Release 4.20 User Guide Published: February 2015 Document Version 2 – Updated May 2015

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................5 CHAT....................................................................................................................................6 CHAT SETUP .......................................................................................................................6 USING CHAT .......................................................................................................................9 PRE-ARRIVAL REQUESTS.............................................................................................18 PROFILE MATCHES ...........................................................................................................18 RESERVATION REQUESTS .................................................................................................20 MERGING DUPLICATE PROFILES FROM THE ARRIVALS WINDOW.................22 CHAT HISTORY JOURNAL .................................................................................................24 VISIT INCIDENT JOURNAL .................................................................................................25 HOTEL SCORECARD ..........................................................................................................26 MANAGEMENT COMPANY SCORECARD ............................................................................27 ODDS AND ENDS..............................................................................................................28 LINKING INCIDENTS TO THE GUEST VISIT .........................................................................28

Introduction This document provides instructions on new features introduced in Guestware release number 4.20. This document is intended for Guestware system administrators responsible for configuring Guestware and training hotel staff how to operate Guestware. This document assumes the reader is already familiar with how to use Guestware. Technical topics such as installing the update are not covered in this document. The new features in Guestware release 4.20 address two core hotel operations tasks – how to manage and organize guest requests received prior to check-in and how to provide hotel guests a conduit to chat with hotel staff about service issues. Chat refers to online text message conversations. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_chat for details. Many service businesses today provide customers chat as an option to efficiently communicate in real time about service needs. For many, chat communication replaces telephone communication. For example, an online banking customer can click a link in the bank’s web site to ask a question or request assistance. Hotel guests accustom to chatting with other service business desire the same capability with their hotel. The Guestware chat feature enables a guest service department to efficiently receive a chat message, reply to the message and seamlessly log Guestware service requests and incidents as part of the chat conversation. Managing in-house guest service requests has always been a core Guestware function, but tools specific to managing requests made prior to a guest’s arrival did not exist. The Guestware pre-arrival planning functions are enhanced to keep track of what needs to be done for a guest prior to arrival and to efficiently dispatch these tasks when the Guestware automated dispatch features are used. The remainder of this document is organized by each new feature added. Within the topic of the new feature, step by step instructions are outlined on how to operate the new tools.

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Chat This section provides instruction on the Guestware chat features.

Chat Setup For the Guestware chat features to be used, the hotel must have a public or guest facing technology for the guest to initiate the chat conversation with the hotel. The guest facing chat mechanism could be the hotel’s web site with a click to chat link or the hotel brand’s guest mobile application. Setting up the public facing chat user interface to the guest is outside the scope of this document. Once the hotel has a mechanism to initiate chat with Guestware, there are a few simply configuration tasks to get started. Step 1: Enable Guestware Logins to Chat

The chat feature must be enabled for the Guestware login to engage in guest chats. To configure logins for chat: 1. Select File | Passwords | Edit User Information from the menu. 2. Locate the login to enable for chat. 3. Click Edit. 4. Click Applications 5. Set the Access Right. Supervisor access rights are required for the user to take over a chat conversation.

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Step 2: Define the List of Associates to Answer Chat Requests

When a chat request is made, the system references a list of associates logged into the system to determine who to route the chat request to. This list is called the Agent Assignment Order list. To define the agent assignment order: 1. Select File | Setup from the menu. 2. Click Chat. Hint: Tab on the top of the Setup form. 3. Click Agent Assignment Order under the chat Lookup List 4. Click Add Record 5. Select an agent login name for the new record. 6. Define the Ranking number. Hint: The Ranking is the sequence the system tries to connect to the associate to start a chat. 7. Click Save.

NOTE: A user login can be enabled in setup step 1, but not included in the agent assignment order. For example, a guest services manager login can be configured to take over an existing chat conversation, but if the manager’s login is not in the Agent Assignment Order list, s/he will never be prompted to answer a new chat request. Step 3: Define the Chat Reply Pick List

Common chat reply texts are configured in the Chat Reply Pick List. When a pick list item is defined, a chat agent can select it from a list rather than retyping the text each time. For example, the text “Good afternoon, how may I assist you?” might be added to the Pick List so the agent doesn’t have to retype that common answer to a new chat request in the afternoon. To define the reply pick list: 1. Select File | Setup from the menu. 2. Click Chat. Hint: Tab on the top of the Setup form. 3. Click Chat Reply Pick List under the chat Lookup List 4. Click Add Record 5. Enter the desired reply text. 6. Click Save.

