Clock PMS Update (19 May 2015)

Web Reservation System

Themes

Now the layout customization of the Web Reservation System is even easier. You don't need special expertise. Just in a click, the new 17 themes can be applied to the WRS. Check out the different themes and select the most suitable one for your WRS.

Simplex

Superhero

Sandstone

You can see a preview of the themes here: Web Reservation System - Themes

Applying a theme to your WRS:

• Select 'Other' - 'Settings' - 'Web Reservation System'
• In 'Optional settings', use the 'Theme' field to select the theme. Save.

Here are the new customization options for the style of the Web Reservation System :

• Pre-defined theme. Select one of the 17 themes. Don't upload CSS files.
• Partial customization of a pre-defined theme. Choose one of the 17 pre-defined themes. Add a custom CSS file with your changes to the styles (background colour, font, etc. ). You may need assistance from your web developer.
• Entirely customized style. Select 'None' for a theme and upload custom CSS files containing a custom version of bootstrap. See in "Web Reservation System - Colours and Fonts customization" how easy it is to generate it.

Rich text in descriptions

The following descriptions in the WRS and Confirmation emails can be formatted through rich text:

• Room type description
• Room description
• Rate description
• Hotel policy description
• Guarantee policy description

In all of the above, you can use styles, fonts, sheets, colours, tables, alignment, etc. Just find any of these fields in the Languages and Texts. Click the description's text and use the buttons of the rich text editor to format the text like you do it in Word/Open Office.

Room type Description

Other Changes to the WRS

• Clearer Advanced Translations. The customization of labels and texts in the WRS and confirmations is easier. The original English text, as well as hints of its location and use, have been added to each field in the Advanced Translations.
• The confirmation and other emails from you appear with the name of your hotel in the inboxes of your clients.
• Extra service page: services have been arranged alphabetically and aligned left.

Housekeeping Live Monitor

The new feature of Clock PMS enables the reception desk to receive all changes to room statuses in real time. Like everything else in Clock PMS, the new Housekeeping Live Monitor is mobile-friendly.

Load it on a tablet at the reception desk and receive sound notifications of each change to a room status, sent by the housekeeping personnel also using such mobile devices.

The changes are colour-coded to help you spot the newest ones easily. The new functionality also enables you to attend to guests faster and improve the communication among the various departments.

To open the Housekeeping Live Monitor:

• Select ‘Other’ - ‘Reports’ - ‘Housekeeping Live Monitor’
• Untick the ‘With sound’ check-box for a silent mode and click ‘View’
• In real time, the monitor will ring with each new update and colour the updated room

Room Calendar

Holidays and special events

• Let holidays and special events appear in a different colour in the Room Calendar. Now you can set a colour and text to certain date cells in the Room Calendar, so that holidays and other special events can stand out. The texts set appear as labels above the calendar. How to set this feature:
  • Access the Room Calendar
  • Select 'Labels' from the navigation
  • Add the dates, choosing a colour and text (the text field may be left blank) for each of them.
• The year appears with each of the months.

Rates

• A new feature in the rate editor: 'Hide details'. Use it to hide most of the details and have a more compact view of the editor.
• In the section of each rate, a new button has been added. It allows you to use the Set Multiple Days option for the respective rate only. This way you no longer need to search for a rate in the long list of rates on the Set Multiple Days screen.
• On the Set Multiple Days screen, the rates have been arranged alphabetically.

Rates - compact view

Other

• Credit card payments (Authorize.net) in back-office. When using Authorize.net, credit card payments can be made from the folio screen. Here are two possible ways of using the new feature:
  
  

  Just collect the credit card data of your clients through the WRS or over the phone. You can use this data to effect a payment later on. Thus the employee doesn't see this sensitive information and is still able to finish the payment process, even not having the 'Credit Card: View data' right.

  If you have the credit card data in front of you, you can enter the credit card data manually and effect the payment.

  For credit card payments via Authorize.net:

  • Open the guest's booking and folio
  • Click 'Credit Card Payment' in the 'Payments' section.

• Note: The button is only visible when Authorize.net is set up.

  • If a booking contains credit card data, you will see the Existing Card tab. Enter the amount. Untick the 'Clear the Credit Card Data' check-box, if the credit card data will be needed for further payments.
  • Alternatively, click the New Card tab and enter the data of a new credit card, the amount and pay. The credit card data is not stored in the system and cannot be used another time.
  • To finish the payment, click 'Save'.

• Note: Keeping credit card data, when it is no longer needed, violates the PCI DSS requirements.

• Channel managers – more up-to-date occupancy data. Channel managers' algorithm of updating occupancy data has been changed. As a result, the time needed for updating the occupancy data is significantly shortened and overbooking is reduced to its minimum.
• Advanced translations – clearer folio labels. Now it is even easier to find and translate texts appearing in folios.
• Now users with administrative access can only provide access to the accounts they themselves have access to.
• Taxes – greater value precision. You can enter the following tax value: 7.5025%
• For links/buttons which cannot be opened in a new tab, there is a new clearer error message replacing the current one "The change you wanted was rejected."

Fixes

• Self Service – the self checkout now appear on other payment interfaces too.
• Fixed transfer charge from the 'all folios' company screen
• Automatic room allocation – in some cases, it did not include rooms being released on the current date.
• The period of the Credit Card Log Report did not reflect the user's time zone correctly.