Fast forward to today and you'll find Reserve with Google integrated with many existing reservations systems, including Access Collins.
This means that existing, and potentially new customers, can book a table at your venue through Google Search, Google Maps and the Reserve with Google website quickly and easily, in addition to booking through your own website.
So why are we shouting about this now?
There is no doubt that ‘Reserve with Google’ is changing online reservations by enabling customers to book directly from Google listings and Google Maps, so they never leave Google to make a reservation but now it goes even further as Access Collins is the first restaurant booking system to offer customers the ability to make enquiries, particularly bigger parties and group bookings, through Google. Enquiries from Google listings and Google Maps come directly into Access Collins, putting operators who use our technology in the unique position of being able to quickly and easily respond to enquiries, bringing them additional revenue from converting larger bookings.
The good news is that existing operators who already offer auto-confirm bookings or enquiries through the Access Collins system, without requiring payment or pre-order at the point of booking, can take advantage of this service and don't have to do a thing to activate it – Google automatically includes them.
The function works by listing multiple 'book' buttons on Google, which pull in a venue's availability live from the Access Collins system. If your guests decide to make a booking through Google, they essentially stay with Google at the front end, while the booking or enquiry goes straight through to your Access Collins system as with any other booking, letting you handle it exactly the way you usually do. From an enquiry perspective this is all managed in one location enabling a quick response to convert quickly and easily. The only difference is that a customer is sent a confirmation email from Reserve with Google as well as their standard Access Collins one.
OK, enough of the technical detail. The questions you might be wanting to ask by now is why is Access Collins by DesignMyNight allowing Google to move in on an area we know more about, and how can Reserve with Google benefit my restaurant, pub or bar?
87% of consumers use search engines to find a place to eat or drink
While a large part of our expertise is in handling bookings and making the reservations process seamless for you and your customers, we also recognise that the majority of consumers are using search engines to find a place to eat or drink in their area – 87% according to Think by Google.
Once a suitable venue has been found, consumers, who are becoming increasingly time-strapped and accustomed to getting what they want quickly, can book there and then, which ultimately helps secure a booking with your business.
Indeed, the Reserve with Google mantra is about converting your customers extremely quickly, in a similar manner to Amazon's 'Buy Now' function where consumers purchase a product with one click. Reserve with Google removes the need for a customer to search for a venue, click through to its website, find the reservations section and make a booking.
Some customers will be quite happy to continue booking through your website and enjoy the multitude of functions it offers, but others - particularly those finding your venue for the first time online – simply want speed of service and it is important that we help them do this.
As Reserve with Google proves, booking technology is constantly evolving and it's important that we all stay ahead of the curve to help us achieve the ultimate aim of increasing bookings at our clients' venues.
And more bookings, mean more business, which is what every restaurant, pub and bar operator is trying to achieve. That's why we're embracing Reserve with Google, and excited to be at the forefront of the technology by offering enquiry management too!
To find out more about Access Collins and how you can benefit from Reserve with Google, speak to your account manager or book a demo today!