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Zapier Use Cases 8 replies

Chris Hynes
Aug 2, 2023 7:08 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2012 1404 posts

We do have plans to add categories to the booking changed triggers for things like financials changed, calendar changed, contact changed, etc. so you can target things more granularly, but don't have an ETA on the roadmap yet.

What exactly are you linking up in OpenPhone? Are you matching things back to the booking id or just loading contact info? If you're only doing contact updates, you could use contact created/updated like this example: https://zapier.com/apps/hubspot/integrations/ownerrez/1168079/create-hubspot-contacts-whenever-new-guests-are-created-in-ownerrez rather than triggering off all booking changes. The guest/contact should be updated much more rarely than the booking, basically just when contact info changes or a repeat booking comes in etc.

Zapier Use Cases 8 replies

Alece
Aug 2, 2023 1:55 PM
Joined Jan, 2020 279 posts

I'm finding that with only the 4 trigger options available, it's a challenge to utilize this integration effectively. I built out a multi-step Zap to create/update a contact in OpenPhone when a booking is updated (which became one of your example cases). However any time bookings are updated even with things like tags applied/changed, Vrbo commissions added, etc.), it runs the Zap -- causing us to max out our number of paid Zaps unbelievably fast! If I set it to only run when a booking is created, then I don't yet have access to guest contact information, as that only comes in when they complete the rental agreement.

1. Do you know of a way to limit the scope of the Booking Updated trigger to only include changes to guest contact information and dates of stay? 

2. Are there any plans to more finely tune the trigger options available to make Zapier more useful?

Google Vacation Rentals Coming Soon, Direct Booking Listing Site Tracking Added and Merchant of Record Transaction Type Updated! 6 replies

Anne S
Aug 2, 2023 9:19 AM
OR Team Member Joined Sep, 2022 178 posts

Are you celebrating National White Wine Day 🥂 or International Beer Day 🍻 today?

White Wine vs. Beer

Root beer and non-alcoholic white wines count too! Raise a toast to this full-bodied product update with rich details about our August 2nd release with 13 updates, where you can savor reading about the Google Vacation Rentals limited beta worthy of both beer and wine!🎉

Coming Soon!

Google Vacation Rentals (Limited Beta)

Patience is a virtue, and soon OwnerRez users shall be rewarded! Yes, indeed, our number one channel feature request, Google Vacation Rentals, is coming.

Rather than leaving our eager users in suspense, know that OwnerRez is diligently working on this private beta integration by actively testing it in production on Google Vacation Rentals with some of our employees' properties.

Google Vacation Rentals Coming Soon

Be assured that we're hustling to reach the "limited beta" phase, but at OwnerRez, we never settle for half-baked solutions and want to be sure that we get this integration right for our excited users.

At the moment, the Google Vacation Rentals private beta is not available to any OwnerRez users, and regrettably, the waitlist for our Limited Beta is already filled.

Enhancements & Tweaks

Direct Booking Listing Site Tracking Added 

Ever wonder how a guest found and booked your hosted website? OwnerRez has some first-class channels, bnbfinder and Nofie among them, that send guests directly to your hosted website instead of generating inquiries or booking from the channel.

Previously, it might have appeared that inquiries or bookings in OwnerRez were direct bookings because they weren't attributing credit to those first-class channels. However, OwnerRez has added parameters to URLs for those listing channels that automatically add the listing site information so that users will know where the guest found your property listing.

How does it work? Each time a guest is sent to your hosted website to book from one of these listing sites OR appends the name of the listing site into the hosted website direct booking URL.

Listing Site/Channel URL Appended

And users will see the listing site displayed in OwnerRez on the individual inquiry or booking.

Listing Site Tracking

The best part? OwnerRez users don't have to do a thing! No setup or setting changes are required. This is automatic for inquiries for these listing sites.

Learn more by reading our Channel Management Overview support article.

Merchant of Record (MOR) Transaction Type Updated

Like Airbnb, some of our API-connected listing channels function as the Merchant of Record (MOR), handling credit card transactions and then disbursing payments to owners/PMs for bookings.

In some cases, the payment type for those channels was set as "Bank Transfer," which was confusing. We have changed all transactions from API-connected listing channels that function as the MOR to be labeled as "credit card (processed elsewhere)" for clarification on future transactions.

Booking Transactions Credit Card (processed elsewhere)

Learn more by reading the Payment Processing Overview support article.

Bug Fixes

Apply Footer to Guides. OwnerRez has applied our standard website footer to the Guides index page and each Guide's page.

Don't Delete All File Field Values When One File is Deleted. When guests deleted one of the custom field files they uploaded on quote acceptance/booking checkout, all files displayed for the host (OR user) were shown as struck through/inaccessible because there was no longer a current field value. This bug has been resolved so custom files submitted (or deleted) during the booking process will behave as expected.

Don't Error When Viewing a Review That Has No Property. In the July 21st release, OR enabled all eligible direct-booking reviews to automatically sync to other participating first-class listing channels (currently: HomeToGo, Houfy, and FloridaRentals) but missed the booking validation check, which caused errors. We have corrected this bug by adding a booking validation check to determine that the review has a valid booking attached.

