As Australia’s hospitality industry undergoes a digital transformation and with venues still recovering from COIVD-19, and dealing with staff shortages and increased costs, comprehensive booking and enquiry systems are now critical to running successful venues.

An enquiry system is often a patron’s first experience of a venue, so it is vital that it is a seamless and easy process for that patron to be able to see your venue and know that they can easily book a table for whatever size of group they have.

Last year the CGA’s On Premise Consumer Pulse Check found that the vast majority (74 per cent) of consumers engage with a venue’s online platforms prior to visiting, with this figure swelling to more than nine-in-10 (91 per cent) in the 18-34-year-old cohort. And last month CGA also reported that while more customers went out for drinks in February than any time in the last year, the frequency of visits has decreased. So, it is imperative for venues to make sure they don’t lose patrons at the first point of contact.

Not only is the reservations system an essential component of any venue’s successful operation in terms of attracting and keeping customers, but it also provides workers with the tools they need to manage guest flow, maximise table covers, and increase income.

Access Collins offers an all-in-one solution that manages all aspects of reservations and event management from start to finish, with a fully integrated system that makes it easier for you to manage and simple for customers to use.

There are a number of reasons why Access Collins will help your venue offer a seamless booking experience and maximise sales opportunities, three of those are:

Get rid of multiple systems

It is common practice in Australia to use multiple systems in the reservation and enquiry management process, these perform separate parts of the booking process and in many cases, they are, unable to talk to each other therefore there is no flow of data. Systems that are brought in to improve performance, processes and save time can often require a lot of manual work, reducing the ROI you should be getting from having a system there in the first place.

Access Collins gives you the ability to manage all reservations and group enquiries, regardless of whether they are from your website, social channels or a phone call. Managing everything in one central system can help improve your conversion rate by on average 24%

Creating a seamless and enjoyable booking experience

Having a seamless and comprehensive enquiry management functionality helps you convert all your groups, parties, private diners and Christmas enquiries, no matter the size.

Access Collins is the most flexible system on the market. Offering multiple booking types enables you to set granular rules for each, and advertises to the customer special events such as bottomless brunches, encouraging them to make another booking. This means the customer does not need to call an answerless phone or arrange a time to pay a deposit, an obstacle which may see them go elsewhere.

Maximising covers = maximising sales

Driving footfall and maximising sales is at the top of most operators’ list. Access Collins offers a space finder tool, so you can see which of your venues has space on certain date ranges, times and even areas, and can redirect customers to an alternative venue at the point of booking if required. No availability, no worries! In this instance Collins can take an enquiry for you to contact and convert by offering visitors alternative options, you can maximise your covers.

You can also consider pre-order options like table snacks, a drinks package, or kitchen-prepared meals at the time of booking. This means you are assured sales before the consumer even enters your establishment. When required, you can send a digitised menu for the customer to easily select their options which will also help the kitchen prepare for a busy service and save you loads of back and forth.

The all-in-one Access Collins system provides you with a seamless booking system and ordering process helping you manage your bookings and staff times better. It also gives your customers a positive first impression of your venue and ensures that when patrons do decide to go out, they view your venue favourably.

Find out what Access Collins can do for your venue and your revenue, head to the Access Collins website to find out more.

Andy Young

Andy joined Intermedia as Editor of The Shout in 2015, writing news on a daily basis and also writing features for National Liquor News. Now Managing Editor of both The Shout and Bars and Clubs.