Clock PMS+ Update (03 Sep 2024)

Discover Our New Time-Saving Features

We’re excited to introduce several powerful new features in our software that are designed to streamline your workflow and enhance productivity.

Charge Packages

Say goodbye to repetitive clicks with our Charge Packages feature. Imagine you're managing an event and need to apply a preset menu to the occasion. With Charge Packages, you can select the preset menu, and all the associated menu items will be automatically charged to the event with a single click. This feature is perfect for efficiently processing bundled services or items, saving you time and reducing the chance of errors.

To set up Charge Packages:

• Navigate to Settings -> Charges & Taxes -> Charge Packages.
• Add a new package and give it a name. You can also add a longer description.
• Add the items to the package, for each item select: 
  • Charge Template
  • Quantity: If you fill in a quantity, the charge will be with that fixed quantity. However, it is more interesting if you leave the field blank. Then the quantity of the charge will be whatever quantity you fill in for the package when you use it. On the other hand, the system will suggest for the quantity of the package - the PAX in the Event, Meeting Room Bookings or Catering - so the Quantity will be as many as there are PAX.

• Price: You may enter a price per charge. If you don't fill anything in, the price set in the chargemaster itself will be used. This feature allows you to use a single Charge Template with different prices in different packages.
• Print text: Using the print text you can control the presentation of the charge in the folio. If you don't fill in anything, the print text from the charge template will be used.

To-Do Action Plans

Planning complex projects just got a lot easier with the To-Do Action Plans feature. Let’s say you’re organizing a wedding. You can create a comprehensive action plan that includes all the To-Dos involved, such as booking the venue, sending invitations, arranging catering, and more. Each task can be scheduled for a relative date—like sending invitations two months before the wedding or confirming the menu one month out—ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.

To set up To-Do action plans: 

• Navigate to Settings -> MICE -> To-Dos - Action plans and add a new plan.
• Fill in the fields of the To-Do you want to create.
• If you fill in the Assigned User field then this To-Do will always be assigned to the selected user. If you leave the field blank, it can be allocated to the user you select when using the plan. This way, certain tasks can have specific assignees, while other tasks will be assigned to a user you select.
• The date of the To-Do is relative and can be rendered against two dates - "Date Created" and "Date Arrived"
• In Offset Days - fill in how many days before or after the relative date should the To-Do be created. For example for "7 days after the creation of the Event" - fill in "7". For "30 days before the Event Arrives" fill in "-30" (i.e. a negative number to be before arrival).

Usage

To add a To-Do Action Plan to an Event:

• Open the Event and in the To-Do section, select the Action Plan button.
• Find and select the Plan.
• The creation and arrival dates of the Event will automatically populate. If you wish you can change them, thus the To-Dos will be created according to the newly entered dates.
• You can also fill in a user, as they will be assigned to tasks for which no user has been selected.
• Save. The To-Do will be added to the Event with the appropriate fields, dates and users. You can add as many plans as needed to each Event.

Event Breadcrumbs

Navigating through your recent activities has never been easier. Our new Event Breadcrumbs feature provides shortcuts to the last accessed events, allowing you to quickly pick up where you left off without the hassle of searching through your event history. Whether you're managing multiple events or need to revisit specific details, this feature ensures you can effortlessly retrace your steps.

On the Event screen and in the Event search, you will see a toolbar showing the last 20 Events open in the current browser. If they don't add up on your screen, or you can't navigate by the brief description, you can open the list with the toolbar button on the right. The list displays the last 20 Events with more information about each one. Click the event to open it or select it with the right button to open it in a new tab.

BookDirect Service Groups Merchandising

We’re thrilled to introduce a new feature in Book Direct designed to help hotels maximize their revenue while improving the guest experience: Service Groups Merchandising.

Offering extra services to your guests is a great way to enhance their stay and boost your revenue. However, when the list of available services becomes too long, it can overwhelm guests and reduce the likelihood of them selecting additional options. That’s where Service Groups come in.

With Service Groups, you can now categorize and group related services—such as spa treatments, dining options, or room upgrades—into compact, easy-to-navigate sections. Each group is presented with a gallery and description, making it visually appealing and simple for guests to explore all the available options.

For example, instead of displaying a long list of individual spa services, you can create a “Spa & Wellness” group that includes massages, facials, and other treatments. Guests can easily browse this group, making it more likely they’ll add multiple services to their booking.

By organizing your offerings into Service Groups, you not only make the selection process more user-friendly but also increase the chances of upselling more services. It's a win-win for both your hotel and your guests.

