Tutorial Reception

Tutorial: Reception

Welcome to the user manual for the hotel software in the reception area. This excerpt from the manual provides a brief guide on how to use the software, particularly concerning the creation of reservations, invoices, and check-in/check-out processes. The goal is to facilitate your use of the software and provide you with all necessary information to ensure smooth operations at the reception.

Target Audience

This guide is intended for hotel reception staff who work with hotel software. This includes front desk agents, managers, and other individuals responsible for managing reservations, guest information, and invoices. Prior experience with computer systems is beneficial but not strictly required.

Key Feature

The central feature of the hotel software is the room journal, which provides an overview of all room reservations, occupancies, and hotel status. The software allows for easy navigation between different functions to make reservations, check guests in and out, and manage invoices. The intuitive user interface enables staff to quickly access important information and perform actions.

Application

To effectively use the hotel software, follow the steps below for each function. Navigation in the room journal is done via the "Previous week" and "Next week" buttons, which allow you to shift the timeline and view occupancy for the previous or next week. Select the desired year and month using the corresponding combo boxes or adjust the booking date directly. To edit a reservation, select a room by double-clicking on the corresponding entry in the room journal table. The most important functions are clearly summarized in the main menu of the room journal and include hotel status, guest list, waiting list, room rates, reservation search, and other functions.

Navigation in the Room Journal (Timeline)

Navigation in the room journal is done via the following steps:

  • Previous week / Next week:
    Use these buttons to shift the timeline and view the occupancy of the previous or next week.
  • Select year and month:
    Use the combo boxes to specify the desired year and month.
  • Change booking date:
    Click the "Change booking date" button to set the room journal to a specific date.
  • Edit reservation:
    Select a room by double-clicking on the corresponding table entry in the room journal to edit the reservation.

Information in the Room Journal

The following information is displayed in the room journal:

  •          Today's Date
  •          Booking Date
  •          Calendar Week
  •          Day of the Week
  •          Room Name
  •          Room Category
  •          Room Number
  •          Room Status: Available, reserved, or occupied.
  •          Additional Information: Wheelchair accessibility, pet allowance, etc.

Occupancy Symbols

The occupancy symbols provide information about the room status:

  •          R: Reserved
  •          B: Occupied
  •          O: Check-out
  •          Additional Symbols: For various types of organizers or special booking conditions.

Hotel Software Functions

The functions of the hotel software are accessible via specific symbols in the room journal. A double-click on a room/day column opens the reservation window.

General Controls

  •          Print: Buttons for printing the journal or specific reports.
  •          Status Indicators: Immediate information about room occupancies and reservations.

The Room Journal

Zimmerjournal mit Tooltip Reservierungsinformation

The room journal is the central program for the reception area. The following actions can be performed here:

  • ·         Reserve rooms
  • · · ·          Dashboard: Overview of the status for the selected day.
  •          Guest List: Display of all guests in the hotel for the selected day.
  •          Waiting List Q-Room: Pre-booking guests when fully booked.
  •          Interrupt: Automatic or manual interruptions for long-term guests.
  •          Room Rates: Display and editing of room rates.
  •          Available Rooms: Display of available rooms.
  •          Reservation Search: Quick navigation to existing reservations.
  •          Guest Information: Search for guests and their stays.
  •          Registration Form: Preparation of registration forms to comply with legal requirements.
  • To make a reservation, follow these steps:

    Reservation Window Fields:

      •          Departure: Check-in and check-out dates.
      •          Status: Displays room status with occupancy icons.
      •          Adults/Children: Number of adults and children in the room.
      •          Organizer: Name of the organizer, if applicable.
      •          Room: Selected room number.
      •          Room category: Selection of the room category.

    Entering guest information:

      • 1.     Click on the corresponding field under "Occupancy".
      • 2.     Choose between:
      •          Full-text address search
      •          Address selection
      •          Enter address
      • 1.     Confirm the selection.

    Guest check-in:

    ·         Click on the "STATUS" ICON or button and follow the instructions.

    Deleting guest occupancy:

    ·         Set the occupancy entry to 0 and update the guest address.

    Reservation Window Buttons

    •          Mark tourism tax: Entry of the tourism tax.
    •          Book special offer: Selection and booking of special offers.
    •          Show room information: Information for the housekeeping department. 
    •          Send SMS: Sending an SMS to the guest.
    •          Info: Access to the guest's information window.
    •          Meals: Access to the guest's meal window.
    •          Print invoice copy: Print current invoice.
    •          Print PDF invoice copy: Print current invoice as PDF.
    •          Checkin/Checkout: Toggle room occupancy status.
    •          Back: Revert room occupancy status.
    •          Print registration form: Print the registration form

    Menu Options

    •          Change arrival date: Adjustments for changed travel plans.
    •          Cancel: Cancellation of reservations.
    •          Print invoice: Printing invoices.
    •          Change payment method: Change the payment method of an invoice.
    •          Reservation: Print, email or fax reservations.
    •          Addresses: Entering and managing addresses.
    •          Park: Parking reservations to free up rooms.
    •          Send log: Overview of sent emails and faxes.
    •          Additional services & fees: Adding fees or services.
    •           Available rooms: Display of available rooms.
    •           Guest move: Multiple occupancy - guest moves to another room.
    •           Room move: Change rooms.  
    •           Share room costs: Multiple occupancy invoice per guest.
    •           Swap rooms: Function to swap rooms.
    •           Guest account: Display of all open invoices for the guest.
    • Print invoice: Printing invoices.
    •           Send invoices: Send invoices as PDF.

     Additional functions

      • ·         No Show
      • ·         Split invoice

    Example

    Suppose a guest wants to reserve a room. Proceed as follows:

    1. Open the room journal and navigate to the desired date.
    2. Click on the corresponding room/day column to open the reservation window.
    3. Enter the required guest information (adults, children, room number, etc.).
    4. Click "Checkin/Checkout" to check in the guest.
    5. If necessary, print the registration form or the reservation confirmation.

    Advantages

    Using the hotel software offers several advantages:

    • Efficiency: Quick access to all relevant information and functions.
    • Clarity: Clear display of hotel status and room occupancies.
    • Flexibility: Real-time adjustment of reservations and room prices.
    • Legal certainty: Support in fulfilling reporting obligations according to the Federal Registration Act.
    • Additional functions: Option to manage additional services and fees.

    Error description and solution

    Despite the user-friendliness of the software, errors can occasionally occur. Here are some common problems and solutions:

    • Problem: The room journal does not show any available rooms.
    • Solution: Check the filter settings and make sure the correct date is selected.
    • Problem: Error when entering guest information.
    • Solution: Make sure all required fields are filled in correctly and no invalid data has been entered.
    • Problem: The software does not respond to input.
    • Solution: Check the internet connection or restart the software.

    Summary

    The hotel front office software is a powerful tool that helps reception staff efficiently manage reservations, check guests in and out, and create invoices. With a clear user interface and comprehensive functions, the software provides a central point of contact for all front office tasks. For questions or problems, refer to the troubleshooting and solutions in this manual or contact technical support form