Start with the guest's actual question
A handover note that says 'family safari, August' leaves the next person with most of the work still to do. Record the dates requested, how flexible they are, the number of travellers and the question the guest needs answered. If something is unknown, say that it is unknown.
Keep the original message attached or linked. Your summary should help a colleague find the conversation, not replace the wording that might matter when the guest comes back with a correction.
Separate an option from a promise
A room you are checking is different from a room you have offered. A provisional rate is different from a sent quotation. Make those differences explicit so the next reply does not accidentally turn a possibility into a commitment.
- Requested: the dates and room arrangement the guest asked for.
- Checked: what availability and pricing have actually been confirmed.
- Sent: the latest quotation or answer, with its date.
- Outstanding: the question that still needs an answer.
Give the next action a person and a time
'Follow up' is not enough to hand over. A useful next action is 'Alex will confirm the family room arrangement tomorrow morning, then reply on the existing email thread'. Choose a time your team can honour. If that time passes, the task should still be visible.
For an agent enquiry, record whether the next reply belongs with the agent or the guest. Do not switch channels or copy in another person simply because their address is available.
Use this short handover
Put the following fields beside the enquiry. A shared reservations tool can hold them; a clearly maintained register can also work while you establish the habit.
- Guest or agent and link to the original conversation.
- Travel dates, flexibility and party details relevant to the quotation.
- Latest confirmed availability and quotation version.
- Last promise made to the guest.
- Next action, owner and due time.
- Current state: checking, quoted, waiting for a reply, confirmed or closed.
Make the shift change a small routine
Before leaving the desk, read the open promises rather than every message from the day. The colleague arriving should be able to see what needs attention first without asking you to explain the whole inbox.
LodgeHelm is built around the journey from enquiry to booking. Use this checklist to decide which information your own reservations team needs to keep together before you choose or change its tools.
Sources and further reading
This is an editorial checklist, not a measured claim about booking performance. The LodgeHelm site describes the product's intended enquiry-to-booking workflow.
- LodgeHelm: enquiry-to-booking workflow · checked 21 September 2026
Published by LodgeHelm. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed against the cited material.