To organize additional services in Book Direct in Service Groups:

• Navigate to Settings -> Charge Templates. From the 'More' menu, select WRS Service Groups. There is a link to the same settings in Book Direct Settings -> WRS Extra Services -> WRS Service Groups.
• Add a new Group by filling in the name.
• Once added, you can add pictures for it to display as a gallery in Book Direct. Pictures are added from the Groups list - with the button opposite each group.
• For each group you can add translations and descriptions for the supported languages - Settings - Content - Common Translations - WRS Service Group.
• Finally, you need to set a Service Group for the Services you sell through the WRS. Navigate to -> Settings - Charge Templates -> WRS Charge templates -> column 'Group'. Set the group to only those services you wish to group. Save! 
• Services without a group will appear in Book Direct as before - alone in the list.
• In the list in Book Direct, all Groups are presented first, then the services without groups.
• If you wish to change the order of the Groups, you can do so from Setting -> Charge Templates -> More -> WRS Service Groups Sorting.

Online Check-In: More flexibility

Our latest update to the  Online Check-In App enhances flexibility, making the check-in process even smoother and more convenient for your guests.

• Payment can be skipped. 

We've made a small but useful update to our check-in app. Previously, you could either require guests to make payments in advance or opt not to collect payments during the online check-in process. With this new feature, you can now prompt guests for payment during check-in while giving them the option to choose whether to pay online or at the hotel. This update provides a bit more flexibility, allowing guests to decide on the payment method that works best for them, whether that's taking care of it online or handling it in person upon arrival. Check the new setting "Payment can be skipped" in On-line checkin app.

• Registration of adults and children

To increase the utility of the app in countries where registration cards are required, including for children, we have modified the related setting. Previously, it was possible to choose whether to register one guest or all adults. The "Registration Guests" setting now includes three values: "Main guest only," "All adults," and "All adults and children."

• Skip the splash screen

If you don't like the first splash page in Online Check-in, which is intended for your logo, you now have the option to remove the image. This way, the splash screen will be skipped, and the user will proceed to the next page without delay.

In-Platform Payments: New Reconciliation Reports

We’re pleased to introduce two new reconciliation reports for In-platform Payments users: Payments Reconcile and Payout Reconcile. These tools are designed to simplify your financial oversight and ensure accuracy in your transactions.

• Payments Reconcile: Track Every Transaction

The Payments Reconcile report helps you track payments in Clock PMS+ within a specified period. It answers the question, "Where is my money?" by showing whether each payment has been paid out, when it occurred, and which payout batch it belongs to, or if it’s still pending. The report summarizes payments by payout batches but allows you to drill down for detailed insights on each group.

• Payout Reconcile: Verify Your Payouts

The Payout Reconcile report provides clarity on each payout made to your bank account. It details the transactions included in each payout—such as payments, refunds, and chargebacks—along with the collected fees and commissions, and the net amount transferred. This comprehensive view helps ensure that all payouts are accurate and complete.

• Why These Reports Matter

These reports enhance financial management by offering detailed visibility into transactions and payouts, making it easier to reconcile accounts and verify accuracy.

Improvements

Event Confirmation App - Signature

We’ve enhanced our document signing app to improve transparency and usability. Previously, the signature was collected but not visible within the document. Now, the signature, along with the signer’s name and date is visibly placed inside the document, and the complete, signed document is automatically sent to the customer. Additionally, if the document is printed later, the printout will also include the signature and the signer’s name.In the back office, we've made it easier to identify signed documents by adding a dedicated icon within the app. This allows staff to quickly recognize which documents have been signed, streamlining document management. 

Contract (TourOperator) Rates - Special Activation Codes for Discounts or Additional Charges

With the new functionality, you can trigger Discounts or Extra Charges only for selected bookings that, for example, participate in a promotion. This is done by filling in Activation Codes in the Booking and setting the conditions for Discounts or Additional Charges (bundled charges) corresponding to these codes in the Contract. Here is more information:

• In the Contract, add the Discount or Additional Package (Accrual) Codes in the Activation Codes section.

• For a given discount, you can fill in the "Activation Code" field. It will only be applied if the same code is filled in the booking.
• In the discount, we have added one more field - "Exclusive". This field means that if this discount qualifies and is applied, no other discount will be applied along with it. This field is particularly useful for the following situation. If you have a booking with a code, then both discounts WITHOUT a code (they apply to everyone) and those with a code (for the specific booking) can be applied to it. However, it's all too likely that you don't want the NO code discounts to apply. So mark the discount with a code for "Exclusive". Then only that will apply, and the others will be ignored even if they qualify.

• We have added a new section for Package Items. For now, this functionality can only charge services on the day of arrival. For this, the booking must have the same activation codes as you have set in the package item. The special thing here is that the more times the code is present in the booking, the more charges the booking will receive. If the code is added once in the booking - you will have one charge, if the code is added three times in the booking, you will have three charges.

• One more improvement in the booking screen - activation codes are offered to choose according to the selected rate, instead of being handwritten. This ensures that you won't get the code wrong and will always choose from those codes that are defined for the specific contract. 

