Implement: customize i-Reserve to your needs

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Can I do the implementation myself?

Yes, you can implement the online reservation system yourself. Depending on your needs and requirements, setting up i-Reserve be quite extensive. But it's a good idea to do it yourself if you're willing to take the time. We've created a comprehensive manual to help you along. If you need help implementing your needs in i-Reserve our team can assist. We'll discuss your email and payment processing with you, listening to your needs. We can then translate these into the correct settings in i-Reserve . But let's start at the beginning.

Make a plan

Setting up a reservation system can be daunting, but with i-Reserve it's quick and easy. Whether you do it yourself or have us do it for you, you'll be done in no time. The first step is creating a plan to guide you through the implementation. This gives you the opportunity to think about and make decisions about the setup. A pre-defined plan will save you a lot of time during the implementation phase. We'll guide you through the 10 steps to a successful implementation.

Step 1: What can be booked?

The I-Reserve reservation system is incredibly versatile when it comes to bookings. Whether you want to book guided tour i-Reserve can meet your needs. This versatility is one of the things that i-Reserve such a popular choice among i-Reserve customers. The first step is to determine what you want to book through i-Reserve . This sounds obvious, but this step involves determining the correct license and the various sector settings. You should also clarify this beforehand so you know whether your product should be set up as an activity or an object in the system.

Step 2: Who is your target audience?

When setting up a reservation system, it's important to consider who will be using it. What are the ages of your typical customers? And do they have any special needs you need to accommodate? Answering these questions will help you determine the best way to set up the reservation system.

For example, if you run a tour or event company, you'll likely want to allow both individual and group bookings. And if your business caters to families with young children, you'll need to design your reservation system to accommodate different age groups. In some cases, you'll also need to consider special needs, such as wheelchair accessibility. Is your target audience seniors? Then it's probably wise not to make online payment mandatory. This can be a bit of a hassle for some seniors, which can discourage them from booking, and you'll lose revenue.

By taking the time to thoroughly develop your target audience, you can ensure the reservation system is user-friendly for all your customers. Consider your target audience, any exceptions and/or special requests, and plan accordingly.

Step 3: How will you use the reservation system?

The i-Reserve reservation system can be used for both internal and external purposes. Do you want reservations to be made only by employees, or do you want to integrate the system into your website and allow customers to book directly? It's also possible to allow affiliates/partners to make bookings through their own websites. Consider in advance how you intend to use the reservation system. This is an important step for further integration.

Step 4: When can reservations be made?

Consider in advance when your customers can make reservations, taking into account your business's schedule and activities. Can your customers book by the hour, by the time of day, or perhaps by activity? You'll also need to decide whether your business has a peak or low season. Perhaps your organization has different prices or opening hours at certain times of the year or during the day. Are there recurring or multi-day activities? Once you've considered all these factors, you can determine when you want your customers to book on your new reservation system. This way, you ensure that customers can book when it's convenient for them, and that your business can meet their needs.

Step 5: Which reservation dialogue do you want to offer?

Choosing the right reservation dialog is important to ensure your customers can easily find what they're looking for and make a reservation. But first, what is a reservation dialog? A reservation dialog is what your customers see on your website, where they can search for the desired activity or property. An activity might be an hour of Glow Golf, a guided tour, or a course. A property might be a meeting room, a boat, or another object you want to rent out.

What booking dialogs do we have in i-Reserve? The activity schedule is great for activities that take place on specific dates, such as courses and training sessions. The search function allows you to search by activity type and date. This dialog is therefore perfect for activities that take place at set times, such as guided tours. The Search & Book dialog is ideal for searching for activities or when you have several properties with different characteristics. Depending on the type of activity or property you want to offer, there is a booking dialog that meets your needs.

Step 6: Log in or not?

You can choose whether or not to require a customer to log in. For example, make it mandatory to log in immediately, or only when making a reservation. You can also determine whether logging in is mandatory for each activity or object. There are four options for using customer accounts. The first option is that customers do not create a user account to make a reservation. The second option is that they are always required to create a user account. The third option is that i-Reserve automatically creates a username and password. The fourth and final option is that the customer has the option to create an account, but is not required to do so. Whether or not to log in to an account depends entirely on the options you want to offer the customer. Keep this in mind when setting up your i-Reserve environment so you can take this into account.

Step 7: Are there any extras or conditions?

