Travel Outlook Innovative Custom Voice Solution Provides Seamless Guest Service and Increased Hotel Revenue at a Completely Variable Cost
Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) June 28, 2010 -- The ease, speed and convenience of technology and online booking has revolutionized the travel industry and the primary means by which consumers access their accommodations and travel information. But as trends invariably cycle, consumers are now doing a majority of their research and product selection online, then purchasing directly with lodging properties through a good old-fashioned phone call. These critical customer calls can be difficult for overworked front desk staff to capitalize on, and often the hotel's rate is not optimized and fewer reservations are actually closed. In response to this nationwide trend and the challenges that properties face to address it, Travel Outlook (http://www.traveloutlook.com), an innovative voice reservations service, offers a timely, valuable, and cost effective tool for properties to adapt to and profit from this emerging consumer trend.
Travel Outlook is a local, customized voice reservation service that can serve either as a primary--or overflow-- reservation team for hotels. Highly trained sales representatives with hotel experience are recruited from the local market, and work from home offices rather than a centralized off site call center. They have a proven and impressive conversion rate of 70-80% and they consistently achieve a higher average daily rate (ADR). The Travel Outlook reservationist books directly into a hotel's Property Management System (PMS), using the same user interface as the hotel's in-house reservations staff. This ensures use of the most current rates and availability, and flexibility to move, change and cancel reservations. The hotel then pays a 7-10% commission for 'consumed' rooms only. In other words, commission is paid only on booked business after guest checkout. Commission is not paid on cancellations, nor is there a charge for consumers who just call seeking information.
"Hotels soon discover there is no downside to utilizing the Travel Outlook (http://www.traveloutlook.com) voice reservations solution," says John Smallwood, Travel Outlook CEO. "The call service helps a property to immediately reduce payroll, increase yield, and ensure a seamless, quality customer service experience." With Travel Outlook, a reservations department becomes almost limitless in size, and a completely variable expense. He points out that quality service and informative staff are two of the primary elements consumers look for as they research lodging on TripAdvisor.com, arguably today's major influencer for travel purchasing decisions.
The Travel Outlook team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Many properties use it as an overflow service to address high call volume and to ensure that the phone is answered by the third ring, and it is also widely utilized for night and weekend calls. Several properties that began by using Travel Outlook in this partial capacity, however, have been so pleased with its performance that they have chosen to use it exclusively for all incoming customer calls. "Travel Outlook has helped increase our ADR and our occupancy due to their incredible salespeople, and all our call volume has been outsourced to them for a year now. They are doing a splendid job for us," says Anne Bradford, General Manager of the Plaza Hotel and Event Center (http://www.plazahotel-nm.com) in Las Vegas, NM. "The Travel Outlook reservationists do a much better job with sales than our multi-tasking front desk staff was able to do, since it is their exclusive focus."
Before a sales representation relationship begins, the Travel Outlook team visits the hotel and learns about the property to reflect the brand message and property details and amenities. Hotels receive free standard installation of the service (with minor conditions), and a guarantee that the Travel Outlook team will meet or exceed the ADR of the in-house reservations team. Travel Outlook's current client list includes the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, WA, Hotel Nexus (http://www.hotelnexusseattle.com) in Seattle, Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque and the Old Santa Fe Inn in New Mexico, among many others. A comprehensive list of references is available.
John Smallwood
Travel Outlook
505-470-3241
john (at) traveloutlook (dot) com
About Travel Outlook®
Travel Outlook® was established in 2000 and is an exclusive, tailored voice reservation service that serves as an overflow or primary reservations department for hotels. With a conversion rate of 70-80%, Travel Outlook adds significant revenue to the top line of a hotel by closing more sales at a higher average daily rate, and is paid only on consumed rooms. Travel Outlook® seamlessly interfaces with a hotel's operation, fielding reservation calls as if the service were in-house, or an extension of hotel staff. John Smallwood, a thirty-year veteran of the hospitality industry, is CEO of Travel Outlook®, with offices in Santa Fe and Seattle.
###
Comment on "Travel Outlook Innovative Custom Voice Solution Provides Seamless Guest Service and Increased Hotel Revenue at a Completely Variable Cost"
