As a front desk manager, you juggle multiple tasks daily, from ensuring smooth check-ins and outs to handling billing accuracy and staff training. One of the biggest challenges is efficiently managing reservations and rate plans without errors, especially during peak or high staff turnover times.
This article shows how Clock's rate and availability screen and Favorite Rates feature can help you overcome these challenges. You'll learn how these tools simplify booking processes, reduce errors, and ensure your team always offers the correct rates, boosting guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Rate and availability screen
Centralised booking information
The rate and availability screen is one of the most used in the system. It contains everything front desk staff or reservation agents need to assist with phone inquiries and bookings.
Nobody wants to hang around on hold or in awkward silence while the agent navigates a clunky system…
That’s why the goal of the rate and availability screen is to provide the right information as quickly and easily as possible while serving as the best place to create new bookings.
Handling guest inquiries
The phone rings. It’s an inquiry from Lisa, who wishes to stay for three nights. She and her husband arrive on the seventh with one child, age four.
You fill in the information. In setting up Clock, you’ve restricted the suitable number of guests for each room and see the best room options.
Here, you see the different rate plans. In this case, since it’s a direct booking over the phone, you choose the direct rate and check availability.
The system shows you the number of rooms available for your selected time and room types – and the total price for the three nights.
If the guest asks for the price per night, click and see the daily specific prices, including an average price calculation for each night.
The rates and availability screen is your one-stop shop for all your needed information.
Detailed room and rate descriptions
Clicking on each room unveils internal descriptions for rates and room types hidden from guests.
For example, Lisa asks about your double room. The front desk staff can quickly inform the guest about the size of the room and whether there’s a bathtub, coffee machine, or other room features.
In hospitality, notorious for high staff turnover rates, these descriptions are excellent guides for new staff to sell more rooms.
If Lisa asks what your rates include, you can inform her that the room includes breakfast with 15% VAT and €1 per person per night for tourism and city taxes.
You can also include a detailed explanation of your guarantee and cancellation policy for an easy way to explain the specifics. Your front desk will always know if the guest needs to prepay, the cancellation policy if they do, and how close to arrival they can cancel free of charge. Clock tells you everything you need to know and makes complex policies simple.
Include all the information the front desk agent needs to react quickly to guest inquiries over the phone and by walk-ins.
Streamlined booking process
Lisa is happy and wants to book. Click the book button, and Clock picks up all the information from the rate and availability screen, including:
- Room type
- Number of adults
- Number of children
- Ages
- Respective rates
- Meals included
- Guarantee policy
Booking is easy when the availability search picks up your choices and adds them to the finalised booking screen.
This process gives little margin for error – and the agent doesn’t have to go through huge rate lists.
All that’s left is the contact information and creating the booking.
Favourite rates feature
Simplifying rate selection
Imagine the middle of the night, and the front desk phone rings. A guest is inquiring about a room, and the reservation team has already gone home.
The front desk agent, juggling multiple tasks, now needs to handle the booking. This is where the Favorite Rates feature becomes invaluable.
The Favorite Rates feature helps streamline the booking process for front desk staff by ensuring they always offer the correct rates. Let’s explore how it works and why it’s beneficial.
Using pre-selected rates
After setting up your favourite rates, the front desk agent will only see the rates they should use. For instance, when handling a direct booking, the agent doesn't have to worry about accidentally offering a corporate rate. The system shows only the appropriate rates, minimising errors.
Automatic rate selection
Clock remembers your rate preferences. When the agent checks availability, the system automatically searches using the Favorite Rates so the agent doesn’t manually have to select the rate plans, which speeds up the sales process and reduces the risk of offering incorrect rates.
Visual cues for rate restrictions
Favourite Rates also provides visual cues to help agents understand rate restrictions at a glance. For example:
- Red book button: The rate is available and meets all criteria.
- White book button: The rate does not meet the criteria, and the agent can’t offer it.
For example, a rate might require a minimum stay of seven nights or apply only to a specific number of guests. The front desk agent can quickly determine viable rates with these visual indicators to further streamline the booking process.
Nightime booking example
Let’s go back to our nighttime scenario. A guest calls wanting to book a room. The front desk agent quickly checks availability. Thanks to the Favourite Rates feature, the system filters out all irrelevant rate plans, showing only the suitable options. This accuracy makes the agent quicker and ensures the guest always receives the correct pricing.
The reservation team, who are well-versed in all rate plans, don’t use Favorite Rates. They have the expertise to select the appropriate rates for any situation. However, for front desk staff, especially during off-hours, Favorite Rates simplifies decision-making and ensures accuracy.
Summary
Clock's rate and availability screen and Favorite Rates feature address key challenges front desk managers face, such as managing busy check-in times and ensuring accurate billing. By streamlining the booking process and limiting rate options, these tools help your team quickly and accurately handle guest inquiries and reservations – reducing stress, minimising errors, and ensuring consistent guest service.
With Clock, your front desk staff can efficiently manage bookings and provide guests a seamless experience. Discover how Clock can simplify your daily operations and boost your front-desk team's performance.
