Vacation Rental Suite Client Curriculum

Vacation Rental Suite Client Curriculum Reservations Escapia, Inc. www.escapia.com 1-800-ESCAPIA Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 1

Escapia Inc. Confidential Revised: 6/12/2009 2009, Escapia INC. Corporation, All rights reserved. This documentation is the confidential and proprietary intellectual property of Escapia Corporation. Any unauthorized use, reproductions, preparation of derivative works, performance, or display of this document, or software represented by this document, without the express written permission of Escapia Corporation is strictly prohibited. Escapia and the Escapia logo design are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Escapia Corporation. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names are owned by their respective companies. Any changes made upon receipt of this document become the responsibility of the changing party. Changes that may alter the original intent or core data relieve Escapia from any obligations to support or deliver said changes from a functionality of business perspective. Escapia retains all rights to this original or base documentation as presented. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 2

Table of Contents Unit 1: Using the Legend Defining the Three Types of Blocks.. Unit 2: Components of the Reservation Grid Using Filters on the Reservation Grid.... 7 Using Unit Codes & Unit Names to view Unit Information. 7 Navigating through time on the Reservation Grid... 7 Unit 3: Reservation Tasks Providing a Reservation Quick Quote.... Providing Reservation Quick Quotes for all Units.. Unit Quick Info... 10 Viewing Unit Information. 11 Creating a Hold.. 12 Removing a Hold... 13 Creating a New Reservation 13 Checking-In a Reservation (Front Desk) 17 Checking-Out a Reservation (Front Desk) 18 Locating a Reservation. 19 Canceling a Reservation from a Search.... 19 Canceling a Reservation from the Reservation Grid... 19 Viewing a Booking from the Reservation Grid Unit 4: Customer Correspondence Creating a New Correspondence Set... Relating a Template to a Correspondence Set Creating a New Correspondence Template.. Uploading a Template to a Correspondence Set.... Deleting a Correspondence Set.. Deleting a Correspondence Template.. 6 8 9 20 22 23 24 25 26 26 Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 3

Reservations The Reservation Grid provides you with a quick glance of all units and their current status. By the end of this chapter you will know how to read the Legend, search for units, provide quotes, view unit information, and create new reservations and holds by using the Reservation Grid. You will also know where and how to create customer correspondence. Reservations include: Defining the Three Types of Blocks Using Filters on the Reservation Grid Using Unit Codes & Names to view Unit Information Navigating through time on the Reservation Grid Making a New Selection on the Reservation Grid Providing a Reservation Quick Quote Providing Reservation Quick Quotes for all Units Unit Quick Info Viewing Unit Information Creating a Hold Removing a Hold Creating a New Reservation Checking-In a Reservation (Front Desk) Checking-Out a Reservation (Front Desk) Locating a Reservation Canceling a Reservation from a Search Canceling a Reservation from the Reservation Grid Viewing a Booking from the Reservation Grid Canceling a Reservation Creating a New Correspondence Set Creating a New Correspondence Template Relating a Template to a Correspondence Set Uploading a Template to a Correspondence Set Deleting a Correspondence Set Deleting a Correspondence Template Note: All information in bold is required to move forward in VRS! Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 4

Unit 1: Using the Legend By using the Reservation Grid ICON at the top of your Home Page, you can access the Legend by clicking on the white Show Legend link located on the top right corner of the Reservation Grid. When using the ICON to open the Reservation Grid you will have the ability to toggle between a VRS window and the Reservation Grid. If you access the Reservation Grid via the menu tabs, you will not have the ability to toggle between the Grid and VRS windows, which means that you will need to either finish or cancel a process to get back to the Reservation Grid. The Legend is your resource for understanding color coding, shading, and lettering of the reservations on your grid. In Legend will explain the different components of each block type and what the color and letter combinations mean. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 5

