TELE-X - a Satellite System for TV and Data Communication ...

53
Fig. 3
The answer telephones at the service quarters are
equipped with a base containing a digit indicator
been written out and paid, can be divided
into three periods:
- the time between booking and checking
in
- the time the guest stays at the hotel
- the time between checking out and
the invoicing and payment.
The first and last periodsaremainly concerned
with administrative services,
whereas the middle period is mostly devoted
to guest service
In order to make the administrative work
during the first period easier, the system
has been equipped with special functions
for
- booking
- room status reporting
- check-in.
During the middle period great importance
has been attached to guest service,
with special functions for this purpose,
such as
- communication with service quarters
- message waiting
- automatic wake-up
- do not disturb
- Port-A-Bel (for staff and guests)
- reporting of room status
- specified call charging.
The third period includes administrative
facilities, which simplify the work associated
with
- check-out
- accounting
- invoicing
- statistical data processing.
In addition to the hotel functions most of
the standard functions in the ASB systems
are available to the administrative
staff, and to a limited extent also to the
guests, for example
- automatic call back
- three party conference
- call forwarding
- abbreviated dialling
- night connection
- trunk traffic control
- inquiry and transfer.
Check-in
When guests check in the receptionist
can, with the aid of the information
stored in the PABX, automatically locate
unoccupied and cleaned rooms of a
specific category, for example a single
room with shower.
When a suitable room has been found
with the aid of the PABX the guest can be
checked in, which means that the room
is registered as being occupied, the resetting
of the call meter is checked and
the room extension is opened to automatic
external traffic. Blocking of external
traffic when the room is unoccupied
prevents unauthorized use of the telephone.
However, internal calls can always
be made from room extensions.
Room status
The hotel PABX system contains codes
for reporting thefollowing types of room
status:
- unoccupied room
- occupied room
- cleaned room
- the room has to be cleaned
- the cleaning has been checked.
In addition there are three codes which
the hotel can use as desired, for example
to indicate:
- the room is out of order
- luggage to be picked up
- special cleaning required.
All room status information except occupation
is reported by means of the
room extension, which means that the
information is updated continually and
immediately. This in its turn means that
unoccupied and cleaned rooms do not
remain empty any longer than is absolutely
necessary. In order to ensure that
all rooms are cleaned regularly the system
automatically gives all occupied
guest rooms the status code the room
has to be cleaned every morning.
If the PABX is integrated with a hotel
computer all room status information is
automatically transferred to the computer
for the room administration functions.
Otherwise the status information
can be shown on the operator's display
or on displays at different service quarters.
Service quarters
A number of service quarters are normally
available to the guests in a hotel.
Such service quarters can include information,
cashier, room service, bar, restaurant
and laundry. The guest calls
them by means of single-digit numbers.