OYO launches industry first in-app SOS button: Here is how the feature worksMar 11 (AZINS) South Asia's largest, and world's fastest growing chain of hotels, homes and quality spaces - as part of its pioneering efforts to integrate technology to solve for all areas of guest experience, today announced the launch of its in-app SOS button - a first in the hospitality industry.

The newly launched in-app SOS button feature will enable guests experiencing any emergency situation to not only receive the assistance of the on-ground hotel staff but also benefit from the expertise of a specially trained 24x7 OYO Safety Response Team (SRT) and also initiate a call with local law enforcement authorities. The first phase of the implementation of the app is scheduled to begin in 25 cities with a pilot already running in Gurugram.

OYO is committed to creating multiple touch-points with guests for a safe, convenient and comfortable experience across its 8700+ properties in India. With security, quality, location and price being key considerations for the majority of travellers in the budget to mid-scale segment, OYO aims to help create a perfect space in every place by solving for each of the said considerations through a combination of technology and on-ground interventions.

With a view to helping tourist footfalls increase year on year, OYO's first of its kind in-app SOS button helps guests checking in to an OYO hotel, have the additional advantage of one-time assistance feature to report and redress any concerning issues with regard to personal safety, especially for solo travellers. This is in addition to the already available in-app support platform - OYO Assist that offers an end-to-end automated resolution to customers, ranging from booking modification to enquiries on OYO hotel policies to claiming for refunds on bookings, all at the touch of a button.

The addition of the SOS button is meant to improve both awareness as well as usage of all the 4 safety features that OYO provides:

How does the in-app SOS feature work?

24x7 Tech-enabled Assistance Before, During & After a booking

On tapping the SOS button, a trigger is generated to alert OYO's 24x7 Safety Response Team (SRT) along with guest, booking, location and emergency contact details

Guests are also prompted with two options - contact OYO Safety Response Team or Call Police. Depending on the severity of the issue, a guest can exercise either option. In cases, where the guest chooses to connect with the Police first, a back end ticket is still generated and sent to the SRT team.

Once the SRT team receives this information, they instantly respond to each case and inform relevant authorities as per standardized SOP. The typical response time for this step is within 3 minutes. To resolve severe issues, OYO ensures additional on-ground support, where they coordinate with the on-ground partners, including the local OYO AGM/Captain, OYO's contracted private security firm and local hotel staff to touch base with the guest and resolve the issue within 35 minutes.

"Ensuring guest safety at all times as well as providing them with a superlative experience is a priority for us. At OYO, we believe that technology is an enabler and can help us offer enhanced safety solutions to all our guests.

Leveraging our technology prowess, we are launching a first of its kind in-app SOS button feature today. This button and our focus on 24x7 tech-enabled assistance before, during and after booking, help us meet the need for a sophisticated system for guests to escalate and receive redressal for issues on time. With this feature, guests will be able to escalate emergencies and get help within minutes, cementing the trust deficit in the hospitality industry.

We believe that this will enable guests especially women and solo travellers to feel secure further encouraging travellers to travel to and within India," said Aditya Ghosh, CEO - India and South Asia, OYO Hotels and Homes.

The cities included in the first phase of the launch of OYO SOS button are Delhi-NCR, Lucknow, Mumbai, Meerut, Bangalore, Patna, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Raipur,  Kolkata, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Vizag, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Jammu, Jamshedpur. This story is provided by NewsVoir.