Central Reservations – Are you alienating your guests?
Central reservations systems (CRS) have changed the way Hotels do business. They have increased efficiency, decreased errors, and improved customer relationships.
Benefits of CRS
“Hotels benefit from increased access to the market for travel reservations and fewer errors in the booking process as a result of a single access point for multiple agencies to browse and select hotel room availability for travelers,” according to HotelManagement.net.
But is that enough?
With CRS, hotel data such as room availability and rates are stored in one central database. The information is then synchronized in real-time with external distribution channels such as third-party booking sites. According to Mews.com, “two-thirds of hotel bookings are made through online travel agents (OTAs) and travel websites.” With that many reservations coming in through third parties, central reservations systems are vital.
In addition to managing occupancy information, CRS can funnel guest information to your relationship management software (CRM). In turn, you can use the CRM to help build meaningful relationships with your guests.
With a synchronized CRM you can send personalized guest communications such as birthday greetings, holiday specials, and trip reminders. This is all good and well, but what happens when they have questions?
The Down Sides
Central reservation systems have allowed many hotels to reduce staff. By not fielding as many reservation calls, the front desk can focus on helping on-site guests. This is good in theory; however, it is important to remember that all it takes is one bad guest experience to create a ripple effect.
What happens when a potential guest presses “zero” for an operator? Are they on hold for several minutes? Do they get picked up only to get put on hold again? If your front desk is busy with other guests, how can they stay attuned to incoming calls?
It doesn’t make financial sense to hire staff to just answer phones, but someone has to make sure those calls are answered, however intermittent they may be. The longer the guest waits, the more chance you have of losing a customer for life.
Outsourcing to the Rescue
Imagine if you had flexible staff, online and available 24/7 with intimate knowledge of your properties and access to your booking systems, but that you only paid when calls come through? This is where outsourcing comes in.
Off-site firms can provide you with the coverage you need, when you need it. Tyme Global offers remote teams of agents trained to the Forbes 5-star standards of excellence and over a decade of hospitality experience providing high-quality, low-cost off-site labor.
With our technology, we can seamlessly integrate our systems with yours. Further, our platform allows our operators to see local information like the seven-day weather forecast, annual event calendars, hotel promotions, property fact sheets, city guides, maps, and more.
Our agents are trained to be extensions of your brand, bringing a human touch to every interaction. Our conversion rates are typically greater than 25%, a full 6% higher than our competition. Just listen to what one guest said recently after speaking with one of our agents:
I just wanted to say how wonderful of an interaction I had with [TG Agent]. She helped me with questions I had prior to booking my suite… She sold me. Hands down, she was the sole reason I booked. She was just wonderful and presented me with an experience and that is what I bought.
Jacob, Hotel Guest, The Refinery
Tyme Global agents are automatically connected to on-screen caller info so they can see prior contact history and address guests personally. They can create, modify, or cancel reservations, provide local information, answer frequently asked questions, and automatically update your CRM. With Tyme Global you get thorough reports that include sentiment analysis, a valuable tool for your sales team.
Don’t leave your guests hanging on the line. Give them an exceptional customer experience every time with Tyme Global.
