OPERATE A COMPUTERISED RESERVATIONS SYSTEM

1. D1.HFO.CL2.02 D2.TTA.CL2.13 OPERATE A COMPUTERISED RESERVATIONS SYSTEM

2. Subject elements This unit comprises three Elements: • Identify the features offered by a computerised reservations systems • Operate the computerised reservation system • Process reservations’ communications

3. Assessment Assessment for this unit may include: • Oral questions • Written questions • Work projects • Workplace observation of practical skills • Practical exercises • Formal report from supervisor

4. Element 1: Identify the features offered by a computerised reservations systems

5. Identify the features offered by a computerised reservations systems Performance Criteria for this Element are: • Explain the benefits of and barriers to using a computerised reservations system • Identify the businesses that may use a computerised reservation system • Describe the scope of a computerised reservations system • Describe the functions that can be performed on a computerised reservations system • Interpret the screens and displays available within a computerised reservations system

6. Definitions What is a CRS? • Computerised reservation system What is a GDS? • Global distribution system

7. Importance of a CRS • Computerised reservation systems have become an essential part of any hospitality and tourism organisation • It is a necessary tool to store and access a wide range of information, that can be easily accessed by a range of people in any location

8. Hospitality CRS Hospitality computerised reservation systems • A hotel reservation system, also known as a central reservation system (CRS) is a computerized system that stores and distributes information of a hotel, resort, or other lodging facilities

9. Hospitality CRS Hospitality computerised reservation systems • What hospitality computerised reservation systems are used in the industry? • Was is their function?

10. Hospitality CRS Hotel software system areas • Property management • Accounting • Internet/GDS reservations • Central reservations • Reception

11. Hospitality CRS Hotel software system areas • Point of Sale (POS) • Spa, club and golf management • Guest management • Inventory management • Yield/revenue management

12. Hospitality CRS Property Management Software (PMS) • One of the major types of hotel software used by the hotel industry 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, and housekeeping, accounting, payroll and asset and inventory management

13. Hospitality CRS Hotel reservation systems For reservations, there are two types of hotel software: • A CRS (central reservation system) • An IBE (Internet booking engine) - an IBE allows guests to remotely make reservations accessing the hotel’s website

14. Hospitality CRS Modules in a hospitality CRS • Reservations • Profiles • Groups and blocks • Rate and inventory control • Administration • Reporting • Global distribution interface • PMS interface

15. Hospitality CRS Common CRS information Information commonly stored in a CRS includes • Room types • Rate plans architecture • Room rates and conditions • Room inventories • Generic hotel information • Distribution content • Reservation information • Nearby IATA cities and airports

16. Tourism CRS • The Global Distribution System (GDS) is an e-commerce tool introduced by airlines to facilitate the booking of flights • By definition a GDS is a computerised reservation system (CRS) in that it enables, for example, travel agencies to place bookings with travel suppliers and their booking systems via a worldwide distribution network

17. Tourism CRS There are four major Global Distribution Systems: • Amadeus • Galileo • Sabre • Worldspan

18. Tourism CRS Tourism CRS uses These systems enable travel agencies to: • Search lowest fares for nominated destinations • Automatically re-calculate fares for changed itineraries • Store client data and records • Access world-wide options

19. Tourism CRS Types of CRS bookings and reservations GDS systems are capable of booking: • One way and roundtrip airline seats • Hotel rooms • Rental cars • Tours • Cruises

20. Tourism CRS Types of CRS bookings and reservations GDS systems are capable of booking: • Bus and rail tickets • Insurance • Limousines • Event and theatre tickets • Dining reservations

21. Information within a CRS Information contained within a CRS • Destination information • Availability and costs of any product/service • Detailed product and service information • Airfares and airline information • Special offers and packages • Transportation options • Payment options • Health and safety recommendations

22. Benefits of a CRS • Speedier processing of requests and bookings, ticketing and quotations • Central location of information • Integration with web-based/online booking systems • Allowing multiple uses and multiple sites • Preserving privacy and confidentiality through passwords, operator only designations and system administrator status • Allowing pre-set limits/allocations/changes

23. Barriers of a CRS • Cost of initial establishment • Training of staff • System breakdowns and malfunctions • Need for system back-ups, system maintenance and system updates • Discrepancies occurring between properties using different systems • Operational staff tend to focus on the screen instead of customer

24. Businesses using a CRS • Retail travel agencies • Hotels • Visitor information centres • Airlines • Coach companies • Car rental companies • Entertainment providers

25. Businesses using a CRS • Tour operators and wholesalers • Event coordinators • Tour desk officers • Operations consultants • Owner operators of small tourism businesses • Reservations sales agents

26. Scope of a CRS Scope of a computerised reservation system Scope of a computerised reservations system may be related to: • Industry-wide access and use • Use only within an individual property • Agents • Service providers • Direct customer bookings

