dobbelbooking

Dobbelbooking is a term used for a scheduling conflict in which the same resource is reserved by two or more parties for overlapping time periods. It is most commonly seen in hospitality (hotels, hostels, vacation rentals), event venues, car rentals, and other services that sell time-based inventory. The term is used in several Nordic languages and is often interchangeably described as double booking.

Causes include errors in data entry, duplicate reservations, delays in updating availability across systems, misconfigured calendars, and insufficient capacity checks. Differences in time zones or delays when synchronizing online channels can also create overlapping bookings even when a resource appears available.

The consequences can range from guest inconvenience and the need to relocate or refund one party to operational disruption, loss of revenue, and reputational harm for the service provider. In some sectors, double bookings may violate contractual terms or customer service policies and require compensation.

Prevention and mitigation rely on strong inventory control. Key measures are a centralized reservation system with real-time availability, automatic conflict detection, blocking of resources after a booking is created, and unique booking identifiers. Regular audits, staff training, and clear policies for handling conflicts help reduce occurrences. Providing alternatives (the same or better options) and timely communication are essential if a conflict arises.

See also: overbooking, double booking.