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I have a guest paying by check. They want to purchase travel insurance too.
*How do I make a template for that guest that has not yet converted to a booking until the check clears?
*Can they purchase the travel insurance now or must they wait until they are officially booked?
Our situation:
I have blocked the dates for a guest. The guest will be signing our DocuSign contract and sending us a check for the downpayment. Once the check is cleared I plan to revert the block to a booking.
Interesting take on the policy. Thanks for posting. How are you keeping track of the responses?
When we first started using OR I went down the road as I had with other software to "brand" our emails and each template had our logo and footer information embedded actually in the template. Then I found Themes (Settings -> Theming). Themes allow you to put something at the top and the bottom of emails, forms, legal agreements and statements. We now "stamp" all of our emails with a centered logo at the top and at the bottom we place the disclaimer text that "This is a transactional email from Pacific View Lodging generated by our property management software called OwnerRez. If you believe you have received this email in error please report this to us: postmaster@pacificviewlodging.com" We started doing the disclaimer a number of years ago.. the CAN SPAM Act required commercial emails to be identified if they were Advertisements and since all of these emails are transactional we wanted to identify them as such and give the recipient a way to contact us. We hoped it would help in keeping us from getting blacklisted. Not sure if it worked but it is a holdover we aren't ready to give up yet.
Here is an example of our Arrival Instructions. We generally send these 2 days prior to guest arrival. We utilize bold, underline, images (pictures of the door locks are included in the email), and custom fields: PXCITY PXCOUNTY PXUNITNUMBER PXWIFINETWORK PX WIFIPASSWORD, Property fields for Directions and Instructions are also used. (We could have use the Internet property tag as well but we prefer to keep them in separate fields so we can send just the password to guests in a text message. The idea here is to try to have just ONE Arrival Instruction template that is customized for each property using the
This looks so much better in an actual email than what you see below.
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{CFIRST}
This email contains important information you will need for your arrival at {PDISPNAME}. You may wish to print a hard copy of this or save it for easy retrieval in your email.
{PDISPNAME}
{PADDRM}
{PADDRUG}
Arriving: {BARR}
Departing: {BDEP} ({BNNGHTS} nights)
{PINSTDIR}
{PINSTCHECKIN}
--------------------
Check-In Time is {BCHECKINTIME} and Check-Out time is promptly at {BCHECKOUTTIME} At this time we do not have capability to grant early check-in or late check-out requests.
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Using the Electronic Door Lock
On the door you will find a lock that looks similar to one of these:
Tap the Yale to illuminate the keypad.
Enter your personal code of: {BDOORCODE} followed by ✓ checkmark or asterisk * key (The bottom row far left button on the keypad)
You will hear the lock mechanism move followed by 3 tones.
Once the tones finish you can press down on the door handle and enter the unit.
The locks will automatically relock after about 30 seconds.
If the code does not work, or the keypad starts "flashing" repeatedly at you please check the time. Your code will start working on {BARR} after {BCHECKINTIME}. If it continues to fail please give us a call at {MYPHONE}.
-------------------------
Here area some important items to highlight about your unit (may not apply to all):
1. The wifi password is {PXWIFIPASS}. Look for SSID: {PXWIFINET}
2. The thermostat to turn on the heaters may be on the wall or actually located on the heater themselves. Turn to the right to increase the temperature and left to lower. For heaters with a digital thermostat on the unit press the bottom left button until you see temperature and then the up or down arrow to adjust. (Please DO NOT place anything in front of the heating unit. They can get VERY hot and can melt plastics and scorch/burn fabric.)
3. Linens/Pillows for the sofa sleepers (if present) are stowed in the coffee tables, drawers in the bed pedestal, or ottomans in the living area. You will also find additional pillows and blankets in closets/dresser drawers.
4. If your TV has unique operational instructions they are generally posted on or near the TV. In particular some LG televisions require you to change to HDMI1 when they are turned on. This is done by pressing the left top button (TV INPUT) multiple times on the remote until HDMI1 is highlighted. Please do not reprogram remote controls and if you unplug cables please be sure to plug them back in where you disconnected them.
