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Hotel Call Center & Reservation FAQ
Phone, WhatsApp, OTA messages, web form, Instagram DM... The guest actually always asks the same thing: "When, at what price, how can I stay in this hotel?" But on the hotel side, the picture is often as follows:
- •Unanswered or unreturned calls,
- •Disorganized processes where it is not clear who made what offer,
- •Reservations that were never entered into PMS,
- •Calls that did not turn into sales and could not be measured.
This page; It was prepared for hotels that want to turn their Hotel Call Center & Reservation structure into a multilingual and sales-oriented direct reservation voice sales channel, especially with PMS-OTA integration.
Brief Summary
Hotel call center; It transforms channels such as phone/WhatsApp/OTA message into a sales-oriented direct booking voice sales channel structure integrated with PMS. Omnichannel (phone + WhatsApp + OTA inbox + web form + DM) should be managed with a single process and script. Every offer and reservation must be recorded in the PMS; The source field (call center/phone/WhatsApp) must be marked. Without KPIs and callback processes, call traffic cannot be measured and does not turn into sales.
Brief Summary
Hotel call center; It manages multi-channel demands with a sales focus, saves them in PMS and increases direct bookings.
Search Queries
- What is a hotel call center?
- How to increase phone booking conversion?
- How to reduce missed calls?
- How are call center reservations processed into PMS?
- How does the call center increase direct booking?
- Should the hotel call center be an outsourced or internal team?
General Questions About Hotel Call Center & Reservation
What exactly is a hotel call center & reservation line?⌄
Hotel call center & reservation line; It is a communication and sales structure that manages requests, questions and reservation requests made by guests through channels such as phone, WhatsApp, OTA messages and web form. The aim is to turn these channels into "sales lines that generate direct reservations" rather than "just a place to provide information".
What does hotel call center management do?⌄
A properly designed call center: Increases
- •response rate,
- •Increases telephone booking conversion,
- •attracts indecisive guests originating from web/OTA to the direct channel,
- •Reduces overbooking and data errors by working integrated with PMS and OTA,
- •Real voice sales channel contribution</b> appears in sales & conversion reports. makes it.
Why does the hotel need a dedicated call center & reservation line?⌄
Because the reception cannot properly manage the phones under operational load such as
- •check-in/out,
- •room changes,
- •guest requests
Does the hotel call center only work by phone?⌄
No. The modern hotel call center structure generally works in omnichannel, such as
- •phone,
- •WhatsApp & SMS,
- •OTA message boxes,
- •web chat / live support,
- •social media DM
Which department should the hotel call center & reservation line be affiliated with?⌄
In the healthiest model, there should be a structure that:
- •is compatible with revenue & sales targets,
- •works closely with PMS and OTA management,
- •reports directly to the GM or sales/revenue director
Who is Hotel Call Center & Reservation FAQ suitable for?⌄
- •for all hotels that have high phone traffic and WhatsApp demand,
- •receive a lot of questions/messages from OTAs,
- •have no or weak PMS integration,
- •struggle with missed/unmeasured calls,
- •do not have standards in terms of “telephone sales”
Should the call center be established internally or outsourced?⌄
This depends on the number of rooms, demand volume, language need and budget:
- •Inside: maximum control and brand tone; human resource load is high.
- •Outsource: optional capacity, multi-language; Control should be provided through processes and SLAs.
- •Hybrid: in-hotel during the day, outsource call center in the evening/night; hotel PMS and scripts are common.
Should the hotel call center be a “customer service” or “sales” line?⌄
Both, but priority should be on sales and reservations.
- •A structure that first understands the guest's needs,
- •then offers the appropriate room and concept with a sales focus,
- •and finally manages complaints and information requests when necessary
Short Questions
What is a hotel call center and what does it do?
Hotel call center; It is the unit that manages reservations and information requests received via telephone and message channels in a professional, sales-oriented and PMS-integrated manner.
What exactly is a hotel call center & reservation line?
It is a multilingual sales line that transforms the process that starts with the guest's phone call or message into an offer → reservation → PMS record</b> chain.
How to increase phone booking conversion?
With the right script, net price & room information, instant stock from PMS and sales-oriented closing sentences; It is necessary to turn every call into a “tested sales opportunity”.
How to reduce missed and unmetered calls?
With call center software, accurate shift planning, callback processes and KPI tracking; A record of every incoming call must be kept and their returns must be monitored.
How are call center reservations processed into PMS?
