Introduction:
Info-communication technology (ICT) is the merging of telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. With the advancements in info-communication technology, people can now easily communicate with each other across the world in a matter of seconds. This do away with the need for costly overseas calls and snail mails which takes several days to reach its destination. It has also brought about a change in the business world, whereby many services incorporated Info-Communication Technologies to reach out to more customers around the world and one such example is hotel room reservation service.
Unlike in the past, hotel room reservation services are now provided via online hotel booking websites like Zuji and Agoda.
With this incorporation, both hotel operations and customers have benefited greatly. ICT has increased the efficiency of hotel room reservation services and reduced manpower needs. In the past, room reservation was done through manual recording. Thus there was a need for the records to be constantly rechecked to ensure that there were no mistakes due to human error. This was a time consuming and tedious task. With technology, it minimises human error and do away with the constant checking of records. However, it has also cause humans to be highly dependent on it. Thus we can clearly see how ICT plays an important and useful role in benefitting hotel management and the customers themselves. However, we must not fail to consider that ICT do have its downsides in these areas such as causing humans to be highly dependent on it which results in complacency in the long run.
The Evolution:
Before online hotel room reservations services were introduced, it was a chore for people to book hotel rooms that suit their requirements and budgets. Back then, booking through travel agencies was the most popular option. However, travelling long distances to travel agencies is inconvenient. Travel agencies also charged commissions causing the customers to pay much more than the quoted hotel room rates.
Alternatively, people may choose to make direct overseas calls to the hotels or search for a hotel they like upon arrival at their destination. Such options are not only costly and time consuming, due to the limited information available with regards to the hotels. But it also causes uncertainty for the travellers as they are not aware of the availability of rooms in the hotels. They may end up with no hotel room of their choice and are forced to look for other types of accommodation. Their choices of hotels were limited to those that they know of and had lived in previously. But now with the availability of online booking services, people have more information about hotels and have a wider selection and better deals to choose from. In addition, not only has it resulted in cost savings, it has also become more convenient for people as hotel room reservations can be done at anywhere and anytime as long as network access is available.
The existence of new technology has also affected the medium of business processes in hotels, where it has evolved from manual recordings of room reservations using pen and paper to electronic data entry. This has minimised the risk of human errors as well as saving time going through the records to check for mistakes. Entries can be checked easily and systematically. Besides being efficient, hotel requires less manpower to do a particular job and this goes the same for the booking process as online services require less manpower.
Advantages of Online Hotel Room Reservation Service:
Online hotel room reservation services have brought about benefits in terms of convenience and cost savings to the people.
1. Convenience:
· As mentioned above, online hotel booking provides convenience as it can be done anytime anywhere so long as network access is available. Thus making online reservation the preferred method for hotel room reservation compared to the other methods used in the past.
· Individuals are now also offered a wider variety of choices, where they can select from a huge catalogue and compare the rates across the list of hotels, picking out the best deals for their needs.
· Besides having more varieties, online booking websites like Agoda allows individuals to access images and information regarding the geographical locations of the hotels via Google Map during the process of selection. This is extremely useful in helping individuals to have a better understanding of the hotels they might be staying in and in making the right choice. Hotel reviews posted by the customers around the world can also be found on websites like complaintsboard.com in addition to the online booking websites should the individuals require additional information on the hotel.
Images of the hotel provided on zuji.com
Map of the hotel provided on zuji.com
Reviews on ComplaintsBoard
With the improved convenience, hotel room reservations can be completed easily through online bookings, at the same time, saving us the hassle of booking hotel rooms through phone calls, external agents and in person.
2. Cheap:
· Convenience brings about cost savings. In general, online hotel room reservations are usually much cheaper than booking it through travel agencies or hotel front desk, as it does not incur commissions to pay the external agents. Also, more promotions are provided to individuals online.
· Certain websites ties in with credit card companies to give credit card promotions in order to attract more customers. Some websites also have membership promotions where people can accumulate points which are exchangeable for discounts through a reward system. On top of this, individuals who wish to make reservation a day before they set off for vacation no longer need to worry about the availability of the hotel rooms as online websites do offer plenty of last minute deals.
· Sometimes, promotion deals do not just come through hotel reservations but has expanded its scope into packages where hotels tied up with local tours. E.g. Cheap flight tickets plus hotel reservations, land tours and many more.
2. Cheap:
· Convenience brings about cost savings. In general, online hotel room reservations are usually much cheaper than booking it through travel agencies or hotel front desk, as it does not incur commissions to pay the external agents. Also, more promotions are provided to individuals online.
· Certain websites ties in with credit card companies to give credit card promotions in order to attract more customers. Some websites also have membership promotions where people can accumulate points which are exchangeable for discounts through a reward system. On top of this, individuals who wish to make reservation a day before they set off for vacation no longer need to worry about the availability of the hotel rooms as online websites do offer plenty of last minute deals.
· Sometimes, promotion deals do not just come through hotel reservations but has expanded its scope into packages where hotels tied up with local tours. E.g. Cheap flight tickets plus hotel reservations, land tours and many more.
