Module 4 Operate Computerize Reservations System

OPERATE
COMPUTERIZED
RESERVATION
SYSTEM
Module 4
Computerized Reservation System is
Operated Based on Property Standards
• Computerized reservation systems have become an essential part of any hospitality and tourism
organization.
• Computerized reservation systems describe a key sales and operational function for a diverse
range of domestic and international hospitality products and services. It applies to the full range of
industry sectors.
• These industry sectors use various computerized systems to manage reservations, operations, and
sales administrative functions.
• This manual covers industry-wide systems known as computerized or centralized reservation
systems (CRS) and global distribution systems (GDS) commonly used by retail travel agencies
when booking a supplier’s service.
• It covers systems used by accommodation providers and tour operators when receiving and
processing reservations for their product or service supply.
• It also covers other industry-wide systems used by inbound tour operators, outbound tour
wholesalers, and meetings and events management organizations.
Central Reservation System (CRS)
A tool to reach the Global Distribution System and
internet distribution system from one single system.
• A CRS assists hotel managers in managing their online
marketing and sales, allowing them to upload their
rates and availabilities to be seen by sales channels
using the CRS.
Sales Channels may include conventional travel agencies
as well as online travel agencies.
Hotel software us designed for all areas if
hotel operation including:
• Property management
• Accounting
• Internet/GDS reservations
• Central reservations
• Reception
• Point of Sale (POS)
• Spa, Club and golf management
• Guest management
• Inventory management
• Yield/revenue management
Small hotel software is available for properties with less than 100
rooms and focuses on basic front and back office functions, reservations,
and guest management.
One major type of hotel software the hotel industry uses is hotel
property management software (PMS). PMS is a comprehensive software
package that manages all aspects of hotel operations, which has front desk
and back office modules that handle reservations, guest profile/folio
reporting, night auditing, housekeeping, accounting, payroll asset, and
inventory management.
For hotel reservations, there are two types of hotel software:
 A CRS (central reservation system)
 An IBE (Internet booking engine) – an IBE allows guests remotely make
reservations accessing the hotel’s website.
Hospitality management software includes sales and catering software,
which will have a POS module to manage and track sales from restaurants,
lounges/bars, and room service. Event management modules are another vital
module of hospitality management software. Event management modules
manage groups/convention sales, room booking, function, and layout.
Modules in a Hospitality CRS
Reservations
Profiles
 Groups and blocks
Rate and inventory control
Administration
Reporting
Global distribution interface
PMS interface
Common CRS Information
• Room types
• Rate plans architecture
• Rate rates and conditions
• Room inventories
• Generic hotel information
• Distribution content
• Reservation information
• Nearby IATA cities and airports
Tourism Systems
The Global Distribution System (GDS) is an e-commerce tool introduced
by airlines to facilitate flight booking.
GDS is a computerized reservation system (CRS) that allows travel agencies

to place bookings with travel suppliers and their booking systems via a
worldwide distribution network.
Four major Global Distribution Systems:

Amadeus
Galileo
Saber
World span – merged with Galileo in late 2008
The Fact Sheet also advises that GDS
systems are capable of booking:
• One-way and round-trip airline seats
• Hotel rooms
• Rental cars
• Tours
• Cruises
• Bus and rail tickets
• Insurance
• Limousines
• Event and theatre tickets
• Dining reservations
CREATE AND
PROCESS
RESERVATION
Role of Reservations
The reservations department is a vital link in any hotel operation. While each hotel department is
essential, the reservations area is where guests have their first contact with an organization and make their first
impressions.
The primary role of reservations is to sell hotel rooms or packages. Several activities help facilitate
this aim.
Providing Relevant Information

