Implementation: customize i-Reserve

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Can I do the implementation myself?

Yes, you can implement the online reservation system yourself. Depending on your wishes and requirements, setting up i-Reserve be quite extensive. But it's good to do it yourself if you want to take the time. We have created an extensive manual that will help you further. If you need help translating your wishes into i-Reserve our team can help. We will talk to you about, for example, your email and payment traffic and listen to your wishes. 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 is 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 to create a plan to provide you with tools during implementation. This gives you the opportunity to think and make choices about the design. A predetermined plan will save you a lot of time during the implementation phase. We will take you to a successful implementation in 10 steps.

Step 1: What can be booked

The I-Reserve reservation system is incredibly versatile when it comes to reservations. Whether you want to book tour i-Reserve can meet your wishes. This versatility is one of the things that i-Reserve such a popular choice among reservation system customers. The first step is to determine what you want to book i-Reserve This sounds very logical, but with this step you determine the correct license and the various sector settings. You must also be clear about this in advance so that you know whether your product should be set up as an activity or as an object in the system.

Step 2: Who is your target group?

When setting up a reservation system, it is important to consider who will use it. What are the ages of your typical customers? And do they have special needs that you need to meet? Answering these questions will help you determine the best way to set up the reservation system.

For example, if you run a tour company or an events company, you will probably want to allow both individual bookings and group bookings. And if your company focuses on families with young children, you need to design the reservation system in such a way that it is suitable for different age groups. In some cases, you also need to take special needs into account, such as wheelchair accessibility. Is your target group seniors? Then it is probably wise not to make online payment mandatory. This can be a bit difficult for some seniors, causing them to drop out and you to miss out on income.

By taking the time to understand your target group, you can ensure that the reservation system is user-friendly for all your customers. Consider in advance who your target group is, what exceptions and/or special wishes there are and work this out.

Step 3: How will you use the reservation system?

The i-Reserve reservation system can be used for internal and external use. Do you want reservations to only be made by employees or do you want to integrate the system on your website and give customers the opportunity to make a reservation directly? It is also possible to have affiliates/partners make bookings via their own website. Consider in advance how you want 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 a reservation. Taking into account the schedule of your company and your activities. Your customers can make reservations per hour, per half day per week, or perhaps per activity. You will also need to decide whether a high or low season applies to your business. Or perhaps your organization has different prices or opening hours at certain times of the year, or times of the day. Are there recurring activities or activities that last several days? Once you've considered all of 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 suits them, and that your company can meet their needs.

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

Choosing the right reservation dialog is important to ensure that your customers can easily find what they are looking for and make a reservation. But first briefly, what is a reservation dialogue? A reservation dialogue is what your customers see on your website and where they can search for the desired activity or object. An activity could be an hour of Glowgolf, a tour or a course. An object is, for example, a meeting room, boat or other object that you want to rent out.

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

Step 6: To log in or not?

You can choose to let a customer log in or not. For example, make it mandatory to log in immediately, or only when making a reservation. You can also determine per type of activity or object whether logging in is mandatory. There are four options when it comes to 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 must always create a user account. The third option is for i-Reserve to automatically create a username and password. The fourth and final option is that the customer has the option to create an account, but does not have to do so. Whether or not you log in to an account depends entirely on what options you want to offer the customer. Please consider this when setting up your i-Reserve environment so that you can take this into account.

Step 7: Are there any extras or conditions?

To create the most effective booking system possible, it is important to consider all possible conditions and extras that customers can take advantage of. For example, are there spaces that can be subdivided, making them more versatile and attractive to a wider range of customers? Are there different locations to consider? Are there trainers or teachers who can only be scheduled once on a certain day or time? By carefully considering all these factors, it becomes possible to create a reservation system that is as clear and concise as possible for your (potential) customers.

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

You will have to decide what information your customers need to fill in when they make a reservation. The form should be set up in a way that your customers can easily understand. You must include all necessary information for the reservation, such as name, email address and telephone number. You can also include optional information such as gender and date of birth. It is important to clearly indicate all required fields so that 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 that 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. By having a set workflow, it helps to ensure that all reservations are handled in a consistent and efficient manner. One of the main 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 activity takes place. This can help reduce the amount of time and effort required to manage reservations, while also informing customers of their upcoming activities in a timely manner. In addition, a workflow can also be used to send thank you messages after an activity has taken place. This helps create a positive customer experience and reinforces the idea that the company cares about its customers. All in all, using a workflow can help improve the efficiency of the reservation process (and possibly the related 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.

Before developing the workflow, you must ask yourself what statuses a reservation can have. Awaiting payment (Open) and Paid are the most commonly used, but perhaps there are a few extra within your company? Then ask yourself, which actions do you want to attach to which status? A confirmation of reservation, a confirmation of payment, but perhaps also a reminder email when payment has not yet been made? Or sending an E-ticket after payment. You may 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 to test all previous settings. After you've set up the reservation system, it's important to test it to make sure everything is working properly. You can do this by going through the entire reservation process and checking your email templates. This will help you spot any problems so you can fix them before they cause damage. Additionally, testing your reservation system gives you the chance to familiarize yourself with the new settings and get a feel for how they work. This will allow you to use your reservation system more effectively and efficiently.

Can i-Reserve help me with this?

The above steps may sound a bit overwhelming, but there are customers who set up the reservation system completely themselves. However, most customers use a hybrid model, where you as a customer largely configure the system yourself, but leave some elements to us. We will take you by the hand through the system through a workshop. We show you how to enter something. Then provide us with a set of example activities. Create a basic workflow with payment and auto-cancellation emails. And let us enter it while you watch. We also provide functional support for questions. That could be an explanation or some research for us. Our standard hourly rate is € 112. We charge € 450 for a three-hour workshop. We cannot estimate how long an implementation will take. In general, we can say that most customers take a few weeks to complete the furnishings.

What are the costs for implementing the reservation system for a hybrid system?

We have already briefly talked about it, but to start with we recommend that you take advantage of a workshop. Through an online session with expert advice focused on your organization, you will receive valuable insights and help to get the most out of your i-Reserve account. Prices can vary depending on your needs, starting from €225 for 1.5 hours and €450 for a full 3-hour session. An investment that will save you a lot of time during implementation.

It then depends very much on the individual questions you ask us as to what additional costs will be incurred during the implementation. We have worked out some examples for you below so that you can get an idea of ​​the hours required. These are also activities that you can do yourself, so it is of course free of charge:

How much time is needed to implement the reservation system?

How long it takes to fully implement the reservation system depends on what exactly your company needs. We deliver the license (after receiving the signed contract) in just one working day, so that is quickly arranged. But if you need help setting up or customizing, we can do that too! We can accept individual assignments or organize a workshop in which we work together to set up your reservation system efficiently. But ultimately the majority of the furnishing is up to you. The amount of time needed to set up the reservation system therefore mainly depends on your organization and capacity to set up the system.

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 will have the opportunity to explore our system using some sample data and see exactly how well it meets your requirements. Try it yourself .