Product updates

SITEMINDER and AVAILPRO – Import of Agents and Companies

For the channels of SITEMINDER and AVAILPRO, we have added a new feature allowing you with the import of bookings to have information of the Agent having made the booking and the Company the booking refers to when it is for corporate guests. Not all channels can provide information of the Company, but the bookings from GDS contain such details.

• The old behaviour was for an OTA channel info to be transferred to the Company field.
• Under the new behaviour, the OTA channel details are transferred to the Agent field, and if the booking is for corporate guests and there is Company info available, it will be transferred to the Company field.
• We have preserved an option to use the old behaviour, if you like it more. Which of the two behaviours will be used is controlled through the new setting.

In addition, to make the new behaviour possible, we have added two new fields to the Company screen - IATA and Channel manager search code. Use the first one to enter the IATA number of the Agent, and the role of the second one to ensure additional mapping option of the received data relating to the Company or the Agent, when there is no other reliable identifier.

Here are more details of the setting and the related behaviour:

The system behaviour depends on the new 'Company map' setting:

• Channel-to-Comnpany (v1) – the existing behaviour is preserved and the ОТА channel refers to the Company in the booking;
• Agent and Company mapping (v2) –a new behaviour able to complete the info of the Agent and the Company in the booking;
  • In the "Company Map" linked to the Portals/ОТА channels mapping, for each of them choose the default Agent.

The processing of XML under the new behaviour (Agent and Company mapping v2)

Agents

• If there is no info of the Agent in the XML – the info of the Default Agent as specified in the Company map is transferred to the booking.
• If, with the XML, we receive information of the Agent and the same has an identifier (IATA or other code) – respective Agent can be found by one of these fields: Channel manager search code, IATA, VAT number
• If we cannot find it, the system AUTOMATICALLY creates a profile of the Agent. A To-Do is generated.
• In the cases when the XML contains info of the Agent, but the identifier (IATA or other code) is missing – the booking remains without an Agent and a To-Do is generated. The same applies also to the case when the system finds more than one Agent for the respective IATA/Code.

Companies

• If the XML contains info of the Company and its identifier, the system will look for this Company in Clock PMS+ by the following fields: Channel manager search code, IATA, VAT number.
• If found, the Company is transferred to the booking.
• If not found or more than one Company found, the booking remains without a Company and a To-Do is created. The same applies to the case when there is data of the Company, but the identifier is missing (VAT number, code or similar).
• Please note that in contrast to Agents, Companies are NOT automatically created.

IF YOU LIKE THE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'LL APPRECIATE IT IF YOU TAKE A MINUTE TO LEAVE A SHORT REVIEW HERE.

POS - New Paperless Bill with a Tip Option

To the POS, we have added a new feature for the following purposes:

• For customers to be able review their bill on the waiter's mobile device;
• For customers to be able to enter a tip, if they wish to leave such one. Here our goal is to enhance the collection of tips.
• For customers to be able to sign their bill electronically, if it is to be transferred to the hotel room.

As all of these operations will be performed on the waiter's mobile device, we have made sure they don't access the system by accident, i.e. we have temporarily locked them on the new screen to prevent the access to the screens of Clock POS.

Here are more details of the new feature:

• It is designed for both the bills paid in cash or by credit card and the ones transferred to the hotel.
• Before closing the bill and upon the eventual selection of a room to transfer the bill to, from the Settle screen click the 'Client View' button.
• A new screen opens with the view of the bill. The system is now locked and you can hand the device to the customer.
• On the new screen, the customer can review their bill. In the upper and the lower parts of the bill, there are "Check and confirm the total amount" buttons. Please note that you can customise the text. For more info, see the next section.
• The client has to click "Check and confirm the total amount" button.
• A new screen opens where the customer is prompted to fill in the total amount to be paid, including the tip. You can enter the same or higher amount than the one on the bill. The next step is confirmation.
• The system will show a Thank you! screen.
• If the bills is for transfer to a room, the customer has to click the "Sign" button and use the screen to sign the bill.
• When everything is ready, you can get back to the system using the "Back/Login" link at the bottom. Enter your password to connect.
• You are redirected to the Settle screen, where you can complete the bill transfer to the respective room or finalise the payment and close the bill.
• Please note that if you wish to let the client once again go through these screens, you should make sure you have voided the Tip payment (if any).

Translation/Text change

To change certain texts or translate them into another language, please select ''Management'' - ''Languages and Texts'' - ''Printout Translations'' next to to the respective language. You can change the texts of: Check and confirm the total amount, Please fill in the total amount, Thank you! and Please, sign your bill.

IF YOU LIKE THE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'LL APPRECIATE IT IF YOU TAKE A MINUTE TO LEAVE A SHORT REVIEW HERE.

Other Improvements

• Folios – group charge sorting. As you know, in the folio charges are grouped by the so-called "Source". The "Source" can be a Booking, Event, Company, Meeting Room Booking, Catering, so on. We have made certain changes for charge groups to be sorted out chronologically (by date, and for the once having time of posting – by time). This way the folio screen, as well as its printout will be better arranged and easier to review.
• Occupancy and Charges Report - the report has been changed, and now its generation occurs in the background. Thus it can process greater amounts of data.
• A new Adults/Children column added to the Rate Control Report reflecting the number of adults and children, as well as the children's age.
• A new column to the Advanced Search screen - Children age. It shows the children's age entered into the booking Adults/Children.

IF YOU LIKE THE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'LL APPRECIATE IT IF YOU TAKE A MINUTE TO LEAVE A SHORT REVIEW HERE.

Fixes

• POS - Covers/Customers Report – the date filter now works by closing date. Thus the information is more accurate in terms of the closure reports.
• Trial Balance v.2 – when issuing more than one correction document, there were some discrepancies in the checksums in the report.
• When coping rates, the marketing segments were shared between the original and the copy, and the edit of one of the rates either in the original or the copy led to changes in the other one, too.
• Self Service Portal Language – if a language is selected in the guest profile, the Portal will be visualised in this language, otherwise, it will use the Default Language, as specified in Languages and Text
• The edit of the service date of charges is linked to the Charges: Create right.
• The button for testing a custom SMTP already works.