5. The pet area has waste disposal bags. Please pickup after your pets so we can keep the properties pet friendly.
Thank you for choosing {PDISPNAME} - enjoy your stay and if you need anything please do not hesitate to contact us.
{MYCO}
{MYEMAIL}
{MYPHONEI}
{MYURL}
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Our counties in Oregon require we inform guests about COVID. Our policy is such that if they can NOT acknowledge the contents of the email that we offer a full refund. We do not require proof and we have not found guests abusing the policy.
We added a number of property specific custom fields mostly with emails in mind. PXCITY PXCOUNTY PXUNITNUMBER PXWIFINETWORK PX WIFIPASSWORD we use CITY and COUNTY in this one. We also use Unordered Lists for each of the items and we do use bolding and underlining.
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{CFIRST}
Welcome to {PXCITY}, and more specifically, welcome to {PDISPNAME}.
First and foremost we thank you for booking with us. I'm sure you are probably tired of hearing that we are in unprecedented times, yet here is another communication brought to you compliments of the times we are in. In an effort to keep individuals safe - including our staff and our guests - we have been asked by {PXCOUNTY} county to provide some simple guidance to our guests and those who will be travelling with them and staying at our properties.
By completing this reservation and arriving on the property you are acknowledging and confirming:
That no person in your party has recently experienced any cold or flu symptoms.
That no person in your party has experienced a fever within the last 14 days.
That no person in your party has been exposed to or interacted with a person known to have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
That you and the members of your party will follow social distancing and face mask guidelines as directed for the duration of your stay.
You and your party also acknowledge the concerns of residents of {PXCOUNTY} county related to their increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 as tourism is allowed to open, and you and all members of your party will make every effort to be good citizens and respectful neighbors during your stay. This includes adhering to face mask and social distancing guidelines as well as observing property quiet time hours, and the various parking requirements as outlined in the city and county ordinances.
If you are NOT able to acknowledge and confirm the above, please contact us right away and we will issue you a full refund of any monies collected for your reservation. Our goal is to provide all of our guests, employees and contractors with a safe and healthy accommodation and work environment. You are just as much a part of this equation as we are and through our joint efforts we can keep the Oregon Coast open and safe for all citizens to enjoy.
{MYCO}
{MYEMAIL}
{MYPHONEI}
{MYURL}
This notice is being sent to all registered guests per lodging reopening requirements for {PXCOUNTY} county.
We send this on arrival day at 9am. Pasting here in the forum is not the best because formatting is important as well and that doesn't seem to carry forward...We link to the blog post for restaurants and we use an unordered list with bullet points for the each of the tidbits of information. Bold highlights important information.
We added a number of property specific custom fields mostly with emails in mind. PXCITY PXCOUNTY PXUNITNUMBER PXWIFINETWORK PX WIFIPASSWORD
Subject is Welcome to Depoe Bay...
-----------------------
{CFIRST},
Welcome to {PXCITY}, and more specifically, welcome to {PDISPNAME}.
If you have any questions or concerns with the unit please feel free to email or give us a call and we will address as quickly as possible. Our goal is your satisfaction and if there is something not quite right at the property that would keep you from giving us a 5 star review please give us an opportunity to make it right.
A couple of local tidbits of information:
You are in the Oregon Coast whale watching capital. In addition to the Winter/Spring migrations, there is a pod of Gray Whales that make Depoe Bay area their home so you can see whales almost year round.
Depoe Bay does not have a lot of beach. Perched on the rocks above the Pacific you get to experience the power of the ocean as the waves crash against the city seawall and rocks and send water in the air through the spouting horn. This can be quite dramatic in the winter during high tide and storms when the spouting horn will sometimes send water across highway 101.
The Whale Watching center is located right at the entrance to the harbor and is an easy walk from the property.
Depoe Bay is also home to the world's smallest navigable harbor at just over 6 acres. You can watch the boats navigate through the narrow inlet to the harbor on the south end of town.
If you want to be adventurous you can schedule some deep sea fishing or a whale watching excursion that launch right from the harbor.
