Ken’s Corner

Mary C. | 15 May 2004 |

Ken’s Corner

Question: Why should I choose an online booking engine over an email reservation system?

Answer: A booking engine designed specifically for online availability and booking is more flexible and reliable than a simple email inquiry system. Most good quality booking engines store unit inventory in a database, so only available inventory would show up on the web for people to book–eliminating the potential for overbooking. A surprising percentage of guests want to check for availability (as indicated by clickthroughs to the booking engine) and reserve right online (although many still like to call). For most properties, not having a booking engine means lost reservations.

Question: Are booking engines more reliable than collecting reservation information via email?

Answer: Yes. Booking applications are more reliable than standard email because many email hosts filter email traffic removing any suspicious email resembling spam. Spam filtering is designed to filter unwanted email but it also filters and deletes email that should make it to the recipient. When a booking engine is utilized, all reservations are collected, stored, and accessed from a central location minimizing the risk of lost reservations and revenue.