Internet booking discount - do you offer one and are you happy with the results?

[scrambled_eggs]

I did this last year under the influence of JBJ's love of the 'book online and save' discount idea. I DID get a lot of bookings online, but I still got way more offline. So, I ended up discounting mostly prime season rates to save myself 5 minutes on the phone in March, when I'm not doing anything anyway.
My take? It wasn't worth it in the long run.
However, that means nothing. Because I don't know if those guests booked specifically for the discount and that they would not have booked without it. Or if they just would have called to book.
I STILL do not get more than 40% online bookings. And last year when I had the discount it didn't go up any..

When we took over in 2006 the PO's did not have online availability or reservations...so once we put Webervations on our website the online bookings obviously jumped. I'd say we're about 50/50 over the past three years, but these past 4 months in particular it's been a LOT of phone reservations...and we've each made one mistake where we took the phone reservation but never put it in the book...so guests showed up and had no room...FUN!
SO...we are revamping our system to try to get rid of the book all together which will cut down on mishaps, but I think using this kind of discount will prompt more people to book online which also saves on mistakes. I think we are going to build more into the new rates then we would have, knowing we will discount them (this would hopefully save me from discounting prime season rates in March, as you pointed out).
I'm finding as well that repeat guests (who make up at least 40% of our business) are all tending to book online...they are comfortable with the Inn and know exactly what they are getting and they are constantly on our site, checking out the blog, and looking for availability...so this gives me a way to reward them as well.
I'm glad for the feedback from everyone, we really need to mull this over and luckily we have some time to do that.
.

I would reward repeats better than off the street guests...
You have absolutely no ongoing outlay of cash for advertising to get repeats. So, cut them more slack than the average online booker. And tell them that when you see them, or in an email. 'I saw you booked online, but you get a better discount for being a repeat. Thanks for your continued business.'
Funny thing with my repeats is that the book all over the place. Some via the web, some in an email, some have us on speed dial and others just show up at the door. I would say that 75% have never seen the website. They have the phone number, that's all they need. Plus, once they figure out it is faster to call me than to do all that typing, they call!
I have to ask, if you are using a guest mgmt system, how can you not know someone has booked? Don't you enter the phone call bookings immediately into Weber? As in, while you are on the phone with the guest?
.

Good question! As of now we have no guest management software. We use Webervations, and then we have our dinosaur of a book that all the booking info gets written into, then the actual room schedule book that you have to write the guests' names onto. So what happens is this...we take a phone reservation and never write the guests' names on the room schedule page and never gets "blocked" out in Webervations...then someone makes a Webervations for the same date and room and it does get written in...double booking.
It's happened about 4 times in 3 years...unfortunately the last two were only a week apart. You don't even want to know the system we inherited...absolutely nothing was computerized. And now we are so much busier that we don't have spare rooms when a mistake happens.
So we definitely need to streamline this process but are not sure what the best system will be. RezOvation and SuperInn all seem exorbitantly expensive so we've been hesitant to go there. We just upgraded all computers to Macs and they have their own database system that we are playing with to see if we can make it work.
Again, any and all suggestions and tips are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for you all your input.
.

So we definitely need to streamline this process but are not sure what the best system will be. RezOvation and SuperInn all seem exorbitantly expensive so we've been hesitant to go there. We just upgraded all computers to Macs and they have their own database system that we are playing with to see if we can make it work.
Again, any and all suggestions and tips are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for you all your input.

I ended up with Superinn for now. I am on a Mac too. I had a really hard time finding a computer program that would work on a MAC other than Booking Center which seemed like a joke to me. Before Superinn I was using pre printed note cards and a calender to take reservations. I did this for two years and was very thorough and never had an overbooking but it was a lot of work. If you choose Superinn you will then be taking all phone reservations through that system and also receiving online reservations through it so you basically just work out of one system for everything. By taking every walk in and phone reservation through Superinn you will never overbook. The only thing it won't do is process the credit cards so you will have to enter those into a terminal. I would love to try Rezovation but the only problem with that system is they don't work on a Macintosh so I would have to go an buy another computer just to run it. Rezovation sounds great other than that one problem of it not working on a Mac. I wish the Rezovation computer would make a Mac version.

