First, trying to determine how many reservationists are needed on a daily basis is not an exact science.  A Reservations Manager has to determine the “demand” of any upcoming city-wide conventions, or other special events that would cause the incoming phone call volume to be at a maximum. 

Secondly, staffing shortages may occur due to employees who have to leave work during the day for “personal reasons”, or employees who utilize their annual allotment of “sick day” leaves.  For that reason, an “on hold” system does help in advertising to clients who have to be put “on hold” because of under-staffing. 

However, the standard “on hold” system does not answer incoming calls “automatically”.  So, if a reservation agent is taking a reservation, and cannot get to the incoming call to say, “You have reached the Grand Hotel, please hold and I will be right with you.”  If the reservation agent cannot physically get to the call, they can’t tell them to wait “on hold”. 

To solve this sophisticated problem, a new Call Handler was invented to automatically answer up to three incoming lines, if it is not picked up within a certain number of rings that is designated by the hotel.  This new type of “automated attendant” was invented to solve this problem.  In larger hotels, the property could install as many of these devices as it needs.  Again, each device handles automatically up to three lines. 

Like the standard program of Accurate Communications Corporation, there is no equipment to buy.  The hotel is just maximizing the benefit of their “on hold” system.  The Call Handler also has a “night answer” feature.  If the Reservation Department wants to put a message that will go on automatically after business hours, such as, “We appreciate your call.  Our Reservation Department is open from 8a.m.-6p.m., 7 days a week.  Please call back at your earliest opportunity, and we will be pleased to book your room.” 

Alternatively, the Call Handler has a “call forwarding” device.  So, after hours, the Reservation Department could “call forward” their line automatically to the Front Desk, so that the Front Desk could take all of the reservations that came in during non-business hours. 

The Call Handler offers a hotel the greatest flexibility in capturing reservations.