164 C H A P T E R 5 ■ S Y S T E M W I D E R E S E R VAT I O N S

F I G U R E 5 - 9 The Arrival Report screen lists incoming guests with reservations.

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Option 9, Projected Occupancy, provides various departments with information concerning the number of guests who will be in the hotel on a certain day (Figure 5-12). Option 10, Travel Agents, allows the reservationist to maintain data on the travel agent or travel agency that initiated a reservation (Figure 5-13). This option allows speedy processing of the agent’s or agency’s fee for placing a reservation with the hotel. The option also interfaces with the accounts payable module. Option 11, Guest Messages, allows the front desk clerk to relay important information to the guests on registration (Figure 5-14). This feature is another way the hotel can convey hospitality to the guest by demonstrating attention to details. Reports concerning reservations can be obtained by the front office manager by selecting option 12, Reports.

These examples are only a brief overview of the capabilities of the reservation module of a PMS. Your hands-on experience will provide you with real-life applications of a valuable management tool. Managing reservation data allows the front office manager to organize hundreds of details into usable information—information that helps provide hospitality to guests and brings financial success to the lodging property.

Database Interfaces

To plan their work, department managers rely on information captured at the time a reservation is made. Database interfaces, which transfer shared information among