Depoe Bay has a number of quaint shops along Highway 101. You will find everything from souvenirs and T-Shirts to jewelry and gallery art pieces. Spend a bit of time exploring the shops and don't forget to try the caramel corn, saltwater taffy and ice cream.
Depoe Bay also has a number of great dining options. Tidal Raves is located on the north end of Depoe Bay right on Hwy 101 (ocean side) It has one of the best views and a great menu to match. The Horn Public House on the south end of town at the harbor entrance features great bar type food including pizza and is home of Depoe Bay Brewing Company and for quintessential Oregon coast you can always visit Gracie's Sea Hag right on the main drag in Depoe Bay. (They do a pancake for breakfast that will overflow the plate.) On the south side of the bridge are two great ethnic dining choices - Bay View Thai offers some incredible Thai combinations including many with crab, shrimp and other seafood. Just across the street is Mazatlan Depoe Bay - great Mexican food with an unparalleled view. Our website blog has a listing of Restaurants in the area.
If we can be of any further assistance or you need anything during your stay please do not hesitate in contacting us.
{MYCO}
{MYEMAIL}
{MYPHONEI}
{MYURL}
Yep, there can be duplication but triggers are generally more flexible than system messages. Sometimes you'll start with the system message because it's easy and simple and then turn that off and use a trigger instead when you want complex send criteria or different configurations per property that can't be handled with merge fields.
Here's a bit of general info on system messages vs triggers: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/system-messages-triggers
New to Owner Rez and working through system messages vs triggers. I set up several email triggers (I already them from my old PMS) but then I discovered all of the system messages. It seems like there is a bit of duplication and I'm trying to figure out if its more appropriate to use system messages or triggers for many of the booking-related messages. There seems to be more functionality with triggers so curious what others are doing. Would love to see / hear examples of when you may be using system messages over triggers and why.
Chris Hynes said:
We've got two standard suggestions for this:1) When possible, use a single email template for multiple properties and then use custom fields to change up the parts of the email that are different. Often 90% of an email like a pre-arrival email is the same and there's just a bit different for each property like the name, directions, door code, etc. Here's an article on that: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/pre-arrival-email-templates-triggers-custom-fields
2) If you do need different templates, group similar ones together by a common prefix so that when alphabetically sorted they will show up together.
Anybody else have a good system they use for this?
I prefer starting all important email templates with a 3-character prefix:
- dot (period)
- letter (a, b, c, etc)
- digit (1,2,...)
This works because
a) a period is sorted before any letters, so your important templates are first
b) you can have .a1 and then .a2 and then .a3 so that multiple templates sent from the same trigger are sorted together
c) pretty easy to read at a glance
d) you can move templates around easily. Just change .a2 to .z1 and it's at the end of your list
I also use upper case ALERT in front of several of my templates that all naturally work together, so that's another approach for some templates, but the .a1 approach covers the majority of my active templates.
We've got two standard suggestions for this:
1) When possible, use a single email template for multiple properties and then use custom fields to change up the parts of the email that are different. Often 90% of an email like a pre-arrival email is the same and there's just a bit different for each property like the name, directions, door code, etc. Here's an article on that: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/pre-arrival-email-templates-triggers-custom-fields
2) If you do need different templates, group similar ones together by a common prefix so that when alphabetically sorted they will show up together.
Anybody else have a good system they use for this?
I was wondering what conventions others use to name and organize templates. With multiple properties and some requiring very specific information necessitating separate templates, my library is growing. Before it gets much bigger, I would like to apply some "best practices" to it.
Ideas? Suggestions? Tip or hints?
http://2425creative.com did my website. Anne Marie - she is great. my site is www.discoverabiquiu.com.
If you go to the site in Settings > Hosted Websites, click on the site in that list, it'll take you to the main site management area.
There is a Create Page button there at the top of the page/menu list -- click that and choose the Custom Page option and it'll take you to an area where you can fill out the content for that page.
I had no clue we could create additional pages!!! Where in the forums can I find the steps of doing that?
