How Do You Build Trust?

How do you convince prospective guests that you are a trustworthy hotelier and that they can believe what they read about your hotel and service? How do you know that you can trust your suppliers? How do you know that you can trust the hotel booking system provider that you’ve found on the website?

No doubt your customers look at dozens of hotels before they choose yours and you search tens, if not hundreds, of suppliers before you choose your booking system or cutlery supplier.

But why do your guests choose you, and why do you choose your suppliers?

It all comes down to trust.

When I originally researched booking software companies I was bombarded with thousands of badly designed websites, plastered with Google advertising, offering ridiculously low prices, ‘the best’ software available, and free twenty four-hour technical support. Naturally, these elements did little to entice me, in fact, quite the opposite; they sent me running to the hills.

So, what was I looking for?

When I stumbled upon Hotel Booking Systems I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh, clean, and simple website that was easy to navigate; a great start. Refreshingly, the website contained no Google ads and no ‘50% off if you buy today’ incentives; the prices quoted were the actual prices. Instantly, the company earned my trust.

As it turns out, I picked the right hotel systems company; both professional and reliable.

You make the same decisions

As a hotelier, you are faced with the same decisions, and without even knowing, you are making assumptions based upon very similar criteria. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy a hotel system from a software developer unable to create a simple and functional website.
These companies don’t appear to be trustworthy, and from experience I can tell you that appearances are not deceptive in this industry; they are not trustworthy companies and they are not run by trustworthy individuals.

... So do your guests!

You need to learn from the lessons you are taught when searching for suppliers because your guests’ minds work in an identical manner. Does your hotel or guesthouse portray your establishment as a trustworthy one and, in turn, are you perceived to be a trustworthy individual.

You don’t tolerate suppliers who ‘lie a little bit’ or ‘or try too hard, so neither will your prospective guests.

Many thanks for reading

Emma

Hotel Booking Software - Review 2

Today has been an enjoyable and informative (if not so productive) business day. As I mentioned in my previous post, Tristan from hotelsystems.co.uk is in the process of updating the booking software to embrace the varying requests of the hotel industry. So, after an hour of begging and pleading (I have no shame!) Tristan agreed to give me a sneak preview of his work in progress.

I’m always nervous when any of my preferred software is updated and supposedly improved. Will the level of functionality remain high? Will it be as user-friendly? Will it remain efficient to use? I was thrilled to discover that the answers to these questions were yes, yes, and yes again.

The booking system offered by hotelsystems.co.uk is one of an increasing plethora of applications that promise to be the perfect addition to your hotel, make your motel more productive, and eradicate the possibility of double booking. However, the difference between this booking system and the others on the market is the slimline efficiency and level of detail provided.

I noticed a number of definite improvements, including:
1. Credit card number encryption in the database.

2. The highlighting of bank holiday dates in the booking calendar.

3. An extended payment section to allow the special addition of payments – Which permits for the addition of details to a report, allowing users to reconcile the deposit payments for bookings against their takings.

Plus, these developments have been made without hindering the intuitiveness of the program; bookings flowed in a highly logical manner and I was never left wondering which button to click or function to use.

I cannot recommend this software enough.

I am, however, extremely keen to discover alternative hotel booking systems for small to medium sized hotels, motels, and guest houses. So, if you know of hotel booking software that is more efficient or detailed than the system offered by http://www.hotelsystems.co.uk/ please contact me on eharradine@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks for reading!

Emma

Hotel Booking System Review

A few weeks a go I posted a shout out to Ed Sansbury who is in the process of developing a cutting edge hotel booking system. I have had the privilege of viewing his software during its infancy (I believe it to be less that fifty per cent complete) and am impressed with the options section, which has clearly marked tabs allowing users to customize the system for their own requirements.

At this early stage, my feedback to Ed included improvements in integration to enhance the logical system flow. These improvements included naming conventions, a call to action, booking reference customization, an enhanced pricing system, and free fields for tax.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the finished version of this hotel booking software and am confident that Ed is capable of developing this system to a highly competitive level.


Despite the fact that the system is less than fifty per cent complete, I would rate the software with a 4 out of 10, with a potential for 8 or more in the future.

Good luck with the continued development, Ed!

On a related topic, I spoke with Tristan from http://www.hotelsystems.co.uk/ today and was very excited by news of his latest booking software upgrades, due for release shortly. I'll be taking a look over the next couple of days and will post information about his updates here. So, watch this space!

New Hotel Booking System

This is a quick shout out to Ed Sansbury from the United Kingdom who is currently developing a hotel booking system with a bit of a difference. My initial thoughts are positive, despite the fact that the hotel system is still under development, and I’m wondering whether this might grow to become the booking system to beat that offered by http://www.hotelsystems.co.uk/.

Tristan (from hotelsystems.co.uk) – I’m looking forward to seeing the latest version of my favourite hotel software to date. If the updates are as good as they sound, then the latest system is going to set even higher standards within the hospitality industry.

And on a fun note –

I read the following article by Oliver Smith at Telegraph.co.uk. He talks about a British couple who were given a complimentary five-star hotel room – with a voyeuristic catch.

A British couple on holiday in New York have received a complimentary five-star hotel room, in return for allowing pedestrians and passing motorists to watch their every move.

Duncan Malcolm and Katherine Lewis from London agreed to spend their break in the Big Apple as non-paying guests at the Roger Smith Hotel, in the heart of Manhattan.

However, the couple’s lodging – a replica bedroom built on the ground floor of a nearby building – has floor-to-ceiling windows, permitting an unhindered view to voyeuristic passers-by.

Although the room has curtains, its occupants must keep them open between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. The bedroom and bathroom are not on display – allowing guests a degree of privacy.
The couple have said that they plan to stay for five days in the room with a view.

The Roger Smith is one of a growing number of hotels that use bizarre themes and quirky rooms to attract visitors.

One room at Berlin’s Propeller Island City Lodge features a large one-way mirror that allows guests in the neighbouring room to look inside.

The Poseidon Resort in the Bahamas offers "undersea suites" – a series of luxury apartments situated 12 meters underwater.

America’s Dog Bark Park Inn gives guest the chance to stay inside "the world’s largest Beagle" – a room inside a giant, hollow dog, complete with ensuite bathroom.

For more information go to –

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4384743/British-couple-go-on-display-in-New-York-hotel-room.html

I can’t help but question whether it is the poor customer service within the hospitality industry that has caused this need for alternative sources of positive publicity and optimistic word of mouth. Hotel chains would rather spend their money on pricey marketing initiatives than on the training needed to create the perfect experience for customers like you and I.