| It's easy to dismiss hotel reception software as a | | | | But even then it can be easier to just quickly move |
| necessary evil. But put yourself in your customer's | | | | around your hotel booking calendar on screen that |
| shoes - they're phoning to make a reservation | | | | thumbing through a book. And when it comes to |
| (probably because they don't want to give out their | | | | juggling a multi day booking across a variety of gaps |
| credit card details to some anonymous computer | | | | with different rooms then computers often have the |
| system) and they'd like an answer to whether you | | | | upper hand. They can analyze that kind of |
| have a room available as soon as possible. They'd | | | | information in the blink of an eye whereas you or |
| also like to know the price and whether there are | | | | your staff may turn down a booking if it's too |
| any special offers - after all, most customers are | | | | complicated to work out. |
| budget conscious at the moment. | | | | Most hotel reception software doesn't take a |
| Your receptionist may be an old hand, someone | | | | powerful computer to run it. So you may be able to |
| you've just hired or it could be you. The customer | | | | get away with using a hand-me-down machine whilst |
| doesn't care - they just want an answer! | | | | you work out whether or not you're going to take |
| The old fashioned system of pencil and paper works | | | | your hotel's bookings into the 21st century. It is also |
| OK when there's only a handful of rooms and when | | | | likely that it comes with a trial period so that you can |
| the person taking the bookings can be trusted to | | | | decide whether or not it's a step you want to take |
| write everything down or rub out any cancellations. | | | | without a pushy salesman breathing down your neck. |