The following is intended to be a simple guide to online booking systems:
Managed Online Reservation System
There are a number of online reservation systems. Some private companies will promote your business to customers and travel agents worldwide, enabling you to receive an entirely new or improved income stream through real-time, online reservations through a centralised website. There may also be opportunities to operate a similar system through Tourist Information Centres. A system such as this requires you to log into a central online control panel on the internet where you set up details of the accommodation you wish to sell this way. Then when a customer makes a booking online you are notified. This could happen in 3 ways – on your admin centre, via email and fax. Guests receive a personalised, automatic confirmation by email. This includes a booking reference, your contact details, policy and directions to your establishment. Managing bookings like this does require you to check regularly to see how rooms are selling and to ensure that nothing is missed; you are advised to check through your online control panel.
Systems like these usually require you to pay a commission to the host company for every completed booking. Whilst the commission fee may seem a high percentage in some cases, it should be noted that these online managed systems are very heavily promoted and, therefore, it is actually a small price to pay to improve the overall marketing of your establishment.
Depending on the company used will depend on how payment is taken. Some companies will accept pre paid reservations; others will simply take credit card details to secure the booking but will not actually charge the visitor.
Online System linked to a Computerised Booking System
More and more establishments are now managing their bookings electronically with their computers rather than using an old fashioned paper diary system. There are a wide range of systems on offer but if you wish to use this system to manage both your in house bookings and those through a website, you must ensure that the system you buy has this capability.
The advantage of this type of system is that bookings made on the Internet automatically stop those rooms being double booked by someone trying to sell them manually through your in house booking system.
Such a system would need an ‘always on’ internet connection such as broadband and, due to the fact that these bookings would be paid by credit/debit card, you need to have a merchant account to handle card payments online. You would also need to ensure that these online payments are secure which requires a special type of secure area to be set up on your website so that confidential data is protected and visitors feel secure in giving credit/debit card details.
Before making any decision, list the things you would like a booking system to do for you. List all the options and then do some research on what is on offer.
DMS
The VisitBlackpool DMS (Destination Management System) helps us provide a wide range of services to the visitor and residents in Blackpool. It powers our marketing as well as supplies the information needed for entries on the visitblackpool website and accommodation booking services.
Information on this system is also promoted in a number of different places. These include:
- Entry on the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board website for all accredited properties
- Entry on VisitBritain website for national accredited properties
- Users of Eviivo Frontdesk will be able to link directly to our systems.
For more information on the Blackpool DMS, contact Ian Butterworth on 01253 478209.