Get the data right: From Travel Agent to the Hotel PMS

The Reservation is Key to Everything

Definitions

Agent: A Detailed Definition

1. Role: An agent in the travel and hospitality industry primarily acts as an intermediary or facilitator. They arrange accommodations, travel tickets, and other related services for clients (individuals, groups, or corporate entities). The critical aspect of their role is that they do not personally use the services they book; they arrange these services on behalf of others.
2. Travel Agent books a corporate negotiated rate for a business traveler stay
   • Agents: A travel agent acts as an intermediary between the customer (in this case, a corporate entity) and the hospitality service provider. They often have access to special rates and arrangements.
   • Corporate Customer refers to the business entity with a negotiated rate with the hotel or service provider. It's usually a company that frequently sends its employees on business trips.
   • Guest: The individual staying at the hotel or utilizing the service. This is the business traveler whose accommodation is being arranged.
3. Types of Transactions:
   • Direct Payment Model: In this model, the agent makes the reservation, but the payment for the stay is handled directly between the guest and the hotel. The agent facilitates the booking process, but the financial transaction is between the guest and the hotel.
   • Indirect Payment Model: In this scenario, the guest or customer pays the agent for the booking. The agent then settles the payment with the hotel. This model often involves the agent handling all financial transactions related to the stay.
4. Earning Commission:
   • Commission-Based Revenue: Agents typically earn their income through commissions. These commissions are usually a percentage of the total booking cost and are earned for every successful reservation they make.
   • Negotiated Rates and Contracts: Agents may have special rates negotiated with hotels and service providers, allowing them to offer their clients competitively while retaining a margin for their services.
   • Relationship with Service Providers: Established agents often have strong relationships with hotels, airlines, and other service providers. These relationships can lead to preferential rates and conditions, which benefit both the agent and their clients.
5. Value Addition:
   • Expertise and Convenience: Agents provide value through their expertise in finding the best deals, understanding client needs, and offering convenient booking solutions.
   • Handling Complex Itineraries: For complex travel plans, agents can be instrumental in coordinating different aspects of a trip, ensuring a seamless experience for the traveler.
   • Support and Advocacy: Agents often provide help before, during, and after the travel. They can act as advocates for their clients in case of issues with bookings or during travel.
6. Changing Dynamics: With the advent of online booking platforms, the role of traditional travel agents has evolved. Many now offer specialized services and personalized travel planning and cater to niche markets to differentiate themselves from online booking options.
7. Regulations and Ethics: Agents are usually bound by industry regulations and ethical standards, ensuring they provide their clients with accurate information and fair pricing.

Corporate Customer: A Detailed Definition

1. Nature of a Corporate Customer:
   • Non-Physical Entity: A corporate customer is typically a company, organization, government entity, or military body. It's a non-physical entity that arranges and pays for accommodation and related services.
   • Organizational Spend: Unlike individual travelers, corporate customers usually have a dedicated budget for travel and accommodations, often managed through a corporate travel department or a designated travel manager.
2. Corporate business traveler books a stay
   • • Corporate Customer: The customer and guest are the same in this scenario. This person is a company representative, booking for themselves, often using corporate accounts or portals.
     • Guest: The business traveler making the booking and staying at the accommodation.
3. Types of Transactions:
   • Individual Corporate Travel: This involves arrangements for individual employees traveling for business purposes. It often includes negotiated rates with hotels for room bookings, meals, and other services.
   • Meetings and Events: Corporate customers frequently book hotels for meetings, conferences, and events. This extends beyond room bookings, including meeting spaces, food and beverage services, audio-visual equipment, and other event-related amenities.
   • Contractual Arrangements: Corporate customers often enter into contracts with hotels for recurring services, ensuring preferred rates and availability.
4. Payment and Billing:
   • Direct Billing: Corporate customers usually have arrangements for direct billing with hotels, where the hotel bills the company directly for services rendered.
   • Expense Management: These arrangements are part of the corporate customer's broader expense management strategy, allowing for streamlined accounting and budget control.
5. Diverse Guests:
   • Multiple Guests: In the case of corporate bookings, there are often numerous guests – employees of the corporation, attendees of meetings or events, etc. These guests may be staying overnight or just utilizing day facilities.
   • Guest Management: The corporate customer is responsible for the overall management of these guests' accommodations and associated services, though the guests are the end users.
6. Value and Volume:
   • Significant Business Source: Corporate customers are a vital source of business for hotels due to the volume and regularity of their bookings.
   • Loyalty and Partnerships: Hotels often develop long-term relationships with corporate clients, offering loyalty benefits and customized services.
7. Customized Services:
   • Tailored Offerings: Hotels may offer tailored services to corporate customers, like customized check-in/check-out times, dedicated floors or wings, and specialized business facilities.
   • Account Management: Hotels often assign account managers or corporate liaison officers to handle the specific needs of corporate clients.