This involves providing accurate information that the potential customer may want. This information
may relate to:
• Hotel facilities and services
• Room types
• Room rates
• Rate inclusions
• Packages
• Local Attractions
• Location
• Transportation option
• Check-in and out times
• Methods of payment
Encouraging the Sales
Encouraging the potential customer to make a booking involves:
• Using effective communication skills
• Using Sales techniques
• Asking for the sale
Making booking
This process includes:
• Identifying dates
• Identifying the type of room or package
• Recording personal information of customer
• Determining and processing method of payment
• Sending confirmation of reservation
Use All System Features to Access a Range of
Information
The limited use of the system can be traced back to the
predictable and repetitive nature of the work performed by receptionists.
Typically, a receptionist with responsibility for bookings will
repeatedly be involved in the following:
• Check for room availability on the required dates
• Entering the guest and reservation details
• Checking the guest in
• Posting charges to guest folios
• Preparing and presenting guest accounts
• Accepting payment
• Checking the guest out
Night Audit Information
Usually, a night audit will be conducted during the night shift. Using a CRS this
process is essentially automatic given that all necessary postings have been made.
The following is an indicative list of actions that may be taken with a CRS to run a
night audit:
• Check Arrivals – to ensure there are no pending late arrivals which will require posting
of accommodation charges
• Check Departures – to ensure all check out guests have departed and have not decided
to extend their stay perhaps without informing the us.
• Check House Status – This involves printing out a list of bookings for the day plus a
list of current in-house guests and reconciling the two.
• Conduct the Actual Night Audit – an audit is a daily review of the guest accounts and
financial transactions, and a front office audit is called a “night audit” because the audit
is performed during the night shift.
• Print Reports – each property will vary as to the daily reports it generates but common
one will include Housekeeping reports, Occupancy Report and Revenue Report.
• Print Arrival List for the Next Day – complete with registration slips to speed up guest
check-in
Importance of Checking Reservation
Availability
Given that there is a set amount of hotel rooms available
these must be managed in a way that not only looks after the
interests of the organization but hopefully to the greatest
amount of customers.
As an example at times, reservations may not be able to be
accepted because:
• Some guests may have priority over others – because of
their status in terms of loyalty, being repeat, or influential
guests.
• The policy of the property in relation to over-booking.
SEND AND RECEIVE
RESERVATION
COMMUNICATIONS
Types of Internal Communication
Much of the information obtained by reservation
staff needs to be passed on to other departments and
people to determine the guest’s requirements.
This information must be passed on:

• To the relevant department
• In a timely fashion
• Comprehensively
Details for Communication
The possible list of things that may need to be passed on to
other departments is endless, but traditionally, they can be seen
as classified as:
•Special Request
•Timing details
•Special needs
•Payment arrangements
•Entertainment
•Information relating to individual customers
•Details of other services being used
Communicating Details to Appropriate
Departments and Colleagues
There will be times when colleagues or other
departments will need to be informed and kept up-to-date
about information regarding particular reservations.
Departments will need to be informed about reservations

because they can have the following effects:
• Housekeeping
• Food and Beverages
• Front Office
Creating General Reports For Internal Use
Information for internal colleagues is simply either replication or manipulation of details
originally entered into the system, predominantly from areas such as guest details and reservations
and related screens that flow from them.
Types of internally generic reports:
• Arrival Report
• Departure Report
• No Show Report
• Room Status Report
• Special Requests Report
• Occupancy Forecast Report
• Average Room Rates Report
• Multiple or Double Room Occupancy Report
• Guest List by Name Report
• Guest List by Room Report
• Travel Agents’ Commission Report
• Special Packages Report
• Market Segment Report
• Rooms Out of Order Report
• Daily Room Revenue Summary Report
• Daily Revenue Summary Report
• Weekly Trading Summary Report
• Monthly Trading Summary Report
• Year-to-Date Report
• In-house Activity Report. This is a comprehensive report outlining:
 Rooms Occupied
 Expected departures
 Expected stay overs
 Expected arrivals
 Walk-ins
 No-shows and cancellations
 Rooms available
 FOC (free of charge) rooms
 Out-of-order rooms
 Single occupancy rooms
 Multiple Occupancy Rooms
Product Knowledge Information
Potential customers may often need information about the
products or services provided.
In a hotel context, product knowledge can relate to:
Room rates
Different room rates will have been identified based on
different types of guests that the establishment seeks to attract,
the potential for repeat business and the occupancy levels.
Common room rates include:
• Rack rate
• Corporate rate
• Convention rate
• Industry rate
• Crew rate
• Group rate
• Negotiated rate
• Market segment rate
• Tour rate
• Package rate
Room Types
•In-room facilities
•Room aspects
•Smoking
•Disabled rooms
•Establishment facilities
•In-house attractions
•Local attractions and significant events
•Physical location of the property
Common questions asked of reservation staff are:

How far is the establishment from the airport?
What is the taxi fare between two locations?
How can I get from the airport to your venue?

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OPERATE

GDS is a computerized reservation system (CRS) that allows travel agencies

Four major Global Distribution Systems:

Providing Relevant Information

This information must be passed on:

Departments will need to be informed about reservations

In a hotel context, product knowledge can relate to:

Common questions asked of reservation staff are:

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