Checkfront Reviews

Easy software for Booking Tourist Activities / invoice

Comments: - I decided to say with checkfront, because their team is very helpful, there is a community and a forum to get inspired, to get help if you are a beginner in the tourism industry

Pros:

+ All in one place : Booking / customers / invoices + You can customize every detail of the Activity you are selling to your customers + The support team listens to your needs

Cons:

- During covid, the hibernation plan means that your website goes offline

Easy to use and customize

Comments: Excellent. Easy to use and customize.

Pros:

Being able to adapt for our individual needs

Cons:

Our pricing plan is excellent with Checkfront. But I recently received notice it was going to increase significantly. This is very disappointing. If we utilized of the abilities of the program I would pay more but we use a very minimal amount as I do most work in house. The program is great though.

Not Optimized For Marketing Or Conversions

Comments: Overall this has been a poor experience. The support is fine and responsive. The tech for it's core purpose is not bad. However they have completely forgone marketing optimization which is a massive flaw. Optimizing for marketing and conversion rate optimization seems to be at the back burner and does not take priority at their company.

Pros:

It does the job for bookings and storing information.

Cons:

Almost zero consideration has gone into the marketing aspect of bookings.They are currently not GA4 compatible, despite being under a month out from the UA sunset.Email automations and design are abysmal. It only allows for HTML design. Poor automation and flow.The booking interface is ugly and not well optimized. This goes for the widget and booking page.

Absolutely love Checkfront

Comments: When we first started out we took reservations in a paper book....yes you read correctly, on paper...knowing there had to be a better way I researched different software to use. Since then we have been so happy with Checkfront. The support from their team has been amazing. From setting us up to answering my everyday questions, their team is always friendly and helpful. I highly recommend them to anyone.

Pros:

We have been with check front for 7 years now and we love everything about it. It's simple to use, training new employees to use it is easy, the booking process just flows nicely so it makes sense. Customers also compliment us on how simple and straightforward it is to use. I also feel like they are there when I need them to help me out with any issues I'm having.

Cons:

I would like to use the waivers section but it didn't quite work for our set up. There's a couple of little things that would be nice to be able to do with the calendar etc. I also which the app was a bit more useful. I usually always send suggestions in when I come across something that I think would be beneficial for everyone.

Very responsive customer care

Comments: Very positive experience with Checkfront - nothing seems to be a problem, always supportive response from Support staff. Really very happy with product and overall support.

Pros:

The software has many really useful functions e.g. waivers; group waivers; integration with Xero. The developements in terms of the calendar and manifest are great improvements but little tweaks in layout would declutter the view. Some of the details functionality is brilliant - often not easy to find how to do something but just ask the Support folks and they usually have a very neat solution to offer. The customer support is fantastic, so responsive and are very wiling to take a suggestion/issue back to the developers.

Cons:

Find the Inventory calendar a bit cluttered and the mobile app could be done with a little refinement in terms of daily manifest. Integration with Xero needs a little refinement - would be excellent if an admin could choose which Payment Methods are integrated, at the moment every transaction creates a Xero invoice which is not always appropriate (e.g. gift vouchers, cash, face-to-face card payments) so there can be quite a bit of voiding in Xero to correct position. The Partner Accounts are too restrictive for the way we work with our partners so we had to provide User accounts to provide the functionality.

Comprehensive system with good support

Comments: I have been very impressed that Checkfront has been able to manage all aspects of our reservation system (online booking, calendar, inventory, waiver forms and integration with our POS). We were able to switch from a paper/whiteboard whiteboard model to completely digital this year thanks to our Checkfront implementation and it has been a game changer. Support has been very good and makes all the difference with configuration questions and minor system issues.

Pros:

I have an IT background and was able to install and configure this system mostly on my own. I needed help with a few more complex configuration questions but pretty impressive that a system this sophisticated can be setup by the end user. It is very flexible and powerful but this also means that setup can get quite involved.

Cons:

Reporting is a weakness with no custom reporting options. Ongoing development of the product is slow and currently with no transparency on the roadmap. They have promised to share more info on this though.

