General Help and Questions

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I have created a comprehensive "things to do in Hayesville" custom email template which has rich text formatting as well as some outbound links to local restaurants, shops, etc.

I notice that no matter what I do under the "edit" function, when I save it, there is one section where I can't get it to create a new paragraph. It looks really strange, (and oddly it only shows up this way in the actual PREVIEW, but not while editing), but I can't figure out how to fix it. Ideas welcome!

Thanks!
Monica

Listing sites are required in PA (including my county) to collect the hotel taxes. We have total 9% tax (6% sales and the 3% hotel tax).

So, Airbnb does the 3%. I THINK they do not collect the sales tax, but their website makes it a maze to find clear answers. And of course BDC, FK, VRBO...

So does my Ownerrez collect the 6% sales tax part I need to collect when managing each channel? I know I would need to remit, this is just a collection question.

Thanks for explaining. Out of curiosity, what kind of documents would one upload that contained links? I'm open to ideas to make my guest experience better!

Thanks!
Monica

Some listing sites recommend only using their communication channel, to discourage guests from trying to cancel and direct book with owner to cut out listing site commission. Accepting such an arrangement risks owner getting delisted.

Also, having everything recorded on their communication channel helps prevent guests who things like threatening a bad review if not getting a discount or refund and other things. This is discussed a lot on other forums i follow.

If I wanted to screen guests, and have a B7B owner type long chats, I wouldn't be doing the instant book route. But someone calling me 6 times because he ignored my constant requests to use the communication channel is annoying.

Thanks. I figured it might impact, just wanted to know.

THANK YOU!! I thought I was going to have to change it manually, but that link makes it really easy!

Monica

Yep, if you're changing the renter agreement you can do that at any time.

I think @JTVRs is referring to uploaded documents with links embedded in the email. For those, the files are heavily cached so there's no way to update an existing link. You need to upload a new file and change the links in your email templates etc to point to that new file version.

Yep! Go to the Transactions tab of the booking and hit the Request button to get a dropdown of financial things you can request from the guest.

Send him the Request New Credit Card form and he'll be able to enter new card info and update scheduled payments and secdeps to use the new card

I have a guest who is doing a two-pay for his upcoming stay. His second payment is due tomorrow (Monday 7/8/19) and the system sent him the automated reminder that his card will be automatically charged. The issue is that he is trying to close that credit card account, and he'd like to use a different card in the automated transaction.

Is there a way that I can send him a link so HE can change the card information so I don't ever see his credit card number?

Thanks!
Monica

I believe you go into the document and choose "edit" and that changes the document contents but not the URL. I update my rental agreement now and again and the link always stays the same.

I hope I've answered the question you asked.

Monica

especially after they booked.

I understand about being at work and not wanting to talk. But what I do not understand is why would you be delisted for answering guy's questions (by pointing him to your FAQ page)? BDC is not vrbo. They don't care, obviously, since they provide your phone to the guy.

OK, I get how to upload documents. If I want to change an uploaded document, how do I do that, without changing its "URL" and breaking the hyperlink?

Yep, that'll be an option when we do support pushing content for BDC down the road. BDC and Airbnb both will have toggles where you can choose to push rates & availability only or everything. TA and HA require everything to be pushed (there is no way to do a partial rates & availability only push for those, so that's all we offer on those channels).

I am assuming that if I made a lot of selections, ownerez is not going to overwrite them is it?

I put a lot of sweat and getting booking.com set up just right. I want the option of deciding whether not ownerrez overwrites all the check boxes

Setting up booking.com with a bear. I put in 7 properties and I had to repeat some stuff over and over again. But where I want the money deposited and the fact of Summer on the same building etc etc. And sometimes I selected amenities or other features and I go back in and they were unchecked so I had to redo it.

HomeAway, TripAdvisor, CanadaStays we can create listings for automatically. BDC we cannot create listings for automatically (yet) -- you have to configure that on the BDC site first and then connect to the listing in OwnerRez.

