Nestled in the enchanting town of French Lick, the historic French Lick Resort unfolds its tapestry of rich history and diverse attractions. From the lively casino to the serene West Baden, this expansive 3000-acre property, including three golf courses, posed unique challenges for effective communication. French Lick Resort embarked on a journey with Relay that would transform not only their communication methods but also redefine safety protocols.

Unifying Teams Across the Resort

In the days before Relay, French Lick Resort grappled with communication challenges using traditional radio devices. Paco Medina, the security manager at French Lick and West Baden recalls, “Before relay, we were using the large brick-style radio devices. What we found with them was we were having communication issues.” The vast property, with areas untouched by their radio tower signal, created communication gaps, especially during critical moments.

“It really hampered our response to certain areas… we would run into people not being able to notify us of a medical emergency or an emergency when we were evacuating the building because they weren’t able to reach us with the communication devices.”
– Paco Medina, Security Manager at French Lick Resort

Reliable Communication with Relay

The transition to Relay marked a turning point for French Lick Resort. Paco shares, “After we switched to Relay, things became much easier from our side of things.” Starting with 125 devices and swiftly doubling within the first year, Relay seamlessly connected all departments. “It’s easier to use and get a hold of people,” says Jordan Santa, Head Golf Professional. “If they missed their phone calls it could take several minutes to help a guest versus several seconds.” 

As for its size, “They’re so light you don’t even know you’re carrying them,” says Dustin Farris, Slot Operations Manager.

Worker Safety Enhanced

One feature that stood out for French Lick Resort was Relay’s panic alarm and beacon system. Paco underscores its significance, stating, “With the beacons and the panic alarm feature that Relay has, it really sped up our response.” This feature instilled confidence in staff, especially housekeeping and associates who could trigger alarms in emergencies. 

“If we have employees get in situations where they need help immediately, with the press of that button, our team has someone right there,” shares Dustin. The security team or front desk could then respond promptly, elevating overall worker safety. 

The broadcast feature has also emerged as a lifeline during severe weather events and emergencies, ensuring swift communication throughout the resort.

Breaking Language Barriers

Welcoming over a million guests annually came with its own set of challenges, including language barriers. Paco highlights the transformative impact of Relay’s translate feature, saying, “Our teams are on staff 24 hours a day, but with the volume of people we have, there are language barriers that come with some of our guests.” The translate feature bridged communication gaps during EMT calls, fostering a more inclusive and responsive environment.

Streamlined Communication and Cost Savings

By bidding farewell to outdated devices, Relay brought efficiency and cost-effectiveness to French Lick Resort. “Thanks to Relay, my overall productivity has gone up,” says Mike Henry, EVS Manager. “I’m grateful for that.” The all-in-one device streamlined communication, fostering a sense of connectedness across the entire resort.

“The impact that relay has had on our business is saving us a ton of money. Right off the bat. Our radio system was broken.”
– Paco Medina, Security Manager at French Lick Resort

Exceptional Customer Service

French Lick Resort’s partnership with Relay unfolded as a remarkable journey. Paco commends Relay’s customer service, sharing, “Working with Relay has been fantastic. Their customer service has been one of the top vendors that we have onboarded since opening the resort.” Quick and efficient support ensured a seamless integration of Relay into the daily operations of the resort.

Conclusion

The Relay experience at French Lick Resort is a testament to the transformative power of unified communication and enhanced safety features. By bidding farewell to outdated radio systems, Relay not only bridged communication gaps but also provided a comprehensive solution to worker safety concerns. The resort now thrives on streamlined operations, significant cost savings, and a newfound peace of mind.

Will Quasne, IT Manager at The Point Casino & Hotel, never has a dull moment at his job. Not only is he responsible for managing the dynamic challenges of 24/7 hotel and casino operations, but as a tribal casino part of the S’Klallam Nation in Washington, his responsibilities often extend beyond just the operations at the casino to other businesses owned by the Tribe. He cares deeply about his work because he knows that the casino is the economic engine of the community. He knows that every dollar he saves or earns through his efforts directly benefits the community he cares so much about.

Legacy Radio Systems: A Tipping Point

Never complacent, Will had reached a tipping point with the legacy radio systems he was using. The radios were expensive and a huge line item in his budget, in part driven by replacement devices and batteries. It would be one thing if they worked well, but because of the size of their properties and many of the staff moving between the various Tribal businesses, it was often hard to get hold of someone when they were needed the most because they were out of range. Channel limits were also beyond frustrating for him. In his limited number of channels, the staff was constantly unintentionally talking over each other. Coverage issues and radio traffic both introduced unnecessary friction into their operations.

Finding extended range and channels in Relay

Through his own research, Will found Relay. He was drawn in by the promise of unlimited channels, nationwide coverage, and lowering his costs. After implementing Relay, he began to see how his business operations transformed when they were not limited by legacy technology.

One operations leader at The Point Casino is out of the country several times a year, and before Relay, he felt completely disconnected from his team because he could not participate in the day-to-day operations on the ground through their radio system. Now, he connects his Relay to WiFi, and the team does not skip a beat. He can now maintain communication and reduce downtime for the department anywhere he has WiFi.

Before Relay, The Point’s security team meticulously recorded radio traffic and transcribed it not only for compliance and audit reasons but as a strategic way to analyze incidents to improve security. This was not easy to do; it required hours of maintenance every week and complex third-party software. The security team was blown away when they learned that they have the option to enable automated recording and transcription in any channel and that it’s accessible through an easy-to-use dashboard. The security team has been able to spend less time on maintenance, compliance, and audits, and more time on actively improving security.

There have been operational improvements across all the teams that use Relay at The Point, but the Food & Beverage team, in particular, has felt the impact. The F&B staff were often dashing between the upscale kitchen, restaurant, event space, or food truck to find the right person or convey a critical message. Now, because they have their own traffic-free channel and know where everyone is with location tracking, they save an incredible amount of time by not having to physically deliver messages.

“I pride myself on looking for better ways to do things. The more efficient we make this place the better it is for our tribe, the better it is for our employees, the better it is for our guests.”

A system that adapts and improves just like The Point Casino