Defining the Three Types of Blocks 1. Booking: A Booking includes a Unit, a Contact, and a Date Range. This is a verbal agreement until money has been taken and the reservation has been completed in VRS. 2. Hold: A Hold is a block of days that have not been finalized by the agency, and have a deadline. 3. New Section: A New Section is created when you drag your mouse across a selection of dates, or box s on the Reservation Grid. When selecting different types of Bookings, the components for Reservation Type, Payment Status, and Booking Status will change accordingly. The chart below lists the possible options. Reservation Types Renter Owner Guest of Owner Owner Referral Travel Agent Complimentary Group Long Term Rental Payment Status Paid is Green Partially Paid is Yellow Not Paid is Red Booking Status Not Checked-In Checked-In Checked-Out Each reservation type will have a corresponding letter that appears on the left side of the booking. The color coding can been seen on the Reservation Grid, in the Reservations Tab, and in the Folio. This is reflected by the color and of the letter. If a Reservation has Multiple Bookings you will see a dark blue triangle in the top right corner of the block. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 6

Unit 2: Components of the Reservation Grid Using Filters: The filter options at the top of the Reservation Grid allow you to locate specific units based on your search criteria. Using Unit Codes: Unit Codes are located on the far left of the Reservation Grid. These codes are used internally, and are not seen by the customer. From the Unit Codes you can view information about the unit, or go directly to the Unit s web page. Using Unit Names: Unit Names are located to the right of the Unit Codes. Also know as the Friendly Unit Name, these are seen by the client when making a reservation, and on customer correspondence. Navigating by Year, Month and Week: These are in blue, and located on the bottom of the Reservation Grid. By clicking on the blue links, you can navigate the grid by year, month or week. Calendar: This is located on the top left corner of the Reservation Grid to the right of the print icon. To access the calendar, click on the black arrow. Go To : Located on the bottom left side of the Reservation Grid. By using the pull down bar, you can go to a specific month and year. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 7

Unit 3: Reservation Tasks Making a New Selection on the Reservation Grid Place your mouse in the box that corresponds with the desired date and unit Left click your mouse (While holding down the mouse) drag the blue bar across the desired dates Release and Right Click on the blue bar to select the desired task Providing a Reservation Quick Quote Make a selection for the desired date range Right Click on the blue bar Select Quick Quote Review the Quick Quote box To remove the Quick Quote window select Cancel. To turn the Quote in to a Reservation, click on the Reserve button. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 8

Providing Reservation Quick Quotes for all Units Left Click your mouse on the date Number located under the letter of the day. While holding down the mouse, drag the green bar across the desired date range Release the mouse to see the quotes for all units Click on the Refresh icon located to the left of the print icon on the upper left of the Reservation Grid to remove the quotes Notice the green quote box does not block your view of the reservations and holds that are located on the Reservation Grid. You have the ability to see what s available and provide a quote at the same time. To remove the green quote box, click on the x icon located to the right of Rent at the top of the column. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 9

Unit Quick Info From the Reservation Grid Right click on the Unit Code or the Unit Name Select Quick Info from the drop down menu In the Unit Information window, you can view basic information about the Unit such as the Location, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Maximum Occupancy. If you would like to provide more information to the customer, you can click on the Open Unit button on the bottom of the window and view the Unit details. You can also click on the View Unit and be taken to the Units web page. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 10

Viewing Unit Information Right click on Unit Code or Unit Name Select Open Unit There are seven (7) tabs in the Unit Details window Location Tab: Here you can see the location and a description of the unit. The Short Description is seen in the Manage Units window, and the Long Description is seen on the Unit web page. Verify the Unit Code is correct Verity the Friendly Unit Name is correct (This is seen on customer correspondence) Select the Location Select the Office Select the Tax District Enter the Address Click on Save Details Tab: In this tab you will select the number of Bedrooms, Lofts, and Bathrooms. Select the number of Bedrooms Select the number of Lofts if applicable Select the number of Bathrooms Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 11