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Step 4: Define Chat Setup Options

There are a few settings to define how the chat functions behave. To define general chat setup Options: 1. Select File | Setup from the menu. 2. Click Chat. Hint: Tab on the top of the Setup form. Setting Availability on Startup

Description If set to True, the user is automatically logged in and made available to chat when logging into Guestware.

Default False

Configurable Per Login Yes

Max Concurrent Chat Dialogs

Defines the maximum concurrent chat conversations an agent be engaged in.

3

Yes

Chat Audible Alert

Enables the audible alert signaling the arrival of a new chat message.

True

Yes

Agent Assignment Rule

Defines logic for assigning a new guest chat request to an agent. If the rule is set to Rotation, then the system evenly distributes chat requests to all agents logged into the chat room. If the rule is Linear every new chat request is routed to the agent at the top of the Agent Assignment Order list.

Rotation No

Low Response Priority Time

Maximum elapsed time (in seconds) before a conversation becomes marked as a low priority needing a response.

60

No

Medium Response Priority Time

Maximum elapsed time (in seconds) before a conversation becomes marked as a medium priority needing a response.

120

No

High Response Priority Time

Maximum elapsed time (in seconds) before a conversation becomes marked as a high priority needing a response.

300

No

Chat Request Decline Enabled

Defines if the chat request dialog has a Decline button displayed enabling the agents to dismiss a chat requests.

True

Yes

Active Guest Departure Days

Number of days after the visit departure date a guest can engage in chat conversation with the hotel.

2

Yes

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Using Chat

Making Yourself Available to Chat

If your Guestware login is configured to allow chat, you will notice a person icon on the Guestware system status bar. If the person icon is green, your login is in the Guestware chat room and you will be prompted with new chat requests. If the icon is white, you are not in the chat room and will not be prompted with new chat requests. To change your chat availability, right click your mouse on the person icon and selected the desired status.

TIP: If you normally want to be available to chat, configure your login to auto login to chat. Accepting a Chat Request

When a chat request is received at your Guestware terminal, a dialog box appears in the middle of the desktop. An audible ring also sounds if audio is enabled. Click Accept to begin chatting with the guest.

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NOTE: If Guestware is minimized and you are working in another application the chat request appears above the Windows system tray area. Click View Request on the system tray pop-up to open Guestware and accept the chat.

After clicking Accept on the Chat Request dialog, the chat panels open from the right hand side of the Guestware desktop. Replying to a Guest Chat Message

Type your chat reply to the guest in the box at the bottom of the conversation panel and click send.

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As messages are exchanged with the guest, the chat conversation is displayed.

Logging a Guestware Incident for a Chat Conversation

When a guest chat message requires a Guestware incident to be recorded: 1. Click the Incidents up arrow

above the chat reply input box.

2. Start typing the incident description and select the incident code. 3. Add any clarifying notes. 4. Click Save or Send.

Incidents created from the chat panel are processed like all other incidents. If the Auto Dispatch box is checked, the incident will automatically be dispatched.

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If there are multiple reservations linked with the same Loyalty Number, the Chat conversation is always linked to the ‘original’ reservation. Therefore, the room number displayed in the main Chat tile is always the ‘original’ reservation. If the Chat was initiated using the ‘linked’ reservation, you will see a chat bubble on the left (where the Chat conversation is displayed) displaying the ‘linked’ reservation information (Figure 1). This is how you will know that the request is for the ‘linked’ reservation and not the ‘original’. These types of requests must be logged directly through the Request or Incident screen. If you try to log a request directly from the Chat window for a ‘linked’ reservation, the request would be attached to the ‘original’ reservation and be for the wrong room number. In Figure 1, the main Chat tile displays Room 202, this is our ‘original’ reservation. The window to the left of the main Chat tile is the ‘linked’ reservation in Room 462. Figure 1

NOTE: Until further notice, if the request is for a ‘Pre-Arrival’, make sure you UNCHECK the check box

for ‘Auto Dispatch’ BEFORE clicking ‘Save’. If this box is not unchecked, Guestware will auto-dispatch the request to a “Pre-Arrival” or “Pre-Blocked” room which could cause confusion for the runner.

