Stayntouch PMS: Release Notes (v4.1)

Modified on: Thu, 15 Sep, 2022 at 8:29 AM

Stayntouch PMS

Release Notes (v4.1)



Effective: 13 June 2018


PRODUCT ENHANCEMENTS


This document is a compilation of all the product enhancements released since v3.0. We encourage you to review each section below to learn about what's available to your property.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


GDPR - Automated Removal of Guest Data


Guest cards can now be anonymized using an automated process that automatically removes guest data after a defined amount of days since their last check-out. The default number of days since last check-out is 366.

  • The number of days is configurable in: Settings > Guest Cards > Data Removal



Guest data is only removed for guest cards that do not have any of the following:

  • A current or future stay
  • An unpaid A/R invoice
  • An unpaid commission payment
  • A past reservation
  • A past stay where the check-out date is lesser than the number of days configured for data removal

OOO/OOS Rooms back to ‘In Service’ by Date Range


Users will now be able to set rooms service status for a particular date range for a single room.


Steps to produce:

  • Settings > Housekeeping > Room Status
  • Select the desired room > click on the “room” tab in the top right corner
  • When "In Service" is selected from the drop down a date range can now be selected to set the room back to "In Service" without navigating to the Out of Order or Out of Service status first
  • Select "In Service" from the drop down
  • Choose a date range to set the room back into service for those dates
  • Click "Update" to set the room back to "In Service" for the selected date range


Bulk Service Status Update


Users will now be able to select a date range to set multiple rooms back to "In Service" status by setting a date range when "In Service" is selected.


Steps to produce:

  • Settings > Housekeeping > Room Status > Select multiple rooms but clicking the square box to the right of each room
  • Once selecting the desired rooms, proceed to select the purple edit pencil on the top right of the screen
  • Select "Service Status"
  • When "In Service" is selected from the drop down, a date range can now be selected to set multiple rooms back to "In Service" for a date range without navigating to the Out of Order or Out of Service status first
  • Select "In Service" from the drop down
  • Choose a date range to set the room back into service for those dates
  • Click "Update" to set the rooms back to "In Service" for the selected date range


Contract – Add Rate Code Field with Validation That It Cannot Be Duplicated


Steps to produce: 

  • Settings > Revenue Management > Company & TA Cards 
  • Find the desired card
  • Proceed to contracts tab
  • You may add a new contract. You will have the option to rename the rate name but NOT the rate code.


A/R Summary


The A/R Summary screen will now show balance payments. This will show payments, credits, and open balance (showing unpaid invoice balances).


Steps to produce:       

  • Settings > Financials > Accounts Receivables




Ability to search for room number without prepending the leading 0s.

  • You will now be able to search for room numbers that have leading "0"(s) without having to append prepend the 0. For example, if the guest is assigned room number 006, they should be able to search for 006 and 6.
  • This search works for Stayntouch Guest Mobility (check-out), direct URL (check-out), Stayntouch Guest Kiosk (key creation and check-out)

MLI - Differentiate Among EMV, Swipe and RFID Payments in the Activity Log


When payment is obtained we need to be able to update the activity log with the exact method in which the CC was entered, whether via Swipe, EMV, or RFID.



  • If the card is swiped then log the action as "SWIPED"
  • If the card is inserted then log the action as "CHIP"
  • If the card is tapped then log the action as "TAP"
  • If the card was entered manually on the terminal then log the action as "MANUAL"

Support for Exclusive Add-ons for GMS 


Stayntouch now shares the full price of a reservation including any add-ons (exclusive or inclusive) so the CRM has a true reflection of reservation pricing.

Sending ADD-ON information to iHotelier when reservation is modified


Stayntouch will now share full price information with the CRS.

Commissions 

  • Updating TA after commission calculation
  • User is now able to add/remove the TA and associated commissions during and after check-out. If EOD has already occurred, staff will need to manually calculate the commissions. If the reservation is in-house or the EOD has not run for departure reservations, the system will calculate the commissions.
  • Travel Agent association cannot be removed from a reservation with a status that is “paid/hold”


Printing Travel Agent Commission Report


This feature is an enhancement to the current print layout where we are now showing the reservation details and the commissions amount per reservation.


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Reports > Search for Travel Agent Commissions report
  • Set parameters and show results
  • The print icon will appear in the top right corner


Terms & Conditions


This will include adding an activity log whenever a user accepts the Terms & Conditions during check-in in Stayntouch PMS, Stayntouch Guest Mobility, and Stayntouch Guest Kiosk.