Easy On Line Booking System

Pros:

The systems are in place to send email reminders and confirmations of items booked. The booking is easy to set up so your customers can go through the form themselves

Cons:

When checking on a customer name you have to be exact - it doesn't show similar names like it use to, would love that back

Great service for the small tour opperation like my business

Comments: Great, good service and most of the time I can figure things out without any help from customer service.

Pros:

At first it took some time to understand the platform, but their people made that process easier with various videos and instructions

Cons:

Kinda expensive on a monthly basis, and oftentimes I'll have no tours, but still have to pay Checkfront

Eagle Wings Lodge

Comments: Generally good except when changes need to be made to bookings or refunds.

Pros:

The many reports and options available.

Cons:

Two calendars are confusing. Making changes to reservations. Difficult to figure out even with directions creating frustration and lots of time spent trying. Not user friendly- too many terms that are not easy to learn. Sorry to complain.

Bike Hire, Annie

Comments: It's very good.

Pros:

Easy-to-use. Reports are helpful when reviewing my business

Cons:

Changing an inventory item when aliased . It takes a long time to set up inventory items. If the parent number is changed, it would be good if aliased would automatically change.

Best small-medium hotel booking system I've come across...

Comments: Bookings for different room types, transport and activities is made easy through using Checkfront. I dont have to worry about double bookings and I know exactly who's coming in and out of my resort, even when I'm not there. My staff find it easy to use and we are able to amend things quickly and easily. For the customer it's also very clear to book what they are looking for.

Pros:

Ease of navigation and clear information layout especially on a laptop.

Cons:

Sometimes find a few features a little tricky to get my head around on my own but that doesnt matter because the customer support is amazing and they always find a solution.

Checkfront Is Great!

Comments: My overall experience with Checkfront has been good

Pros:

I like the reservation calendar and online booking the most.

Cons:

I think it would be beneficial to be able to mark rooms as they're cleaned. This would enable me to when to know when the room is clean and ready to be turned over to the next guest.

Checkfront is the heart of our services business

Pros:

Ease of use and excellent customer service

Cons:

Integration with websites is somewhat limited. WOuld love to have it be a bit more customizable.

Best software for small business

Pros:

User friendly, more information than other software

Cons:

We have no dislikes about this software.

Checkfront Has Changed The Game

Comments: Overall our experience with Checkfront has been hugely positive. The support provided by the team throughout the customisation process was always fast, easy to understand and tailor made for me.

Pros:

After operating our business for years without an online, pre-paid bookings system we had no idea of the positive impact Checkfront would have, not just for our business but for our lives. Red Star Music is a recording studio and rehearsal spaces and there was initial concern that introducing this type of system would 'scare away', deter or frustrate existing customer but to our surprise, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been a win/win situation for everyone. Pros for customers: * No longer have to rely on getting in touch with us to book and check availability. * No longer have to request invoices. * Checkfront with the addition of digital access to the spaces means we are able to be open 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. Pros for us: * Protection from financial losses due to people not showing up for bookings, cancelling last minute and refusing to pay. With Checkfront's pre-paid system and our compulsory terms of agreement, the responsibility is placed entirely on the customers to organise themselves. * Protection from human error during the bookings process (on our part). * We are now open 24hrs/7 days a week and no longer are required to have onsite staff members collecting payment whenever there are bookings. * We have more time to focus on other aspects of the business and our lives rather than having to be on call around the clock. Our phones are very quiet these days and we have more bookings than ever.

