Ideas for RoomKeyPMS

Confirming reservations by email is a multi step process. The fewer email exchanges we have, the better the service we provide and the higher the likelihood the client will confirm the reservation. For us, a reservation is confirmed after the client pays a deposit. The ideal process would be as follows. Step 1 - consumer sends email asking to book a room for a specific date range  Step 2 - Hotel creates reservation in RoomKey and emails back consumer with a Reservation ID#   Step 3 - Consumer contacts hotel with their credit card to process the deposit.

The typical process is -  Step 1 - client sends email requesting room  Step 2 - hotel emails back with general availability information Step 3 - guest asks questions about various options Step 4 - hotel answers Step 5, etc....

I want to follow the ideal process explained in the first paragraph and get the consumer to commit to the reservation as quickly as possible. 

But if we follow th eideal process a problem arises because there is no reminder system in RoomKey to cancel a reservation on a certain date if no deposit has been received. This means that the hotel must manually track and cancel each reservation it has created after a certain date if the consumer has not replied back to provide a cc for the deposit

They key is that clients are 50% more likely to book a room if in Step 2 they receive an email from the hotel advising them a reservation has already been created in their name, as opposed to the hotel and the consumer going back and forth with emails about availability and options. If all the hotel does in Step 2 is advise  there is availability, we are 50% less likely to get the consumer to book. Creating a reservation in the system up front is a very effective sales tool. 

I would like an option in the booking process for the person creating the reservation to have the ability to choose whether or not they want the system to system to automatic delete a reservation if no deposit has been received.