The operator must open the reservation directly in the PMS; A label such as “call center / phone / WhatsApp” should be entered in the channel/source field.
How does the hotel call center affect the direct booking rate?
It is one of the most critical channels that allows you to get a direct reservation without paying OTA commission by convincing the guest who is undecided or doing research on OTA by phone.
Service Scope: Channels, Languages, Working Hours
Which channels should the hotel call center cover?+
• Incoming & outgoing phone calls,
• WhatsApp Business / SMS,
• OTA message boxes (Booking.com Inbox, Expedia Messaging…),
• web chat / live support,
• social media DM (Instagram/Facebook).
One team and one process should be defined for all of these.
How to set up a multilingual hotel call center?+
• How much demand comes from which markets is analyzed (TR–EN–DE–RU etc.),
• Language-based shift and representative plans are made,
• scripts and training contents are localized for each language,
• language-based performance metrics are reported separately.
Which languages should be minimum in a hotel call center?+
It varies by destination, but specifically:
• In Turkey resort regions → TR, EN, DE, RU,
• in city hotels → TR + EN and target market(s).
As we expand into new markets, call center capacity should also be expanded according to these markets.
How should working hours be determined?+
• incoming call and message density,
• time difference of the target market,
• The density of questions/requests from OTA,
with data such as; A minimum 08:00–23:00 band, and in high volume hotels 24/7 or late service should be considered.
Should the call center be active only in high season?+
No.
• The load is higher in high season,
• If used correctly in shoulder and low season, it is a very valuable tool for campaign, CRM and upsell.
It is necessary to plan it so that it plays a different role in each season.
Does the hotel call center only handle inbound calls?+
The most efficient models have both inbound and outbound:
• Inbound: the line the guest calls/messages,
• Outbound: offer tracking, option reminder, CRM calls, VIP & Loyalty calls.
Which guest segments should the call center support?+
• individual FIT guests,
• family and honeymoon segments,
• MICE & group reservation pre-requests (at least filtering and forwarding),
• OTA & partner sourced questions.
Should the hotel call center and the reservation department be the same team?+
In smaller hotels generally yes, but as volume increases:
• call center (first contact, sales, offer),
• reservation (PMS and room management, allotment, contracts)
Separating roles is healthier in terms of workload and expertise.
Detailed Process & Operation: Call Flow, Script, Offer
What should a standard call flow be like in a hotel call center?+
Typical sales driven flow:
1. Welcoming and hotel/line introduction,
2. Understanding guest needs (date, number of people, expectations),
3. Offering suitable room and concept options,
4. Price and value expression,
5. Management of objections,
6. Closing (booking or offer/option).
Each step should be supported by scripts.
What is a script and why is it critical in a hotel call center?+
Script; It is a guide text that standardises main sentences and flows from introduction to closing.
• although each representative has a different style,
• “brand language” and “sales backbone” remain the same.
This increases both quality and measurability.
“Wouldn't the interviews be artificial if we use scripts?”+
Correctly written script:
• gives framework and confidence to the representative,
• instead of sentences memorized verbatim,
• standardizes the basic message and sequence.
In other words, the script increases the focus and quality of the conversation, not its naturalness.
What could be the sample sales script components for the hotel call center?+
• welcome sentence (hotel, line, name introduction),
• needs analysis questions,
• room/concept expression patterns,
• price presentation and value emphasis,
• response templates to objections (price, date, indecision),
• closing sentences (book now, open option, send offer).
Why is it important to standardize bidding processes?+
• If each representative makes an offer in a different format and through different channels (mail, WhatsApp, verbal):
• guests receive conflicting information,
• Offer tracking becomes difficult in PMS,
• sales conversion rate cannot be measured.
Standard proposal templates should combine with a structure that is recorded as a “quote” in the PMS.
What should be considered when making an offer via WhatsApp?+
• corporate line (WhatsApp Business) should be used,
• offer text and visual format should be standard,
• conditions and date/person information should be written very clearly,
• An offer record must be opened in PMS for matching with a reservation.
How should the post-call offer follow-up process be structured?+
• after creating an offer/PMS record,
• after a certain period of time (e.g. 24–48 hours),
• A short call/message as a “reminder”,
• Script-based objection response according to the guest's indecision points.
How should option and pre-reservation processes be managed in the call center?+
• option durations should be clearly defined (date and time),
• Option registration and reminder task should be opened in PMS,
• The guest must be informed before the time expires,
• When the option expires, the block must be removed systematically.