Guest: A Detailed Definition

1. Primary User of Services:
   • End-User: In the hospitality context, a guest is the individual who uses the hotel's services. This includes staying in the hotel room, utilizing facilities like the gym, pool, or spa, and availing of other hotel amenities.
   • Personal Experience: The guest's experience is central to the hospitality industry, with services and amenities often tailored to enhance this unique experience.
2. An individual business traveler books a stay
   • Company Name: The business traveler might be associated with a company but makes the booking independently. The company name is included for potential corporate rates or record-keeping.
   • Guest: The individual business traveler who will be staying at the accommodation.
3. Financial Role:
   • Direct or Indirect Payer: While the guest is often the direct payer for services rendered, the payment might be indirect in cases involving a corporate customer or an agent. The guest might not handle the financial transaction personally but is still the one for whom the services are intended.
   • Expense Tracking: In scenarios where a corporate entity or agent is involved, the guest's stay is still recorded for operational and statistical purposes, but the financial transaction is attributed to the corporate customer or agent to avoid duplication in accounting.
4. Statistical Consideration:
   • Unique Entity: From a statistical standpoint, each guest is counted as an individual entity in terms of occupancy rates, utilization of services, and guest demographics.
   • Avoiding Double Counting: When a reservation is made through an agent or a corporate customer, it's crucial to avoid double counting. The guest is counted as the service user, but the customer (corporate entity or agent) is counted as the financial source.
5. Diverse Needs and Preferences:
   • Individual Preferences: Each guest may have unique preferences and requirements, which the hotel aims to meet to ensure a personalized experience.
   • Feedback and Ratings: Guests are often the source of feedback and ratings for a hotel, influencing its reputation and service standards.
6. Legal and Safety Aspects:
   • Registration and Identification: For legal and safety reasons, guests must register and provide identification upon check-in, regardless of who pays for the stay.
   • Responsible for Adherence to Policies: Guests are expected to adhere to hotel policies during their stay, including those related to safety, conduct, and use of facilities.
7. Guest-Centric Services:
   • Customer Service: Hotels provide various customer service offerings directly targeting guests, such as concierge services, room service, and personalized in-room amenities.
   • Loyalty Programs: Many hotels offer loyalty programs that guests can join to receive benefits and rewards based on their stays and usage of services.

Importance of Accurate Information for Hotels

Understanding the Source of Business

1. Market Analysis and Strategy: Accurate information about who is booking and why allows hotels to analyze market trends, understand customer segments, and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly. This data is vital for identifying critical sources of revenue and potential growth areas.
2. Resource Allocation: Understanding the business source helps allocate resources more effectively. For instance, if corporate bookings constitute a significant source, resources can be directed towards enhancing business facilities and services.

Managing Relationships with Travel Agents and Corporate Clients

1. Partnership Development: Hotels must maintain and nurture relationships with travel agents and corporate clients. Accurate information about bookings, preferences, and feedback helps understand these partners' needs and expectations, leading to stronger business relationships.
2. Contract Negotiations: Accurate booking data is essential during contract negotiations with corporate clients and agents. It helps create fair and mutually beneficial agreements based on usage and booking patterns.

Personalized Guest Services

1. Enhancing Guest Experience: Hotels can provide personalized services when they have accurate information about their guests' preferences, past stays, and specific needs. This includes room preferences, dietary requirements, and special requests.
2. Loyalty Programs: For guests who are part of loyalty programs, accurate tracking of their stays and preferences is essential to provide them with the right rewards and benefits, enhancing loyalty and repeat business.

