▶What is channel parity, and why do I protect it?
Channel parity is pricing consistency across all distribution channels: your hotel website, OTAs (Expedia, Booking.com), direct phone, and wholesalers. If a guest finds your hotel cheaper on Expedia than your website, they will book on Expedia (costing you commission), feel cheated (if they later see your direct price), and lose trust in your brand. Protecting parity means: your website is always the lowest price or equal, and all OTA rates are identical and updated in real-time. Use a channel manager tool to enforce parity rules and alert you to violations. If an OTA undercuts you, investigate immediately: did someone manually adjust a rate? Is there a rate error? Did a competitor set a flash sale and the channel algorithm responded? Channel parity is a non-negotiable rule.
▶How do I handle a complex group booking request (100+ rooms, multiple dates, varying rates)?
Create a detailed group proposal: list dates, room types, quantities, rates per room type, catering food and beverage minimums, event space rental, and any add-ons (parking, WiFi, welcome reception). Include a contract term: rate valid until [date], requires 50% deposit by [date], final rooming list due [date], cancellation policy specifics. Send the proposal to the group contact with a deadline to sign (typically 5-10 days). Once signed, block the rooms in the PMS and hold them until the final rooming list 2 weeks before arrival. If the group underbooks (books fewer rooms than contracted), enforce the room minimum or allow cancellation with a penalty. If they overbook (need more rooms), try to provide them but don't overbooking hotel on the whole property—prioritize the group but protect other business.
▶What is a cancellation policy, and how do I enforce it?
A cancellation policy specifies when a reservation can be canceled without penalty, or what penalty applies if canceled within X days of arrival. Example: 'Free cancellation until 3pm, 7 days before arrival; cancellations within 7 days are forfeited 1 night.' This protects the hotel from revenue loss due to last-minute cancellations. Enforce the policy consistently: if a guest cancels 6 days before arrival (within the 7-day window), they lose a night even if they ask nicely. This seems harsh, but without consistent enforcement, guests will negotiate every cancellation and you set a precedent of exceptions. Exceptions are made only with manager approval and for extraordinary circumstances (death, medical emergency, natural disaster). Always explain the policy upfront at booking so guests are aware.
▶How do I synchronize inventory across multiple channels in real-time?
Use a channel manager tool (e.g., SynXis, DMCIO, or your PMS's built-in channel manager) that connects to your PMS, website, and OTA integrations. The tool monitors inventory: when a room books on Expedia, it automatically decrements available rooms in your PMS and other channels within seconds. If you over-allocate inventory (sell 120 rooms when you only have 100), the system flags it. Test your channel synchronization weekly by booking a room through each channel and verifying it appears in the PMS within 60 seconds. Failures in sync cause overbooking or inventory loss (you show an empty room in your PMS but it's booked on Expedia). A strong reservations team monitors sync health and escalates tech issues immediately to your IT/PMS support.
▶A guest calls with a reservation question at 8pm, and the reservation system is down. How do I respond?
Tell the guest calmly: 'Our system is temporarily offline, but I will look up your reservation manually and call you back within 30 minutes with confirmation.' Access your backup: a recent backup of the PMS database (usually stored on a second server), or a printed occupancy list/rooming list from earlier in the day. Look up the guest's name and confirm their booking, room type, arrival date, and payment method. Call them back with confirmation. If you genuinely can't find the reservation, escalate to your manager who has authority to override and guarantee a room. During system downtime, you may also switch to a manual check-in process: register guests on paper, assign rooms manually, and sync to PMS when it is back up. System outages are rare but happen; preparation (backup processes, staff training) prevents guest service failures.
▶What is the difference between a direct booking and a booked-through-OTA, and how does it affect my KPIs?
Direct booking: guest books via your hotel website or calls your reservations line; the hotel keeps 100% of the room revenue. OTA booking: guest books via Expedia, Booking.com, etc.; the OTA takes 20-35% commission, and the hotel keeps 65-80%. Direct bookings are more profitable and build your guest database (you have their email, phone, preferences). OTA bookings drive volume but erode margin. As a reservations agent, you are incentivized to convert web inquiries and phone callers to direct bookings: ask 'Would you like to book directly with us? I can offer a free breakfast upgrade' to encourage direct. As a manager, you monitor the direct-booking percentage (should be ≥50%) and push marketing to increase it. This is why many hotels offer best-rate guarantees on their website: to incentivize direct bookings over OTAs.
▶How do I handle a guest who claims their reservation was cancelled but I see it in the system?
Apologize for the confusion and investigate calmly. Ask for their confirmation number and check the PMS: is the reservation active? If yes, the guest either received a cancellation email in error (check with IT), confused it with a different hotel, or is testing if you'll give them a free room by claiming a cancellation. If the reservation is active, reconfirm the details and assure them their room is guaranteed. If the reservation was cancelled, ask how it happened: did they cancel it themselves (via website or phone), or did you cancel it (in which case you should have called to confirm)? If it was cancelled in error on your side, re-book immediately at the same rate and apologize for the inconvenience. If the guest cancelled and then forgot, treat it as a new booking but waive the deposit or offer a discount to apologize for the confusion.
