Today I am thinking about the many Reservation Services that are available to B&B Owners. Options range from a desk calendar with pencil (never ink!) to simple on-line services to sophisticated, sometimes complicated, integrated systems.
We started out with more, went down to less, and still question what we really need. Even though our website allows potential guests to book on-line through the site, I have found that the majority of our guests still like to pick up the phone (to get additional information about our B&B and maybe to find out if we sound like nice people) before making their reservations.
Personally, when I am making travel reservations, I like having access to an on-line calendar where I can see if rooms are available and what the pricing is. I enjoy comparative shopping before committing. Then I will call and make the reservation if that is an option.
What are some of the services that reservation systems can provide to the B&B Owners -
1. Allows you to indicate what rooms are available and what are not so that searchers know right away if there is room at the inn - you can block out rooms that are not available for things like repairs, family and friends visiting, and your own availability.
2. Sends out confirmation emails to people making reservations
3. Provides Data Collection including occupancy rates, busiest days, most booked room, taxes and fees collected and more.
3. Collection of payments for depositing to to your bank.
4. Provides a history of guest information
5. Can track what rooms need cleaning (nice if you have outside cleaning service that has access to your calendar and comes in as needed)
6. Links your calendar to other reservation providers including booking.com, airbandb and expedia.
Of course, everything comes with a price. Our reservation provider has several levels of service at different pricing
A. Basic for $20 per month
B. Essential for $75 per month
C. Professional for $85 per month
And you get what you pay for! All the bells and whistles can be nice. However, as my cousin, who has a very successful B&B, has pointed out - fees can really cut into your profit when you are a small business owner. How many rooms do you have to rent to pay your service providers (they can eat up your profit).
So when choosing which reservation system is best for you, think about how much time you have to manage your bookings and what is your potential house guest looking for. I am not a full-time B&B Manager. I work Monday through Friday at my other job. I am not available to answer the phone 24/7. The majority of people making reservations today start out with an internet search before making that call or clicking that Make a Reservation button. Your Reservation System needs to work for you and your guests.
I would opt for a calendar and pencil if I could but I know I would be losing bookings (and possibly my mind) if I did. Since I don't pay the systems to do it all for me, I have to be responsible to make sure that all calendars on the internet are kept current (double bookings are no fun for anyone), I need to take the time to send confirmation emails and invoices to people within 24 hours of making their reservation (or they will anxiously call too late at night to confirm) and I have to remember what I love about being a B&B Owner including managing the reservations that contributes to the overall Guest Satisfaction which is what it is all about.