 

[swirt]

I did this last year under the influence of JBJ's love of the 'book online and save' discount idea. I DID get a lot of bookings online, but I still got way more offline. So, I ended up discounting mostly prime season rates to save myself 5 minutes on the phone in March, when I'm not doing anything anyway.
My take? It wasn't worth it in the long run.
However, that means nothing. Because I don't know if those guests booked specifically for the discount and that they would not have booked without it. Or if they just would have called to book.
I STILL do not get more than 40% online bookings. And last year when I had the discount it didn't go up any..

When we took over in 2006 the PO's did not have online availability or reservations...so once we put Webervations on our website the online bookings obviously jumped. I'd say we're about 50/50 over the past three years, but these past 4 months in particular it's been a LOT of phone reservations...and we've each made one mistake where we took the phone reservation but never put it in the book...so guests showed up and had no room...FUN!
SO...we are revamping our system to try to get rid of the book all together which will cut down on mishaps, but I think using this kind of discount will prompt more people to book online which also saves on mistakes. I think we are going to build more into the new rates then we would have, knowing we will discount them (this would hopefully save me from discounting prime season rates in March, as you pointed out).
I'm finding as well that repeat guests (who make up at least 40% of our business) are all tending to book online...they are comfortable with the Inn and know exactly what they are getting and they are constantly on our site, checking out the blog, and looking for availability...so this gives me a way to reward them as well.
I'm glad for the feedback from everyone, we really need to mull this over and luckily we have some time to do that.
.

I would reward repeats better than off the street guests...
You have absolutely no ongoing outlay of cash for advertising to get repeats. So, cut them more slack than the average online booker. And tell them that when you see them, or in an email. 'I saw you booked online, but you get a better discount for being a repeat. Thanks for your continued business.'
Funny thing with my repeats is that the book all over the place. Some via the web, some in an email, some have us on speed dial and others just show up at the door. I would say that 75% have never seen the website. They have the phone number, that's all they need. Plus, once they figure out it is faster to call me than to do all that typing, they call!
I have to ask, if you are using a guest mgmt system, how can you not know someone has booked? Don't you enter the phone call bookings immediately into Weber? As in, while you are on the phone with the guest?
.

Good question! As of now we have no guest management software. We use Webervations, and then we have our dinosaur of a book that all the booking info gets written into, then the actual room schedule book that you have to write the guests' names onto. So what happens is this...we take a phone reservation and never write the guests' names on the room schedule page and never gets "blocked" out in Webervations...then someone makes a Webervations for the same date and room and it does get written in...double booking.
It's happened about 4 times in 3 years...unfortunately the last two were only a week apart. You don't even want to know the system we inherited...absolutely nothing was computerized. And now we are so much busier that we don't have spare rooms when a mistake happens.
So we definitely need to streamline this process but are not sure what the best system will be. RezOvation and SuperInn all seem exorbitantly expensive so we've been hesitant to go there. We just upgraded all computers to Macs and they have their own database system that we are playing with to see if we can make it work.
Again, any and all suggestions and tips are welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for you all your input.
.

So we definitely need to streamline this process but are not sure what the best system will be. RezOvation and SuperInn all seem exorbitantly expensive so we've been hesitant to go there.
I look at it in terms of time. The yearly cost for allowing guests to book in real time and the ability for me to run reports for taxes is worth it. Then add in the time savings of not keeping multiple pieces of info in different systems and it is all good.
If you use a Mac, SuperInn would be a good choice since it is all internet based.
Though for the Mac there are probably two options for using Rezovation
1) When I was in education and used macs we had a program called Virtual PC that ran windows as a program on the mac. I'm not sure if it or a replacement is available. (John may be able to chime in here and say whether this would work or not)
2) Buy an inexpensive (<$400) PC put it on your network and then use either a VNC client or logmeinFree to access the PC from your Mac and then put Rezovation on the PC. (this would definitely work)

 

[gillumhouse]

I raise my rates a few dollars every year or two. I give repeat guests last year's price as a reward for being repeat - that way they are always paying less and a few choice special people are a couple years behind in rate hikes. I do not believe in discounts. I have posted on my web site special rates for military, cops, and firemen - if you qualify ask.
Little increases are not noticed as much as the whoppers because the rates did not change in 10 years. Everyone understands small increases - and only your repeats are going to notice the increase because the new guests do not know what the rates WERE..