Don't Treat Any Pets Allowed as No Pets Allowed for Vrbo and Hosted Websites. OwnerRez removed pets as an amenity allowing users to set pet policies in their property rules instead. However, we realized that this process did not include checking for "any pets allowed" which resulted in "no pets allowed" being pushed to Vrbo and hosted websites. For clarification, this change did not affect other channels like Airbnb; the regression was only for Vrbo and hosted websites only. This bug has been resolved, and any property pet rules will be properly passed to Vrbo and hosted websites.

Fix Issue With Vrbo Listing Import Failing on Importing Description. When some users attempted to import a property with their Vrbo listing, the import failed if they had checked the "What to Import: Description" checkbox. This bug was fixed, and users can now successfully import a property with their Vrbo listing if the "What to Import: Description" checkbox is selected.

Handle Case for Vrbo BUS Where Guest is Missing Name. Vrbo always passes guest names with the expectation that all bookings will continue to have names associated. However, if a user deleted the guest's first and/or last name in OwnerRez, the Vrbo booking update service would error. Now if this happens, it will always be rendered as "?" and/or "Guest" so the name fields are never null in the feed sent to Vrbo.

Include Blocked Message Detail in SMS Blocked Error. When SMS premium feature users sent messages to an unsubscribed phone number (i.e., the number had replied "Stop"), they received an error without an error description. We fixed this, and users will now receive the following error message, "ERROR - 21610, Attempt to send to unsubscribed recipient".

Skip Vrbo CB Transactions With No Ref ID and No Payment Fee -- They Look to Be Dupes. Some Vrbo Channel Bridge (CB) transactions included no Ref ID or Payment Fees. These Vrbo transactions appear duplicated and will be skipped during the Vrbo CB process.

Tooltip Verbiage Incorrect on Cancellation Refunds Radio Button. When users selected a partial refund on a booking that had a tax that did not apply to cancellations, the refund radio button tooltip stated "credit card" even if payments on the booking were made by other methods. The refund radio button tooltip label has been corrected, and partial refunds with non-credit card payments will display the tooltip, "Automatic refund cannot be processed" as the only automatic refund method OR supports is for credit card refunds.

Tweak Wording for Pets and Nofie. We noticed that the word "modal" was on the in-app Nofie instructions, and we changed that word to "window," as modal is not a common term. Also, while completing the removal of pets as an amenity, we noticed the word "amount allowed" in the language displayed on the property rules pet restrictions section. We changed those words to "number allowed" for clarification.

Webinar 8/8: StayFi/OwnerRez - Boosting Direct Bookings - Proven Strategies and Real-Life Success Stories 0 replies

Paul H
Aug 1, 2023 4:16 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

Join us live with StayFi on August 8th at 2 PM Eastern and 11 AM Pacific time. Arthur Colker, the Founder & CEO of StayFi, is teaming up with OwnerRez for a webinar on growing your direct bookings business. This webinar will focus on direct booking strategies for short-term rentals, featuring real success stories from vacation rental owners and property managers.

Key webinar takeaways:

  • Proven tactics to optimize direct bookings and reduce dependency on third-party platforms.
  • Leveraging email marketing to create lasting connections with your guests.
  • Implementing guest-centric marketing strategies that drive repeat business.
  • Understanding the impact of data-driven decision-making on your rental business.
  • Practical tips for enhancing guest satisfaction and cultivating brand loyalty.
  • Real-life case studies showcasing successful direct booking campaigns.

Join us for this exclusive collaboration between StayFi and OwnerRez, and elevate your vacation rental business’ direct booking business. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and actionable strategies that will lead to greater success in the competitive vacation rental market. Register now and secure your spot for this illuminating webinar.

The session is free to join, but you must use the StayFi webinar link to register.

You can find all our upcoming and past webinars on our Webinars page.

User Profile: B2 Vacations 0 replies

Chris R
Aug 1, 2023 4:12 PM
OR Team Member Joined Dec, 2022 7 posts

B2 Vacations has some of the most loyal owners in the industry with a retention rate of 98%. This is accomplished by having full transparency with owners and guests. It has led to an average guest rating of 4.9 stars with over 2,000 reviews.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

Our family has been coming to Myrtle Beach for over 30 years. For years, we would lose money by letting other companies manage our rental income. In 2017, we bought a new place and Chanda started managing the rental herself. Renting the units went so well, we bought a total of 8 condos in Myrtle Beach. In the 2020 HOA meetings, other owners saw our success and asked us to manage their units. So, we got our Property Management license, formed our company, B2 Vacations, and started managing rental units for other owners. We now have almost 100 rentals in Myrtle Beach. Our goal is to reach 200 units in the next 3 years.

What is your personal / professional background?

Navin recently retired from a big technology company where he worked in software development. Chanda is a Physician Assistant working in Pediatrics.

What do you love most about the VR business?

We love to travel and know what guests are looking for when they vacation. We joked about opening a Travel Agency many years ago. Running a vacation rental business allows us to give our guests the same experience we would expect for ourselves. We also love helping owners maximize their rental potential. While many owners struggle and lose money, we strive to help them cover their costs and mortgage. We have the most loyal owner base.