Cons:

Understanding that our needs are fairly complicated when it comes to a customised bookings system, there are really only a few very minor things: It'd be nice to be able to set a rule that a certain time slot booking can only be booked when another before it is in place. For example - we'd like to run a 2hr discount session from 9-11pm as a gap filler on week days but we only want customers to be able to book that session if a 5-9pm session is already booked so that we aren't blocking a potential 4hr 7-11pm, higher value session. Does that make sense? No biggie though! There are a couple of things with the mobile app however: 1. If I'm away and I want to check tomorrow's bookings on my phone to see whether I need to be there or not, I can open the app and see in the list of customers from earliest to latest (top to bottom), but I have to tap into each individual customer to see what time they are actually booked, making it difficult for me to get and overall visual of how I'm going to organise the day, hire gear etc. 2. I often want to be able to contact customers when I'm away to give them instructions but there doesn't seem to be any way for me to access contact details, phone/email for the bookings in the mobile app. Being able to tap copy their phone numer and send a quick text would make life much easier.

Accommodation Management using Checkfront

Comments: Checkfront has met our every business need, so far. Yes, we have had to reach out to Checkfront support for assistance from time to time, but they have come to the party with a solution every time. Make no mistake, this is a great product.

Pros:

Flexibility to meet our business processes, automated customer communications via "Notifications" (which you can tailor to your needs), calendar functions, ability to specify requirements for the booking page and guest lists. We also like the different look and feel options for your booking page.

Cons:

If I had to make a criticism, and I mean "had to", I would say that because Checkfront is so flexible in its design features, there is a learning curve to understand how the functionality works. That is why you need good customer support, which you also get with Checkfront.

Brilliant System

Comments: Implementing Checkfront has radically improved the efficiency and professionalism of our business, enhancing the customer experience and saving us hundreds of hours.

Pros:

Online booking, automated inventory control, powerful and flexible customer communications, plug-ins to enable integration with a wide range of other systems

Cons:

Can’t think of any meaningful cons or problems with the software

Checkfront Booking Engine

Comments: Using Check-front as my online booking engine. Great tech support. Tech Support is friendly, knowledgeable, and usually very quick to reply.

Pros:

The software is great value for the money. Best out there in my opinion. Great telephone software support during the set-up/onboarding. Ongoing support via email is extremely good, with tech support promptly replying with step-by-step detailed explanations and screen videos of how to address the issues.

Cons:

1. For vacation rental managements, this software in it's current version is very awkward & time consuming to update rates, descriptions, etc if the property falls in more than one category, such as a being 4 bedroom, ski-in/ski-out, base area location, private hot tub & pet friendly. For each category, rates need to be added for that property each time a rate change or new set of dates is added. It seems to be that there should be a main listing that communicates with each of the categories the property is listed under. In the initial set-up, an "alias" can be used, but once the property is up, new rates, fees, taxes, etc have to be added to the property in each category it is listed under. Takes way too much time to do things this way. Needs to be an option to "link" the same property throughout each category it is listed in so rate adjustments can be done with just one entry. 2. Wish they had ongoing telephone support though the email support works well 3. Wish Checkfront had calendar connections with other vacation rental sites such as VRBO, HomeAway, AirBnB, Expedia, Booking.com and so one so once a reservation is made on one site, all the other booking calendars updated at the same time.

FRUSTRATING !!

Comments: It was a good system to get me started in my business but it doesn't offer me the flexibility i need.
It was easy to set up.
Easy to navigate.

Pros:

A relatively simple system to use and easy to navigate. The layout is good on the calendar pager and the reports offer valuable information.

Cons:

I find the system very inflexible to my needs, eg. Can not offer Room only and Rooms with breakfast from the same inventory stock. There are no error messages when you are clearly not setting things up correctly. Eg, Setting up an event, you have to go to the help page all the time to ensure you are doing it right. Pop ups with helpful tips would be better & time saving. Item Event Rules/rule sets are too complicated and open to user error, the software doesn't make it user friendly, there are too many pages to refer to. The software allows you to enter dates that overlap other events, this should not be allowed, its frustrating when setting up seasonal prices. The system is too time consuming and requires manual input when it should be cross checking dates and pop up an alert if incorrect, quite often the event doesn't work....Frustrating! Having to import every booking that goes through a channel manager and unlock it first ! Time consuming ! Why doesn't it go into the calendar automatically? Unable to change the price on the initial page when making a new booking, this has to be amended afterwards.....frustrating that you can not enter it right first time ! Unable to set up more than one policy. This is so inflexible when you are selling services and accommodation which have different policies for bookings. I have been waiting 6months for you to fix my inventory errors and minimum stay rules.. Poor communication and no urgency whilst I lose money & bookings.

