More Related Content Similar to Reservation channels (20) More from Dr. Sunil Kumar (20) Reservation channels1. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
RESERVATION
Compiled By
SUNIL KUMAR
1
2. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
RESERVATION MODES
LETTERS
FAX
E-MIL
PHONE
TELEGRAM
BY PERSONALLY
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3. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel Overview
Intermediary: An entity authorized by a
guest to make a hotel reservation on the
guest’s behalf.
Travel Agent: A hospitality professional
that assists clients in planning travel.
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4. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel Overview
Travel Wholesaler: An entity that
purchases blocks of hotel rooms and, in
turn, sells them to travel agents.
Step 1: A hotel sells rooms to a travel wholesaler.
Step 2: The travel wholesaler sells rooms to a
travel agent.
Step 3: The travel agent sells rooms to an
individual guest (or group).
Step 4: The guest or group stays at the hotel.
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5. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel Overview
Fiduciary: A relationship based upon trust
and the responsibility to act in the best
interest of another when performing tasks.
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6. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Walk-in
Telephone
Fax
E-mail/traditional mail
Hotel sales personnel
GDS
Chain or brand central reservation
system
Internet
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7. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Net ADR Yield: The rate (ADR) actually
received by a hotel after subtracting the
cost of fees and assessments associated
with a room sale.
Room Rate - Reservation - Generation
Fees
Room Rate Paid
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8. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Walk-in
Specific steps to help maximize walk-in
rate acceptance:
An immediate welcome and friendly
“acceptance”
Attractive and clean lobby area
Special discounts for “last minute travelers”
An upgraded room assignment from a standard
to a higher-level room type
Use of a logical fade rate
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9. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Telephone
Important areas for potential
improvement:
Telephone etiquette
Qualifying the guest
Describing the property
Presenting the rate
Overcoming price resistance
Up-selling
Closing the sale (making the reservation)
Re-capping the sale
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10. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Fax
To maximize effectiveness:
Provide guests with a designated toll-free fax
number
Train reservation staff to respond to a
reservation request immediately upon its
receipt
Consider purchasing software that allows the
use of the hotel’s e-mail system to reply to
reservation requests
Keep adequate supplies on-hand
Use professional cover and content sheets
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11. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
E-mail/traditional mail
To maximize effectiveness:
Reply to all mail inquires within 24 hours
For e-mail – use the hotel’s name in the
“response” message title line
For traditional mail – use professionally
printed stationary and prohibit use of
photocopied “fill-in-the-blank” letter replies
Use automated spell-check software
“Sign” all mail clearly
11
12. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Group sales department:
Attrition: The difference between the
original room request and the actual
purchase of a group.
12
13. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Global Distribution System (GDS)
To maximize effectiveness:
Monitor the number of reservations
received from each GDS
Establish a relationship with 1+ contacts
from each GDS
Establish a relationship with 1+ travel agents
Consider travel agents as a unique and
important “market”
Consider joining and becoming active in
the American Society of Travel Agents
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14. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Central Reservation System (CRS) typically
consists of:
Toll-free telephone call center
Chain operated website
E-mail/traditional mail reservations division
Group sales division
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15. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Central Reservation System (CRS)
To maximize effectiveness:
Ensure that all hotel-related information
supplied to the brand’s call center is accurate
and current
Conduct periodic shopper calls to the CRS
Consider an annual visit to the brand’s call
center
Ensure that all information listed on the website
is accurate and up-to-date
Supply attractive photos and creative site copy
Follow up promptly on any group business leads
provided by the CRS
15
16. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Internet
E-wholesaler: A room reseller that
obtains reduced (wholesale) room
prices and inventory commitments
directly from a hotel or through an
agreement with the hotel’s corporate
brand managers. It then publishes
“retail rates” on its websites, usually at
a markup of 20% to 40%.
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17. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Internet
Principles to consider:
Ensure accuracy
Update regularly
Monitor placement
Manage search engines
Maintain rate integrity
Monitor results
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18. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Internet property websites:
Factors to consider:
Written content
Visual and audio content
Reservations device
Appropriate links
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19. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Internet chain websites:
Lowest Rate Guarantee: A program that
assures travelers the lowest available rate
for a specific room type on a specific
date will be found on the franchisor’s
website.
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20. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Internet third-party websites:
Merchant Model: An Internet sales method in
which hotels sell or commit rooms to Internet
site operators. These sites, in turn, allow
consumers to enter requested location and
arrival dates. The consumers are then
presented with a choice of specific hotels
and associated rates available for immediate
purchase on the website.
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21. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management
Internet
To maximize effectiveness:
– Seek rate parity across all distribution channels
– Show the hotel on as many sites as is realistically
profitable
– Keep all information current
– Promote the use of lower-cost (higher net ADR
yield) sites over higher-cost sites
– Use the information found on competitors’
websites to compare and evaluate the hotel’s
own rate-management decisions
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22. Woods et al., Professional Front Office
Management
© 2007 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.
Distribution Channel
Management Challenges
Inventory ownership
Website access control
Guest- and sales-related issues:
Rate consciousness
Group block management
Occupancy tax liability
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