Operational Efficiency and Revenue Management

1. Yield Management: Accurate information helps in effective yield management, allowing hotels to adjust prices based on demand, booking patterns, and customer segments.
2. Reducing Overbooking and Underbooking: Accurate reservation data helps manage inventory effectively, lowering instances of overbooking or underbooking.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement

1. Service Improvement: Accurate guest feedback and data allow hotels to identify areas needing improvement, whether in service, facilities, or amenities.
2. Reputation Management: In the age of online reviews and social media, understanding guest experiences through accurate data is crucial for reputation management and promptly addressing negative feedback.

Compliance and Reporting

1. Legal Compliance: Accurate information is crucial, especially regarding guest registration, financial transactions, and data privacy.
2. Financial Reporting: For financial reporting and analysis, accurate data on occupancy rates, revenue per available room (RevPAR), and other key performance indicators is essential.

Importance of Accurate Information for Travel Agents

Commission Tracking

1. Revenue Accuracy: Accurate records ensure that travel agents receive the correct commissions for the bookings they facilitate. This is a significant part of their revenue stream.
2. Dispute Resolution: In cases where there might be discrepancies or disputes over commissions with service providers, having accurate and detailed records can help resolve these issues efficiently.

Providing Tailored Services to Clients

1. Understanding Client Preferences: Keeping detailed records of clients' travel preferences, past trips, and special requirements allows travel agents to offer highly personalized service, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Recommendation Accuracy: With accurate information, travel agents can make more precise recommendations for accommodations, flights, and other travel services that align closely with clients' preferences and needs.

Maintaining Good Relationships with Hotels

1. Reliability and Trust: Accurate booking and client information contribute to building trust and reliability with hotels, airlines, and other service providers. This is crucial for securing reasonable rates and special deals.
2. Efficient Collaboration: When travel agents provide accurate information, it facilitates smoother interactions and transactions with service providers, leading to more efficient collaboration and potentially better terms in the future.

Enhancing Marketing and Business Development Efforts

1. Targeted Marketing: Accurate client data allows travel agents to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns tailored to the interests and preferences of different customer segments.
2. Business Insights: Analyzing accurate booking data helps identify trends, popular destinations, and emerging travel patterns, which can inform business strategy and development efforts.

Operational Efficiency

1. Streamlining Processes: Accurate and well-organized information streamlines various operational processes, such as booking, invoicing, and customer communication, increasing efficiency and productivity.
2. Error Reduction: Accurate record-keeping significantly reduces the likelihood of errors in bookings and financial transactions, which can be costly and time-consuming.

Compliance and Reporting

1. Legal and Financial Compliance: Accurate records are essential for compliance with legal and financial regulations, including taxation and financial reporting.
2. Audit Preparedness: In audits, having accurate and detailed records is crucial for demonstrating compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Importance of Accurate Information for Corporate Customers

Budgeting

1. Cost Management: Accurate information is crucial for corporate customers to manage their travel and accommodation budgets effectively. Knowing the exact cost of each booking helps allocate funds appropriately and avoid overspending.
2. Forecasting and Planning: With precise data on past bookings and expenses, corporations can forecast future travel costs more accurately, aiding in financial planning and budget allocation for upcoming periods.

Expense Tracking

1. Reconciliation and Reporting: Accurate booking information facilitates the reconciliation of expenses. It ensures that the money spent on travel and accommodation is correctly accounted for and reported in financial statements.
2. Policy Compliance: Corporations often have travel policies in place. Accurate information helps ensure that bookings and expenses comply with these policies, such as staying within preferred hotel chains or adhering to set spending limits.

Employee Welfare

1. Safety and Security: Accurate information about where employees stay is vital for ensuring their safety and security, especially in emergencies or unexpected events.
2. Comfort and Satisfaction: Knowing employee preferences and needs allows corporations to book accommodations that ensure comfort and satisfaction. This can include choices for room type, location, or specific amenities.
3. Duty of Care Obligations: Corporations have a duty of care to their employees when they travel. Accurate information helps fulfill these obligations by ensuring that accommodations meet specific safety and quality standards.

Contractual Agreements and Negotiations

1. Leveraging Data in Negotiations: Corporations can use accurate booking and spending data to negotiate better rates and terms with hotels and travel providers.
2. Performance Tracking: Accurate information allows corporations to track the performance of their travel partners against contractual agreements, ensuring they are getting the value and services they have negotiated for.

