Joel Mahoney's dashboard

Joel Mahoney replied on May 19, 2009 23:01 to the problem "fix the addresses!" in JackRabbit Systems:

Nancy, we went through all of the addresses in the Daytona Beach and didn't find any with the wrong address (at least, compared to the address listed on the hotel's own website, which maybe isn't even a safe assumption!) can you tell me which one(s) you were looking at?

Joel Mahoney replied on May 19, 2009 18:50 to the problem "unsecured website for payment" in JackRabbit Systems:

this is actually a problem with the hotel's own reservation engine. we have alerted them to the issue. thanks for the feedback!

Joel Mahoney replied on May 19, 2009 18:39 to the question "rooms" in JackRabbit Systems:

Hi Darcy,

unfortunately, we do not include adjoining room information in our search results. the best thing is probably to call the hotels you are interested in and ask your question directly. hope this helps!

Joel Mahoney posted a topic that has since been removed from JackRabbit Systems. see the change log

Joel Mahoney shared an idea in JackRabbit Systems on February 27, 2009 01:14:

You should show hotel packages...

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 05:53 to the question "What chain hotels does JackRabbit work with?" in JackRabbit Systems:

We work with all of the brands from the following:

Best Western
Carlson
Hilton
Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG)
La Quinta
Starwood

Joel Mahoney asked a question in JackRabbit Systems on February 26, 2009 05:51:

What chain hotels does JackRabbit work with?

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 05:21 to the question "Where is the BookDirect Engine placed on the DMO website and how does it work?" in JackRabbit Systems:

The BookDirect search form is placed on the home page of the DMO website, and on any other pages that are relevant. We also offer "proximity search" buttons - that allow guests to search for accommodations near a certain attraction - and dynamic rate calendars - that can be embedded on existing hotel information pages. After the guest performs a search, they are directed to a results page that shows all of the available accommodations. Once they've browsed the results and are ready to learn more about a specific hotel or make a reservation, they click on one of the buttons in the listing ("more info", "book now", etc.) and are redirected to the hotel's own website, where they can finalize their reservation. BookDirect redirects the guest as far as possible into the hotel's own check-out process (e.g. step 3 of 6) with the dates from BookDirect already entered. We've seen pretty clearly that each extra step in the check-out process is an opportunity for guests to browse somewhere else.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 05:14 to the question "How is BookDirect different than a regular booking engine?" in JackRabbit Systems:

In a regular booking engine, the guest places their reservation with the booking engine provider instead of with the hotel. In many cases, that means the guest has to call the booking engine provider to cancel or modify their reservation - which can be a pain. As the name suggests, BookDirect creates a direct connection between the guest and the hotel, which makes for a more direct connection when it comes to customer service, customer loyalty, etc. Also, from the hotel's perspective, there is no need for manual allocation of inventory - all we require is that you maintain the inventory on your own site.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 05:08 to the question "Why is BookDirect better than a simple hotel directory?" in JackRabbit Systems:

Static hotel directories are difficult to use: listings are often in alphabetical order and you can't see pricing or availability for the dates of your stay. In BookDirect - a hotel search engine - guests enter check-in and check-out dates and see what's available for the dates of their stay. Once on the results page, they can sort by name or price, filter by amenities or look for hotel locations on a map. All of this leads to a much quicker answer to the primary question: "where should I stay when I come to your market?"

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 05:01 to the question "Can I track the number of reservations I'm receiving through BookDirect?" in JackRabbit Systems:

Yes. If you embed the BookDirect tracking script in your confirmation page, we can track exactly how many reservations have been generated from BookDirect. The tracking script includes the pre-tax reservation amount and your confirmation code so it's easy for you to reconcile our data with your data.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 04:58 to the question "How often will BookDirect index my hotel's online inventory system?" in JackRabbit Systems:

Typically, BookDirect indexes once per day for three months' worth of pricing and once per week for a year's worth of pricing. Some online inventory systems support a higher frequency of updates.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 04:54 to the question "How do I know that I will only be charged for reservations that come from BookDirect?" in JackRabbit Systems:

When a user clicks a button in the BookDirect search results that sends them to your hotel website, we set a cookie in their browser that flags them as having originated from BookDirect. If they make it all the way to your confirmation page, and if the BookDirect tracking script has been properly embedded, we will match the tracking script to the cookie and mark the user as having converted. The cookies remain active for 30 days (so we can still get credit if a guest finds you through BookDirect but makes a reservation later - industry standard); however, the cookie is deleted as soon as the guest makes a reservation - meaning that we will only take credit for one reservation per cookie. You will also have access to detailed click and reservation tracking data through our reports application.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 04:44 to the question "Does BookDirect always pull the lowest rate from my online inventory system or can I control that?" in JackRabbit Systems:

BookDirect is designed to pull the lowest rate from your system. That way guests can compare the accommodations in the search results on an even basis. Also, it wouldn't make much sense to show a higher rate in the search results and then show them a lower rate once they get to your site. We "pull" from and "push" to the same page on your site. (If you absolutely have to maintain separate pricing in BookDirect, you will have to maintain a separate online inventory system that is only used by BookDirect).

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 04:37 to the question "How do I display my minimum stay requirements and black-out dates in BookDirect?" in JackRabbit Systems:

BookDirect is meant to reflect exactly what you display on your own website: if you have black-out dates that prevent inventory from being displayed for a certain date-range, the BookDirect indexer won't be able to see it either. If you have minimum stay requirements that prevent certain rooms from showing up if the date-range is too narrow, BookDirect won't be able to find rates during that period, meaning that it won't display anything in the search results on the DMO site. If your inventory system does display a rate even if the room can't be booked (due to minimum stay or black-out restrictions) BookDirect will grab the rate, but the user will see the errors once they get to your site. (We're currently working on a system that will grab the error messages from your site and display them in the BookDirect results so guests don't make unnecessary clicks).

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 04:31 to the question "Can bed and breakfasts (B & B's) participate in BookDirect?" in JackRabbit Systems:

Yes. As long as BookDirect can interface with your online reservation/inventory system, we can include your property in the search results.

Joel Mahoney asked a question in JackRabbit Systems on February 26, 2009 04:29:

Can bed and breakfasts (B & B's) participate in BookDirect?

Can bed and breakfasts (B & B's) participate in BookDirect?

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 04:26 to the question "How does BookDirect increase conversions of website visitors into hotel guests?" in JackRabbit Systems:

We've put a lot of effort into BookDirect. It's designed to make it as easy as possible for guests to find hotel availability in the local market. Compared with a static hotel directory, for example, where guests have to scroll down through a long list of results and go to each hotel's website to find pricing, BookDirect displays all of the pricing in one result set that gets generated according to the guest's specific search criteria. BookDirect also includes tools to sort and filter the results so guests can narrow down to exactly what they are looking for. The bottom line is that a "wild goose chase" to find pricing will wear the consumer out and if they can't find what they're looking for, eventually they will give up. JackRabbit can measure the results and show you the difference.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 03:49 to the question "In what order are the BookDirect search results presented?" in JackRabbit Systems:

Generally, the BookDirect search results are presented in random order so participating hotels get equal exposure. Hotels that show a "check price" button (because they don't have an online inventory system that we can pull rates from), rotate at the bottom of the page. Some host sites, however, have requested a tiered model where we can show results in gold, silver and standard brackets. In that case, the results are rotated randomly in each bracket See www.sanluisobispocounty.com for an example - reload the page and you'll see how it works.

Joel Mahoney replied on February 26, 2009 03:38 to the question "How do I include my hotel in the BookDirect system?" in JackRabbit Systems:

As long as we have coverage in your market, all you have to do is go to http://www.jackrabbitsystems.com/signup and fill in the relevant information. If you have questions about our current coverage, please see http://jackrabbitsystems.com/markets....