Automatic prevention of human error
- The way in which reservations are managed has a direct effect on a hotel’s ratings.
- The objective is to minimize the possibility of human error.
- Serious errors can happen during a number of routine tasks. You should want a system that will monitor them all.
It is said that to err is human. But in the management of a small hotel or guesthouse, even a small human error can be immediately reflected in negative online reviews that are visible to all. Errors can occur in the management of reservations in pricing, during payment, in the application of booking restrictions, and other routine activities. Some of these can have serious consequences. A good automated system can prevent them.
Reservation errors can have very unpleasant consequences. Every hotel operator has to ensure that the correct room is assigned to the correct customer. If an error occurs in this process and a guest doesn’t get the room he or she ordered, this leads to grounds for complaints that usually end up as a bad review.
Expect a System That Anticipates Accidents
The SIESTA EXTRANET system automatically places every guest in a room that best matches his or her wishes. From that moment on, the room is marked as reserved in the entire system and on all channels, making a double reservation (overbooking) impossible.
In exceptional cases, there may be a loss of connectivity between the system and one of the channels. For example, the reservation doesn’t get recorded in Airbnb, where someone makes another reservation. True, such situations occur only very rarely. But you should expect a system that will immediately detect a reservation overlap (overbook) and request the appropriate person to take corrective action. This makes it possible to avoid misunderstandings and resolve the situation to the guest’s satisfaction even in a situation that you didn’t cause. Guests will appreciate such an approach
Monitors Prices, Payments, and Restrictions
Mistakes can also occur when selling rooms. A typo when entering prices can easily cause a room to be priced well below what it should be, or on the contrary so high that no one will book it. You should expect a system that will monitor prices that deviate greatly from the standard and draws attention to them. The system can then be used to immediately correct prices.
Payment administration is a chapter unto itself. The system will alert the receptionist to all possible errors that can occur during the process, be it an unpaid bill or a reservation with incorrect payment information.
If you use restrictions, you should require your software allow you to manage them easily. For example, SIESTA EXTRANET has a configurable restriction plan with which it compares restrictions and allows them to be corrected with one click.
Choose an Automated System That Can Do More
As you can see, a well-designed automated system can prevent virtually all routine errors that occur at an accommodation facility. It will thus save receptionists and owners/operators lots of time and stress. But above all, it prevents problems and guest dissatisfaction. An investment into handy software will definitely pay off. If you are thinking about acquiring such a system, have a close look at SIESTA EXTRANET and explore its advantages over other systems. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer and all of your questions.