Faster and faster:
Bags To Go embraces technology to take luggage storage business to the next level
Bags To Go founder Keith Wiater is an ideas guy.
Even before he came up with the idea for Bags To Go—a business that safely stores luggage for air travelers with a layover—he was thinking of ways technology could improve whatever he was working on.
Back in the 1990s, when working for an airline at the luggage “boneyard” in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Wiater was figuring ways to move lost bags from Points A to B faster and more efficiently with the latest technology.
“As technology started coming out more and more, I took it to another level,” Wiater said. “We started using that technology, getting things faster and faster.”
Wiater applies the same philosophy with Bags To Go, a company he founded in 1999 where he currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer. Leveraging its proprietary web-based technology and tracking systems, Bags To Go has become a trusted partner with storage facilities at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and in Las Vegas, located just off the Las Vegas strip.
As the business continues to grow, Wiater keeps pushing the envelope where technology comes into play with his operations. Over the years, he said he’s tried seemingly every incarnation of business communication and connectivity product on the market.
Now, as Bags To Go reaches new heights in terms of demand, volume and customer satisfaction, Wiater said he believes he’s found the perfect connectivity and communications partner to keep his business running on all cylinders 24/7—Verizon.
Act fast and keep the line moving
One word describes the pace of operations at Bags To Go: fast. Customers have places to be, planes to catch and cruise ships to board. They count on Bags To Go to take their order quickly and store their luggage—as many as 1,000 pieces per day—safely and securely so they can enjoy their travel experience without the burdens of baggage infringing on their vacation time or costing them opportunities to enjoy the local attractions.
To keep pace, Bags To Go leans on technology to keep its operation running smoothly. The company demands consistent, reliable connectivity for intake and processing of orders by phone or the internet through its data center, which can be taxed during busy periods with high volume.
And with nearly 300 employees working in and out of airports in Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas, Bags To Go needs a fast, reliable way for its team to communicate should challenges arise. That could mean alerting a teammate about traffic congestion that could slow down a delivery, or moving manpower from one airport terminal to another to help satisfy a sudden demand for personnel.
“You’d be shocked at how much volume we’re doing in baggage,” Wiater said. “All that movement, it’s a big undertaking. You have to think fast, and the technology we’re using has to be just as fast as we’re going.”
As the volume of his business has grown, Wiater has embraced the advancements of digital technology as he brainstorms ways to increase the speed of operations at Bags To Go. He also relies on his connectivity partners to advise on new products and to be available to service them at a moment’s notice if things aren’t working properly.
“We can’t have the operation down because we have too many people coming at us,” he said. “If our technology goes down, we can’t keep up with what we’re doing. There’s only so much we can do manually to keep up with the volume.”
Now, having tried a variety of connectivity products to keep up with a seemingly ever-growing demand, Wiater has found the digital solutions to keep his operations up to speed: wireless connectivity, products and customer service from Verizon.
You’d be shocked at how much volume we’re doing in baggage. All that movement, it’s a big undertaking. You have to think fast, and the technology we’re using has to be just as fast as we’re going.”
Keith Wiater, President & Chief Operating Officer, Bags To Go
Handling the traffic without a hiccup
Heavy traffic in airport terminals can put a serious strain on wireless connectivity, and with offices and baggage holding facilities in all four terminals in Fort Lauderdale, Bags To Go requires a reliable wireless signal. That’s why Wiater said he is now committed to Verizon, choosing to go with Verizon’s fixed wireless 5G Business Internet and Push to Talk solutions for Bags To Go locations in Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas.
Business Internet options leveraging Verizon’s LTE and 5G networks are fast, affordable, reliable and available virtually anywhere in the U.S. Bags To Go locations in Las Vegas opt for 5G Business Internet and Push to Talk mobility products to keep their customers’ luggage trackable and secure.
When a customer works with Bags To Go, “we treat it like a virtual airport,” Wiater said. All baggage is subject to inspection and scanned for potentially dangerous items. Orders are processed on computers using wireless connectivity. Point-of-sale stations run off the wireless system, too, as do the storage security systems.
Fast, reliable 5G Business Internet connectivity from Verizon and a compatible router handle it all at the speeds required to keep Bags To Go’s Las Vegas operations humming.
“We’re running computers, we’re running security cameras, and we’re running our tracking website all on one box,” Wiater said. “We haven’t even had a hiccup.”
At the Las Vegas airport, sometimes Bags To Go will experience increased customer traffic in one terminal over another, requiring service personnel to be called over to help keep things moving fast. To enable quick communications, Wiater makes sure his team has devices outfitted with Verizon’s Push to Talk Plus app.
Push to Talk Plus allows for instant, reliable communications to a single contact or group with the simple push of a button, and works on dozens of devices, including basic devices, smart phones and popular tablets. With Push to Talk Plus technology, Wiater and his Las Vegas team are able to speak with whom they need, when they need to without dialing a number and hoping they’ll pick up the call.
“We use our Push to Talk to contact our employees and drivers to have a seamless operation and faster response,” Wiater said. “We talk on our phones but we get faster response with Push to Talk. It’s just faster and easier to respond back and forth when there’s a jam and we need to move employees around.”
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Wireless solutions lead to smooth sailing
When professional football’s “big game” recently drew thousands of visitors to Las Vegas, Wiater knew his Bags To Go team would be pushed to perform at maximum efficiency. That meant processing hundreds of orders and managing the team around the clock for several days on end.
“We moved all the friends and family through for the big game and every truck had Verizon Push to Talk in it,” he said. “All our command centers had Verizon Business Internet running, and the phones were 100 percent Verizon. There’s no other technology we’re using.
“All I can say is the technology works. It’s very sustainable and secure.”
But being who he is, Wiater is already drumming up ideas on how to take his business to another level using Verizon’s technology. He said his Fort Lauderdale operation is deploying One Talk, Verizon’s wireless, cloud-based business phone system that allows for better targeting, messaging, receiving and routing of incoming business calls and shared communications. He said he plans to incorporate One Talk into the Las Vegas operation soon.
It’s just another part of the plan as Wiater keeps the ideas flowing and keeps Bags To Go moving faster and faster with the help of a trusted partner, Verizon.
“I have a vision of what I want next,” Wiater said. “I have these ideas, and I’m always waiting for technology to catch up to me. The Verizon folks have been great. They keep us up to date on everything, and I listen.”
All I can say is the technology works. It’s very sustainable and secure.”
Keith Wiater, President & Chief Operating Officer, Bags To Go