Situation
Elliott Lodging has managed hotel properties in Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas since 1993. The company handles every aspect of hotel management, including taking on the day-to-day challenges of satisfying the traveling public, managing human resources, employee training, administration, marketing, accounting, and property development and construction oversight from the ground up.
As Elliott Lodging’s Vice President of Finance and Information Technology, Dale Replogle has seen many in-room entertainment and technology solutions come and go in his forty years in the industry. He’s also experienced firsthand how frustrating it can be when a technology vendor provides less than reliable solutions and services.
“Back in 2000, technology was a TV, cable, and a telephone, but now, it seems like there’s a revolving door of new technology and upgrades to existing systems,” said Dave. “It’s much more difficult to manage the business of in-room technology, deliver what guests want, and stay ahead of the competition.”
“Many of the hotels we purchase have existing TV, internet, Wi-Fi, and phone contracts that just don’t work for our business model,” said Ariana. “Typically, the provider’s customer service is poor, the Wi-Fi is slow, and the overall service is extremely expensive for what you are getting.”
Vivo Living needed a network provider that would consistently perform at the highest level of quality and in a way that made financial sense. Moreover, the company needed a provider that would reliably deliver responsive customer service to all twenty-two of its properties throughout the country.
“Accessibility to our network provider is key,” said Ariana. “It can be challenging operating a nationwide portfolio of properties, so we need to be able to speak to a human being when there are issues.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Dale was working with a technology vendor that left him frustrated and wondering if there might be a better way. He endured wait times of three hours or more just to hear back from a technician while a problem persisted at a property. He was also frustrated with less-than-professional installers showing up late to fix issues. He’s even had to redo work himself because it had been botched so badly by the installer.
Dale decided he’d had enough. He was tired of poor support post-install and dealing with a technology vendor that had demonstrated time and time again that it wasn’t up to the task. Dale was introduced to the Groove team, saw what they offered, and was impressed enough to give them a shot.
Solution
Groove now handles all of Elliott Lodging’s DIRECTV Residential Experience for Hotels DIRECTV DRE systems. DIRECTV DRE makes Elliott Lodging’s guests feel at home by giving them the same TV experience in their rooms that they may already have at home.
Benefits
Highly Professional Installations
Dale is a tech-savvy guy who loves Groove’s technicians. He appreciates their transparency and professionalism when it comes to installations.
Superior Customer Support
Groove’s support is outstanding compared to what Dale has experienced with other vendors in the past. Dale can call his account manager anytime, day or night, on his personal mobile phone.