Enter the Maximum Occupancy Select the three (3) Categories The categories in the window were created when you established Unit Locations (Admin > Setup > Locations > New Location > Categories) Rates& Policies Tab: This information comes from the General Default Reservation Settings that you created (Reservations > Setup > Reservations) Enter the Display Rate Select Save To change current Policies do the following: Click on the Inherit from Business drop down menu Select Use this Entry Make the desired change Select Save Pictures: In the Pictures Tab you can see the pictures you currently have loaded in VRS. You can replace, remove, or change the picture order. Use the same process as described in the Client VRS Curriculum for Setup. Amenities Tab: Entering the Amenities here will allow you to search for units that have these Amenities by using the Reservation Grid filters. Put a checkmark in the box next to any accommodations the unit has. Marketing Tab: Here you can select the unit to appear on websites associated with your EscapiaVRS system. (Note: Marketing partners shown in the top window are no longer active. To sign up for current partners go to Admin > Setup > EscapiaNET and complete the EscapiaNET setup process.) Transactions Tab: All the transactions that have taken place for the selected unit will be listed in this tab. You can use the search filters to find transactions for specific dates or accounts. Creating a Hold From the Reservation Grid Place your mouse in the box that corresponds with the desired date and Unit Left click your mouse (While holding down the mouse) drag the blue bar across the desired date range Release and Right Click on the blue bar Go to New Hold Select the hold Type The Create New Hold box will appear. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 12

Verify the First Night Verify the Last Night Verify the Hold Type Enter the First Name Enter the Last Name Type any Notes that are needed Select Create A Microsoft Internet Explorer Success message will appear letting you know the Hold was successfully created. Removing a Hold From the Reservation Grid Right Click on the Hold Select Remove Hold Click on OK to remove the Hold Creating a New Reservation From the Reservation Grid Place your mouse in the box that corresponds with the desired date and unit Left click your mouse (While holding down the mouse) drag the blue bar across the desired date range Release and Right Click on the blue bar Select New Reservation Wizard Select Type Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 13

Once you ve selected the type of Reservation you want to create you will be taken to the New Reservation Wizard Step 1 of. Step 1 Enter the Last Name of the guest Click on Find Returning guests names will populate in a list for selection. Put a checkmark next to their name to be taken to Step 2. If the guest has not stayed with you before, click New. You will enter the guest s contact information in Step 4 if this is a new guest that has not stayed with you before. Step 2 Verify the Reservation Dates are correct Verify the Unit Add, Remove, or make any Changes Select Next In Step 2, you can make any last minute changes to the Reservation. You can add nights in the front of the Reservation by selecting the calendar icon in the First Night window. Once you select a date on the calendar, the booking window will be updated. Adding nights to the rear of a Reservation can be done two ways from this window. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 14

1. Change the number in the Nights window, or 2. Use the calendar icon in the Last Night window. Either way will add the night to the rear of the reservation. To change the unit, click on the Remove button to delete the unit, and select the Add button to enter the new unit. Step 3 Verify the Reservation Name Verify the Customer Type Select the Source Category Select the Source Subcategory if needed Select Next In Step 3 you can go directly to the Folio by highlighting and clicking on the reservation information below. You can also create a Travel Agent commission from this screen as well. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 15

Step 4 Enter the customers Name Enter the customers E-mail Enter the customers Phone Number Enter the customers Address Select Save and Complete The more information you get from a client, the better your customer correspondence will be. The Primary e-mail needs to be an address that is checked often as the on line hold alerts will be sent there. You have the option to place a customer on your Mailing List by putting a checkmark in the box next to Mailing List. You can also put a checkmark in the box to note that they are a returning customer. Reservation Details To get to the Reservation Details screen highlight a date range on the Reservation Grid, left click with your mouse, and select Add to Reservation Details and then select your guest Type. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 16

From this screen you can enter all of your guest contact information as well as the payment information and reservation details. You can expand each of the sections by clicking the + icon next to each of the section titles. If you only want to create a new guest contact record, click Save Customer Only at the bottom left side of the screen and only the customer contact info will be retained in the system. If you wish to save the entire reservation, click Save & Complete in the lower right hand corner of the screen. (Note: This method is the quickest way to make a new reservation in the system. Though you will need to re-open the reservation once complete to add additional bookings.) Check-In a Reservation Front Desk > Check in Guest Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 17