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Managing Your Chat Conversations

This section reviews tools to help you manage your chat conversations. Chat Panel Navigation

Click on a tab to navigate to different views of the chat conversations. My Conversations displays chat conversation tiles for the guest chats currently assigned to your Guestware login. All Conversations displays all chat conversation tiles for the hotel. Chat Room displays summary statics on the hotel’s chat activity.

The Chat Title

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Chat Dialog Status Bar Colors

The chat conversation tile status bar color indicates if a reply to the guest is due. A green color indicates a chat message was recently received from the guest. A yellow color indicates the first warning time has elapsed since the guest message was received and the guest is waiting for a reply. An orange color indicates the second warning time has elapsed since the guest message was received and the guest is waiting for a reply. A red color indicates the third and final warning time has elapsed since the guest message was received and the guest is waiting for a reply. Blue indicates the last activity was a reply sent from the hotel to the guest.

Chat Conversation Filters

Chat conversations can be filtered by the conversation status.

Status Definitions

Active

The guest is actively engaged in exchanging chat messages.

Inactive

The guest’s visit is not complete, but there is no current chat.

History

The guest’s visit is complete.

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Searching conversations

If you have multiple chat conversations, you can search for a conversation by guest last name or room number. To search for a conversation type the guest last name or room number in the search box at the top of the My Conversations panel. The conversations are automatically searched as you type.

Viewing the Guest Profile

The full guest profile linked to a chat conversation is easily accessed by clicking View Profile located in the heading of each chat conversation.

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Viewing the Guest’s Visit Incidents

A log of all incidents created for the guest’s current visit is easily opened by clicking the pencil icon in the chat conversation tile. The Incident Log allows you to make any modifications necessary to the incidents.

Make the chat conversation inactive

If a message has not been received from the guest for a long period of time and you want to reflect the conversation is inactive to help focus on the active conversations, click the crossed out circle button on the bottom of the conversation tile.

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Transferring a Chat Conversation

An active chat conversation can be transferred to another associate. You may need to transfer a chat because the conversation requires a subject matter expert or it is the end of your work day and the guest still requires assistance. To transfer a chat conversation, click the transfer button on the chat conversation title. You are prompted to select the associate to transfer the conversation to. The associate must accept the transfer before the transfer is complete. After the transfer is complete, the chat conversation is no longer listed in your My Conversations panel.

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Pre-Arrival Requests The Guestware Arrivals window used for guest pre-arrival planning is enhanced to display and create service request incidents linked to reservations due to check in. Profile Matches A new column named Service Delivery is added to the Profile Matches. The Service Delivery column displays any reservation requests in PMS followed by any service request linked to the reservation in Guestware. A Guestware service request can be created prior to arrival either by clicking the request icon next to the profile preference or from an integrated external system such as a brand’s guest mobile application.

The request icon appears next to a profile preference when the preference is linked to an incident code. The request icon is not available if the service request incident code is already entered for the visit.

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To map preferences to incident codes: 1. Open the Guest Preference List from the Guest Recognition Setup form 2. Locate the preference name to map. 3. Click the button on the preference to open the lookup list of available preference values. 4. Enter the incident code to link to the preference value.

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Reservation Requests The Reservation Requests view added to Arrivals form lists all service requests linked to expected arrivals. Where the Profile Match view displays service requests for reservations matching a profile, the Reservation Requests view displays pre-arrival service requests for guest without a guest history profile as well as the guests with a profile. The Arrivals Reservation Requests view is much like the Rapid Response Dispatch Monitor except for pre-arrival requests. Seeing all the pre-arrival requests in one list helps the Front Desk and or Rooms Controller make sure all requests communicated by the guest are fulfilled by the time the guest checks in.

The Room on the service request is the room value currently assigned in the property management system (PMS). If a room is not assigned to the reservation, the value is PreArrival. The room is automatically updated when a room number is assigned in PMS. Service requests are automatically removed from the Arrivals Reservation Requests list when the guest checks in. NOTE: If your hotel has a Pre-Arrival Planning process in place and you would like to dispatch requests BEFORE the guest checks in, you can do this manually from the ‘Reservation Requests’ screen. Currently, you are only able to manually dispatch Pre-Arrival requests from the ‘Reservation Requests’ screen or the ‘New Call’ section of the Dispatch Call Monitor. Auto-Dispatching for these types of calls is not available at this time.

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NOTE: The system logic to display a Reservation Request is any incident linked to a visit where the visit status is Expected. In Guestware release 4.20, the PMS integration creates visit records linked to the guest record any time a service request is created or the reservation is matched to a profile. When the reservation checks in or out the status on the visit record is automatically updated. Manually editing the status on a visit from Expected to In House and clicking the refresh button on the Reservation Request view will make the request disappear from the list.

