25 Questions to Ask Before Scheduling an Activity Reservation Software Demo

If your business involves reservations or bookings to keep everything flowing smoothly, then you may be in the market for software to help you achieve all of that. You need one that can make it easy for your customers to make reservations and easy for your staff to keep track of them.

The best way to find out if a particular software is going to work for you is to ask for a demonstration of what the software can do in real-time using real parameters. Just watching the software in action is not enough to be sure it meets your needs. Here are 25 questions you should ask about activity reservation software and the company that is providing it to you.

What is an Activity Reservation Software Demo?

Activity reservation software has to be able to accomplish a lot for it to be effective. It needs to present a user-friendly platform that allows your customers to get the answers they need and book reservations with ease. It must also simplify your staff’s input by organizing and compiling reservations, invoices, and billing information and presenting that information to them in easy-to-understand pages and graphics.

A short video is not enough to determine if a particular software can accomplish these things. To showcase the benefits of their software many developers offer demo versions of their software. This is usually a limited version of the software that can be downloaded and used for free for a designated period.

This trial period should give you ample time to see how the platform works and whether your customers and staff will be able to negotiate it. You should also be able to determine how much it streamlines the entire process, from customer queries to their booking of activities, to getting your company receiving payment and, ultimately, completing the scheduled activities on time and within budget.

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Questions about the Provider

Before you even schedule a demo, take the time to know a bit about the person or business that is offering it to you by asking the following questions.

1. Where is your company based? Is there a possibility of on-site training if needed?
2. How experienced are you with this particular software? With the training needed to get people up to speed with the use of this or any new software?
3. Does anyone on your staff have experience in my, or a similar, field? Will they be able to understand the nuances of activity reservations in my field?
4. How large is your staff? Will I be given a designated staff member, a specialist in my field, or will I simply get whichever team member is available?
5. Can you offer me references for other companies you have worked with, both in my field and outside of it?
6. Are you familiar with the local market in my field?

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Questions About How This Software Can Benefit Your Company

1. How long after I begin to use your software can I expect to see a return on my investment?
2. Does the software include analytics and/ progress reports so I can easily track its success?
3. How is your software better than the system I have already been using?
4. Can I control the software from a mobile device, i.e., smartphone or tablet?
5. Do you offer me the opportunity to improve my website?
6. Can I sync with my own or online calendars?
7. Will you be able to help me with distribution, including choosing the right platforms or social media sites?
8. Is there a single place where I can track all of my bookings and see where they are being generated from? Can I do this in real-time?
9. Does your software include a scheduling manager that will prevent double bookings and help with staff scheduling based on bookings?
10. Can I add additional features to encourage upselling? Does your workflow software automatically allow for extra time/budget for these additions?
11. Is collaboration with other businesses possible, even if they do not use your software? Is it possible to sell their products or services seamlessly alongside mine?

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Questions About their Payment Procedures

Make sure that the software’s payment procedures are easily accessible for both your clients and your staff.  

1. Do they provide their payment gateway or do you need to supply it? If they do, what currencies and payment types do they accept?
2. Is the security of the payment process guaranteed?
3. Can invoices be broken down into multiple payments? With or without interest charges?
4. Can customers stay on my site to pay or will they be directed elsewhere?
5. Does your software allow me to create coupon codes, vouchers, or gift cards?

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Questions About Support  

There is a learning curve with any new software, but some are more difficult for the layperson to figure out. Before deciding, makes sure that the software comes with a full spectrum of support services both for training and in the vent something goes wrong.

1. How long will it take for the software to be uploaded, adapted to meet my specific needs, and fully functional?
2. Will my staff need to be technically savvy to be able to use the software?
3. How much tech support do you offer and for how long after purchase? Will my staff and I have access to 24-hour support?

There are many things to consider when choosing a new activity reservation software. The questions offered should get you the general information you need, but it would be wise to come up with a few of your own that speak to the specifics of your business.  

You will notice that none of these questions dealt directly with the cost of the software. That is a factor that should be considered only after you have narrowed your choices down. Use the questions listed above to find out if the software you are considering will give you all the tools you need to easily and effectively run your activity booking business, then consider the cost.

Once you have found what you believe to be the right choice of activity reservation software it is time to schedule a demo to be sure you are right. Book a demo with Junglebee today to see if we are the best activity reservation software for your tour or activity! 

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