Additional Languages: Guest-Facing Stationery


We’ve introduced 5 new languages as options when printing/emailing certain guest-facing materials.

  • Languages include Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic
  • You can select a language with the Guest Language drop down menu for the following: reservation confirmation email, guest bill, company card invoice, travel agent card invoice, bill proforma invoice, and account bill
  • By default, the language defined on the Guest Card will display for selection. If no preferred language has been defined for the guest, the hotel's primary language will display.
  • Learn more here


A/R Invoice: Move Zero to Paid 


Zero balances can now be moved to the PAID tab.


Steps to produce:

  • Retrieve the Company or Travel Agent Card
  • Select the A/R Transactions tab
  • Locate a reservation with a balance of $0.00 from the BALANCE tab
  • Select the “Move Zero Balance to Paid” button
  • The invoice then moves to the PAID Tab


Show Reference on Guest Invoice


The setting "Show Reference on Guest", can be selected or left unselected on the guest invoice.


Details:

  • If unselected, the reference field will not appear on the guest invoice (Example Below: Tea/Beverage)
  • If selected, the reference field will appear on the guest invoice (Example Below: Newspaper/Magazine)
  • The reference field will always print on internal reports
  • Payment references will always print on internal reports and guest invoices




We’ve enhanced the ability to search for invoices.


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Financials > Invoice Search
  • This will give you the ability to search by invoice #, guest name, account name, or balance amount




New Invoice Search with Accounts


We’ve enhanced the ability to search by accounts from invoice search screens.


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Financials > Invoice Search
  • Enter the account name (when the desired account populates, the invoice number will also appear on the right side of search results)


Rate Sync Utility


This will allow a property to resync rates if something is out of balance. (it only syncs from rate build to Rate manager). What will be synced: Rates, Restrictions, and Overrides.


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Hotel & Staff > Tools > Rate Sync
  • When we do search for the rate to be synced we will not see ALL rates, once you start searching for one the matching names will display (3 characters) and then select one rate to sync


Rate Codes & Rate Names


We’ve enhanced the ability to search for rates by rate codes.


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Settings > Rates
  •  You may enter the rate code in the search field and the associate rate will generate


Reports 


You can now print and export Yearly Tax Report to CSV format. 


Printing the Yearly Tax Report

  • Go to menu > reports
  • Search for “Yearly Tax Reports”
  • Select desired year and be sure to check boxes for Cards w/ Tax ID & Cards w/o Tax ID
  • After selecting “SHOW”, your report will appear with the option to print
  • Previews of the report are also available prior to confirming the final print option


Exporting the Yearly Tax Report


Steps to produce:

  • Go to Menu > Reports
  • Scheduled Reports
  • Click “Schedule a Report" and search for Yearly Tax Report
  • Select “Yearly Tax Report”
  • Add email recipient and set parameters based on preference and proceed to create the schedule


Exporting Journals to CSV


You can now export current journals into CSV.


Steps to produce:

  • Go to menu > reports
  • Select Scheduled Exports
  • Click “Schedule an Export”
  • Select Journal Export
  • Add email recipient and set parameters based on preference and proceed to create the schedule

“Do Not Print Rate” Enhancement 

  • When “Do Not Print Rate” is selected on a guest stay card the rate will not print on the guest registration card
  • Now, in addition to the above being true, when a company pays the guest’s deposit, the rate amount will not print as well (see sample invoice below)



Stayntouch PMS Exports


Past Reservations – Monthly

  • We renamed the Last Month Reservations export to the Past Reservations - Monthly export
  • There are additional time period parameters for the export, including:
    • The ability to select All, Last Month, or a specific month from the time period drop-down menu. With the ALL parameter, the export will include all past dates, excluding the current business date.
    • The option to set the export to roll back 12 months on a per month basis
    • Learn more about scheduled exports in our overview video here

Interactive Reports


This will allow you to navigate to a guest stay card and back to the report list from Arrival, Departure, and Reservations by User (and other reports that allow navigating to stay card).


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Reports > Search for the desired report that will navigate to stay card (Arrival, Departure, Reservations by Users…and other reports that allow navigating to stay card)
  • Set Parameters > Show Report
  • Select guest – Once in stay card, you will have the ability to go back to the report list

Improved Pagination


We’ve introduced page numbers to the bottom of the following:

  • Stay Card > Activity Log
  • Allotment > Reservation List
  • Allotment > Search List
  • Group > Rooming List
  • Group > Search List
  • Housekeeping > Housekeeping Log Tab

Reinstate No-Show/Canceled Group Reservations


This allows the ability to reinstate no-show or canceled group/allotment reservations. If group or allotment no-show reservation is reinstated; be sure to update group/allotment & blocked/picked up count accordingly. No-show reservations will return to the current business date.


