January is a busy time for the hospitality industry. Following on from the Christmas period, kids are still on school holidays and parents are looking at ways to entertain their children, sometimes after they themselves have finished a busy day at work.
Your local supporters club is often a great place to meet up with other families for a casual meal while the kids run around in the playground, burning off some of that excess energy they seem to store while on school holidays. Parents can relax, chatting between themselves while enjoying a drink and much needed night off from cooking.
Eventually though, those kids will return to the table having exhausted themselves in the playground, and the first question they will ask is, “Can I play my iPad?”. This is especially true when there is an older sibling tagging along, too old to be drawn into the playground, they will often stay at the table with their parents, head buried into their chest as they scroll lazily through social media.
Now, if the WiFi is fast and easy to navigate, those kids will happily sit at the table while their parents linger for coffee, dessert or possibly another glass of wine. However, if the WiFi is patchy and unreliable, those happy kids could quickly become unsettled, forcing the group to clear out faster than they had anticipated.
Fast and reliable WiFi is not only great for entertaining the kids, it can be used as a great way to showcase your businesses facilities or promotions. When guests log on, they are directed to a landing page which businesses can fill with any information they choose. It can be a great way to advertise your daily specials. Fast WiFi also means that it is easier for guests to “check in” on social media, allowing them to quickly take photos of their great meals while tagging your business in the process.
WiFi networks can be complicated, and it is important that they are set up properly. Firewalls must be used to block access to restricted sites, and to cap the download limit. You don’t want to have little Sally sitting at dinner downloading movie after movie on your WiFi network.
Secure WiFi is vital, while also ensuring your system can be scaled up as your business needs change.
We have worked with many Clubs & businesses to design networks that are secure and easy to manage. The right WiFi network can attract more people to your venue and can keep them there happy and satisfied for longer.
