OYO launches first-ever SOS button: Here is how it works

New Delhi: World’s fastest growing chain of hotels, homes- OYO has announced the launch of its in-app SOS button, a first in this hospitality industry.

The new feature will enable its guests experiencing any emergency situation to not only receive immediate assistance of the on-ground hotel staff available but will also benefit from specially trained 24×7 OYO Safety Response Team (SRT) including initiating a call with local law enforcement authorities.

The new feature shall be implemented in 25 cities as starters with a pilot already running in Gurugram.

OYO is not only committed to proving excellent service in a budget to mid-scale segment, but it also aims to create a safe perfect space for its customers.

Spread across 8700+ properties in India alone it is now creating waves with its new safety services that could be an end to many social evil practices against guests especially women in Hotels.

This new first of its kind in-app SOS button helps its guests checking in to an OYO hotel with an additional advantage of one-time assistance feature to report and redress any concerning issues with regard to personal safety, especially for solo travellers.

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

24×7 Tech-enabled Assistance Before, During & After a booking
On tapping the SOS button, a trigger is generated to alert OYO’s 24×7 Safety Response Team (SRT) along with guest, booking, location and emergency contact details.

When a guest hits the SOS button, he is prompted with two options – contact OYO Safety Response Team or Call Police.

The guests can exercise either of the options depending on the severity of the issue.

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.

As soon as the SRT team receives this information, they immediately respond to each case and moreover inform relevant authorities as per standardized SOP.

The typical response time is within 3 minutes where OYO ensures additional on-ground support, coordinating with the on-ground partners, including the local OYO AGM/Captain.

OYO’s contracted private security firm and local hotel staff shall 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 24×7 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.

These cities are included in the first phase of the launch of OYO SOS button: 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.