ResKey Question: Making a room unavailable

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Arks

Arks

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A few times I've needed to mark off the night after a guest checks out so I have time to clean the place. Don't have my housekeeping quite ironed out yet...and no, I don't iron anything else, either ;-)
On single nights like this, I click the apartment on the availability calendar, then go into the reservation and set it to unavailable status.
I hadn't thought about it, but ResKey is tracking those reservations as having an unpaid balance due. Does this throw off anything important, like reports? Should I go to the trouble to zero out these non-reservations?
 
We do this all the time. Yes, mark them unavailable and zero out the balance. If you are blocking off multiple rooms, then repeat this for them as well. If you don't it will screw up your reports down the line. I usually just type CLOSED in the block for the guest's last name so it will show up that way on the calendar. I've also color coded it black.
 
Thanks! One more question. Have you ever discovered that you forgot to charge a balance due? So far I've remembered because I'm excited to see them arrive, but I have a feeling I'll eventually forget, because I'm doing the balance charge through ResKey, not asking them for an actual card to scan, and it's up to me to remember to do it.
Also, I see ResKey's tax report shows the amount you SHOULD have collected, not necessarily the amount you were actually paid. So if you get beat out of some money through a chargeback or other reason, you must remember to take that off the what the tax report shows before you pay your taxes. I don't think that will be a problem. If I get beat out of money, I'll remember it!
Proud Texan said:
If you are blocking off multiple rooms, then repeat this for them as well.
Click to expand...
Looks like there's a "Set rates same as first" button there so when you set the first one to zero, you can apply it to the others with one click. Handy!
 
I change the rate to the rate paid - as in the case of my recent "wonders" made the rate her $110 so my reports balance. I discovered early on when my revenues did not agree (RezKey and my Excel ledger) that when there is a cancel or block (I make mine unavailable on the system) to zero the rate. Not a big deal time-wise to do it..
 
Arkansawyer said:
Thanks! One more question. Have you ever discovered that you forgot to charge a balance due? So far I've remembered because I'm excited to see them arrive, but I have a feeling I'll eventually forget, because I'm doing the balance charge through ResKey, not asking them for an actual card to scan, and it's up to me to remember to do it.
Also, I see ResKey's tax report shows the amount you SHOULD have collected, not necessarily the amount you were actually paid. So if you get beat out of some money through a chargeback or other reason, you must remember to take that off the what the tax report shows before you pay your taxes. I don't think that will be a problem. If I get beat out of money, I'll remember it!
Proud Texan said:
If you are blocking off multiple rooms, then repeat this for them as well.
Click to expand...
Looks like there's a "Set rates same as first" button there so when you set the first one to zero, you can apply it to the others with one click. Handy!.
Click to expand...
Yes, that works if you are setting them all to zero. I tried to do it that way with a weekly rate for a month and it did not work. I set them all to zero and then added the nights that had charges. What took the time was figuring out how it had to be done - after having everything deleted (on a 5 week rez) a couple times!
 
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that.
 
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that.
Click to expand...
Oh yes. You can mark off an entire date range with just a few clicks, and it automatically sets them all as $0.00 charged. But to just do one or two nights it's usually quicker to create a dummy reservation. Just have to remember to set it as no payment due so it doesn't throw off the reports.
 
Arkansawyer said:
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that.
Click to expand...
Oh yes. You can mark off an entire date range with just a few clicks, and it automatically sets them all as $0.00 charged. But to just do one or two nights it's usually quicker to create a dummy reservation. Just have to remember to set it as no payment due so it doesn't throw off the reports.
.
Click to expand...
Doesn't that throw off your occupancy rates and average rate?
 
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Arkansawyer said:
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that.
Click to expand...
Oh yes. You can mark off an entire date range with just a few clicks, and it automatically sets them all as $0.00 charged. But to just do one or two nights it's usually quicker to create a dummy reservation. Just have to remember to set it as no payment due so it doesn't throw off the reports.
.
Click to expand...
Doesn't that throw off your occupancy rates and average rate?
.
Click to expand...
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Doesn't that throw off your occupancy rates and average rate?
Click to expand...
Wow, I don't know. Didn't think of that. Yes, you'd think a dummy reservation, for $0, would still be an occupied night as far as reports are concerned. I guess it wouldn't make a huge difference if you do it only occasionally, but it would be nice to have reports tell the true story.
 
If you set the status of the dummy reservation to "unavailable" (as opposed to "confirmed"), then I *think* that is the same as blocking the rooms, which (again, I *think*) is ignored in your occupancy reports.
Working through the availability calendar sure is a lot easier than going in to the rooms to set them as unavailable...
 
Harborfields said:
If you set the status of the dummy reservation to "unavailable" (as opposed to "confirmed"), then I *think* that is the same as blocking the rooms, which (again, I *think*) is ignored in your occupancy reports.
Working through the availability calendar sure is a lot easier than going in to the rooms to set them as unavailable....
Click to expand...
Harborfields said:
If you set the status of the dummy reservation to "unavailable" (as opposed to "confirmed"), then I *think* that is the same as blocking the rooms, which (again, I *think*) is ignored in your occupancy reports.
Click to expand...
That would make sense, and John probably thought of that. Can anybody confirm that, without bothering John? That would make the answer to Eric's question, "it's no problem".
 