From the Front Desk Tab Select Check In Reservation Enter the First Name Enter the Last Name Select Search Put Checkmark in the box next to the customers name Select Next If a person other than the name on the reservation checks in do the following: Click on the radio button next to Other Enter the First Name Enter the Last Name Select Next Check-Out a Reservation Front Desk > Check Out Guest From the Front Desk Tab Enter the First Name Enter the Last Name Select Submit Put a checkmark in Checkout Enter the Keys- In Select Save and Complete You will see a success message letting you know that the booking is checked out. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 18

Locating a Reservation Reservation> Find Reservation VRS has powerful search option that allow you to locate a contact with the slightest bit of information. Enter the Reservation Information you have Select Search Mouse over desired reservation from the list below and Click to open the reservation Canceling a Reservation from a Search Click on the Radio Button next to the desired Reservation Go to the bold Action pull down menu Select Cancel Canceling a Reservation from the Reservation Grid Right Click on Reservation Select Cancel Reservation Select OK * If you Delete a reservation instead of Canceling it, fragmented components of the Reservation will remain within VRS. We strongly advise that you Cancel a reservation instead of Deleting it. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 19

Viewing Booking Information from the Reservation Grid Right click on the Reservation Select Open Booking Below is an explanation of the different tasks that you can perform from the Open Booking window. To make Reservation date changes: You can add night in the front of the reservation by selecting the calendar icon in the First Night window. Once you select a date on the calendar, the Booking window will be updated. Adding nights to the rear of a Reservation can be done two ways from this window. 1. Change the number in the Nights window, or 2. Use the calendar icon in the Last Night window. Either way will add the night to the rear of the reservation. To view Unit information from the Booking window: Click on the blue Open link above the last calendar month. To view the Unit web page: Click on the blue View link above the last calendar month. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 20

View Selections: By using the blue Color Key link to the right of the last calendar month, you can view the different color coding when making changes to the reservation. Adding a guest to the Booking: By using the pull down menus for Adults, Children, and Free, you will be adding any additional charges that may apply to the booking depending on the Charge Templates that you have established. Applying a discount to the Booking: A discount can be created by percentages or dollars. Once you have entered the desired discount, click on the Apply button. You will see the discount to the left above the Rent Subtotal, as well as see the newly discounted rent amount in the Rent Charge Total. Tax Exempt / Non-Taxable: If there are Tax Exempt Policies that you follow, you can choose to make the Booking Tax Exempt, or Non-Taxable buy using the pull down menu under the discount key. To see a breakdown of the taxes: Click on the blue Taxes link above the booking total at the bottom right of the window. Override Charges: To override any charges, simply select the Radio Button that corresponds to the charge you would like to override. This will prompt an Override Charge window where you will enter the specifics about the override. To add a charge: Click on the Add Charge pull down menu on the lower left side of the window and select the desired charge. You will now see the charge added to the booking. To add a deposit: Click on the Deposit button on the bottom middle of the window, and enter the specifics. Additional Information: At the bottom right of the booking there are three (3) tabs that provide you with additional booking information. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 21

Unit 4: Customer Correspondence Creating a New Correspondence Set Admin> Setup> Correspondence A Correspondence Set groups together templates into a folder so that they can be sent together. The Reservation Confirmation Set in the Manage Correspondence window above has three (3) templates in it. To view the templates in the set, mouse over to highlight the desired set and click on it. To create a new correspondence set, click on the New Correspondence Set button on the right of the window, and you will be taken to the New Correspondence Set window below. Eventually you will have numerous templates stored in VRS. To locate a specific template, use the search filters. Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 22