Little increases are not noticed as much as the whoppers because the rates did not change in 10 years. Everyone understands small increases - and only your repeats are going to notice the increase because the new guests do not know what the rates WERE.

Unless your repeats are several years between visits...I had these 2 couples that visited here 2-3 times in our early days. Then did not hear back from them until '06 (4-5 years later) when they called to book for an upcoming weekend.. "Wow your rates are WHAT? You use to be much less. I will call you back after I talk to Joe." Never heard from them again... Now my rates had inched up (as well as the amenities etc) in this time...So for them it did not matter all they saw was a big price difference. Don't tell me they had not experienced inflation..
.

Unless your repeats are several years between visits...
I am certain you put it as reasonably as possible. I had people last year wo had been here 3 times while we were 3 with shared and called from the road (in town) to ask about availability for a 4 th stay. The new private bath and several increases had taken place in the meantime and the rate had gone up probably as much as $40 to $50 (do not remember their last rate) but fortunately they did not bat an eye.
If I do have repeats who give the "Wow! How much?" I think (if they are please come folks) will tell them the rate now is____ but because you are return guests, our return guest rate is ______ and cut it by $10 or $15 (depending on what the rate was & is). That way it is not a discount, just a price difference to say thanks for coming back.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I never explain rates to anyone. It is what it is, bookonline get a discount, that's all folks.

 

[SandySoule]

Sandy again. Just wanted to mention that the new online version of Rezo, Rezovation GTO, is perfect for Mac users, since it's online, not on your computer. In terms of costs, don't assume that any of the different software programs (both ours as well as our competitors are too expensive until you've checked out the details in terms of pricing, guarantees, trials offers, etc.
Thanks, Sandy

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Sandy again. Just wanted to mention that the new online version of Rezo, Rezovation GTO, is perfect for Mac users, since it's online, not on your computer. In terms of costs, don't assume that any of the different software programs (both ours as well as our competitors are too expensive until you've checked out the details in terms of pricing, guarantees, trials offers, etc.
Thanks, Sandy.

Thanks Sandy I didn't know Rezovation worked on a Mac but looked on your website and saw there is an online version. This is great. The only problem is for 4 rooms it is $50 a month instead of $40 a month which I pay through Superinn but I am sure Rezovation GTO has more features than Superinn.

 

[swirt]

Sandy again. Just wanted to mention that the new online version of Rezo, Rezovation GTO, is perfect for Mac users, since it's online, not on your computer. In terms of costs, don't assume that any of the different software programs (both ours as well as our competitors are too expensive until you've checked out the details in terms of pricing, guarantees, trials offers, etc.
Thanks, Sandy.

Thanks Sandy I didn't know Rezovation worked on a Mac but looked on your website and saw there is an online version. This is great. The only problem is for 4 rooms it is $50 a month instead of $40 a month which I pay through Superinn but I am sure Rezovation GTO has more features than Superinn.
.

Integrated cc processing is worth the extra $10 a month.

 

[Samster]

Yes, I offer the online booking discount. People appreciate it & if they're on the website and going to book anyway it saves me from being interrupted, taking the call, getting to my laptop, entering everything, etc. Like JBJ says, everyone likes to save a little dinero People will reply and thank me for the discount because I also point it out in the confirmation email. "I've applied your $10/night Internet booking discount. Thank you for using our online secure reservation system!"
OK...you do need a "BOOK NOW" button on every page and it needs to be easy to find, see, and click! It is not good enough to just say "Check Availability" imvvho. I have a "Book Now" button & below is a "Contact Us" link to go to email. Near the top of page has an inn logo with the name & phone number if they want to call & all the info is at the bottom too. Left side of the page navigation says "Check Availability/Make a Reservation", and the bottom of the page has a link to Availability. You have to spoon feed it to folks....
Raise your rates a little now & see what happens.

 

[viviaan]

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