I have done a few dummy reservations but after that night has passed, I opened the room up again as though it was never taken out of the equation. That way I don't wonder.
 
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
I have done a few dummy reservations but after that night has passed, I opened the room up again as though it was never taken out of the equation. That way I don't wonder..
Click to expand...
IrisoftheWayfarer said:
I have done a few dummy reservations but after that night has passed, I opened the room up again as though it was never taken out of the equation. That way I don't wonder.
Click to expand...
Brilliant! Just delete the thing after the fact. Much easier than the steps to zero out all the nights.
 
Arkansawyer said:
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that.
Click to expand...
Oh yes. You can mark off an entire date range with just a few clicks, and it automatically sets them all as $0.00 charged. But to just do one or two nights it's usually quicker to create a dummy reservation. Just have to remember to set it as no payment due so it doesn't throw off the reports.
.
Click to expand...
How is it easier to create a rez than just block the rooms?
 
Madeleine said:
Arkansawyer said:
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that..
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
Do you not have the ability to block rooms? Like if you were on vacation? Take them out of service or something like that.
Click to expand...
Oh yes. You can mark off an entire date range with just a few clicks, and it automatically sets them all as $0.00 charged. But to just do one or two nights it's usually quicker to create a dummy reservation. Just have to remember to set it as no payment due so it doesn't throw off the reports.
.
Click to expand...
How is it easier to create a rez than just block the rooms?
.
Click to expand...
I think it is the same thing perhaps. If I want to block rooms, I go into the availability, click on all rooms I want to block, set the rate to 0 and do a save all rates the same as first and choose unavailable instead of confirmed. When I have a cancelation, I still have to change the rate to 0 if they cancel in the "free zone". Otherwise it shows up as revenue due.
 
Unavailable is not the same as booked, so you should be okay, don't leave a dollar amount in there.
Later on, while in the reservation set to unavail
go down to MORE which is below the $ amounts
and click DELETE reservation.
 
Joey Bloggs said:
Unavailable is not the same as booked, so you should be okay, don't leave a dollar amount in there.
Later on, while in the reservation set to unavail
go down to MORE which is below the $ amounts
and click DELETE reservation..
Click to expand...
I leave it as unavailable so that if I ever sell this place, they can see that for that time period that maybe we closed for a week or put a room out of service to do repairs, etc.
 
Breakfast Diva said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Unavailable is not the same as booked, so you should be okay, don't leave a dollar amount in there.
Later on, while in the reservation set to unavail
go down to MORE which is below the $ amounts
and click DELETE reservation..
Click to expand...
I leave it as unavailable so that if I ever sell this place, they can see that for that time period that maybe we closed for a week or put a room out of service to do repairs, etc.
.
Click to expand...
Breakfast Diva said:
I leave it as unavailable so that if I ever sell this place, they can see that for that time period that maybe we closed for a week or put a room out of service to do repairs, etc.
Click to expand...
Yes I leave mine blocked off as well, but if you want accurate occupancy and all that, using only that program for reporting. I use guestall for all my reporting, so I am fairly wide open on rezkey with how I maintain it. :)
 
Arkansawyer said:
Thanks! One more question. Have you ever discovered that you forgot to charge a balance due? So far I've remembered because I'm excited to see them arrive, but I have a feeling I'll eventually forget, because I'm doing the balance charge through ResKey, not asking them for an actual card to scan, and it's up to me to remember to do it.
Also, I see ResKey's tax report shows the amount you SHOULD have collected, not necessarily the amount you were actually paid. So if you get beat out of some money through a chargeback or other reason, you must remember to take that off the what the tax report shows before you pay your taxes. I don't think that will be a problem. If I get beat out of money, I'll remember it!
Proud Texan said:
If you are blocking off multiple rooms, then repeat this for them as well.
Click to expand...
Looks like there's a "Set rates same as first" button there so when you set the first one to zero, you can apply it to the others with one click. Handy!.
Click to expand...
Arkansawyer said:
Thanks! One more question. Have you ever discovered that you forgot to charge a balance due? So far I've remembered because I'm excited to see them arrive, but I have a feeling I'll eventually forget, because I'm doing the balance charge through ResKey, not asking them for an actual card to scan, and it's up to me to remember to do it.
Also, I see ResKey's tax report shows the amount you SHOULD have collected, not necessarily the amount you were actually paid. So if you get beat out of some money through a chargeback or other reason, you must remember to take that off the what the tax report shows before you pay your taxes. I don't think that will be a problem. If I get beat out of money, I'll remember it!
Click to expand...
I enter all my transactions into Quickbooks and go over my transactions at the close of each business day. This shows me if I have any outstanding balances. I charge any balances in ResKey then add the payment in Quickbooks. All the days receipts create a cumulative total. As soon as I receive the batch settlement report from my credit card processor, I move the total into a deposit in my registry.
 

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