Members’ club · Telecoms and connectivity
How Wentworth Club moved to one provider for Wi-Fi, connectivity and phones
What began as a Wi-Fi fix at Wentworth Club is now a fully managed service covering Wi-Fi, internet lines and the club’s phone system. Intouch Tech works as an extension of the club’s own service desk, in hours and out of hours.
At a glance
Wentworth Club
- Full Wi-Fi coverage across the terrace, pool relaxation area and bar
- Two resilient 1Gbps internet lines, at a lower cost than before
- A rebuilt phone system with the latest firmware, two-factor authentication and off-site backups
- Calls answered by member services, with direct numbers for each department
- Live wallboards and queue visibility for main-number calls
The challenge
From a summer Wi-Fi problem to a phone system that needed more than a patch
Members were struggling to get a signal outdoors in the summer months. The worst areas were the terrace, the pool relaxation area and the social spaces around the bar.
As the relationship grew, Wentworth wanted a more joined-up service across its internet lines and phone system. The club needed regular service reviews covering both, with clear service levels and dependable out-of-hours support.
The phone system in particular needed attention. Staff had experienced faults and out-of-hours outages, and the platform was not giving the club the features or stability it needed. When we reviewed it in detail we found very old firmware leaving security gaps open to fraud, no backups at all, physical handsets only with no softphone apps, and inefficient call routing cluttered with unused areas.
Since we started working with Intouch Tech, things have changed for the better. They stepped in, understood our requirements, and could see the gaps we couldn’t. The service they provide is exactly what we were after. It’s simple, it’s easy, and they’re always on hand and always available. When we need their help, they’re there. They don’t try to sell to us, they deliver on service, and that’s what this relationship is built upon.
Gerrard Baker
Head of IT, Wentworth Club
The solution
One provider for Wi-Fi, connectivity and phones
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi where members spend their summers
Our engineers visited site with Wi-Fi survey equipment and measured signal strength and range. We then installed new Wi-Fi access points in each problem area. The result was strong, full coverage where members actually spend their time.
For any future development at the club, we now map Wi-Fi across the property floor plans. The map shows where access points should go, how many are needed and the coverage they will give.
Connectivity
Internet that stays up
We started with connectivity. We reviewed the service levels, the speed requirements and, most importantly, failover: the ability to keep running if one line drops. We proposed two resilient 1Gbps circuits. If one fails, the second keeps the club connected.
The new circuits also delivered considerable savings. Wentworth gained a more resilient connection and moved some of that budget into other projects.
Telephony
A phone system rebuilt from a clean base
We rebuilt the phone system on entirely new hosted infrastructure, so no legacy problems carried across. The existing users, groups and extension numbers gave us a starting point. We then tidied them, set up proper groups and call routing, and stripped out everything unused. That made the system far easier to run, which mattered because Wentworth’s team had been managing parts of it themselves.
To connect the club’s desk phones securely, our engineers configured an on-site session border controller. This is the device that sits between the desk phones and the hosted system and manages the traffic between them. We then helped the club’s team re-point the desk phones to route through it.
We also closed the security and resilience gaps the review had found:
- The latest firmware, with all patches applied
- Two-factor authentication, a second check after the password, on access to the phone system
- Configuration backups stored off site, so the system can be restored quickly after a failure
Calls answered by people, not menus
With the like-for-like move complete, Wentworth wanted a new approach to inbound calls. We ran planning sessions with the club to understand how calls should flow, then presented our recommended options.
As a prestigious members’ club, Wentworth’s priority was getting callers to the right person quickly. So we replaced the automated phone menu with the member services team. They now answer the main number and direct each call personally. Every department also has its own direct dial number, so regular callers can reach them straight away. Unanswered calls overflow to the relevant fallback team.
To support the new set-up, we added:
- Wallboards, live on-screen call displays, for main-number calls in hours and out of hours
- Role-based access, so selected staff can see the main-number call queues from their own extension
- The club’s directory contacts in the phone system’s shared phonebook, so staff can find and dial numbers quickly
The results
One provider Wentworth can rely on
2
Resilient 1Gbps internet lines, at a lower cost than the previous service
Full
Wi-Fi coverage across the terrace, pool and bar
2FA
On every login to the phone system, with off-site backups
0
Automated phone menus: calls answered by member services
Quarterly
Business reviews covering service desk statistics and industry updates
Ongoing impact
Managed, so the club doesn’t have to
A major draw for Wentworth was handing telephony over completely. We took it off the club’s internal service desk and now run it as a fully managed service. Staff raise issues by phone, email or ticket, and our team picks them up and resolves them. Wentworth now has one provider it can rely on for Wi-Fi, connectivity and telephony, with a service team on hand in hours and out of hours and quarterly business reviews covering service desk statistics and industry updates. Intouch Tech now works as an extension of Wentworth’s own service desk.
Working with a club as prestigious as Wentworth is a real privilege. Their members rely on every service we deliver. Strong Wi-Fi isn’t a luxury any more; it’s part of everyday life. Whether someone is at the club to work for the day or to relax with friends, they expect it to just work. We take enormous pride in what we deliver for Wentworth, and we hope the relationship keeps growing for many years to come.
David Hughes
Managing Director, Intouch Tech
Want one provider for your Wi-Fi, connectivity and phones?
0333 370 7000
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
[email protected]
Response within 1 business day, guaranteed
United Kingdom
UK-based team, since 2012