To create a New Correspondence Set, do the following: Click on the New Correspondence Set button located on the right side of the window Enter the Correspondence Set Name Select the Type Select Active as Yes (Active will default to Yes ) Select Save Click on the newly created Correspondence Set to open it In the Correspondence Set window you have the option to Relate templates, Create new templates, or Upload templates. Relating a Template to Correspondence Set From the Manage Correspondence window Click on the desired Correspondence Set Click on the Relate Template button located on the right side of the window Click on the desired Template (To select multiple Templates, hold down the Ctrl key and make your selections) Select Apply Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 23

Repeat this process to add Templates to other Correspondence Sets. Creating New Correspondence Template From the Manage Correspondence window Click on the desired Correspondence Set Click on the New Template button located on the right side of the window Enter the Template Name Select the Recipient Type Select the Template Type Select the Scope Set Active as Yes (Active will default to Yes ) To enter Email Text at the top of the template, do the following (Because correspondence is sent as an attachment to the guest in an email, Email Text is what guest will see when they first open the email prior to opening the correspondence attachment.) Click the field under Email Text to place your cursor in the field Type your message To enter Custom Text at the bottom of the template, do the following Place a checkmark in the box next to Enable Custom Text Type your message Select Save Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 24

Continue creating the new template by doing the following Re-open the New Template by clicking on it Click on the Edit Template tab Click on Insert tab Open the desired folder Double click on the Tags you want to enter (They will populate on the new template document you re creating) Select Close once you have entered all the Tags you need Note: You need to save your Template in two (2) areas for it to save correctly. 1. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the Save button. 2. Select Save on the Open Correspondence Set window Upload Template to use in Correspondence From the Manage Correspondence window Click on the desired Correspondence Set Click on the Upload Template button located on the right side of the window Click on the Browse button Locate the document you want to upload Select Upload Enter the Template Name Select the Recipient Type Select the Template Type Select the Scope Set Active as Yes (Active will default to Yes ) Note: You need to save your Template in two (2) areas for it to save correctly. 3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the Save button. 4. Select Save on the Open Correspondence Set window Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 25

Deleting a Correspondence Set Admin > Setup > Correspondence Place a checkmark next to desired Correspondence Set Go to bold Action pull down menu Select Delete Deleting a Correspondence Template Admin > Setup > Correspondence Select the desired Correspondence Set Place Checkmark next to desired Template Go to bold Action pull down menu Select Delete This completes the Reservation curriculum of VRS software. Before you go through the Accounting curriculum, it is recommended that you enter the appropriate information into VRS so that the curriculum will make sense, and you will be able to see examples. Below is a list of the recommended information. Pre-Accounting Information All Owners All Units Deposit Policies Security (refundable deposit), Due date (days after booking or days prior to check-in) Advance Deposits (not refundable) Damage Waiver Booking Charges Reservation or Booking fee What are your housekeeping charges (does it vary by unit?) Do you have Travel Insurance? Any other Booking charges or Misc. Rental Fees Do you have charges that regularly occur with a booking? Owner Contract Charges (Reservation Driven) Owner (Management) Commission Do you split CC FEES? Do you split Travel Agent Fees? Cleaning Fees Account balances (if you have this information) List of beginning Owner Balances List of Amounts Due Vendors List of Customer Advance Deposit Balances Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 26

(The sum of the three items above should equal the agency trust account) Reoccurring Charges (Charges to Owners that are not Reservation Driven) Home Owner Fee Hot Tub Cleaning Open & Closing a house for the season Tax Accounts contact information Vendor contact information Travel Agents contact information Tax ID Number Tax Rates If you re having challenges entering the information into VRS, or if there are any questions we can answer for you, please contact Technical Support. Escapia Support Training Material & Knowledge Base Home Page > Training Here you can view training videos, read training curriculum and FAQs. (Frequently Asked Questions.) Home Page > Knowledge Base In the Knowledge Base you can. 1. Browse articles by topic 2. Search by a specific topic or question. Technical Support Contact Info 1-800-Escapia (372-2742) x. 3 support@escapia.com Before contacting customer support, please have the following information on hand so that we may assist you the best way possible: 1. Booking Number, Reservation Number, or other relevant information 2. Detailed description of the issue you are having Vacation Rental Suite (VRS) 27