Airbnb will be able to create listings for automatically once we complete API integration with them (ETA September).

You can import the listing content using the Import from HomeAway/VRBO button at the top of the Properties area. Make sure to pick "update existing property" if you've already got a property created in OwnerRez so it doesn't duplicate.

You can also import booking details (guest info, charges, payments) using our channel bridge tool: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/channel-bridge

Yep, there's a trigger criteria for gap nights so you can create a template and trigger that will send it out automatically at a given day before arrival: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/fill-gap-hole-nights

This was off my listing site, not my website. Last guy called me six times. And I'm not really comfortable waiting my website at someone you just came from a listing site cuz I don't want to get delisted. Booking.com they both said encouraged them to call me even though the instant book not what I want.

They're calling me while I'm at work and I can't talk to them.

I would suggest creating a "FAQ" and "what is provided and what to bring" pages on your website and refer them there.

Example:
https://smoky-mountains-cabin.com/faq
https://smoky-mountains-cabin.com/suggestions
https://smoky-mountains-cabin.com/rules
Even better, automate your messages (OR welcome email that has all the above info sent to them upon booking). Eliminates 90% of all calls.
P.S. You are the 1st person I come across who does not want to talk to potential renters. I am not thrilled about it, but I view it as a way to dispel potential misconceptions and avoid unmet expectations.

Ok. Would that be the same for ABB/VRBO? Is that all manual set up initially required?

Working on something somewhat similar. We will be purchasing 3 properties that are on VRBO. I will want to import them if possible and then push them to other locations. Is there functionality that would automate any of that? We would have 6 properties on VRBO at that time, if that matters. These are existing listings, if that matters. Appreciate the help!

I think not

Not on BDC yet, but this sounds interesting. Can OR generate the BDC listing using information from ABB or VRBO?

I really like that option. We are a weekend heavy business. I may actually start trying to encourage an additional day manually at a discounted rate. Could I automatically send that request via OR?

Okay, as I may have said, the two people who instant booked, also called me by phone. The guy said booking.com encouraged them to call! So they decided to have a chat! For Heaven's Sake, I'm at work and I can't. Don't these people have jobs?

Is the purpose of instant booking so I don't have to talk to everyone as nauseum? The second guy called me six times and I messaged centered him over and over and over that I only use the booking.com Communication channel.

Anyway, I'm planning to get a Google voice type phone number that answers as follows. I would appreciate any tweaks you might have that could improve it.

"Thanks for calling XYZ Vacation Rentals. For booking questions, contact customer service of the website you booked through. For property questions, we use only their message center; your confirmation email or logged in account with them should allow you to send us a message. Note that the phone number you just called cannot accept voicemail."

Interesting. I was hoping to eventually offer a discount if they took an unbooked day before or after their stay. I don't really want to get into the $15 per hour early or late checkin for people who try to abuse their time. Have you automated the scenario above? I admit that I still do not know how some of your functionality works like that.

If you go to Settings > Widgets you will be able to create additional widgets and copy the embed code. Then go to the hosted site page and use the <> buttons to enter source mode on the Intro or Conclusion section and paste the code in there.

I would recommend thinking about it before adding a bunch of more widgets though -- I know a lot of marketing blogs online talk about plastering calls to action everywhere. But vacation rentals are more of a big ticket item in my opinion and people want to see the information, make a decision, and then they'll find the book now button which is there, or right on the property page have the booking widget. They're not going to bounce out of the site if they can't find the widget in .03 seconds like they would for a $5 thingamajig.

For the Smoky Mountains share widget, create the page on the hosted site and then let me know and I'll add the shared widgets for you.

Yep, I've seen a lot of early/late requests with booking.com and also Airbnb. What I do on mine is to allow it provisionally if its under two weeks away but let them know in no uncertain terms that if somebody else books I'll remove that early or late option on their booking.

I also give them the option to block off the entire night before or after for a 50% of a night fee.

So that gives them a choice -- either pay the money and know their time is guaranteed or don't and they may be subject to a last minute chance if another guest is coming in.