What do you dislike the most about it?

Some guests try to manipulate the system. They try to extort discounts with the threat of bad reviews over minor things.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

OwnerRez is our home base. We manage all reservations, integrations with Airbnb & Vrbo, payments, guest communications, and owner statements in OwnerRez. We are on OwnerRez constantly all day long.

What is the most useful feature that OwnerRez offers?

Integration with various tools like Vrbo, Airbnb, PriceLabs, etc. Also, the automated communication with guests and owners through email and SMS texts.

>>>>>>>>>

Navin and Chandra, congratulations for your organic and impressive growth! Your story is a great example of "success begets success." 

Webinar: OwnerRez Q&A 0 replies

Paul H
Jul 31, 2023 1:43 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

Join us for a live Q&A on Thursday, August 3rd, at 2 PM Eastern and 11 AM Pacific time.

We host live demo webinars every week, which you can register for here. During our sessions, we've noticed an increase in the number of questions being asked. As a result, we've decided to hold Q&A sessions to specifically address any questions you have.

The webinar is free to join, but you need to use the sign-up for OwnerRez Q&A link to register. On the registration form, there are multiple sections to write in your questions. Please write in questions prior to the webinar so we can start off by answering those right away.

You can find all of our past and future webinars on our Webinars page.

 

Zapier Use Cases 8 replies

Ventura County V
Jul 27, 2023 12:51 PM
Joined Mar, 2022 122 posts

I've been enjoying adding guests to my mailing list.  I've been toying with adding them to a google contact as well, so that they show up in my phone if they call/text so I know to answer the phone.  Haven't quite gotten that working yet, more of a zapier/google integration issue, but still working on that.

Webinar: OwnerRez Focus Session - Team Communication 0 replies

Paul H
Jul 26, 2023 5:47 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

On Wednesday, 8/2, join us for a live focus session to discuss Team Communication!

Adrielle Tecklenburg from our onboarding team will dive deep into the topic of Team Communication. Learn about Team Access, 3rd party alerts, how to properly set up staff members, and ask us any questions you have live.

The session starts at 1:00 pm Eastern, 10 am Pacific. It is free to join, but you need to use the sign-up for OwnerRez Focus Session - Team Communication link to register.

You can find all of our past and future webinars on our Webinars page.

Updated StayFi integration brings email and text marketing to OwnerRez users 4 replies

Adam T
Jul 26, 2023 4:20 PM
Joined Mar, 2021 1 post

Hi Pree,

This is Adam from StayFi We don't yet have the ability to associate more than one guest to a booking in OwnerRez. We're in contact with the OwnerRez team on this so as soon as it's available we'll update our integration to support this.

As for SMS opt in, that is a similar issue, as soon as OwnerRez supports this we'll update our integration to send this data over. One thing I would recommend though is using StayFi's Zapier integration to sync guest data collected via WiFi to other 3rd party apps / services. With the Zapier integration we do send SMS opt in status so you can use it in your other systems.

Best,
Adam

Integration With i-checkin 0 replies

Paul H
Jul 26, 2023 3:07 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

We are pleased to announce our partnership with i-checkin to set door lock codes automatically without lifting a finger!

About i-checkin

i-checkin allows you to automate guest access for your properties. Control both the common and vacation rental doors simultaneously through an intercom and electronic lock. Guests' smartphones are used as temporary keys, ensuring convenience. Full automation of the check-in process is guaranteed through seamless integration with OwnerRez.

Features

  • Integrates with intercom & electronic door lock
  • Fully automated check-in
  • Use of existing infrastructure
  • Guest & host support 24/7
  • Guests' smartphones are used as temporary keys

Pricing

System price, including controller, door lock, and installation = 224 USD

Package with touch screen = $328 USD

Monthly subscription price = $5.50 USD/door lock

You can view all pricing details here.

Start Using i-checkin

Get started with i-checkin by visiting the i-checkin website and check out the OwnerRez support doc for how to integrate OwnerRez with i-checkin.

Vrbo Messaging Improvements with History Import, Booking Channel Tab iCal Details and SMS Brand PO Boxes! 0 replies

Anne S
Jul 26, 2023 8:19 AM
OR Team Member Joined Sep, 2022 178 posts

Get ready for some Friday feels... our latest product update is here!

OwnerRez appreciates your undivided attention 👀...even more so on a Friday. Dive into this exciting product update and stay up-to-date with our latest July 26th release with 15 updates!

Enhancements & Tweaks

Vrbo Messaging Improvements Including Import of Historical Threads

As announced in our June 6th product update, Vrbo Messaging Added to the Inbox (Public Beta), we noted that we anticipated importing Vrbo message threads of Vrbo guest conversations pre-dating that release in a future release. Well, that time is now! 📨

OwnerRez is importing older Vrbo Messages that are dependent on listing status checks. What does that mean for OwnerRez users? When OR checks your Vrbo listing status, we will trigger the Vrbo message thread import for that listing simultaneously. We expect to have all Vrbo Message Thread imports completed by the end of next week if all goes to plan, as OwnerRez diligently checks Vrbo listing statuses at least once a week.