Solid Booking Software

Comments: I use it on a daily basis and find it really easy to navigate.

Pros:

It is easy to use once you have everything set up. Your bookings are on automation. Booking comes in, emails and confirmations are set. Follow-up emails can be set up. Easy search functions for bookings and daily manifest sheets are clear. Nice to use.

Cons:

It doesn't always fit your specific needs, but the support is always there to help with a workaround. It takes ages to get specific items added to the updates.

My Experience with Checkfront

Comments: I operate a charter yacht in the USVI. Checkfront is my booking calendar if record. I use it to manage availability, and as a direct booking channel. I've stayed with Checkfront for the past two years because it meets most all my needs at a reasonable price point. The addition of tipping functionality is important to me. It will likely drive my purchasing decision in the future, as I shift towards a daysailing business from a term charter operation.

Pros:

The software meets most of my expectations. I especially appreciate the flexibility I have when setting up inventory items. Perhaps more important is the quality of support you provide. Each time that I have had a need to reach out, my inquiry was handled by a knowledgeable and concerned person, who rapidly resolved my challenge and typically taught me something along the way. Thank you.

Cons:

My biggest issue with the service is that my clients don't have the option to tip while they are checking out. As a service provider, tipping is critical, especially for the crew. If the client was presented with the option to add a tip, I know that my income would increase significantly, perhaps 10%+

Great Customer Support

Comments: I wanted to make a few extra tweak's to my platform after 2 years. I contacted the support team and they arranged a special one on one hour meeting for me. It was all i needed. These folks are great. I appreciate the support.

Pros:

I'm not very good with computers. Checkfront support helped me implement my program and make changes when I first started. Once I spent time with the program, It became easy to use. After 4 years I feel very comfortable.

Cons:

I don't have anything that comes to mind.

Game changer for our rental business

Comments: Brilliant. Saved a ton of time. Better service for our customers b/c they can see what we offer and if we don't have it they can seek it elsewhere.

Pros:

This was the most significant change in our rentals in the 37 year history. Or at least, from my vantage point. It is much easier for the customer to see what is available. The way they interact with the software with images is excellent. I also appreciate how we could offer such a variety of kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards, and a range of pricing. Super flexible. A bonus, was that even after we had taken rentals, we could make changes, and not affect the initial bookings. I have found this software to be excelent. Saving us a ton of back and forth with customers and allowing our customers to see what we have, literally because we have pictures on the site. Awesome.

Cons:

The initial learning curve is always tough. Though ultimately, the upfront growing pains have been waaay worth it. The customer services - and recordings that are sent after the session are really helpful.

Awesome, simply awesome

Comments: I book over a hundred volunteers each year and it's a one-person show here. I don't know how I did it before CheckFront, I really don't. So many steps are now automated for me and it's a breeze to keep track of bookings. I use notifications a lot to send volunteer handbooks, orientation videos and other important documents that I used to have to track and send manually. What a relief to be done with that and to be using notifications instead.

Pros:

I am able to integrate nearly my entire workflow in one place from reservation to payment, notifications and more. For me, it just works.

Cons:

Can't think of anything off hand. If it could take my volunteer application as well, that would have 100% of my work in one package.

Works Great, Great Support

Comments: We have used Checkfront since our inception in 2012. We have grown and so have they. They have done a great job making things better and their price is fair. Any issues we have had support has assisted in a timely manner. Reporting is great and notifications to customers is easy to set up.

Pros:

Great reporting, easy to use, well priced.

Cons:

My only slight issue I have with them, is I would love to attend a 2-3 day Checkfront "University". I get the feeling we can do more with Checkfront and are only using 75% of it. Of course, they have a great and very efficient configuration call that helps and this probably is the more efficient route to go anyway.