Top Tips for Taking Reservations at the Front Desk

Today’s travelers prefer digital booking channels, with 80 percent saying it’s important to complete their reservations entirely online. However, that still leaves one in five guests who choose—or need—to book through offline methods. For these guests, the front desk booking experience plays a critical role in shaping their impression of your property.

Even those who would otherwise book digitally may have a question not covered on your website, so your team should be ready with an answer and a smile. Here’s how to ensure your front desk booking process is efficient, consistent, and stress free for both guests and staff.

Walk-in Reservations

When a guest approaches the front desk for a walk-in reservation, a knowledgeable, welcoming team sets the tone for a positive experience. Front desk staff should be versed in policies, rates, amenities, recommendations, and upsells, allowing them to confidently share relevant information and guide the conversation.

Effective upselling is rooted in the guest’s individual needs. By actively listening and asking thoughtful questions, staff can present helpful, personalized options. A simple query like “Is there something special you’re looking for?” makes all the difference.

Avoid aggressive sales tactics. Guests should never feel pressured, as even a single negative interaction impacts their perception of your property and their likelihood of returning. Eighty percent of consumers have stopped purchasing with a brand due to poor customer service.

Your property management system (PMS) does the heavy lifting. WebRezPro’s interactive tape chart displays real-time availability and drag-and-drop functionality makes any necessary adjustments a breeze. Automatically creating guest profiles whenever a reservation for a new guest is entered, your PMS also helps you identify repeat customers and capture details that equip you to personalize the stay.

An efficient check-in indicates your professionalism from the moment a walk-in arrives in your lobby. A long line is always a disappointment to weary travelers—not the note you want to begin on. Reduce the wait with self check-in and digital options. When tech-savvy guests can check themselves in, your team is freed to offer high-touch service where it matters most. Untether staff from the front desk with mobile tablets and empower them to check guests in while escorting them directly to their suite.

Phone Reservations

Just like a walk-in reservation, a successful phone booking depends on gracious staff. But without the benefit of visual cues or body language, front desk teams must rely even more on active listening. This means focusing on the guest’s words and tone—rather than anticipating the next response—so that nothing is missed. Paraphrasing the guest’s request or question to confirm understanding is a valuable technique in a busy or noisy lobby. 

Likewise, guests cannot read your body language, so your tone of voice is critical as well. Greet guests the way you’d wish to be greeted! 

If a guest hesitates to book, take a moment to hear their reasoning. You may be able to offer thoughtful alternatives to their initial specifications, for example, recommending a nearby beach if your property doesn’t have a pool. Mentioning your flexible cancellation policy is another way to reassure guests. 

Using WebRezPro’s tentative reservations feature, you can record a guest’s booking details without actually reserving inventory so that you don’t have to ask for their information again when they call back to confirm. 

If the guest ultimately declines to reserve or give details, respect their choice and move on. A gracious approach builds trust and leaves a good impression, regardless of their decision. 

Your phone number should be prominently displayed on your website’s contact page, as well as in the header or footer, to ensure it’s easy to find. While email, chatbots, and contact forms are effective for handling routine inquiries, a phone line remains essential for addressing complex or time-sensitive concerns.

Email Reservations

That said, not every guest requires verbal interaction. Email is often the most efficient option for both guests and staff, enabling quick resolution and allowing everyone to move on with their day.

Timely responses are vital to this channel’s effectiveness. Companies who contact email leads within an hour are seven times likelier to qualify those leads. WebRezPro supports fast communication through automated, trigger-based email templates. For example, when a guest modifies an existing reservation online, the system can instantly send a reply confirming the change.

Every email should reflect your brand and provide a complete answer to the guest’s inquiry. Helpful alternatives should be provided if a guest’s first choice is unavailable. Suggest relevant upsells when appropriate, along with pricing. If a guest has not replied within 48 hours, and further action is needed, feel free to send them a gentle nudge to secure the booking. To increase the likelihood of response, clearly outline the next steps. 

Always Send Booking Confirmations

Regardless of the method booked, guests should always receive a reservation confirmation. This not only reassures them that the reservation was successful, it also provides a written record should any questions or disputes arise. Booking confirmations should include the following information:

• Confirmation number
• Guest name
• Number of guests on the booking
• Property name
• Reservation dates
• Room type booked
• Rate type booked
• Cost of the booking and payment information
• Check-in/out times
• Deposit and cancellation policies

Additionally, confirmations provide a valuable opportunity to highlight relevant upsells. In 2024, they generated an average of $90 in upsell revenue per booking. 

The easiest way to send a booking confirmation is using your property management system’s (PMS) automated email templates, so be sure to collect the guest’s email when they book even if they did not initially contact you that way. 

WebRezPro’s New Booking report ensures no reservation falls through the cracks by showing all bookings that have not yet been confirmed—and allowing email confirmations to be sent directly from the report. 

Use an Automated, Guest-centric PMS

A modern PMS is crucial to support and streamline the booking process however a reservation is made. When your PMS is fully integrated with your direct booking engine and OTAs, guest data, rates, and availability remain aligned across channels, reducing overbookings and other errors.

Look for a PMS that streamlines front desk processes to save staff time and empower them to deliver seamless service. This means:

• Real-time visibility: A unified dashboard that shows room status at a glance, ensuring you never accidentally check a walk-in into an unclean room. 
• Streamlined availability searches: Complete with powerful filters for location, capacity, beds, and amenities that equip staff to quickly find the guest’s perfect room match.
• Guest profiles: For recognizing repeat guests, auto-filling contact details, and building and surfacing reservation history to make them feel like a VIP.
• Customizable data fields: Collect the specific details that matter to your property (like pillow types or favorite beverage) to personalize the stay.
• Easy upsells: Add relevant extras to reservations during the booking process.
• Integrated payments: Fully embedded payment processing that handles deposits and final bills securely and seamlessly.
• Tentative and waitlist reservations: Capture “maybe” guests and leads, preventing losing revenue to the hotel down the street. 
• Automated communications: Email templates make sending branded, personalized booking confirmations effortless.

Even as digital bookings take center stage, a frictionless experience at the front desk remains crucial to securing reservations and creating loyal, satisfied guests.