Vrbo Messaging

OwnerRez has also improved the conversation area! The conversation buttons (shown below) displayed will default to the last form of communication used with the guest, whether channel (Airbnb or Vrbo) or SMS (if enabled). In the example below, the user last communicated with this particular guest within the Vrbo Messaging feature, so that is the default at this moment in time.

OwnerRez Guest Conversation

This user also has the SMS Messaging premium feature enabled, so the SMS button is available to be clicked on. When it is, the guest's phone numbers still appear to the right as they did before. When more than one, you can choose which number to use for sending.

We now hide the channel messaging buttons if not applicable to that guest's conversation history and default to the last form of communication used (this applies when you have SMS Messaging enabled).

If users are not API integrated with both Airbnb and Vrbo, only the users' API-integrated channel button will be visible to the user to select. Additionally, if the guest chose to book this property on Airbnb (or, conversely, Vrbo) the next time, the Airbnb button would be the default button for that booking conversation.

There is much to learn about OwnerRez messaging options but the Messaging Overview video and our Vrbo Messaging support article are great places to start.

Additional Booking.com Cancellation Policy Codes Added

We've added more Booking.com Cancellation Policy Codes to OwnerRez for even more control over your listing!

Booking.com sends us the charges and cancellation policy for bookings as users have them set on the BDC side, but OR was missing some available cancellation policy options. Those additional cancellation codes have been added to OwnerRez.

Booking.com Cancellation Policy Codes Added to OwnerRez

Learn more by reading our Booking.com Setup & Connecting support article.

iCal Details Now Displayed on the Booking Channel Tab

Custom iCal links offer simplicity and easy integration for your property booking calendar syncing. While API-connected properties enjoy greater flexibility, real-time updates, and advanced features for their properties, at OwnerRez the choice is always yours.

But it was still difficult to see which bookings were managed by a custom iCal link or an API connection with a listing channel.

OwnerRez users can now more easily see whether a booking is managed by iCal or API connection on the Booking Channel Tab. OwnerRez Booking Channel Tab Vrbo Managed Booking

And users can click on either the iCal or API connection link that takes them to their iCal setup or API integration.

iCal information also includes the last day the linked calendar was imported, and users can also choose to click the Attribute to Listing Channel by selecting that button.

OwnerRez Booking Channel Tab with iCal Information

Learn more about your choices by reading our Custom iCal Links and API Integrations Overview support articles.

Hosted Website Social Media Links Now Open in a New Tab

OwnerRez users know the importance of embracing a vacation rental social media presence for your property. 

Now all OwnerRez Hosted Websites social media links open in a new tab to enhance the user experience and retain website engagement by allowing easy return to your vacation rental website pages.

Hosted Website Social Media Links

Don't have your own direct booking Hosted Website yet? Learn more by reading our Hosted Websites Overview support article.

PO Box Addresses Now Accepted for SMS Brand Submissions

When users set up SMS Messaging they are asked to submit their SMS Brand. Federal requirements mandate an approved Brand registers its business website and address, which can now include a PO Box.

OwnerRez updated the SMS Brand application to comply with these updated federal regulations, now allowing vacation rental businesses to include PO Box addresses.

SMS Brand Applications Accept PO Box Addresses!

Want to get started with SMS Messaging? Check out our SMS Overview support article.

Bug Fixes

Add Booking form_key to API Result. OwnerRez has added the booking form_key to the API result endpoint.

Handle Undocumented Airbnb API 'Workspace' Room Type. The Airbnb API has an unsupported/undocumented "workspace" room type on their side. We are working with Airbnb to see if they plan to support this. In the meantime, we deleted rooms with the workspace type across all listings to prevent publishing errors.

Display PointCentral Service Plan Message Even if Login was Technically Successful. This edge case occurred when an OR user turned on two-factor authentication somewhere in their PointCentral account. The PointCentral API does not support that and was causing strange error responses even though the user could successfully log into their PointCentral account. OwnerRez released a hotfix to provide more friendly errors in this case instead of the generic "couldn't parse response" error. Still, the user ultimately fixed it by turning off 2FA in their PointCentral account. 

Fix the From and To Number Labels on Failed SMS System Alert Emails. Some Failed SMS system alert emails displayed the To and From phone numbers labels backward. This bug has been fixed, and both the To and From phone numbers will be correctly listed and displayed on Failed SMS system alert emails. 

Handle BDC Modify of New Booking as Add if it is Fresh. An error occurred when a Booking.com (BDC) booking dependent on a connection order was subsequently modified, causing booking errors. We have fixed this bug to handle any new BDC booking modifications as an add event to ensure that the booking is handled correctly in OR.

Handle Case Where PointCentral Returns Missing Lock List. This edge case occurred when an OR user turned on two-factor authentication somewhere in their PointCentral account. The PointCentral API does not support that and was causing strange error responses, including missing lock lists. OwnerRez released a hotfix to provide more friendly errors in this case instead of the generic "couldn't parse response" error. Ultimately, the user fixed it themselves by turning off 2FA in their PointCentral account.

Handle Missing Payment Type in Vrbo Channel Bridge. Some OwnerRez users experienced errors when attempting to complete the Vrbo Channel Bridge process due to an issue with some unexpected data located in the payment area. This bug was fixed, and the Vrbo Channel Bridge process will run correctly.

