Beyond technology, online booking software systems must always be designed with the comfort of the guest in mind and the veracity of the information that will be published at the time of making a reservation. By: Duván Chaverra Agudelo
How pleasant it is for the guest to visit the website of their favorite hotel and find a reservation system where they do not have any problems with the process of acquiring a room, and also do not confuse with the information provided by the hotel.
In past editions we have already mentioned the issue of online reservations, its operation and technology, but we had not gone into detail about the additional services that this system provides to the user, such as the design that appears on the screen and the practicality for guests and hotel staff.
For this reason we invite three professionals from renowned companies in Latin America that develop software for online reservation systems, who will clarify the doubts about the added value of using this type of service, they are Gladys Villa, sales manager of Consisho Mexico; Juan Carlos Otoya, general manager of Zeus Tecnología in Colombia; and Marco Julio Robles, director of Innsist, of the TCA Group in Mexico.
Initially, it is important to mention the latest advances that are known in this type of technology for hotels, and then enter to touch on other topics such as additional services, administration facilities, among others. For example, Marco Julio Robles emphasized the importance of differentiating online reservation systems that stand out for the variety of services.
"Online booking systems can range from an Internet Booking Engine to Central Reservation Systems and Global Distribution Systems. In each branch there are a variety of services that can be offered. However, at present every reservation system is looking for a greater integration of its services with each of the properties or hotels so that the guest receives a better treatment. When an online reservation is made, in addition to the reservation of the stay, it seeks to optimize contact with the client by offering more complete packages that maximize the guest's vacation experience, reinforcing its added value".
Similarly, Robles highlighted the rise of mobile telephony: "The provision of reservation engines available through mobile devices is being the most demanded today, since a large percentage of tourists make use of their mobile phones to search for places of interest, whatever the reason, whether for pleasure or business."
For his part, Juan Carlos Otoya highlighted the multiplicity of tools that currently exist for this purpose: "Almost all systems work under the philosophy of Allotment or committed rooms, that way of operating generally demands a continuous management of the availability offered to close it or increase it according to the results of sales, ideally, the same hotel system or PMS (Property Management System ) offers availability and thus the reservations that are received are immediately included in the same system, discounting the inventory and even handling the issue of online payment as an integral part of the guest's account instantly, this type of functionality that is offered in the portals of the hotels, is the maximum of the tools to sell the rooms online".
Design and clear information
The image sells, and in this case there is no exception, since in addition to the operation the design and information that is published there is key to attract new customers and retain others. When Gladys Villa was asked about this aspect, she replied: "I answer you with a classic phrase: love is born from sight. It is paramount that the image that the client sees on the screen Caught his attention and encouraged him to book at that property."
In this regard, the director of Innsist, of the TCA Group commented that "the presentation and image are crucial when they are aimed at improving the reservation procedure. A very important feature should be to allow at all times to change the reservation data. It is also of great importance to show the images of the locations as well as the layout of their distribution, because there are many types of rooms and in this way they can help the person who is booking to make a more documented decision. "
While the general manager of Zeus Technology stressed the importance of reporting with the real prices on the web: "For the guest it is very important that the reservation system is friendly, has clear and truthful information and especially with favorable prices, no one wants to buy on the web at higher prices than those that can be achieved by calling directly to a call center or reservation center."
The hotelier's demand
"Every day the selection of the online reservation system is more demanding and everyone points out that, either through the use of Web Service or directly on the PMS system, reservations update in real time the availability of the hotel, so the recommendation is always to acquire the online reservation system offered by the PMS producer and require you to also allow online interface via Web Service with the different reservation centers and /or GDS," said Juan Carlos Otoya about the recommendation he gives to hoteliers looking to acquire or improve the online booking system.
Similarly, Marco Julio Robles emphasizes the importance of integration when choosing the system: "Since an online reservation system registers a significant percentage of the total reservations that the hotelier can obtain, they are always looking for it to be as global as possible, so that the hotel reservation reaches the target market. Once the supplier meets this requirement it is important that they are prepared for a two-way integration with the PMS of the Hotel of preference that is compatible with the international tourism standard OTA (OpenTravel Alliance), in order to have a more convenient integration through Web Services".
Finally, Gladys Villa, from Consisho, gave some general recommendations for all hoteliers to take into account about this topic:
1. Don't listen to the seller, listen to the end user. That is, ask for the reference data and talk from active user to potential user.
2. On many occasions, the hotelier tries to save pennies and ends up losing pesos. Of course within the market there are various software alternatives that, in some cases, are extremely cheaper and this first impression catches your attention. Due to this case it is very important to verify that the company is legally constituted and that the licenses for the use of software are registered and endorsed with the owner of the rights to them. Using another classic phrase: "Almost always cheap is expensive."
