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Resort Management System Blog

Resort Management System Blog → RMS Spring Newsletter 2017

Your Resort Management System

Greetings!

The Resort Management System provides property managers both large and small with a versatile Reservation Booking system, Advanced Accounting, Maintenance Work Orders and a full Reports menu. RMS recently updated AdvancedCare members who list on HomeAway and VRBO. Integrating your properties is just one of many options to assist property managers in today's rapidly changing world of technology.

In this Newsletter find out more about what's new in RMS!

Updates for HomeAway Integration

All RMS clients who are integrated with HomeAway and VRBO received an update to improve the RMS feed to the listing sites. While this update was intensely technical from a programming aspect, it had some visible improvements for minimum nights stay and check-in and check-out days in RMS and on the listing sites.

Season Supplements

One of the changes involved the RMS Season Supplement File. All properties are now required to use a Season Supplement file with the minimum night stay entered for each set of dates in the Season file. The Season Supplement associated with a unit must use the same Season file as the Unit Rate. Check-in days are also required for each set of dates and check-out days are optional. If the check-out days are left blank, RMS will send all check-out days as Y meaning Yes check out is available any day. Even if you only have a minimum requirement of 1 day you must have a Season Supplement file for units integrating with HomeAway.

Required Fields

Fields in the Unit details screen should all be filled in the RMS Unit File including latitude, longitude and the extended address fields. The Rates tab in the Unit file should show rates for all three years. In Web Options of the Unit File the web comments fields 1-5 will feed directly to your listing site and your website as the property description. For HomeAway the minimum number of characters required for a property description is 400.

In the AUD you are required to choose a Property Type. You must enter the Accommodation Summary (number of bedrooms, bathrooms and maximum in party. A headline of at least 20 characters must be entered with 70 characters recommended. The bedrooms and bathroom amenities are also required. When entering full bathrooms the amenities must include a toilet and a bath or shower selection from the list available in the AUD. Other amenities found in the AUD under Listing features and Property features are not required but are available for you to choose to create a beautiful and outstanding listing.

Booking Source

Booking through HomeAway and VRBO does require credit card integration through RMS. When the booking is made online via the listing site the Booking Source field is filled with the source HOMEAWAY. Even if the booking is made through VRBO the booking source field will still say HOMEAWAY.

To view the Booking Source in RMS, go to View Reservation. Once you have retrieved the reservation go to Reservation Maintenance and choose the first menu option, Change Reservation Information. The Booking Source is automatically fulfilled when a booking comes in from a listing site. However, if you want to enter in the Booking Source manually because you ended up booking the reservation rather than sending the guest back to the listing site (which HomeAway recommends) you can enter HOMEAWAY in the booking source field. The Booking Source report is pulled by HomeAway to assist them in calculating the booking conversion rates that they constantly monitor and try to improve for their clients.

HomeAway has very specific rules regarding their online bookings and content posted on their listing sites. Please visit HomeAway.com with any questions about their policies and rules.

For any questions regarding RMS data fields or integrating your properties visit resortpilot.com or give us a call: 843-795-4110

vacation rental software, short term property management, Resort Management System

31 May 2017, 13:58

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Resort Management System Blog → Sneak Peak at what's coming in the next Update

Resortpilot.com news! The latest update from RMS includes a change to your Season Supplement Screen. The Season Supplement is not required to be turned on but many Property Managers use it to control the number of minimum nights that may be booked in one of your properties as well as what day the guest may check-in. Now you may control the check-out day for the reservations booked in a unit with ease. To learn more check out this Season Supplement Tutorial with a Sneak Peak at the new setting in the Season Supplement File.

Season Supplement Tutorial

(Must login to support to view)

vacation rental software, software, Resort Manaagement System, reservation booking software, online software

08 November 2016, 20:58

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Resort Management System Blog → RMS Spring Newsletter 2016

Your Resort Management System

Saying YES to RMS

Dear Barbara,

The Resort Management System provides property managers both large and small with a versatile Reservation Booking system, Advanced Accounting, Maintenance Work Orders and a full Reports menu. Are you using your RMS to its full potential? Are you able to rapidly enter and retrieve reservations and post payments? Are you using RMS to correspond effectively with guests and owners? If you said "Yes" to all of these than go back to drinking your latte! If you said "No" read on for some tips and tricks.

Are you Using RMS to its Full Potential?

One way you can increase your efficiency and optimize your RMS is by using the Online Modules that RMS has to offer. Check out these top 3:

Owner Portal

With the Owners Login module, owners can log in using a secure password and view their statements, book their own reservations and even check year to date totals on gross rent and nights booked.

Online Booking

Allowing your website to be integrated with RMS gives your guests the ability to view your properties and calendars on their own time. Guests can search for availability according to their preferences and arrival and departure dates. Guests can make their deposits and receive correspondence immediately.

Guest Portal

The Guest Payment Portal allows guests to login with their reservation number and last name and make a payment or complete payment for their reservation.

Are You Rapidly Entering Reservations and Payments?