Mark Vrbo Commission Imports With Proper Category. Some users attempting to import their Vrbo Commission Pay-Per-Booking (PPB) files experienced errors in the expense and channel categories. This bug has been fixed, and the Vrbo PPB File Import process will now run correctly and as expected.

Patch Issue With RemoteLock's Regression Causing Failure With Igloo Locks. RemoteLock experienced a software regression on their end that started returning unformatted timeout errors instead of programming locks because the requested start/end time wasn't a round hour. Igloo locks only support hours, not minutes/seconds. RemoteLock could not fix it quickly, so OR released an update to round to the hour on our end for Igloo locks only.

Vrbo Commission Fee Import Doesn't Show Errors When There Are Any Successes. OwnerRez users experienced an error when attempting to import Vrbo Pay-Per-Booking (PPB) Commission Fees that instructed them to "Fix the errors below." However, no failed rows were displayed to fix when there were also some successful imports. This bug has been fixed and the Vrbo PPB Commission Fee Import process will now show any error details even when there are successes.

Zapier Use Cases 8 replies

Chris R
Jul 21, 2023 12:30 PM
OR Team Member Joined Dec, 2022 7 posts

Zapier Use Cases

Ever since the Zapier integration with OwnerRez launched as a public beta in February and became a fully integrated feature in May, many members of the OwnerRez community have been busy creating hundreds of zaps to automate their daily tasks.

What are zaps?

If you’re asking yourself what, exactly, a “zap” is, it is an integration between web applications that allows users to automate tasks between the two. The online platform, Zapier makes this easy by providing a no-code method of connecting a trigger in one web application with an action in another. 

For instance, there is a zap that integrates Facebook and Gmail. The trigger and action are when a new post appears on your Facebook timeline (trigger), an email is automatically sent to your Gmail account (action).

You could do this manually, but it would require constantly monitoring your Facebook feed, then manually selecting each new post and selecting the method to share it, which would be very tedious and time-consuming. This zap automates this for you.

Video Walkthrough

OwnerRez Zaps

While OwnerRez has a multitude of existing built in integrations and functionality, it’s nice to have even more options to automate your workflow with the business web apps you already use and rely on.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways OwnerRez users have leveraged the power of Zapier to create zaps to streamline their workflow.

When a new guest is created in OwnerRez, Create a HubSpot contact.

Many OwnerRez users use HubSpot for marketing, sales, content management, and customer service. This zap will help keep your HubSpot contact list current with your OwnerRez guest list by automatically creating a contact in HubSpot whenever a new guest is created in OwnerRez.

_______________________________________________________

Automatically add OwnerRez guests to Microsoft Outlook contacts.

This one’s for all the Microsoft users out there. This zap will add new OwnerRez guests to your Microsoft Outlook address book automatically.

_______________________________________________________

When OwnerRez guests checkout, send a survey in SurveyMonkey.

Feedback is important for improving your business, and Survey Monkey is the most popular, free, online survey tool out there. This Zap, using the built-in Zapier filters and delay steps, automatically sends a survey via SurveyMonkey to guests at a specified date after their OwnerRez booking has ended.

_______________________________________________________

 

When a new OwnerRez booking is created, create a new message in Slack.

Slack is a very popular communication, collaboration, and productivity tool used by small and large companies alike. If your team uses Slack, you could use this zap to alert your team of new bookings in OwnerRez as soon as that booking is created.

_______________________________________________________

When a new OwnerRez contact is created, Create or update contact in OpenPhone.

OpenPhone is an online workspace that brings your business calls, texts, and contacts into one easy to manage interface, making managing your communications a breeze. You can use this zap to automatically keep your OpenPhone contacts up-to-date by creating or updating contacts in OpenPhone as soon as the contact is created in OwnerRez.

_______________________________________________________

These are just a few of the existing zaps that can streamline your workflow by automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Check out these OwnerRez integrations

If you’d like help figuring out ways Zapier can work for you, they have a handy AI Brainstorm bot that will help you identify automation opportunities based on your business needs.

If you want to create your own OwnerRez integrated zap, head over to Zapier to learn the basics and get to zapping!

Please visit our Zapier Integration support document for more information and resources about our integration with Zapier.

WordPress design service: P.A.Media Marketing 2 replies

Paul H
Jul 20, 2023 1:25 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

Once you get to the P.A.Media Marketing, click Book a Call. I just tested it, and the link is working.

Here is a link to the website

WordPress design service: P.A.Media Marketing 2 replies

Kimberly H
Jul 20, 2023 8:55 AM
Joined May, 2023 1 post

I am trying to book a time and your link is not working. 

Guest Reviews Distribution With First-Class Channels, Damage Protection Selection for New Properties, and New System Messages! 0 replies

Anne S
Jul 19, 2023 9:37 AM
OR Team Member Joined Sep, 2022 178 posts

Today is National Junk Food Day, but before you start indulging...

