Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

C H A P T E R 5ReservationsOPENINGDILEMMACHAPTER FOCUS POINTSTwo days remain before the first guest checks in for the Forest ConservationConference. A quick review of the reservation module report indicates thatseveral of the new desk clerks took guaranteed reservations (35 rooms) for thatconvention that account for 10 percent more rooms than are available.• Importance of guest reservationsto travelers andlodging establishments• Overview of reservationsystem• Sources of reservations• Forecasting reservationsMaking reservations is a necessity for travelers and an important marketing • Overbooking (occupancytool for lodging establishments. Travelers in various market segments depend management)on a well-organized reservation system that is easily accessible through toll-free• Processing guestnumbers or on the Internet to ensure a well-planned trip. Lodging establishmentswant to provide a continuous flow of guests, which will bring profits. Areservationsreservation system must ensure efficient means of accessing, processing, andconfirming information (Figure 5-1). Without an efficient reservation system, all aspectsof managing a hotel will be negatively affected. For example, while overbooking reservationsmay guarantee a full house for the hotel, it will also leave the guest who is turnedaway with a negative impression. This not only decreases the hope of repeat business butalso ensures that the dissatisfied customer will tell others of the negative experience. Thischapter examines the reservation system as an integral part of progressive front officemanagement and discusses the operation of a well-run system.TLFeBOOK