Enter reservations quickly using the TapeChart, the Unit Calendar or using Reservation by Search. Pick the method that you are most comfortable with and that suits the guest. If a guest doesn't know where they want to stay and only has dates use the Reservation by Search method or use the filters on the Tape Chart to narrow down their choices.

If the Owner or a friend of owner or previous guest knows the property they want to book, use the Unit Calendar.

Having accurate rates will allow RMS to calculate costs and automatically save you time.

Integrated credit card payments allows you to process the deposit when the reservation is booked! See our list of CC Partners if you need more information.

Are You Corresponding Effectively?

RMS gives you the ability to customize your letters and send them automatically at the time of booking with auto correspondence or immediately after the booking from Reservation View. You can also send letters at the end of the day for all reservations booked that day.

Design multiple form letters to send when needed to guests or owners. Send property specific confirmations or guest license agreements and unique letters with links to information relevant to certain properties.

See who hasn't paid or sent in their Guest Agreement with the Unconfirmed Reservation Summary Report and send them a reminder letter.

Include a link for directions or a keycode in the Final Instructions letter.

Send a request for review or feedback in the After Reservations Letter. You can even insert a link to your listing site or a survey form.

Programming Update

Programming has been hard at work completing a new integration with PointCentral Locks. Lock integration is available with Kaba, ResortLock and PointCentral.

Other items in development are DocuSign integration which will be a powerful time saving tool! Also improvements with HomeAway and VRBO listing integration are on the programming docket.

Resort Management System is a product of AMS, Inc.
PO Box 14320, Charleston, SC 29422 USA
www.ResortManagementSystem.com

ResortPilot.com

Are you registered for ResortPilot.com? The RMS Support website has more information on these modules, Integration Partners and Web Services in addition to a Knowledgebase of articles and tutorials.

RMS
CC Partners

Other

Partners

RMS
Lock Partners

Reservations, Advanced Accounting, Online Booking, Maintenance Work Orders, Reservation Login, Owner Login, Owner Direct Deposit, Cleaning Vendor Login, Housekeeping, Clean Text, Credit Card Integration, HomeAway and VRBO Integration, Glad Professional, FlipKey, Travel Insurance, Kaba Locks

AMS, Inc., P.O. Box 14320, Charleston, SC 29422-4320

vacation rental software

10 May 2016, 14:01

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Resort Management System Blog → Happy New Year From RMS

The season is so busy but you can rest easy knowing your Resort Management System keeps your data safe and secure with access from anywhere and backups performed nightly.

For those of you with RMSLive and online booking your RMS is working for you 24/7. Guests can book online and pay their remaining balance with the Guest Payment Portal. Owners can book their own reservations and view Owner Statements with the Owners Portal.

January is the time to start thinking about your Owner and Vendor 1099's. Find out more in this RMS Newsletter.

Getting RMS Ready for 2016!

What do you need to do to get ready for 2016?

1 .First of all, you will want to close out 2015! Print and review your owner statements and then Finalize them!

2. Print your Tax Report.

3. If you use Advanced Accounting you may want to print the Trial Balance for the month, Post Transactions and Close the Accounting Period. These are monthly procedures, so if you haven't been doing them please give us a call before you get started.

4. Print your Unit Totals reports for you and your owner. Reports>Owner Reports>1099s and Unit Totals.

5. Print your 1099s for Owners and Vendors. You can order forms or pick up 1099 forms at an office supply store such as Staples.

6. Check what years you are tracking and give us a call if you need to upgrade your Unit calendars and track a new year.

7. Check your Season File and make sure your start and end dates for each season are correct.

8. Change Rates as needed in the Unit Rates File.

9. What's that Monkey got to do with anything? 2016 is the year of the Monkey according to the Chinese calendar which actually doesn't start until February 8th. And don't forget, February has 29 days this year!

Reviewing Your Web Presence and Correspondence

RMS has some options for you to consider as you plan your marketing strategy for 2016. How is your website doing? Do you list your properties on other sites? How is your followup correspondence?

RMS has many integration options such as online booking or just allow guest to look at current availability and not book. The guest payment portal allows your guests to complete payments online. Your guests can use our powerful search capabilities on your own website to find the perfect vacation rental.

Integration with one of our partner listing sites is another option you may want to consider. Do you already list your properties with one of the vacation rental listing sites? Did you even know you could integrate RMS with the most popular listing sites? That means that all the information including your current rates and calendars can display on the listing site. RMS becomes the system of record for pictures, unit details, rates and calendars. Booking online through HomeAway and VRBO directly into RMS is another option available.

FlipKey and TripAdvisor offer awesome ways to publish reviews to your listings.

Integration with GladProfessional, formerly Glad To Have You, is also available. See more info...

Don't like listing sites? or just want listing site independence? Check out Matt's blog.

RMS has many letters and reports that can assist you in communicating and following up with your guests. In case you missed it check out the

After Reservation tutorial. (Must login to ResortPilot.com to view.)

vacation rental software

13 January 2016, 18:11

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