How Information and Communication Technology changed Hotel Room Reservation Service
What is Information and Communication Technology?
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually called ICT, is often used as a synonym for information technology (IT) but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of communications (telephone lines and wireless signals) in modern information technology. ICT consists of all technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including computer and network hardware as well as necessary software. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telephony, broadcast media, and all types of audio and video processing and transmission
The term ICT is now also used to refer to the merging (convergence) of telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer network system. See VOIP. This in turn has spurred the growth of organizations with the term ICT in their names to indicate their specialization in the process of merging the two network systems.
The business of online hotel reservation services can be a good example of what are the changes ICT has and can bring about in the present and near future.
Past Hotel Reservations
In the past, to make a hotel reservation or book a trip, a customer has to physically go down to the actual agency to make his/her booking. Alternatively, the customer could opt to call in the travel agency and the actual hotel itself to make his/her reservations.
But this is without its troubles. There could be long waiting times on the phone, inadequately trained customer service phone operators and it maybe cumbersome and slow for both the customer and the agent as multiple callbacks may be needed for the transaction and bookings to be finally confirmed and paid.
In addition, the hotels or travel agencies would have to spend more money to train and hire more phone operators to cope and keep up with the call volumes. This will mean extra cost for the company and higher prices for the customers.
Last but not least, comparison of the prices between the various hotels and travel agencies would be extremely inconvenient for the customers as they would either have to end up making calls all day long just to compare the prices or they would have to travel all over the place visiting different travel agencies to check and compare prices. Most customers may just end up settling for the first agent they meet to just save time, which will be very unfair for the customers as it may not be the best option for them.
But the good thing about past hotel reservation services is that since the customer has to actually go down to the store to make a booking, if there was anything wrong with lets say, the flight details, the customer can always go back to the store and demand explanation.
Present Hotel Reservations
Nowadays, Online Hotel Reservations are one of the most popular forms of securing one’s favorite hotel room, followed by the not so popular Telephone Enquiry.
It is popular because basically every tourist is able to access the internet now almost everywhere. Able to make instant bookings, change bookings or even cancel their bookings!
In addition the online reservations, online payments for the reservations are also made much more secure and hassle-free. This makes online reservations so much more popular as the customers can now access and make payments knowing their personal and financial information would be safely managed by the respective agents. Customers can even choose to make their reservations first and pay when they reach the hotel, through the availability of ICT.
The best thing of all, customers are now able to make comparisons between different travel agencies or hotels with ease at the click of a mouse with the accessibility of the internet. Hotel room availabilities are also available to the customers in getting the room that they wish for.
With applications like Google Maps, Hotel and Travel agency’s photo galleries, customers can now view the hotel room and the surroundings of the hotel from the comfort of their home!
Plentyrooms.com
Through our research we found this website that is in actual fact a one-stop station for the customer. Basically the customer is able to secure flights, hotel, transfer, car rentals and even travel insurance all at just this one website! This is the efficiency and convenient part about ICT.
The Customer is able to choose from a wide variety of countries depending on where they want to go.
For example the customer wants to go Bangkok, there many hotels to choose from the customer can just key in the dates and the number to people going for the trip and the website will come up with the best combination for the customer.
Last but not least, once the payment is made the customer would be given a booking reference number and an confirmation email will be sent to the customer’s email address(if given) for the customer’s reference.
The website is registered with ISO and that helps to boost the customer’s confidence of making their bookings through this website.
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-The cruise booking enquiries have to be through emails and phone calls, the prices are not readily available on the website.
-Users can send in their own reviews however they may give biased views.
-One user can keep sending in negative reviews using different identities, resulting in Flaming.
-Virtual tours are not provided. The photos that are available on the website are small and unable to enlarge.
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-Insurance company of choice is reliable - Holidayguard Travel Insurance certificates are arranged by Status Insurance Management Limited on behalf of Ketteridge Group Ltd., a company authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority - UK (FSA).
-There’s also a Search Hotels box that simplifies the search. Making it fast and convenient for the customer.
-The Customer even has the option of booking the room first and paying only when they physically arrive at the hotel.
-There are many list of options for the customer to choose from for the room options. Like whether they want it to be a smoking or non-smoking room, whether a baby cot is needed, Joining / Connecting Room.
-The website is registered with ISO and that helps to boost the customer’s confidence of making their bookings through this website.
-The website gives discounts for air tickets, travel insurance and car rentals. There are cheap flights operated by more than 400 international and regional airlines.
-Rewards/Loyalty Programme
1 point for every US $1 spent through the site. The points can be redeemed for hotel rooms, F&B vouchers, sight-seeing coupons and others.
-Customers can send in their reviews, allowing others to make well-informed decisions.
Conclusion
ICT has definitely in more ways than one improved the capability and services of Hotel Room Reservations these days. It is fast, convenient, cheaper and last but not least secure for both the
company and the customer.