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Merging Duplicate Profiles from the Arrivals Window When reviewing reservations with a possible profile match, duplicate guest records are often identified. Duplicate guest records get created when a visit is completed in PMS and the reservation does not contain enough information to reliably match the completed visit to a profile. Release 4.20 adds tools making it easy to merge duplicate guest records from the arrivals possible match window. Previously it was necessary to open each guest profile to merge it to another record.

Three new columns are added to the Possible Match list to assist with making merge decisions.

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The new columns are: Profile Score

Indicates the guest profile quality on file at a glance. The higher the number, the more complete and robust the profile. When merging profiles, one typically wants to merge profiles with a low score to a profile with a high score. A profile can have a maximum score of 10. Points are assigned to a profile as follows: · · · · · · ·

1 linked visit = 1 point 2 or more linked visits = 2 points 1 linked preference = 1 point 2 or more linked preferences = 2 points Profile ID is issued to the guest (loyalty program enrollment) = 4 points Valid email address = 1 point 1 or more linked incidents = 1 point

Profile Stats

Displays the total profile visits, nights and preferences. N=Nights, V=Visits, P= Preferences.

Last Visit

Displays the property code and departure date of the last completed visit.

To merge a guest record using the mouse drag and drop command: 1. Point the mouse cursor over the Guest ID you wish to merge to another profile. 2. Left click and hold the mouse button. The mouse cursor changes to the merge icon . 3. Move the mouse cursor over the target Guest ID you wish to merge to. 4. Release the mouse button. 5. Accept the merge confirmation dialog box.

To merge a guest record using the merge button: 1. Click the merge icon on the profile record you wish to merge to another profile. 2. In the Merge Profile dialog, enter the Guest ID of the profile you wish to merge to. 3. Click Ok. 4. Accept the merge confirmation dialog box.

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Chat History Journal A new report title named Chat History is added in release 4.20. The Chat History report is a tool to see a list of all chat messages with a guest or by an associate. It also provides a summary metrics on chat activity. The primary date range entered for the report selects the chat message activity based on the message date. The Chat History report has optional filters on Guest ID or Agent Login ID to create a list of message activity for a particular person. If a custom format of this report data is desired, the report can be saved to a Microsoft Excel document and formatted.

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Visit Incident Journal A new report title named Visit Incident Journal is added in release 4.20. The Visit Incident Journal report is similar to the Incident Detail List report, but includes visit information linked to the incident. If an incident is not linked to a visit record, the Reservation column is blank. Another improvement with this report is the listing of linked summarized responses taken to resolve the incident. This report provides a good overview of the incident and responses taken in a specified date range. The primary date range entered for the report selects the data based on the incident date. The common optional incident report filters are also available when generating the Visit Incident Journal. If a custom format of this report data is desired, the report can be saved to a Microsoft Excel document and formatted.

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Hotel Scorecard A new report title named Hotel Scorecard is added in release 4.20. The Hotel Scorecard provides a one page snap shot summarizing how well Guestware is being utilized for incident tracking and resolution. This report is useful for management to monitor if the team is using the Guestware incident and rapid response tools effectively. The primary date range entered for the report selects the incident and response activity based on the incident date. There are no optional filters for this report. If a custom format of this report data is desired, the report can be saved to a Microsoft Excel document and formatted.

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Management Company Scorecard A new report title named Management Company Scorecard is added in release 4.20. The Management Company Scorecard provides a snap shot summarizing how well Guestware is being utilized for incident tracking and resolution for all hotels in a multi-property Guestware database. This report is useful for management company executives and regional area managers to monitor how well hotels under management are performing using the Guestware incident and rapid response tools effectively. The primary date range entered for the report selects the incident and response activity based on the incident date. There are optional filters for region and sub region for this report. If a custom format of this report data is desired, the report can be saved to a Microsoft Excel document and formatted.

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Odds and Ends Linking Incidents to the Guest Visit Many of the new functions in release 4.20 rely on a link between the incident and guest visit. Anytime the PMS room inquiry interface is used to link a guest to a new incident entry, if the visit record is not yet recorded it is created and the incident is linked to it. When the visit is created the status is In House. Upon check out and night audit, the PMS integration changes the status to Departed.

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