Repeat Guest Indicator


This feature will show a repeat guest indicator on a guest card for all guests that have at least one prior night stay. This indicator can be found in several places within Stayntouch PMS.

  • Dashboard Find Reservations screen
  • Staycard (Guest Details section)
  • Room Status screen where the room is occupied
  • Guest tab of Room Detail screen where room is occupied
  • An in-house guest report, as well as Arrival & Departure reports


Showing In-House Guests Without Nationality Filled In


In order to not have too many undefined entries in the nationality reports required in some countries; reservations for guests with no nationality on the guest card need to be easily identifiable so users can add the nationality. To achieve this, add a filter to In-House report to show reservations with guests with no nationality only.


Steps to produce:

  • Menu > Reports > Search for In-House Guest Reports
  • In search parameters, be sure to select NO NATIONALITY


Guest Cards


We’ve enhanced the ability to remove guest cards (overlay) with the ability to remove guest details.


Steps to produce:

  • Open a checked-out reservation
  • Open guest card section
  • The top right portion of stay card will show a “manage card” button
  • Click the “manage card/remove” button



  • ***Please note that the first name and last name will be replaced with the original first character of names and the remaining characters will be an asterisk.***
  • ***We have also preserved the nationality and country details only. If the user has current or future reservations or a hotel loyalty program attached to the reservation, you will not be able to remove the details.***


Group & Allotment/Collect Demographics


Stayntouch PMS will enforce demographic collection when creating new groups and allotments if Force Market, Force Source, Force Origin, Force Segment is selected (i.e., enabled/ON).

  • This setting is located under setting Settings > Reservations > Reservation Settings



Details:

  • When saving a new group or allotment (and if the collect demographics setting is ON), Stayntouch PMS will display a demographics popup, indicating which of the fields are missing data. This will force the user to enter the missing information (see screenshot below).
  • Once the data is entered, the Stayntouch PMS user can proceed with saving the group/allotment
  • Note the Save & Continue button is greyed out until data is entered
  • Demographics need to be recorded in the Group Activity Log

Check-In/Collect Demographics


In addition, as long as the demographics settings are "checked" in Stayntouch PMS Settings, Stayntouch PMS will display the Demographics Missing pop-up during the check-in process, if the data was not already present on the reservation during check-in.


Details:

  • When a Stayntouch PMS user selects the check-in button on the Stay Card, Stayntouch PMS will verify if the collect demographics setting is selected, and force the user to enter any missing data
  • Once the data is entered, user can proceed with check-in as usual
  • Note the Save & Continue button is greyed out until data is entered
  • If any demographics are changed/updated during this process, the information will be recorded in the Stay Card’s Activity Log


Housekeeping

  • Users can now create housekeeping “sections” in Stayntouch PMS
  • Users can create, edit, and remove sections
  • Once a section is created, users can assign rooms to housekeeping sections
  • Users can assign housekeeping sections to employees (essentially assigning employees to certain wings/floors/sections of the property)
  • Only tasks for rooms that match employees assigned section will be automatically assigned to the employee (when using the Work Management setting Section & Time)
  • Any leftover/unassigned tasks that cannot be assigned based on the Sections & Time setting will remain in the unassigned column

Work Management Settings

  • Stayntouch PMS will auto-assign housekeeping tasks either by Employee or Section & Time
  • By default, Stayntouch PMS will be set to separate housekeeping tasks by Employee, but users have the option to configure (and use) the Section & Time setting. Learn more HERE.

Employee/Shift Management

  • Assign “shifts” to an employee from Settings > Hotel & Staff > User Setup > Working Shift 
  • You can add shifts to suit the needs of your property’s labor management process (system defined shifts cannot be changed). When not working (“off the clock”), the employee’s shift will default to 0:00.
  • The Housekeeping > Task Management screen displays the employee’s work shift hours
  • Under Settings > Rooms > Task Management, locate the “Employee Working Shift”. Learn more about configuring shifts HERE.

Enable Suites & Group Blocks


Group blocks can now be configured to include suite/component rooms.

  • Watch our latest video or read our how-to guide here

Saflok Setting

  • Stayntouch PMS can now handle suite door key encoding (for use with the Saflok key integration only). Details here.



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