Is the “one-call booking” goal realistic?+
Not always. Especially during high-cost holidays:
• the guest compares several hotels and dates,
• wants to meet with family or partner.
But the call center, on the first call:
• accurate information and trust,
• strong value proposition,
• It should increase the possibility of reservation by activating follow-up (offer & option) processes.
While the call center is focused on sales, how can we keep our guests satisfied?+
Being sales oriented; It does not mean ignoring the guest's needs, but offering the most appropriate solution to the needs in a clear and convincing way.
• trying to sell the wrong room, concept or date,
• It brings short-term sales and creates long-term dissatisfaction and review problems.
Sales and satisfaction should be considered together, not separately.
How often should I update scripts and processes?+
• during seasonal changes,
• when your concept or pricing policy changes,
• you see a pattern of recurring complaints or errors,
• when you add a new market or channel.
It is necessary to review it thoroughly, at least at the beginning of the season.
What topics should be included in call center & reservation training?+
• hotel and concept information,
• PMS and OTA processes,
• sales techniques and objection handling,
• communication and tone/ethics,
• KVKK & data security awareness.
PMS–OTA Integration & Data Integrity
How does the call center integrate with PMS/OTA?+
• the representative sees real-time prices and stock in the PMS,
• opens the reservation directly on PMS,
• marks the booking source (phone/WhatsApp),
• Requests received via OTA or web are transferred to the call center with PMS notes.
This way all reservations are combined into single PMS flow.
What risks do reservations not processed in PMS pose?+
• guests appearing missing from the check-in lists,
• overbooking or room allocation errors,
• missing data in revenue and channel reports,
• Gaps in guest history and CRM efforts.
Which data fields are critical in call center and PMS integration?+
• guest information (name, contact, country, segment),
• channel/source (phone, WhatsApp, DM etc.),
• date, room type, price plan,
• requests/notes (child, special request, etc.),
• reservation statuses (option, confirmed, cancellation).
How do I distinguish between call center reservations and OTA/web reservations in PMS?+
By using source/channel fields correctly in PMS;
• OTA → relevant OTA name,
• web → direct/web,
• call center → phone/WhatsApp,
You must open a record as follows. Thus, channel-based performance reports become meaningful.
What problems does the call center experience if the PMS integration is faulty?+
• Price and stock appearing on PMS do not match OTA/web,
• the representative may give incorrect information to the guest,
• cancellations/changes are not updated in PMS,
• reports and KPIs are broken.
Call center efficiency is directly linked to correct integration.
Should integration be used between call center software and PMS?+
Yes if possible.
• call recordings,
• agent performance,
• call → booking/lead matching
If mapped directly to PMS/CRM, both sales and reporting processes will be stronger.
Why are integration logs and error reports important for call centers?+
• when and which reservation could not be recorded in PMS,
• which links are broken,
• Which areas are at risk of data loss?
Shows integration logs. In this way, both IT and sales teams can quickly identify where there is an error.
What is the impact of PMS + call center integration on reporting?+
• number of calls,
• number of offers,
• number of calls converted to reservation and revenue,
• Impact on direct share and OTA share
It can be clearly seen from PMS and reporting panels.
What should I look for when testing call center & PMS integration?+
• whether test reservations fall on the correct date, room and price,
• whether cancellations and changes receive the correct status in PMS,
• Whether agent and source information are marked correctly,
• These test records appear in the reports.
Performance & Reporting: KPIs, Sales & Conversion
Which KPIs should I measure hotel call center performance with?+
• response rate,
• average waiting time,
• number of calls for sales/reservation purposes,
• number of calls offered,
• number of calls converted to reservation and revenue,
• call → reservation conversion rate,
• agent based performance.
What metrics should I look at to increase phone booking rate?+
• call → bid rate,
• offer → booking rate,
• Which segment/room/market converts better,
• which script or campaign language produces more sales;
You should optimize script and bid processes according to these metrics.
How much will my missed calls cause reservation loss?+
• every call that is not answered or returned,
• It is a sales opportunity at least at “intent demand” level.
By monitoring the missed call rate and callback success rate; Lost opportunities must be minimized.
How to reduce missed and unmetered calls?+
• call center software (ACD, call queue, callback),
• shift planning,
• call recording and tagging rules,
• With KPI & reporting culture;
If every call and contact is made into a “record”, there will be no call left unmeasurable.
