Venue Butler is changing the way hotel staff book taxis for guests. Previously a time-consuming task, a hotel concierge or front-desk agent can now book reliable taxis with the push of a button.
“Imagine this: a receptionist or concierge is running around checking in a newly arriving guest, picking up the phone to make a new reservation and making a room key for an existing guest,” said Thomas, Kruyne, managing director, Venue Butler. “The last thing they want to be doing is call the taxi company or going outside the hotel to hail a cab for their guests. That’s where our free taxi booking device comes in.”
Venue Butler provides a taxi-only, purpose-built device for hotel staff to safely book taxis, and with its 2.8-in. display, it’s also compact and easy to use.
“Instead of spending time on the phone or hailing a taxi on the street, it makes it simpler for front-desk staff to book multiple taxis for their guests,” Kruyne said. “The device frees up time for hotels to fully focus on their guests and provide an excellent guest experience.”
Thomas Kruyne Venue Butler
Concierges can book, track and cancel taxis with the device, and can also stay on top of ongoing requests for taxis by having an on-screen overview of all requested, on-route and canceled taxis.
“The device’s built-in SIM card provides reliable connectivity so that hotels can book taxis around the clock,” Kruyne explained. “It comes with the hotel address pre-configured in the device, allowing staff to book a taxi with one click, without any other input required. On top of that, it’s connected directly with the city’s most extensive cab providers, giving access to hundreds of taxi drivers ready to pick up guests.”
According to Kruyne, one of the biggest challenges today when traveling for business or leisure is having a comfortable ride. In fact, he noted that guests are increasingly likely to call out a great transportation experience—like a memorable valet interaction—and highlight where the transportation experience doesn’t align with their expectations.
“Hotels are adapting in a way where they think like a customer, observing that the lodgers are now interested in booking hotels that provide end-to-end services, including transportation services,” he said. “This way, guests don’t have to spend their time stepping out of the hotel to find a taxi themselves, saving their time, hence providing guests with the freedom to get into the vehicle right outside the hotel, at their convenience.”
The devices are both transparent and simple, Kruyne said, with booking status updates on the display to confirm bookings, recognize taxis during pickup and to give ETAs.
“One button is all that a venue needs to order a taxi,” Kruyne said. “No distractions; simply a straight connection to a taxi company. Easy to use and for all ages, in contrast to smartphones.”
He noted that unlike other devices of its kind, Venue Butler’s are both simple and easy to use from everyone to concierges to waiters to bartenders who want to order one or multiple taxis.
“There are a lot of taxi order apps available, but with this physical device, instead of making a telephone call or depending on an internet-based device, the receptionist simply needs to click a button,” he said. “This purpose-built device is 100% free with unlimited usage, zero catches or hidden fees.”
Venue Butler also allows staff to book a secondary vehicle type, such as wheelchair-friendly vehicles, and the company is always looking for new ways to innovate and connect taxis with venues. Kruyne also sees some transportation trends on the horizon, which he’s keeping in mind for the future.
“Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular as more customers demand clean, sustainable transportation services,” he said. “It will be necessary for taxi booking companies to expand their fleet with electric or hybrid vehicles. Electrification for ride-sharing will help reduce pollution, lessen dependency on fossil fuels and decrease vehicle maintenance costs. Not only that, but it will help keep costs down for riders.”
He added that connected cars are also something to keep in mind. “Experts predict that in 2022 there will be approximately 54 million new connected vehicles on the road, which means that these cars will soon be able to communicate with each other and with infrastructure like traffic lights and stop signs,” Kruyne said. “This could be great for safety, but it will also lead to a decrease in privacy.”
Kruyne believes that most venues need to adopt technological advances to keep up with the ever-evolving industry and ensure business growth.
“Each venue, taxi company, country and data provider are different, and a taxi booking device needs to provide a quality service in all scenarios,” he said. “No taxi booking device can control external threats like data/power outages or physical damage caused by third-parties or nature. Connectivity, for example, is critical for both venues and taxi companies.”
And so, Venue Butler can provide a taxi booking device that’s always online, ready to book and contains a SIM card that’s ready to send data and receive updates without depending on a WiFi connection.
Additionally, hailing a taxi from the street is a gamble, without any assurance of the driver or vehicle quality. “With [our]taxi booking device, the passengers get well maintained, high-quality vehicles along with credible and professional drivers,” Kruyne said. “The taxis also provide special needs, such as wheelchair friendly vehicles from trustworthy taxi companies.”
According to Kruyne, following its success in New Orleans, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, the device has already supported thousands of venues to book more than 50 million taxi rides across the globe.
“Venue Butler is a team that places taxi booking devices in hotels around the world,” Kruyne said. “Our vision is to be connected to ourselves and others and to be as one. It’s the foundation of everything we do. By placing these devices in hotels for free, we are enabling the connection between millions of people, all through a simple taxi booking device.”
