Clock PMS update (21 Aug 2014)

Web Reservation System

• Bookings created after successful payment onlyThe internal organization of the WRS has been optimized to create bookings only after they have been successfully paid. The bookings made through the WRS are included in the total occupancy of the hotel and shown in booking lists after their successful payment through the respective payment service. This eliminates the necessity to manually cancel bookings whose payments have not gone through. There are also no duplications that used to appear in such cases.

• Google Analytics

  Subscribers can now have a Google Analytics account activated and get information about the activities of the visitors to the hotel WRS.

  Subscribers who wish to use the feature must send Clock the details of a Google account (a gmail account or another e-mail address linked to a Google account), where they will be sent access credentials to Google Analytics. The activation and setup are performed by Clock.

Self Service Portal

• Guest Feedback

  This new function of the Self Service portal allows the hotel to get feedback from its guests, identify its strong and its weak sides and improve its product and service to match customer demand.

  The feedback can be seen in detail in the special new report, which also presents the rating graphically.

  The scope of the function will be expanded with the automated after-departure e-mailing option which will be included in one of the next updates.

  Guest feedback is part of the Self Service add-on. It can be deactivated from the settings of the portal.

Channel Management

iCalendar feed - BETA

This new functionality allows synchronizing the availability of the property between numerous portals and Clock PMS automatically.

The portals supporting this option (iCalendar/iCal synchronization) specialise in the sale individual units (rooms, apartments, villas, etc.). They use separate availability calendars for each unit. These calendars can be automatically synchronized with the availability in the system at given intervals. To do this, a URL for each unit must be copied from the system into the respective calendar in the portal.

The function is extremely helpful in the day-to-day management of channels and will also allow the use of more channels and increase the number of bookings.

The URL-s are copied from field 'ical url' in the editing screen of each room.

Presently the functionality is in its test phase and is free of charge. The final release will be charged separately.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the channels supporting such synchronization:

Bookings

• Optimised the operations with Small groups (Families and Friends)

  The handling of bookings for small groups through the WRS or the PMS has been optimized with the use of field Reference number.

  When a small group booking for several rooms is created (Family or Friends), all bookings in the group are given the reference number of the first booking (e.g. #123). In result:

  • Bookings belonging to a small group can easily be identified in booking lists by their reference number (#123).
  • The preview of each booking contains a link, which opens all other bookings in the group and allows editing or cancellation.
  • The reference number can be used as a search filter to find all bookings from a small group and re-send confirmation letters if necessary.
  • Adding a booking to a small group at a later stage is easy. Simply enter the same reference number as for the other bookings.
• Finding all bookings in a small group is also useful for the fast merging of folios introduced in the previous update (search – multi select – folios – transfer). With these two functions it is easy to join all charges of a group in one folio.

• Cancelling the folios of more than one booking

  If an entire group cancels, this new function allows cancelling the folios of all its bookings at once:

  • Open a list of bookings (arrivals, expected, advanced search, etc.), find the bookings you need by Company/Event/Reference number or any other criteria you find useful.
  • Click 'Select Multiple' and select the desired bookings. If appropriate, use Select all.
  • From button 'Cancel' select 'Void booking charges'
  • The charges in all open folios which have no payments registered in them will be voided.

• Housekeeping information in the booking preview

  On checking in a booking a quick check of the housekeeping status of the room is usually in order. For this purpose the booking preview now also shows if the room is ready or not, as well as notes on possible problems with it.

  With this addition, the booking preview gives all the information needed for fast check-in:

  • Charges for nights and city taxes;
  • Required information for the registration cards;
  • Credit card details;
  • Special requirements declared by guests;
  • Housekeeping status.

• New field in registration cards and registries: Gender

  Go to 'Settings' - 'Registration Card fields' to indicate whether you want the field to be included in your registration cards and registries.

• Transfer control

  Each booking and company now has a checkbox to allow/restrict transfers from other folios. This applies both to transfers between bookings and companies and between Clock PMS and Clock POS/Golf.

Taxes and Fees

• City tax included in the price.

  This new option is designed for countries whose legislation requires the amounts of city tax to be included in the invoices issued to guests.

  So far the city tax could be added as a charge separate from the rate prices. Now it can be defined as part of the rate price and not be included as a separate charge and add to the night price. A special section in the folio shows the sum total of the city tax for all nights. The folio printout (both the summary and the detailed one) still shows clearly the city tax amount added to the price of each night.

  The single-row invoice does not show show the amount of city tax separately.

  To define city tax included in the night price:

  • find the rate plan you need
  • select the desired rate
  • in field 'City Tax' select 'included in the price' and Save.

• Default tax

  The default tax percentage that you specify will be suggested automatically for manual charges, new rates and new charge templates.

  To set a default tax value:

  • go to the main menu – Other – Settings
  • select 'Tax Settings'
  • In field 'Default tax percent' enter the most common tax percentage value. Save.

Reports

• New report: Booking Pace

  The new report shows statistical data about when bookings are created or cancelled with reference to their arrival dates. The data is shown both numerically and graphically.

  Additionally, the filters for marketing channel and source allow the analysis of various marketing segments.

• Charges Segmentation Report – by days/weeks/months.

  The information in the report can now be set to show sorted by days, weeks or months. This allows identifying trends in the data.

  Data can also be segmented by booking status so the revenue from expected and checked in bookings can also be analysed.

  The current summary of data as a total amount for the specified period is also preserved.