IOS Reservation Feature Questions

[datahell]

I got the hotelier's version of the same e-mail in Greek (see screenshot at the bottom - the dates are in english as I run the dev version under windows). You got it in English. This feature works in IOS Reservations since v1.0. It is not something new and it is not a translation. IOS Reservations/Elxis uses special language files (those with the "pref" on their names).

As for the format of the e-mail: It is formatted automatically based on the reservation data and component/hotel settings. It is not a wise idea to modify the inner source (you will mess-up the code). Images also are not a good idea as they usually get blocked. I have also paid special attention for the proper format of the UTF-8 encoded e-mails. Note also that the hotelier gets a quite similar copy via FAX and a short notification via SMS.

[datahell]

As I create now the front-end access for IOS Reservations 3.0 for the hoteliers if anyone wishes to be able to assign special privileges to the hoteliers post a reply and write them down in order to add it to the component. Up to now the following privileges/settings can be set for the hoteliers. Note that for v3.0 the front-end control panel can be used under both Single and Multiple hotels mode.

- Can use the front-end control panel? YES/NO
- How many hotels he can add? (1 ... 1000)
- Can manage hotels (add/edit)? YES/NO
- Can manage hotel rooms (add/edit/delete)? YES/NO
- Can manage reservations? (view/accept/reject) YES/NO
- Can use the FAX service? YES/NO
- Can use the SMS service? YES/NO
- Can use tripadvisor reviews? YES/NO
- Expiration date (the date till which he can login in the control panel) Default: For ever

[nikos65]

- Can use the front-end control panel? YES
- How many hotels he can add? No more than 10 (administrator more than 1000)
- Can manage hotels (add/edit)? YES
- Can manage hotel rooms (add/edit/delete)? YES
- Can manage reservations? (view/accept/reject) YES
- Can use the FAX service? YES
- Can use the SMS service? YES
- Can use tripadvisor reviews? YES
- Expiration date (the date till which he can login in the control panel) Default: For ever : NO only for the administrator

[datahell]

No, no, no. All of the above are already implemented.
I ask if you need anything else. What other settings do you think you will need regarding front-end access?
For example someone might need to have the ability to set special permissions for the hoteliers to publish/unpublish their hotels.

[de-active]

if I was to use the software (which I hope I will one day) then I wouldn't allow hoteliers to have any sort of access, so the front-end hotelier's access is quiet redundant to me.

I wanted to suggest a feature, if not too late to put in your to do list: Allow registered users (not hoteliers or admins) to plan a trip, even if they don't make a booking, it's like a scrap pad, where you can make notes etc See the expedia version. 

[mgrc]

What shows up as "Information" on the hotel page could be more flexible, for example if you leave out anything
it will not save the page. You may need to change "Owner name" to "General Manager", or leave it out completely.
You may also want not to display stuff like hits count or join date.
This could also be a good place to be able add more stuff like "Daily parking rate:", "Banquet coordinator:"...

Is 3.0 going to have the "com_reservations" in the url or will there be the easy way to change it?
Notepad ++ or Dreamweaver find and replace function can probably handle this job rather quickly, but it is not user friendly.

Should we buy more licences before the price goes up? 

[peppemania]

for each Hotel/B&B

Can show phone number? YES/NO
Can show email address?  YES/NO
Can show personal website ? YES/no

contact email only with form (no show email client or phone number for owner hotel - only administrator).
Administrator have always a copy of email.

[kebic]

Can show Fax number? YES/NO

[de-active]

Hi Datahell,
Do you recall somewhere in this thread or another, my rambling on about statistics - are you going to include this in the new version?

Also could you clarify a bit more on the "tab system" that you speak of?

Do inform us of any further progress.....I watch this forum several times every single day and also the wiki!!! 

[nikos65]

Datahell is on vacations and i hope he cant see the messages on the forum 

[de-active]

Well, enjoy your vacation.

I wanted to further make a comment on the IOSR User review/commenting system: If a hotel guest makes a negative comment (or positive), can the hotelier reply back to this comment and defend themselves (or be proude of themselves). I hope that's clear i.e. can a hotelier reply back to a customer's comment?

[nikos65]

If the comments are open everyone can reply or post to the same hotel !!

[de-active]

Don't quiet get what you are saying and it wouldn't make sense for anyone to comment on any hotel they like.

There needs to be a criteria to be able to comment on the hotel which are as follows:

1. Only guests who have BOOKED & therefore STAYED at a hotel can make a comment (so what you say of anyone being able to make a comment is eliminated).

2. Only the Hotel Manager of the hotel in question should be able to reply back to the comment. How can and why should anyone else be allowed to make a comment on the comment of the guest - it will become like a forum thread!

See how expedia do it...

[nikos65]

Only guests who have BOOKED & therefore STAYED at a hotel can make a comment (so what you say of anyone being able to make a comment is eliminated).

I dont thing is a good idea if you want to have reviews .. about the 0.05% of the hotel quests make reviews and if the customer have make a phone reservation and after the holidays wants to make review ?

Only the Hotel Manager of the hotel in question should be able to reply back to the comment. How can and why should anyone else be allowed to make a comment on the comment of the guest

I ve see many reviews of hotel quests defence their favorite hotel and this answers are the best !!

it will become like a forum thread!

Why not ? A lot of informations gives satisfy to the next customers and let them know what to expect and to see !!

[de-active]

I'm not sure we understand each other....maybe we are saying the same thing but I fundamentally disagree with one point, which is:

ONLY guest who have booked (online or off-line) should be able to make a comment. They can write the review any time they like, after staying, at home within 1 month of their stay. 

What I strongly disagree is to allow any Joe Public, someone who has never ever been to that hotel or even stayed there a night, but has registered on the site to be able to make a comment. That is fundamentally illogical.

Is this what you are saying?

Are you saying ANYONE, including people who have NOT STAYED at the hotel to make a comment on the hotel? It is like saying, someone talking about IOSR but has never seen it or used it! Would their comment be just?

I do agree that other guest can make a comment to defend their favourite hotel but what is to stop a hotel manager disguising or masquerading as a guest and say good things about a hotel? This is why, it should only be a two-way communication: guest makes a comment and hotelier replies if he needs to.

Also, yes the more information the better, but it is suppose to be a commenting system, not a thread, it can get messy on a hotel website page and we have the problems of rivals making comments.

You need the system to be fair, to prevent false comments by competitors (which is why only hotels guests who have booked a room can make comments) and also to prevent the hoteliers lying about their hotel by making good comments.