One stop services on zuji.com
Such one stop services provided by the websites are extremely beneficial for individuals who wish to save time or have a budget in mind as they can book all the essential stuff needed for their vacation through one website.
- Internet booking poses the danger of being conned. It happens when we reserve a room in a certain unscrupulous hotel which promises great deals. Initially, they promised these great deals and in the end, they charge a huge amount to our credit cards. This can be solved by using trusted transaction broker websites to do hotel room reservations. With technology so advanced, we can easily do a background check on the websites and see if there have been any bad reviews for that website we are using.
- Another danger of internet is identity theft. Some websites required you to pay a deposit with your credit card and this information might be stolen or misused via hotel transactions. This can be solved by using websites which provides security and privacy policy such as Zuji.com and Agoda.com. Hotels.com provides secure booking through the use of SSL encryption technology to ensure your bookings are safe and secure. Alternatively, you can do hotel room reservation through websites that does not require booking fees and payment is only required at the hotel. This will eliminate the risk of identity theft as no information is required. Accomline.com and Asiarooms.com provide such services.
- With technology, there is the risk of a system failure. This will cause the reservations to be inaccurate. In the case of Agoda.com, there were a few complaints about the customers having the wrong type of room and wrong dates of booking. This will lead to chaos and unhappiness. Though it’s the systems fault, it will reflect badly on both the hotel and transaction broker used by the customer. I suggest that transaction brokers and hotels constantly update and improve their system to reduce the risk of a system failure. In addition, most transaction brokers provide instant confirmation of the reservation. This reduces the risk of errors with the transaction.
- In this fast paced world we live in, many things are unpredictable. The holiday trip that we booked months ago has to be cancelled due to last minute work or urgent matters. In such a situation, we will have to cancel our booking. However, some websites do not allow amendments of dates and customers are still charged despite cancellation. This results in unnecessary loss of money by the customers. An example is Agoda.com where customers were not refunded and still had to pay the full price. This resulted in unhappiness among the customers and many have written complaints about this online. What customers can do in the future is to book with transaction brokers that promises no booking, cancellation and modification fees. This will enable changes to be made at no cost and will also prevent customers from writing bad reviews about that website.
- Reviews are very perspective. Hence it will be inaccurate to follow them especially when there is only a few of them. The more reviews there are, the higher the accuracy of the image portrayed by the reviews. This will bring about a more accurate and trustworthy impression to follow. Currently, most reviews are presented page by page for the hotels. They are sometimes biased and outdated. Some are not helpful to our decision making in terms of the best hotel to stay in for that country. I suggest that the website host a community like asiarooms.com where people from all around the world can come together and talk about their experiences to places, share personal tips and recommend places to visit and stay to fellow travelers. In this way, a customer has a broad view instead of a narrow one about the places.
How ICT change operations of hotel operations?
ICT has changed hotel operations from an individual department system to an interlinked system. It has helped in the internal management in the hotel by interlinking the different departments together and providing communication and collaboration between the different departments. For example, when a customer checks out, the administration department will immediately inform the housekeeping department on that floor to clean the room. The logistics department will also be informed to replenish the stocks in the housekeeping department. Should there be an incomplete inventory, they can also refill it. The maintenance department is also informed so that they ensure that everything in the room is working fine. Each department supports each other creating a smooth flow of operation to prepare the room for the next customer and to ensure that the room is in tip top condition.
The external management between hotels and customers is also affected by ICT. There is a smoother system from the check in to the check out. Check in timings has been pushed forward and check out timing has been pushed back in order to satisfy the customers. This is possible due to the more efficient housekeeping procedures and communication. It has also resulted in shorter waiting time for housekeeping services and room services. The accessibility to services has also been made easier and faster through better communication network.
This has resulted in increased efficiency and productivity. Communications between departments and customers have improved. This will lead to customer satisfaction and good reviews following it.
With ICT, hotels are able to communicate and work together with travel agencies and online booking websites much better. It is a common sight to see collaborations between them in promoting discounts and promotions to attract more customers. It becomes a win-win situation.
Conclusion:
Comparing between the past and present methods of hotel room reservations, we can see clearly the large extent of efficiency and availability of ICT. I would definitely prefer the current methods more due to the convenience and cost savings I can enjoy as a consumer. Although we can end up being highly dependent on ICT we need to bear in mind that there can be major faults such as system breakdown. However they can be solved by routine system maintenance. The hotels and websites need to update their system frequently to ensure they are using the latest technology available. Together with the continuous expansion of their system, this would ensure that they are providing the best service for their customers.
In conclusion, I wish for the transaction brokers to aim for a complete one stop service website. This is because currently each websites has its own special features for the customers. However they do lack in others which other website provides. So I hope that in the future, all the pros about each website to be combined into a single webpage. In addition, the images provided by hotels should be improved and websites can also allow customers to upload their photos of the hotels. This would show how the hotels ‘really look’ like and give a more accurate impression.