Efficiency and Productivity

1. Streamlining Processes: Accurate booking data helps streamline travel management processes, reducing the time and effort required to manage travel arrangements.
2. Reducing Administrative Burden: Accurate and automated data capture reduces the administrative burden on employees, allowing them to focus more on their core job responsibilities.

Decision Making

1. Data-Driven Decisions: Accurate information enables corporate customers to make data-driven decisions regarding travel and accommodation partners, choices, and policies.
2. Identifying Trends and Opportunities: Analysis of accurate booking data can reveal trends and opportunities, such as frequently visited destinations or times of the year with higher travel activity, guiding strategic decisions.

Importance of Accurate Information for Guests

Smooth Check-In Process

1. Efficiency: Accurate guest information, such as arrival times, payment details, and reservation specifics, ensures a quick and efficient check-in process, reducing wait times and improving the guest experience upon arrival.
2. Verification and Security: Accurate records help verify the identity of guests, which is essential for security purposes and to comply with legal regulations.

Adherence to Personal Preferences

1. Personalized Experience: Hotels use guest information to tailor the room and services to individual preferences, such as room type, bed configuration, dietary needs, and other special requests, enhancing the guest's comfort and satisfaction.
2. Special Occasions: For guests celebrating special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, accurate information allows hotels to arrange appropriate gestures or amenities to make the stay more memorable.

Better Deals and Loyalty Program Benefits

1. Customized Offers: Accurate guest data enables hotels to offer personalized promotions and deals based on previous stays, preferences, and spending patterns.
2. Loyalty Rewards: For guests enrolled in loyalty programs, accurate tracking of their stays, spending, and preferences is crucial for accruing and redeeming rewards and enjoying tier-based benefits.

Improved Service Quality

1. Feedback and Service Improvement: Accurate guest feedback, captured during or after their stay, is vital for hotels to improve service quality and address issues.
2. Repeat Preferences: For repeat guests, having accurate records of their past preferences and requests enables hotels to provide a consistent and improved experience with each stay.

Hassle-Free Transactions

1. Billing Accuracy: Accurate information ensures billing is correct, reflects the proper service charges, and prevents checkout disputes.
2. Payment Processing: Accurate details such as credit card information and billing addresses are crucial for smooth payment processing.

Safety and Emergency Situations

1. Emergency Contact Information: In case of an emergency, having accurate contact information is essential for the safety and well-being of guests.
2. Health Concerns: Information about health-related needs or allergies is crucial for hotels to respond appropriately to health emergencies or to specific dietary requirements.

The information must flow seamlessly between reservation systems

Seamless Information Flow from GDS to Hotel PMS

1. Global Distribution Systems (GDS): Travel agents often use GDS platforms to make reservations. These systems are comprehensive databases allowing real-time inventory exchange and rates for hotels, flights, and other travel services.
2. Hotel Property Management Systems (PMS): The PMS is a hotel's central operational system that manages bookings, guest check-ins/check-outs, room assignments, billing, and other essential functions.
3. Integration: All relevant information must flow seamlessly into the hotel's PMS when a reservation is made through a GDS. This integration ensures that the hotel has immediate access to up-to-date reservation details.

Importance of Complete and Accurate Information in Distribution Channels

1. Servicing Guests: Complete and accurate information in reservation records enables hotels to prepare for and service guests appropriately. This includes personalizing their stay, efficiently managing check-ins, and meeting all preferences and requirements.
2. Statistics and Data-Driven Decisions: Hotels rely on reservation data for statistical analysis and strategic planning. This includes understanding booking patterns, guest preferences, and market trends, which are critical for making informed business decisions.

Impact on Each Party

• For Hotels: Accurate data ensures efficient operational management, enhances guest satisfaction, and provides valuable insights for revenue management and strategic planning.
• For Travel Agents: Seamless information flow aids in accurate commission tracking, reduces errors, and strengthens relationships with hotels and clients through reliable service delivery.
• For Corporate Customers: They benefit from streamlined booking processes, adherence to corporate travel policies, and adequate budget and expense management.
• For Guests: They receive a personalized and hassle-free experience, from booking to check-out, with their preferences and needs accurately accounted for.

