|
> Secure Online
Reservation System Operation
As mentioned in the Secure
Online Reservation Overview section, the system can be configured in many
different ways including simply showing a guest availability right through
to allowing him or her to actually complete the reservation in real-time.
For the sake of illustrating the operation of the system, we will assume
you want to allow guests to actually complete the reservation online. By
"complete", we mean everything except the final confirmation
that must be triggered by you.
After the installation of your
system, Digital Storm provides all of the necessary support, via telephone
or email, to get you fully comfortable with the operation of the system.
System Operation From
the Guest's Point of View
When a guest begins the reservation
process, the system automatically generates an availability
selection for him/her, showing the exact room names or numbers of the
available rooms for the dates he or she wishes to reserve. The guest is then taken to a
form where he/she enters whatever information the system is programmed to
collect (including credit card information). The system can even ask the
guest to read and verify that they have read and agree to the inn's
cancellation, deposit and other critical policies. Except for the credit
card information, that data is automatically emailed to the innkeeper in a
Reservation Notification.
When the guest has
completed and successfully submitted the reservation, he is taken to a
screen that informs him that the reservation is complete pending a
confirmation email that will follow (the content of the "pending
reservation" screen can be customized during the set-up phase). From
the guests, point of view, the process is complete save receipt of the
final confirmation that will be generated by the system after authorization by the innkeeper..
From the Innkeepers
Point of View
The operation of your
Webervations powered reservation system is very simple. After
installation and implementation by Digital Storm, you will then have two
basic types or reservations to deal with: 1) Online System Generated
Reservations, and, 2) Non-System
Generated Reservations (these include phoned in reservations,
reservations arranged by email, etc.)
1) Online System
Generated Reservation
Though this is a very detailed
description, the actual process typically only takes about one minute to complete.
After
a guest is finished submitting his reservation information (including
credit card information), the system instantly emails the innkeeper a
Reservation Notification. Within this email you will find all of the
reservation details including name, address, email address, telephone
numbers, dates, specific room booked, names and numbers of additional
guests, any special requests, etc. Because email is not a secure
method of transmitting the credit card information, that data is
withheld. To retrieve it, you simply click on a link (included in the
email) whereby you can download all of the information including the
credit card information from a secure server. This can then be
either internally saved on your computer, printed out or saved in the
systems secure but remote server.
With all of the details
of the reservation in hand you now simply confirm that your master
availability calendar will allow the reservation to be accepted. Your
master calendar can be either your old-fashioned desk calendar, your
high tech reservations management software, your super-human memory,
or anything that you designate as the definitive record of
availability. If you've been diligent in keeping the systems
availability database up to date as it relates to Non-System
Generated Reservations, you
will always be in a position to have the system automatically generate
and send the final confirmation to your guest which, you guessed it,
can be done with the click of your mousse.
To send the final
confirmation (or to decline the reservations), you simply go to the
original Reservation Notification email, you click on a link that
takes you to the "Reservation Accept" (or decline) letter.
These letters can also be customized during the Set-Up Phase to
automatically include anything you wish including: directions to your
location, reminder of cancellation policies, a big "thank
you" (or "terribly sorry"), etc. Within the
accept/decline letter you can insert comments that address any special
needs that were included with the reservation request. When the letter
is ready, usually without additions, you click one button and the
system automatically sends the confirmation to the correct email
address and emails you a copy of it as well.
2) Non-System Generated
Reservations
Naturally, you will continue to
receive "old-fashioned" reservations via email, telephone or
otherwise. Because the online system is unaware of these changes to
your availability, you must update the database on a regular basis.
The system allows for this updating to be done very quickly and
easily. You simply log into the secure system via any web browser,
enter your password and then navigate your way to the appropriated
month and dates. Then, you "tick-off" the rooms to reflect
the changes in availability. That's it. The system in now up to date
for new website visitors that are viewing the availability calendar.
In order to keep the systems availability database accurate, it is
recommended that all non-system generated reservations be entered as
soon as possible.
All support provided by Digital
Storm is billed at our
hourly rate. Remember, we only bill for
actual time spent working for our clients in increments as small as 1/4
hour (15 minutes).
Still have unanswered questions
about the system's operation? Just email
us them to us and we will gladly
reply..
back
to top of page
|
