Connectivity Tech Tips & Tricks: Handling Timeouts Efficiently

Introduction:

In the dynamic world of online bookings, timeouts are not just technical hiccups—they can lead to a significant drop in customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood of booking cancellations. In this edition of Connectivity Tech Tips & Tricks, we delve into effective strategies for managing timeouts in the booking process, ensuring they have minimal impact on your business.

Understanding the Impact of Timeouts:

Timeouts, an inevitable aspect of network communication, are closely tied to poor customer experiences. This underscores the importance of adhering to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to harness the full potential of the Supplier API.

The Inevitability of Timeouts:

Despite best efforts, some timeouts are unavoidable. It's crucial to understand how to proficiently handle these incidents within the booking context to mitigate their business impact.

Proper Error Handling:

When a timeout occurs during a Booking API call, whether in your system or a connected subsystem, the correct error response is "INTERNAL_SYSTEM_FAILURE." This response indicates to GetYourGuide that you're momentarily unable to complete the operation but may succeed shortly. It triggers an automatic "retry" process, wherein your API is periodically re-attempted until successful completion or after ten unsuccessful retries.

Recovery from INTERNAL_SYSTEM_FAILURE:

Upon encountering an INTERNAL_SYSTEM_FAILURE, your system should respond to the API request with the intended initial response. For Booking retries, GetYourGuide will use the identical payload of the original call. Your system must recognize this as a repeat of the previous, timed-out request (by comparing the 'gygBookingReference') and respond accordingly. Avoid returning "booking duplication" errors, as these can lead to booking failures and even result in your product being removed from GetYourGuide.

Conclusion:

Efficiently managing timeouts is crucial in maintaining a seamless booking experience. By understanding the appropriate error responses and recovery processes, you can significantly reduce the negative impact of timeouts on your business and customer satisfaction.

Stay tuned for more insights in our Connectivity Tech Tips & Tricks series. If you have any questions regarding this or other topics, please contact us at supplier-api@getyourguide.com or schedule an “Ask Me Anything” meeting with our Connectivity Engineering Manager.