Ensuring a Satisfactory Experience

1. Technology Integration: Robust integration between GDS, online travel agencies, direct booking channels, and the hotel's PMS is essential for real-time, error-free data transmission.
2. Data Standardization: Standardizing the format and type of data exchanged across systems ensures consistency and reduces the likelihood of errors or omissions.
3. Continuous Updating: Systems should be configured to regularly update and synchronize data to reflect reservations, cancellations, and guest preference changes.
4. Training and Awareness: Staff across all levels, from hotel front desk to corporate booking managers, should be trained in using and interpreting system data to provide informed service to guests and clients.
5. Privacy and Security: With the extensive data exchange, maintaining high data privacy and security standards is crucial to protect guest and client information.

Shared responsibility to provide the correct information

Practical advice to PMS vendors

1. Robust Data Segmentation

• Implement features that allow for distinct categorization and tracking of reservations made by travel agents, corporate clients, and direct guests. This helps in accurate reporting and analytics without double-counting.

2. Comprehensive Integration Capabilities

• Ensure the PMS integrates with various distribution channels, including Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), direct booking platforms, corporate booking tools, and channel managers facilitating distribution and reservation delivery.

3. Data Accuracy and Validation

• Implement data accuracy checks and validation processes to ensure that all incoming reservation data is complete and correct.

4. Real-Time Data Synchronization

• Ensure real-time or near-real-time data synchronization between the PMS and other systems to avoid discrepancies and ensure all stakeholders have the latest information.

5. Continuous Improvement and Updates

• Commit to continuous improvement and regular updates of the PMS based on changes in distribution systems and channel managers, other industry trends, and technological advancements.

Practical Advice to Distribution Channels

1. Robust Data Segmentation

• Implement systems that categorize and label bookings based on their source (e.g., travel agents, corporate clients, OTAs). The source should not just be GDS or OTA but should be the specific distribution channel where the reservation originated. In addition, if the travel agent is making a reservation for a corporate client, the travel agent's name, the corporate client's name, and the guest's name must be sent to the hotel. This helps provide precise and segmented data to PMS systems, aiding in detailed analytics and reporting.
• Develop mechanisms to flag and distinguish different types of bookings, ensuring that the information transmitted to PMS systems is clearly defined and segmented.

2. Comprehensive Integration Capabilities

• Ensure robust integration capabilities with various PMS systems, such as open APIs and well-documented integration instructions to formats and protocols. The distribution system is responsible for sending the correct detailed information to the PMS, which is responsible for receiving the information.
• Work on becoming more open or standardized to make integration easy for PMS vendors.

3. Data Accuracy and Validation

• Implement rigorous data validation checks to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the booking information transmitted to PMS systems.
• Regularly update and refine validation rules to accommodate PMS data requirements and industry standards changes.

4. Real-Time Data Synchronization

• Establish systems for real-time or near-real-time data synchronization with PMS systems, ensuring that changes in booking status, cancellations, and modifications are immediately reflected.
• Focus on minimizing lag time in data transmission to ensure that hotels always have up-to-date information.

5. Continuous Improvement and Updates

• Continuously gather feedback from hotels and PMS vendors to understand areas for improvement in the data transmission and integration process.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and technological advancements to continuously enhance the functionality and efficiency of the distribution channels.

Conclusion

Key Takeaways

Enhanced Experience for Travel Agents

• • With accurate and timely data, travel agents can offer more reliable and efficient services, ensuring client satisfaction and building long-term relationships.
  • Correct information flow reduces the risk of booking errors and discrepancies, leading to smoother transactions and increased client trust.

Improved Management for Corporate Clients

• • Corporate clients benefit from precise data for budgeting, expense tracking, and policy adherence, making travel management more efficient and cost-effective.
  • Accurate information ensures that corporate travelers' needs are met, aligning with duty of care obligations and contributing to employee satisfaction and well-being.

Optimized Guest Experience

• • Guests enjoy a streamlined booking and check-in process, with their preferences and requirements accurately recorded and catered to, leading to a more personalized stay.
  • Correct data flow ensures that loyalty program information is accurately tracked, enhancing the benefits and rewards for frequent travelers.

Operational Efficiency for Hotels

• • Hotels can manage reservations more effectively, with reduced errors and enhanced capability to forecast and plan resources.
  • Accurate data aids in strategic decision-making, helping hotels tailor services and offerings based on reliable insights from booking trends and guest preferences.

Overall Impact