be rerouted to the mailbox. For example, after a long intercontinental flight, a guest might want to get some sleep after check-in and would rather not be contacted by the front desk.

Many hotel rooms have a button next to the door, and it’s also common to have a DND button on the phone in the room. With a Property Management System (PMS), these buttons can be synchronized for seamless functionality, though some hotels prefer to keep them separate.

There are, however, a few pitfalls with DND in hotel environments. One common issue is when guests activate the DND button but are then unable to turn it off. In such cases, a hotel operator must override the status manually to deactivate it. Similarly, when guests are unsure on how to activate DND, they might call the operator to request its activation. In this case, the operator can use the user front end and set DND status for the guest. If the user front end is unavailable, the operator can use a star code to control DND for the guest.

Another challenge is the inability to return a guest’s call if DND has been set. For example, a jetlagged and hungry guest orders room service, but the kitchen has a follow up question about the order, the guest will be unreachable because of the DND setting. The Vodia PBX solves this problem by providing an override when the call lands in the guest's mailbox: the calling extension has permission to manage the status of the guest’s phone, which means if the call rolls over to the mailbox, the caller can use a DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) key to reach the guest. DTMF keys are the tones you hear when pressing buttons on a phone, and they send signals to perform specific actions, like overriding voicemail in this example. This way, certain extensions can “disturb” the guest, though this must be confirmed by an extra input, to avoid accidental disturbances.

For VIP guests, who might be unwilling to take any calls whatsoever, all calls can be redirected to an executive assistant who is also staying at the hotel. The assistant can screen these calls and, if necessary, transfer them to the VIP guest. This is very similar to a regular office setup for managers and their assistants; the setup must be configured by the hotel staff, so regular guests can’t access this feature.

Some hotels prevent unwanted interruptions by limiting calls from one guest room to another. For properties hosting VIPs it’s crucial to avoid allowing other guests to call VIPs directly, especially if it’s easy to guess a room’s telephone number. However, this limitation can become a burden for families or groups who are staying at the hotel and need to communicate between rooms. To solve this problem, when there is a restrictive policy, the Vodia PBX checks if the rooms have the same department set for their accounts. When families or groups check in, the PMS can assign them the same department (e.g., family name or a random token), so calling between family members or between group members is possible. The DND flag will still be checked for these internal calls. When guests check out, DND and the rules that enable calling are reset, so when the next guest checks in, new DND rules can be set.

The Vodia PBX is the most robust, secure and feature-rich cloud phone system available and the communication solution for some of the world’s best hotels. Alongside DND we give hotels voicemail, call queues, emergency call reporting, and every other feature a hotel needs.

Want to find out more about what we can do for your hotel? Be our guest! Contact us via email, sales@vodia.com, or by phone,  +1 (617) 861-3490.

About Vodia

Vodia Networks, Inc. is a pioneering provider of B2B Cloud Communications Solutions catering to enterprises, contact centers and service providers. Vodia's PBX software boasts an extensive suite of business telephony features for on-premise and cloud-based systems and operates seamlessly across Windows, Linux or Mac platforms. Fully compliant with SIP industry standards, the Vodia phone system integrates effortlessly with a wide range of SIP-based devices and trunking providers, granting ultimate freedom in telephony. Vodia’s multi-tenancy platforms are compatible with an unprecedented number of technologies, including desk phones, softphones and APIs, for myriad third-party software and CRM systems. Our mission is to empower our partners and end-users with the world's best cloud PBX and personalized support to ensure their success at every turn. Our US headquarters are in Boston and our European headquarters are in Berlin; we also maintain offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Nicosia (Cyprus) and Sydney, Australia. Visit Vodia on LinkedIn, X and YouTube.