To create the most effective reservation system possible, it's important to consider all the possible conditions and extras that customers can use. For example, are there rooms that can be subdivided, making them more versatile and appealing to a larger number of customers? Are there multiple locations to consider? Are there trainers or instructors who can only be scheduled once on a specific day or time? By carefully considering all these factors, you can create the clearest and most user-friendly reservation system possible for your (potential) customers.

Step 8: What information do you need from the customer?

You'll need to decide what information your customers need to provide when making a reservation. The form should be designed so that your customers can easily understand it. You should include all the necessary information for the reservation, such as name, email address, and phone number. You can also include optional information, such as gender and date of birth. It's important to clearly indicate all required fields so your customers know what information is required. You can also give them the option to subscribe to your newsletter. By including all the necessary information, you can ensure your customers have everything they need to make their reservation. So, what information do you need from your customers?

Step 9: What is your workflow?

A workflow is a process that helps streamline the reservation process from start to finish. Having a consistent workflow helps ensure that all reservations are handled consistently and efficiently. One of the key benefits of a workflow is that it can help automate some of the tasks associated with managing reservations. For example, a workflow can be used to automatically send confirmation emails or reminders before an event takes place. This can help reduce the time and effort required to manage reservations, while also informing customers in a timely manner about their upcoming events. Additionally, a workflow can be used to send thank-you messages after an event has taken place. This helps create a positive customer experience and reinforces the idea that the company cares about its customers. Overall, using a workflow can help improve the efficiency of the reservation process (and potentially the associated payment process) and create a better customer experience. Developing your workflow is one of the most important steps in implementing the i-Reserve reservation system. By setting up the workflow correctly you can take a lot of work off your hands.

To develop the workflow, you need to consider what statuses a reservation can have. Pending payment (Open) and Paid are the most common, but perhaps your company has a few others. Then, ask yourself: which actions do you want to attach to which status? A reservation confirmation, a payment confirmation, or perhaps an email reminder if payment hasn't been made? Or sending an e-ticket after payment. Perhaps you even want customers to receive a text message as a reminder a day or a few hours before the reservation.

Step 10: Testing

The final step is testing all the previous settings. After setting up the booking system, it's important to test it to ensure everything works properly. You can do this by going through the entire booking process and checking your email templates. This will help you identify any issues so you can fix them before they cause any damage. Testing your booking system also gives you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the new settings and get a feel for how they work. This will allow you to use your booking system more effectively and efficiently.

Can i-Reserve help me with this?

The steps above may sound a bit overwhelming, but some clients set up their reservation system entirely themselves. However, most clients use a hybrid model, where you largely set up the system yourself but delegate some elements to us. We'll guide you through the system in a workshop, showing you how to enter information. Then, provide us with a set of sample activities. Create a basic workflow with emails for payments and automatic cancellations, and let us implement it while you watch. We also provide functional support for questions, whether it's an explanation or some research for us. Our standard hourly rate is €112. For a three-hour workshop, we charge €450. We can't estimate how long an implementation will take. Generally, most clients take a few weeks to complete the setup.

What are the costs of implementing the reservation system in a hybrid system?

We've briefly touched on this before, but to get started, we recommend participating in a workshop. Through an online session with expert advice tailored to your organization, you'll gain valuable insights and guidance on how to get the most out of your i-Reserve account. Prices vary depending on your needs, starting at €225 for 1.5 hours and €450 for a full 3-hour session. It's an investment that will save you significant time during implementation.

The additional costs associated with implementation depend heavily on the individual questions you submit. We've compiled a few examples below to give you an idea of ​​the time required. These are tasks you can do yourself, so they're naturally free of charge:

How much time does it take to implement the reservation system?

The time it takes to fully implement the reservation system depends on your company's specific needs. We deliver the license (after receiving the signed contract) in just one business day, so that's a quick process. But if you need help with setup or customization, we can help! We can take on individual assignments or organize a workshop where we work together to efficiently set up your reservation system. Ultimately, however, the majority of the setup is up to you. The time needed to set up the reservation system depends primarily on your organization and its capacity to implement it.

Try i-Reserve now for 30 days

So you've seen what the i-Reserve reservation system can do, and now you're wondering how it could work for your business? Why not try i-Reserve for 30 days? You'll have the chance to explore our system using some sample data and see exactly how well it meets your needs. Try it for yourself .