CENTRAL RESERVATIONS TEAM AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT

HOW IMPACTFUL IS A CALL CENTER IN THE MODERN AGE?

In 2020, the average conversion rate in the hospitality industry for online bookings was only 2.2%. This means that for the average hotelier in our industry, out of 100 people who go to a website to book a reservation, only around 2 of those people actually complete the process and book. Our call center has conversion rates as high as 36% for some properties. Also, in 2021, they answered more than 130,000 calls and booked more than $6.5 million in business.

The Guest Services Central Reservations team is led by Jennifer Miller, Director of Revenue Management, and we sat down with her to learn more about this extremely powerful tool.

What is the Central Reservations Team?

“Central Reservations is essentially a call center for 24 different locations. We answer calls, take reservations, provide customer support, and answer general questions for a variety of different things like guest rooms, kayak rentals, and boat tours,” says Miller.

The 17-person remote team utilizes an assortment of web-based tools like Track, where web chats and phone calls come through; Webrez Pro for lodging; FareHarbor for recreation; and OpenTable for dining.

“We opened in April of 2018. We wanted to drive revenue, but just as importantly, we wanted to make sure that we were capturing all the phone calls that were coming into the units. We also wanted to take pressure off the onsite team members so they can be available for guests,” says Miller.

Having an internal agency like this isn’t just about increasing conversion rate and driving revenue; it’s also about strengthening the customer experience and supporting onsite staff. This resource is paramount in reducing the strain on the onsite team members, who used to be the ones to field the incoming calls. The property staff can now focus on operations and maintaining business priorities.

What’s on the horizon for the Central Reservations Team this upcoming year?

“The most important thing to know is that instead of being two separate units within the company, we will become one in 2023,” says Miller. This is a significant shift as it creates opportunities to become more efficient.

“We’re working toward cross-training our team, optimizing our scheduling, and creating a more granular process to account for seasonality and call volume fluctuations. Our team members will be more prepared and better equipped to help the properties they work for.”

Tying together our outdoor destinations and experiences, Guest Services has created Adventures Unbound, an initiative that embodies our “legendary hospitality” mission for today’s outdoor enthusiasts and enables our guests to discover the wonders of nature, and rediscover themselves, by connecting them with special places and people.