Junk Food

Take some time to read this latest product update detailing our July 19th release with 18 updates, including some great new features like Eligible Guest Reviews Distribution and New Property Damage Protection Policy selectors. Then, proceed to savor those tasty treats guilt-free! 🍩🍕😋

New Features

Reviews API Now Available for All First-Class Channels (requires additional partner development)

OwnerRez users invest tremendous effort in obtaining reviews. The more reviews (hopefully positive) that you have on your listings on each channel, the better!

Eligible direct-booking reviews will now automatically sync to other participating first-class listing channels (currently: HomeToGo, Houfy, and FloridaRentals) without having to do a thing! Previously, this was all opt-in on each available channel's settings for this to happen. Other first-class channels will be looking to support this in the future (it requires additional development on their part to do so). Please note: this is available for Vrbo also, but you must opt-in on the Vrbo API settings page to do so. Also, please note, this is not available for Airbnb API connections.

OwnerRez Reviews

On the OwnerRez CRM Reviews grid, users can now clearly see which reviews are eligible for Channel distribution in the Distribution column. Eligible reviews are those that were received from direct-booking guests.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Review Distribution Column

On each review detail you can see more specifics around this.

Of course, we have to add the disclaimer that all reviews remain subject to each specific listing channel policies and level of development that they have done on their side/site.

Learn more by reading our Reviews Overview support article.

Damage Protection Policy Level Selection Added for New Properties

Congratulations, you've just got a new property to add to OwnerRez! Most of you probably know about the native Damage Protection options that OwnerRez offers; if not, you may want to read up here first.

Before this release, if OwnerRez users had Damage Protection turned on and subsequently added a new property, the system automatically added the Standard $1500 Damage Protection Policy automatically in the background.

Now, if OwnerRez users have Damage Protection turned on and subsequently add a new property, they will be able to select the Damage Protection Policy level at the time each new property is added. This has been added to all screens where you can add a property/properties.

The system will attempt to default to the policy level you always use or the one that is used the most across all properties in your account. The system will default to the Standard $1500 level if it varies widely. From there, you can select a different one if so desired. This was added to 6 areas. The sixth area is the Property Re-Enable screen. If you disable a property but re-enable it later, it will ask you to select a Damage Protection level for it too. Here are the 6 spots for your reference:

Add a (single) property screen:

Add a Property to OwnerRez Damage Protection Options

Add multiple properties in bulk screen:

Import Airbnb Listing screen (if you select "Create a new property option," Damage Protection dropdown becomes available):

Import Vrbo Listing screen (if you select "Create a new property option," Damage Protection dropdown becomes available):

Import property data from Excel screen:

Re-Enable Property screen:

Learn more by reading the Damage Protection Overview support article.

Scheduled Payment and Security Deposit Failure System Messages Added

Vacation Rental owners and PMs can certainly empathize with guest credit card failures. It can be embarrassing for a guest to find out that their scheduled payment or security deposit has failed and is sometimes completely out of the guest's control due to technical issues, fraudulent activity alerts, exceeded credit limits, or bank errors.

And the statement Your scheduled payment just FAILED in large font at the top of Scheduled Payment and Security Deposit Failure System Alert email system alerts sent to guests could generate feelings of embarrassment and shame for guests. Owners and PMs know that resolving scheduled payments or security deposit failures requires discretion, support, and understanding to ensure guest satisfaction and a positive experience. 

For this reason, OwnerRez has added Scheduled Payment and Security Deposit Failure System Messages so users can edit them if so chosen. These were previously "hard-coded" system messages (i.e., no user could edit them). In the process, we softened the default messages by replacing the all-caps FAILED in both.

Here is the default system message for a failed scheduled payment, which still includes the reason, if known, in red.

OwnerRez Guest Scheduled Payment Failure System Alert Email

OwnerRez users will continue to receive more obvious System Alerts notifying them of a scheduled payment failure with the Failed Reason detailed.

OwnerRez User Scheduled Payment Failure System Alert Email

Security Deposit Failure System Messages have been equally softened to inform guests that their scheduled security deposit has failed while maintaining more obvious system alert emails for OwnerRez users.

Users can also view all of the Payment and Security Deposit Failure System Alert Emails in-app within the Communication History section of OwnerRez.

We rearranged the System Messages list a bit when adding these new ones. Users can view these new System Messages in-app by navigating to Settings > System Messages > Scheduled Transactions Messages.

OwnerRez System Messages

Users can also edit these System Messages by clicking on the Action dropdown menu and selecting Change Message allowing users to make any customizations to that System Message.

Change System MessageLearn more by reading our System Messages support article.

Enhancements & Tweaks

Booking Window Max Availability on Property Rules Required

Setting max days in advance (now known as Max Availability) booking window rules for your properties helps protect from unintended consequences. There was previously a "No Limit" radio button option. This caused issues for some users receiving unwanted bookings at inaccurate/low pricing, and some channels don't support such an unlimited option anyway. 

To help with this, we have added property rule defaults for Max Availability at 365 days and Lead Time of 1 day from now (to protect against unintended same-day bookings) to all new properties, if not otherwise indicated.

If a property didn't have a max set, it was set to 365 or their furthest out specific date rate (spot rate or seasonal specific date) -- whichever was greater.

Of course, users can always configure these default settings to their preference at any time by navigating to the specific Property > Rules > Booking Window.

