Beefing up your PMS for the busy season rush: A 6-step checklist

We just did a blog on ramping up for your busy season but this one is going to focus solely on making sure your Property Management Software (PMS) is ready for your busy season! Review the checklist below to make sure your PMS is beefed up for the busy season rush.

1. Have you reviewed your rates?

Throw out that rate sheet! Now! We’re not kidding. You should be adjusting your rates based on supply/demand, your competition, and your value. Today’s consumers are used to fluctuating prices when it comes to travel and won’t stop being loyal to your brand because you’ve raised your rates.

2. Have you set up yield management rules?

An easy way to make sure your rates are optimized at all times is to use yield management rules that automatically update your rates across all platforms based on rules you set. So, you know that the first two weeks in July are always booked, why not raise your rates by incremental percentages to increase your revenue from bookings you know are for sure coming? This essentially boils down to: Don’t leave money on the table!

3. Have you reviewed the appropriate reports to measure success?

Here we’re talking about ADR and occupancy. Your ADR can help you see if you’re on track and in-line with your competition. You can also use your occupancy to make sure you’re hitting your goals and determine if rates need to be adjusted.

4. Have you set up your email automation to streamline communication?

The last thing you want to do during your busy season is be chained to your desk sending out confirmation and thank you emails to guests. Review your automatic email settings and do any clean up or tweaking of your email template so it’s ready for the season.   

5. Have you set up your gift certificates?

Drive additional revenue for the same busy season without double booking! Allowing guests to buy gift certificates through your booking engine not only helps add a few more dollars to your bottom line but you know those recipients will most likely be spending more than the certificate’s value and might be planning travel during your low season.

6. Have you outlined your “source” and “reason for stay” field?

You need to keep track of where your guests are booking or looking for travel and why they’re traveling to meet their needs and correctly market to them in the future. If they’re an OTA guest then you’ll want to work on encouraging them to book directly with you in the future and if they’re traveling for an anniversary, you might want to keep that in mind for a future romance package or promo you could upsell them on.