Why did you choose to affiliate to Besafe Rate?
When I was presented with the opportunity to affiliate to Besafe Rate, I accepted with enthusiasm, understanding that it could be the ideal solution to a problem shared by all accommodation structures, including ours. In fact, more and more often, we find ourselves having to face so called “battles” with guests who book non-refundable rates (taking advantage of encouraging rates), prepaying the whole stay, and then contact us in order to request cancellation and refund of partial or total amount prepaid, providing all sorts of alibis (rarely providing proof).
What follows is a hammering of e-mails, phone calls, threats of negative reviews, causing administrative problems to accumulate and waste of time. Last, but not least, it ends in loss of money (sometimes having to give in to refunds or discounts on future stays).
On one hand, the non-refundable rate, in addition to favouring cash-flow, has always been an important commercial tool, but on the other, as described above, it potentially causes a series of negative consequences, which is why many revenue managers have opted to abolish it.
Instead, Besafe Rate offers the opportunity to potential guests to have an insurance policy which, for transparency and clarity, specifies the cases and the ways in which the repayment is guaranteed, simultaneously exempting the Hotel from having to handle non-refundable cancellation requests.
What benefits are you experiencing?
Since adding Besafe Rate for sale on our website, we finally have the opportunity to fully take advantage of the benefits of prepaid collections, shaking off the burden of having to manage requests for refunds.
In addition to this important operating advantage, Besafe Rate has proved to be a useful disintermediation tool (as this rate is not present on other online distribution channels) to increase direct sales from the website, as the commission fee is more than acceptable. Among other things, it was not necessary to significantly discount the Besafe Rate compared to the flexible rate, as it is tempting in itself.
In fact, users who potentially would have chosen the non-refundable rate available on Booking.com or other OTAs, have instead opted to book Besafe Rate through on our official website, precisely for the insurance service included at no additional costs.
I believe that Besafe Rate is at the same time a simple yet original idea, as well as the solution to specific needs simultaneously offering an opportunity for direct revenue to accommodation establishments.