27. CRS functions Functions performed on a central reservations system • Interrogating and amending existing data • Making reservations, including group, individual, corporate, in-house, commission basis • Amending reservations, such as extending or changing dates, altering flights, changing room numbers • Determining vacancies and current level of availability, including tickets, seats, rooms

28. CRS functions Functions performed on a central reservations system • Recording customer details • Recording special request details • Creating internal and management reports • Generating client histories and preferences • Generating mailing lists • Creating marketing information • Preparing limited accounting statements

29. CRS functions Functions performed on a Hospitality CRS What functions or information would be kept for these functions: • Reservations • Profiles • Groups and blocks • Rate and inventory control • Administration • Reporting

30. CRS functions Functions performed on a tourism CRS • Understand system assumptions for a quote • Interpret system codes and abbreviations • Enter the relevant segment, passenger, destination and date details • Create the quote • Search the ‘best fare’ quote • Cancel the quote • Amend the quote • Update the status of the booking

31. GDS training Specialised GDS training courses need to be undertaken to attain necessary competencies with individual GDS systems: • What training would operators need to undertake? • What do these need to know?

32. GDS training These specialised courses relate to the features and functions of the individual system and address topics such as: • Key functions • Encoding and decoding • Status codes • System help facilities • Selling flights • Creating and updating files • E-ticketing • System abbreviations

33. Understanding CRS screens and displays Interpret the screens and displays Regardless of the CRS system used it is important for users to be competent in being able to interpret the screens and displays relating to: • Identifying menus and sub-menus • Identifying information fields • Identifying drop-down menus • Identifying self-populating fields

34. Understanding CRS screens and displays Interpret the screens and displays • Identifying multiple choice fields • Identifying mandatory fields • Identifying character limitations within information fields • Using the toolbar menu and using keystrokes to access fields and menus

35. Understanding CRS screens and displays Interpret the screens and displays • Differentiating between levels of authorization and access • Creating and using passwords and User Identification to access screens and data • Using system-specific techniques to move between fields and screens

36. Understanding CRS screens and displays Interpret screen displays • Prompts • Buttons/tabs • Options • Abbreviations • Acronyms • Questions • Information fields • Dates

37. Understanding CRS screens and displays In-house interpretations of displays Different establishments to describe and define certain fields with meanings and data, such as: • Dates • Prices • Room types • Room numbers • Packages particular to their operational needs.

38. Understanding CRS screens and displays In-house interpretations of displays Systems may have codes to depict various pieces of information such as: • Different revenue stream • Guest type • Marketing information that the property seeks to capture • Payment methods • Booking source

39. CRS training and support Need for CRS training and support In order for any staff using a CRS system to become competent with the software being used in their workplace, they must: • Obtain, read, refer to and use the User’s Guide/Manual for their system • Obtain practical workplace training in the physical operation of the system • Research, understand and utilise the software support provided by the system suppliers

40. Element 2: Operate the computerised reservation system

41. Operate the computerised reservation system Performance Criteria for this Element are: • Access the computerised reservations system • Investigate information contained within the computerised reservations system • Check whether or not a reservation can be taken on the computerised reservations system • Accept and create a reservation on the computerised reservations system

42. Operate the computerised reservation system Performance Criteria for this Element are: • Retrieve a reservation on the computerised reservations system • Amend a reservation on the computerised reservations system • Print reservation details from the computerised reservations system

43. Importance of reservations Role of reservations • The reservations department is a vital link in any hotel operation • The reservations area is where guests have their first contact with an organisation and therefore make their first impressions

44. Importance of reservations Role of reservations Three key roles of reservations is to: • Providing relevant information • Encouraging the sale • Making the booking

45. Passwords Passwords and User IDs • Why is it important to have passwords? • How often should they be changed? • How else can you protect the privacy of information on the system when you have ‘logged into the system’?

46. System information Investigating information Investigate information may include: • Applying access codes • Interpreting and using on-screen prompts todetermine required information • Interpreting and applying on-screen abbreviations, acronyms and options

47. Accessing system information Investigating information • Using navigation tools such as buttons and tabs • Applying correct date formats within the system • Adhering to system protocols and field size limitations • Completing required fields • Describing the field and menu linksavailable between screens

48. Accessing system information Using system features to access a range of information Typically a receptionist with responsibility for bookings will repeatedly be involved in: • Checking for room availability on the required dates • Entering the guest and reservation details • Varying the booking as required • Checking the guest in • Posting charges to guest folios • Preparing and presenting guest accounts • Accepting payment • Checking the guest out

49. Accessing system information Example – Front Office information that can be accessed • Folio clearance • Night audit information • Room charge update • Rooming rebuild/calendar update • Transaction summary • Internal management reports

50. Checking reservation availability The balancing act of reservations When times are busy, the reservations team must try to fill the hotel whilst: • Filling hotel rooms at competitive rates • Not overbooking the hotel • Generating higher room rates