Yep, that's usually a good way to get started -- do an OR website which is fast and easy and then later if you want to develop something more advanced or hire a developer to do so you can always switch over to a custom site using our widgets.
In terms of a banner, you could put images on the hero unit that scrolls across the top of the home page. But I'd recommend just creating a page called "Specials" -- folks usually see that first in the tabs up top and click it to see what you're offering.
Thank you for the information! I like the OR website but down the road I would like something a little more detailed. In the short term is there anyway to add a banner to the OR built website for my VR that would scroll specials or announcements across it?
Having someone build a proper website can be expensive. I would suggest you start with a) the hosted website offered by owner reservations for several reasons such as getting free included support, or b) purchasing a WordPress theme that features a hotel or rental theme from a place like envato or c) consider using Wix or Weebly to build something as a starter.
There is a lot that goes into building a website, and your website builder may not really know what they're doing or may charge you thousands you wind up with nothing better than what I said above. There's a lot to be said for starting simple and then transitioning to something that you have built for yourself later.
Can anyone point me towards a person/company they used to have a website built? One that was reasonably priced and easily integrated the OR widgets. Thank you for any help!
fingers crossed that the big overhaul will include the ability to have scheduled email reports. Most important to me would be a weekly automated email listing the checkin/out and duration for all upcoming bookings.
There isn't currently, but that's something we're working on in big overhaul to System Messages and Email Templates that is actively in development as I write this.
Is there a way to clone an email template, thus copying all the To/From/Subject, etc. info? I don't see this addressed anywhere.
HomeAway definitely allows (and encourages) renter agreement signatures. Airbnb as well: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/465/can-hosts-ask-guests-to-sign-a-contract.
On any site you should provide notice up front in the house rules, and then require the document to be signed after booking.
I am somewhat concerned about the possibility of getting you delisted if your profile or legal paperwork or Communications point a prospect or guest off the Airbnb system in any way. Same with the HomeAway family. I have seen a few scary stories in other forums
Jenna, you can use Triggers to target "only Airbnb" bookings and then send them a special email template with a link to your Airbnb experience.
(Yeah that's strange that Airbnb doesn't link host rooms and experiences - that's a nobrainer)
What I had in mind was a brief explanation of the experience they could add on during their stay and provide the link to my Airbnb experience if they are Airbnb guests. If not Airbnb guests, I would send a link to my website where they can book the experience directly. The payment and scheduling would all take place outside of OwnerRez. The only reason for the template is to have an autoresponder when guests book a stay so that they are informed of my experience offer ahead of their stay and they are provided a link to book it.
On a side note. I have had two guests that stayed and also did my experience. I offered them a discount because my experience is new and I want more reviews. It seems the homestay and experience are sort of linked as far as the payout goes, but it's not really clear. I wish Airbnb would have a way to show guests who book a stay that their host also offers an experience. It seems like common sense to say "hey you booked at stay in xyz place, want to add an experience while you are there?" And even if that host didn't have an experience they could show guests experiences available for the area and dates of their stay.
I am also interested in offering tours via AirBnb experiences or other platforms, but unless Airbnb allows an experience upgrade to your booking, a template seems moot (seems like two independent purchases). It is already difficult even to request additional charges to a booking, let alone adding an experience...
Or are they linked somehow?
Good idea. Does anyone have a template for an automated email that goes out upon booking that informs guests of excursions, or in my case experiences, that they can book during their stay? I have thought about adding it to the request real email address template since I can put the Airbnb experience link there for Airbnb guests and that way I am not sending an additional email.
Rich, the content looks fine. The point is to convey as much information as you can to the guest, not win literary awards. Don't worry about the formatting.
As I said above "I think you should have a writer look at your content."
The only other thing I would add is, take your instructions and follow each and every step yourself. Get a friend who has never been there to try and follow them. Fix everything that is too wordy, unclear, overkill, etc.
@Ross C
Here's a link which displays the email with formatting. Can you offer some specific suggestions for improvement?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xqfuxAtIqIGQdoG09xJUa_rWQ9xANsvC