How should calls that do not turn into sales be analyzed?+
• reasons for the guest's refusal (price, date, room type, indecision),
• which segment/country/channel it comes from,
• which script/agent it is talking to,
• Whether follow-up was made after the offer.
This analysis provides a powerful roadmap for improving sales opportunities.
How do I measure the hotel call center direct booking rate?+
• Reservations marked as "call center / telephone" in the source field in PMS,
• looking at its share in total direct (web + call center) and its comparison with OTA share,
• You can clearly measure the call center's contribution to direct pay.
How to connect call center performance to Sales & Conversion panels?+
• Traffic & lead data from GA4 and advertising panels,
• Call & offer data from the call center system,
• Reservation & revenue data from PMS
By combining them in a panel like Looker Studio; The traffic → call → reservation → revenue chain can be reported.
How should agent-based performance reports be structured?+
For each agent:
• number of answered calls,
• number of calls returned to sales/reservation,
• revenue per booking,
• script & quality scores,
Metrics such as should be reported. The aim is development-oriented, fair and transparent performance management; Not the “just rank” pressure.
Missed Calls, Lack of Measurement, Calls Not Converted to Sales
Why are missed or unmetered calls such a critical problem?+
Because:
• Feeling like "I asked but couldn't reach",
• It means going directly to the OTA or another hotel.
Every missed and unrecorded call is a potential direct booking loss.
What kind of risks do non-standard bidding processes pose?+
• Different representatives give different prices for the same type of guest,
• Offer tracking cannot be done in PMS,
• Trust issues arise on the guest and OTA side,
• revenue and margin management goes out of control.
What do reservations not processed in PMS mean for the call center?+
• sales performance not visible in reports,
• “no registration” crisis at check-in,
• missing data in revenue and channel analysis.
This situation also prevents the call center from showing its true value.
Why should calls that do not turn into sales be followed systematically?+
• if you do not know why it did not turn into a sale (price, date, room, service, communication language),
• You cannot improve your script, price and campaign strategies.
Searches that do not convert into sales are a gold mine for learning and optimization.
What is the long-term impact of the “phone reservation process, separate PMS process” situation?+
• data disconnection,
• too much manual work,
• friction between call center and reception/reservation teams,
• trust problem on the management side (“what is the real figure?”).
How does using the wrong script and tone affect brand image?+
• very aggressive sales language,
• representative speaking in a disinterested or uninformed tone,
• false information or promises,
It creates a negative frame in the guest's mind before arriving at the hotel; It is also reflected in comments and recommendations.
Why are KVKK and data security important in the call center & reservation process?+
• personal data is processed in telephone conversations and notes,
• It is important who keeps this data, for how long and where.
Designing scripts, recording and logging processes in accordance with KVKK is critical for both legal and brand trust.
Productive Search & Industry Focused Questions
Why is the call center extra valuable in resort destinations in Turkey?+
• family and group reservations,
• long stay and high basket amount,
• multilingual and multimarket structure,
When you manage the demand via phone and WhatsApp correctly, it offers a high value direct booking opportunity.
What should the call center strategy be like in Antalya, Belek, Kemer, Side, Bodrum, Alanya hotels?+
• 24/7 or wide hours during peak season,
• Support in languages such as TR–EN–DE–RU,
• A structure focused on increasing the direct booking share by working integrated with OTA and the web.
What is the role of the call center & reservation line in City hotels?+
• business & corporate requests,
• short stay reservations,
• MICE and group pre-requests.
In city hotels, the call center is a critical contact point, especially for corporate and repeat guests.
How should hotel call center and OTA management work together?+
• The call center should manage the messages and questions coming from OTA,
• Guests searching for prices/rooms via OTA should be directed to direct reservation via the call center,
• On the PMS and reporting side, OTA and call center contribution should be analyzed together.
Mini Hotel Call Center FAQ
Is a separate call center necessary for small hotels?+
Varies by room and call volume;
• reception/reservation line in small hotels,
• It can be managed like a “mini call center” with clear scripts and processes.
As long as there is a certain process and reporting.
Should the outsource call center be completely outside the hotel?+
Not mandatory.
• PMS access,
• scripts and KPIs,
• with weekly/monthly joint review meetings,
The external team may function as the hotel's “extended reservations team.”
Does it make sense to get external support for hotel call center & reservation management?+
Especially for multilingual, 24/7, high volume and OTA–PMS integrated structures;
• process design,
• script & training,
• KPI & reporting system
Working with an experienced partner significantly reduces trial and error time and loss.