Note: Channel restrictions still apply.

Property Rules Booking Window

The Booking Window rules are summarized nicely on the Rules view page of the property.

Learn more by reading the Booking Window section of the Availability Rules support article.

Bug Fixes

Allow Applicable Custom Field Types to be Used in Email Templates, Not Just Booking Custom Field Types. Users that attempted to input a non-booking type custom field code into the To input field did not result in an error as expected and needed. This bug has been fixed to allow users to add any type of custom field as long as it applies to the template type used.

Clarify "You do not have permission" Team Access Error. OwnerRez Team Access users that attempted to accomplish "primary account only" processes, such as changing account billing information, received unhelpful error messages. This bug has been fixed to now warn OR Team Access users when they attempt to accomplish "primary account only" processes and they will receive the more helpful "This must be done when logged into the primary OwnerRez account, not a team user." warning message.

Enable Test Quote API for bnbfinder. bnbfinder is in active development on some live quoting features. OwnerRez has enabled test quotes to allow bnbfinder to continue that work since their original channel configuration did not allow for test quotes.

Fix bnbfinder Listing Links. The property listing links displayed in users' bnbfinder API connection settings were incorrect. This bug has been fixed and the property listing links displayed in users' bnbfinder API connection settings have been corrected.

Fix Deposit Links in Transactions Grid. Deposit links displayed on the Booking Transaction grid were not hyperlinked correctly. This has been fixed and any Deposit links on the Booking Transaction grid will now open correctly.

Fix Email Bodies Not Visible in Conversation View. Last week's release led to an unintended outcome on the guest conversation view, causing the body of any emails in the conversation view to not be visible. Our users were quick to point this out to us. Easily resolved once we were made aware that it was happening.

Fix Ugly Layout on Team Invite Acceptance "Link to existing account". When OR users received a Team Access Email Invitation, the Link this Account button was displayed over and on top of important "Linking your Account" information. This has been fixed so the Link this Account button will display correctly, allowing the user to properly view the "Linking your Account" information.

Hackaround Airbnb "longer must be greater" Error. Airbnb was returning errors on properties that had a weekly discount but no monthly discount because the monthly discount was set to 0. This error has been fixed to now pass monthly discounts in the same manner as OwnerRez treats weekly Airbnb discounts if there's a weekly discount and no monthly discount.

Owner Email Address Doesn't Show Up in API if Loaded From Cache. We noticed that occasionally owner email addresses did not appear if loaded from the cache from integrations utilizing the OR API. This bug has been fixed and all owner email addresses (if entered) will load and display properly from the cache from integrations utilizing the OR API.

Purge Rejected SMS Brands After Account is Closed. After an OwnerRez user account closure, OwnerRez will purge any rejected SMS Brands from the closed user account.

Re-enable Cancellation Fee on Cancellation Policy Re-enable if Needed. This was an edge case where if a user disabled both a cancellation policy and the associated cancellation fee surcharge, the cancellation fee surcharge was not re-enabled upon re-enabling that cancellation policy. This bug has been fixed and any cancellation fee surcharges associated with cancellation policies will be re-enabled if the cancellation policy is re-enabled.

Re-merge Airbnb Bookings Missing Threads Caused by Airbnb Outage. Due to an Airbnb outage, users were missing booking conversation threads and unable to send channel messaging using OwnerRez. We fixed this by remerging the missing Airbnb conversation threads.

Support Segmented Codes on Kaba. An OR user had a Kaba door lock integration and couldn't generate door codes that included segmented numeric characters in the door code. OwnerRez was only supporting segmented numeric codes but we have fixed this to now handle door codes with unexpected sequences and translate them to valid segmented codes that guests can enter.

Update HomeToGo Instructions Onboarding Link. The HomeToGo API connection onboarding instructions URL in-app was outdated. We have updated it with the correct URL.

Turno (formerly TurnoverBnB) FREE For All OwnerRez Users 24 replies

Ken T
Jul 17, 2023 8:16 PM
OR Team Member Joined Aug, 2019 1704 posts

I would recommend reaching out to Turno for clarification on how they handle that situation.  My understanding is that processing fees apply only if payment is made via Turno, rather than directly to the cleaner.  However, I am not 100% certain as to the details.

Turno (formerly TurnoverBnB) FREE For All OwnerRez Users 24 replies

Lenore S
Jul 17, 2023 8:08 PM
Joined Jul, 2023 1 post

You wrote:

Please note that processing fees will still be charged when using services by Marketplace cleaners.

I know that one of our regular cleaners is listed on Turno as a cleaner. Does this mean that if we sign-up for Turno that we would now pay processing fees each time she cleans for us?

Webinar 7/25: Turno/OwnerRez - 5 Mistakes Hosts Make When Automating their Operations 1 reply

Paul H
Jul 17, 2023 12:55 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

Looking for a better way to automate your STR cleaning?

Join us live on July 25th during this joint webinar with Turno and OwnerRez where we'll cover insights and strategies to automate STR cleaning operations, enabling hosts and property managers to save time and improve communication to maximize efficiency. Learn actionable tips for finding reliable cleaners, automating your operations, and creating a smooth and stress-free turnover every time.

