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How does the SMS Module work?

BookingCenter's SMS module allows a property to use SMS (ie, 'text messaging') to both communicate to Guests and automate important functions of property management.  The SMS feature is a recommended part of the Self Checkin Check-in and Check-out process, as notification via SMS is immediate and more reliable than email - vital for a guest wishing to access their room, or to check out and immediately notify Housekeeping staff..

But there are numerous times when an SMS is more appropriate than email, print, or fax.  For instance:

• When the desk is closing and you wish to notify a late-arriving guest important info.
• To notify an in-house Guest of a service or appointment.
• When transportation directions or maps are needed to communicate to a mobile Guest.

Literally hundreds of situations can be improved having MyPMS communicate quickly and concisely using pre-crafted SMS message 'Letters'.

The Whistle solution for SMS messaging

The BookingCenter implementation for SMS is one-way - the property sends Letters and instructions to Guests.  The BookingCenter solution is inexpensive ($30/mo) and doesn't require additional communication paths for your staff to manage. But it is not a 'reply' system enabling customers to SMS you back, as that requires a shared mobile number that gets 'forwarded' to your individual worker's mobile phones, or shared via a web portal. For customers who want the 2-way communication of SMS/text messaging, we have an interface with Whistle, a platform for text-based messaging that can be used to communicate back and forth with your customers. The interface is 'real-time' so any new, modified, or cancelled Booking and Guest data is communicated to Whistle seamlessly, so that the Whistle rules you have setup are working with the latest data in the PMS.  

Because the BookingCenter solution is best for self check-in and check-out (the Whistle solution doesn't have the seamless lock interfaces or payment integration BookingCenter does), some customers use the Whistle solution in partnership with the BookingCenter SMS solution to support the SMS/text messaging bi-directionally with their guests and provide the 'automatic' responses via SMS/text that Guests appreciate.  Ask us how we can enable industry-leading communication that meets your budget and needs.