Additionally, we've added another small improvement - we're making more optimal use of the screen. By default, the Tour Contract is displayed in two columns and takes up more optimal space on your monitor. If there are lines of the contract that are very long and their content doesn't add up, using the new button on the top-right of the screen, you can "expand" the contract across the full width and so see the long lines more easily.

POS - room transfer - all guests in the room

We have changed the screen in the POS for room transfer to show the names of all guests in the room. The booking/room search by guest name also now searches by all guest names. This change makes room transfers much more convenient, whether the guests are families, colleagues from a corporate event, or delegates from a conference. The deep integration between the POS and PMS makes the combination of the two products unique.

Occupancy/Revenue Forecast and Pace Report - only Room revenue

We have added a new parameter to the report, allowing you to choose whether to view the total revenue (as before) or only the room revenue (revenue groups: rooms and packages). We would like to remind you that the report provides important information about expected revenue, including potential revenue from blocks, which is further divided into revenue from guaranteed and optional blocks.

Other Improvements

• Disabled OTA Virtual card tokenization: To optimize your expenses related to credit card transactions, we have changed the card tokenization logic so that virtual credit cards from channel managers are not automatically tokenized. This way, you will avoid the costs associated with these transactions.
• WorldLine/SixPayments: We have added an option in the settings for alternative payment methods for BANCONTACT.
• The new Event screens now open by default from the navigation and other links. We hope that the effort we have put into the new screens and features has improved your experience and productivity. We value your feedback! 
• Event Creation Screen: When adding a new company, we have also added the field "Accept charge transfers" so that you can reflect this important feature right at the time of its creation.
• BookDirect - Cart Expiration: We have improved the logic regarding when the cart expires to make the screen clearer for guests when they encounter such a situation. The cart "expiration" occurs when a guest selects rooms and adds them to their cart but does not complete the booking process. In such cases, the system keeps the cart for 6 hours from the time the first room is added. If the user does not complete the cart within 6 hours, the system marks the cart as expired and notifies the user upon their next action with it. We would like to remind you that rooms added to the cart are not reserved, are not held for the current user, and may become unavailable in the meantime. If this happens, the system performs an additional check and prevents the payment and booking of the rooms. 
• We have added a new option to the Housekeeping Tasks screen: "Show Housekeeping Sector". This option shows or hides a column with the housekeeping sector, which is useful if you use it. Housekeeping sectors allow you to group rooms and common areas in a way that is convenient for the Housekeeping department. Additionally, it is part of the algorithm for automatic task assignment. You can also obtain summarized information in the Housekeeping Forecast Report using it. If you are not using this field yet, you might want to consider exploring it. 
• Folios (new): the search for charge templates in the charging screen now works on all words, not just the first as before.
• Folios (new):  for the closed folios we have added the date and time, as well as username
• For customers from Zimbabwe, we have added the code for their new national currency - ZWG.

Fixes

• For documents imported from a CSV file, quick search by number was not working. The search will now work for them, but only for those imported after the fix.
• When printing multiple selected registration cards at once, there was no "page break." Due to differences in the support of "page break" instructions across different browsers, it is now possible that additional blank pages may appear in some browsers. Unfortunately, a consistent solution that works across all browsers and operating systems cannot be found.

Integrations

• PUSH / Webhook Notification Activation via API

No more back-and-forth emails with Clock PMS+ support for activation! To simplify and automate the subscription process, activation is now available directly through the API with a single API call. All partners using this feature have been notified via an email campaign. For more details, please refer to the relevant section in the API documentation.

• Private Analytics and Google BigQuery Export

With the updates to Clock PMS+, we have introduced the ability to add a contact person to a booking, allowing flexibility to differentiate between the booker and the guest. Previously, the contact person field was not available in the Google BigQuery bookings table and could not be included in private analytics reports and dashboards. This issue has been resolved, and the new field contact_person_id now references the table containing guest information.

• LightSpeed POS L Series Hotel Transfer – Prevention of Duplicate Charge Transfers

In rare instances, finalizing a LightSpeed POS L Series bill hours after it had been transferred to the hotel could result in duplicate charges, particularly if the folio containing the original charges was already closed. The interface behavior has been optimized: now, before new charges sent by LightSpeed POS L Series upon bill finalization are processed, they are foreshadowed by negative charges. This replaces the previous behavior, which involved voiding the old charges.

• Door key issue process - Card ID added to Door key issue process

More RFID-based door lock systems are now functioning online, where information is not stored directly on the RFID physical bearer (such as a card or bracelet). Instead, the system reads the RFID ID and sends it to the door lock system to communicate with the lock and grant access. By default, the Card ID is not required but can be easily enabled in the Room Key Settings. Once enabled, the Card ID becomes mandatory and is stored in the door key request to ensure proper communication with the door lock system.