The session is free to join, but you must use the Turno webinar link to register.

You can find all our upcoming and past webinars on our Webinars page.

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Lamar C
Jul 17, 2023 7:53 AM
Joined Jul, 2020 3 posts

Hi Kimberly,

In response to your "That is the way to do it but if you don't share your name or email I can't find your message to connect to you."  Your system will not allow the message to be sent without input an email address.  I did input my email and then the "Submit" button will allow it to be clicked.

 

Integration with Rankbreeze 6 replies

Mike P
Jul 16, 2023 4:55 PM
Joined Dec, 2022 6 posts

I just started with rankbreeze. I was wondering how the dynamic pricings compares to price labs. I have been using pricelabs for about 7 months. 

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Nofie
Jul 14, 2023 4:59 PM
Joined Jul, 2023 5 posts

Hi Kim,

I used the "Need Help?" and then the "Contact Us" form with a message.  The website does not offer a direct contact email that I could find so is why I chose that method. 

by Lamar C – Jul 14, 2023 8:50 PM (UTC)

That is the way to do it but if you don't share your name or email I can't find your message to connect to you.  Please let me know what you need help with and I'll look into it.  If it's the average nightly rate issue, we are working to fix this and will have a short time work around option in the meantime available early next week.

Kimberly

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Lamar C
Jul 14, 2023 4:50 PM
Joined Jul, 2020 3 posts

Hi Kim,

I used the "Need Help?" and then the "Contact Us" form with a message.  The website does not offer a direct contact email that I could find so is why I chose that method. 

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Nofie
Jul 14, 2023 4:39 PM
Joined Jul, 2023 5 posts

Followed the instructions and properties are not syncing.

I hope you got my email last week but thought I should respond here as well.  Nofie is currently only in the US and since your properties are in the Dominican Republic they didn't sync.  We do plan to go internationally in the upcoming months and would love to have your properties listed then.

Kimberly @Nofie

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Nofie
Jul 14, 2023 4:31 PM
Joined Jul, 2023 5 posts

Is Nofie just US focussed?

by James L – Jul 1, 2023 10:23 PM (UTC)

Nofie is currently only available in the US but will be growing internationally in the months to come.

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Nofie
Jul 14, 2023 4:25 PM
Joined Jul, 2023 5 posts

It shows very high average nightly rate, I do not even have such a rate for any nights in my listing. Definitely not an average

by Yavuz – Jul 3, 2023 6:14 AM (UTC)

Nofie is working closely with OwnerRez to address the higher nightly rate issue.  In the meantime we are working on a quick fix where hosts can update their nightly rate manually.  We appreciate your patience as we work through this bug.

Kimberly @Nofie

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Nofie
Jul 14, 2023 4:21 PM
Joined Jul, 2023 5 posts

Hi Lamar, my apologies that you didn't hear back from us here at Nofie.  We definitely strived to respond quickly.  However, I can't see a comment from you, you can email me directly at go@nofie.com and our staff can help you out.  

Kimberly

I reached out to them (Nofie) via their website contact link but have not heard back in over a week.  Being able to communicate with a third party booking platform is important to me when/if questions arise I would like to understand the platform a little more as well and what their plans are as they grow.

Ownerez during my first three years has been incredibly helpful and responsive to all of my inquiries.  I hope that Nofie will be able to provide the same level of service.  Possibly Ownerez can fill in the blanks for us as hosts to feel a little more comfortable utilizing the platform and sharing our information with them.

by Lamar C – Jul 14, 2023 3:28 PM (UTC)

 

Webinar: OwnerRez Q&A 0 replies

Paul H
Jul 14, 2023 2:04 PM
OR Team Member Joined Oct, 2019 358 posts

On Tuesday, 7/18, join us for a live Q&A!

We host live demo webinars every week, which you can register for here. In those sessions, we have been receiving increasing numbers of questions, prompting us to organize a dedicated Q&A session to address them.

The webinar is free to join, but you need to use the sign-up for OwnerRez Q&A link to register. On the registration form, there are multiple sections to write in your questions. Please write in questions prior to the webinar so we can start off by answering those right away.

You can find all of our past and future webinars on our Webinars page.

 

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Donaven B
Jul 14, 2023 11:56 AM
Joined Aug, 2022 43 posts

I had inquired via Facebook messenger and had several exchanges with them about their model.  They responded to me there in about 6 hours.  I hope that helps.

Integration With Nofie 25 replies

Lamar C
Jul 14, 2023 11:28 AM
Joined Jul, 2020 3 posts

I reached out to them (Nofie) via their website contact link but have not heard back in over a week.  Being able to communicate with a third party booking platform is important to me when/if questions arise I would like to understand the platform a little more as well and what their plans are as they grow.

Ownerez during my first three years has been incredibly helpful and responsive to all of my inquiries.  I hope that Nofie will be able to provide the same level of service.  Possibly Ownerez can fill in the blanks for us as hosts to feel a little more comfortable utilizing the platform and sharing our information with them.

User Profile: FunStay Homes 1 reply

Bill and Donna B
Jul 13, 2023 5:35 PM
Joined Nov, 2019 7 posts

Congrats Mike!  Great article!