Central reservations saves money

I recently read an article from Enzine Articles, written by Nick Nikolis about how automated central reservations have saved many hotels money and time. The article talks about how consumers now use the Internet to book their rooms at almost all hotels and the need for a person to answer the phone and take the reservation has become a thing of the past. These automated systems can organize and help the hotel maximize their occupancy with very little labor involved. Hotels no longer have to take the reservations and hope the customer shows up, now the reservation is made online and paid for in advance, which allows the hotel to manage the reservations. Another positive is the hotel will know how to staff for different periods in the year depending on what reservations have been made. The hotel will be able to run deals during lean times to try to fill the hotel, or raise their prices when their is heavy demand. This automated central reservation system is also more convenient for the guest as they can answer any questions they might have through the centralized system. guest no longer have to wait on hold as the desk clerk checks the system for availability. The automated system is the way hotels are now doing business and it is saving hotels money .http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Nikolis



Reflection:
I found this article to be very interesting, we all know that most hotels use online and automated systems, but the fact that it makes the hotel more organized and more profitable, just goes to show you that technology is quickly becoming the way businesses find ways to save money in the increasingly competitive business world. Automated reservation systems allow the guess work to be taken out of the equation and it gives valuable information to hotel managers on how they prepare for volume or dry times. The convenience this automation offers the guest assures that more people are likely to use the web to book their hotel reservations. The new system allows for forecasting and preparing to have enough staff on during heavy volume. Another way I think this technology could be used is to tie it into all the other components of the hotel to make a seamless operation, where guest could book their room and note their preferences. The staff members could then be ready to meet those guests needs.