yveskleinsky said:1. A customer books a reservation.
2. I run their card through our online merchant services.
3. I email them policies.
4. They email back confirmation of policies.
5. I email them directions/ checkin/out times, keycode info.
6. I email a request for cleaning.
7. I update a master calendar (on excel) and state what has cleared (ex: cleaning scheduled, amount paid, directions given, keycode given).
8. I then update our online calendar.
9. I email the master calendar to WildAmbitions when it is her turn to be on call.
How 'bout:
A.Customer books reservation online (fills in all info). They MUST check a box saying they agree to all policies, or the engine won't let them book. They automatically get an email response, saying that their request was rec'd, and we will get back to them within 24 hrs.
B. You download all of this info w/ONE click-- it goes into your PMS (property mgt software). You now have a calendar, showing all the days that were booked. And you have a fully filled out customer card, in the system as well.
C. You process the card online (we do 100% full prepayments in advance; almost completely eliminates no-shows).
D. You send email confirmation of paid reservation to guest-- it's a boilerplate, ONE click. Includes any directions, keys, etc.
E. Cleaning forms are part of the PMS
F. The PMS is the ONLY calendar you need. Everyone checks-- and works on-- the one computer* via logmein
*You have all of this hooked up to a computer that is on 24/7 and you don't really use. Log in anywhere in the world using logmein.com, and either one of you can do this. Or you can hire someone to do it!
Total software required:
1. Webervations (for online booking engine)
2. Rezovation (PMS, automatically downloads all reservation info from webervations)
3. Logmein.com account
4. Online CC processing acct (hooked up to your main PC, you can access via logmein)
5. Fastmail.com for all emails sent in/out (online based, both of you can be working on this at the same time).
That's it.
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Step A requires zero time on your part
Steps B-D takes (total) about 5-10 min MAX per reservation, incl CC processing
This makes taking a reservation a ONE STEP process (i.e., you do all of your steps at the same time).
Note: We process 10-20 reservations per day this way (over $300K so far this year).
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Life is good. :banana::banana::banana:
-Russ H.
PS Webervations is VERY VERY configurable. Just look at the websites for 10 different B&Bs that have it-- you would never know, save for the URL.