Is decent WiFi more important than good grub?

It’s a familiar scenario for millions: finding yourself on a business trip in a town you’ve never been to, trying to do anything, anything at all using the hotel’s WiFi, and giving up after the ‘buffer’ symbol makes its resilience plain.

This week Netgear, the broadband and networking equipment firm, released a study in which it claims that large numbers of hoteliers are completely overlooking the importance of a speedy internet connection in their assessment of what wins repeat visits.

Instead, they favour customer service and the quality of the restaurant offering as the big ‘winners’. Whilst this approach is commendable – bad food and rude staff are a surefire way to lose customers – there is something rather old-fashioned about assuming that an excellent meal can make up for being in an internet blackspot.

People want the news, they want Facebook, they want elephants crying on YouTube, they may even an episode of Breaking Bad. But poor internet speeds will guarantee that their evening is tinged with disappointment (if not abject fury), at not being able to slake that entertainment lust.

And any good business owner should be tripping over themselves to avoid that kind of customer dissatisfaction. If your broadband is too slow, look into it.