Negotiated Rates

 A Negotiated Rate is typically a rate that your property has offered and has been agreed upon between your property and a company or group (a group in Skyware Systems may be a company OR represented by an individual guest, with either being considered as a unit that sends business to your Property). A negotiated rate is a special rate, usually a percentage reduction based on the amount of expected business the company will be generating for your property. Negotiated rates can be set up for companies in order to pull that rate into a reservation for any guest associated with that company. These rates will carry over to stays whenever the Company record is associated with a stay. Any guest associated with that company would be entitled to that negotiated rate. All companies or groups currently with negotiated rates may be viewed by using the Companies with Negotiated Rates command on the Files Menu or on the Sales and Catering Menu, if your Property utilizes this module.

In order to set up negotiated rates, the guest or company first needs to be set up under the Guest Information or Group information area. Negotiated rates may then be entered using the specific Group Account or Guest Account screen (you will need to click the Add/Modify Negotiated Rates icon from the local toolbar there to open the Negotiated Rates screen, where you can enter a different rate for some or all of the room types as appropriate for that Company or Guest Information record). The account, and the associated rates will then be ready for use when entering reservations into Skyware. (Once the account is selected in the company field on the Reservation screen, the rate plan will be automatically updated and the associated rates will be applied to the reservation).

Note: A Promotional Code is a form of negotiated rate, but is one that your property may offer for use not with a particular company and without previous agreement from any group, rather with a specific set of circumstances in mind (such as a web code to use for a reduced rate when booking online). A promotional code therefore is a specific negotiated rate (which has been attached to a designated "promotional code" account) that may be used by anyone fitting the desired parameters. See How to Set Up a Promotional Code for help on creating this type of negotiated rate, or How to Set Up Web Rate Codes for details on using negotiated rates with your website.

 

 

Open the relevant account screen:

 

 

Open the Full Menu (Click the icon on the left for the Full menu, or the breadcrumb link at the top right of the screen for Full Menu).

Full Menu Icon OR Full Menu option when viewed using the modern light look of Skyware

This will display the Full menu in a tabular form, with four sections, Registration, Status, Cashier and Other.

Full Menu Table OR Full Menu popup version seen in Modern Light look of Skyware

From the Other Section, select the Guest Information command.

Other section of the Full Menu with the Guest Information command selected OR Other section of the Full Menu with Guest Information command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

OR:

 

 

Quick Menu

 

OtherFull Menu

Click Files => from the Other section of the Full Menu.

Click the icon on the left for the Full menu.

Full Menu Icon OR Full Menu option when viewed using the modern light look of Skyware

This will display the Full menu in a tabular form, with four sections, Registration, Status, Cashier and Other.

Full Menu Table OR Full Menu popup version seen in Modern Light look of Skyware

From the Other Section, select Files =>.

Other Section of the Full Menu Table with the option Files => selected OR Other section of the Full Menu with Files => command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

The Files Menu screen has two sections, Files List 1 and Files List 2.

Files Menu Screen OR Files Menu, NEW look for Skyware

Select Groups from the Files List 1 section.

Files List 1 section of the Files Menu with Groups option selected OR Files List 1 section of the Files Menu with Groups command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

Sales and Catering

Note: If your Property does not currently have our Sales and Catering Module and you are interested in adding it, please contact us at  Sales@SkywareSystems.com.

 

Quick MenuFull Menu

 

1. Select Sales and Catering => from the Quick Menu (left side of screen).

Quick Menu with Sales and Catering command selected OR Quick Menu with Sales and Catering => command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

OR

 

OtherFull Menu

Click the icon on the left for the Full menu.

Full Menu Icon OR Full Menu option when viewed using the modern light look of Skyware

This will display the Full menu in a tabular form, with four sections, Registration, Status, Cashier and Other.

Full Menu Table OR Full Menu popup version seen in Modern Light look of Skyware

From the Other Section, select Sales and Catering =>.

Other Section of the Full Menu with Sales and Catering command selected OR Other section of the Full Menu with Sales and Catering => command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

The Sales and Catering Menu has four sections, Selling Tools, Sales, Groups and Catering Reports.

Sales and Catering Menu Table OR Sales and Catering Menu, NEW look for Skyware

Select Groups from the Groups section.

Sales and Catering Menu with Groups option selected OR Groups section of the Sales and Catering Menu with Groups command selected, NEW look for Skyware

Note: These commands are located here as well as elsewhere within Skyware because Groups sales are often linked with specific catering or sales requests.

 

With the Guest or Group Information screen open, use the list on the left of the screen to find and select the Guest or Group you need, and display it on the right side of the screen for editing.

Group account screen with example group selected for adding a negotiated rate

When ready, click the Add/Modify Negotiated Rates icon from the local tool bar icons.

Group Account screen example with Add/Modify Negotiated Rate icon highlighted

This will open the Negotiated Rates screen.

Note: On a folio or stay screen, clicking this icon will open the Rate Definition screen, where you can modify the rate to be used for the particular stay ONLY. You MUST be on an Account screen to open the Negotiated Rates screen, where you can add or modify a negotiated rate associated with the particular account. These rates will then carry over to stays whenever the account (company) is associated with a stay.

Negotiated Rates screen example

In the Negotiated Rates screen, you can enter a different rate for some or all of the room types as appropriate.

 

Rates are for reference purposes only: Rates can be used for reference only, meaning the rate will not automatically pull into a stay record but will be visible for reference. If you wish to set up rates for reference only, check this check box. Use this feature when you do NOT wish the system to automatically update a stay's rate based on the company that is attached, but DO want to list company rates as a reference.  The system then allows you to enter reference rates by room type, but those rates are not used in stays that have this company attached.

Use the rate plan attached to this guest as the rate: You can use the Negotiated Rates screen to attach a Rate Plan to the group. When this check box is checked, the system finds the rate plan attached to the record and uses the rate associated with that rate plan.  

Group Account screen example with Rate Plan selected highlighted

This allows you to use the Maintain Room Rates area to set up rates based on a date range and room type and then use the Rate Rules set in the Rate Plan screen.

 

If you do NOT select to attach a rate plan, enter a different rate amount for some or all of the room types configured at your Property in the appropriate field.

Note: Use the -ALL- entry at the top of the list to tell the system to use this rate for any unassigned room types. (If a zero rate for a room type/guest info record exists, meaning that the room type has a zero rate/not been assigned an actual rate, it uses the rate entered in the All field). Once you begin entering negotiated rates, the All field is mandatory, so that a rate will always populate when that company is selected, even if the assigned room type is not yet specified.

 

When finished, to add any negotiated rates specified here to the account, you will need to click the orange button "Save and Show Group >>".

This will return you to the Account screen. Once an account has any negotiated rates attached, it will be indicated in the screen title, and the account will be included in those listed on the Companies with Negotiated Rates screen.

Schematic showing the change in the screen title for the group account after a negotiated rate has been added

 

 

Any account with a negotiated rate attached to it may be viewed using the Companies with Negotiated Rates command, This command opens the Negotiated Rate Accounts screen, which is identical in appearance to the Guest or Group Information screen, but contains only the list of accounts with negotiated rates currently attached to them.

 

 

The Negotiated Rate Accounts information screen may be accessed by using the command Companies with Negotiated Rates on either the Files Menu or, if your Property uses it, through the Sales and Catering section of the Skyware system.

Note: If your Property does not currently have our Sales and Catering Module and you are interested in adding it, please contact us at  Sales@SkywareSystems.com.

 

 

The Files Menu may be reached from the Other section of the Full Menu.

 

Click Files => from the Other section of the Full Menu.

Click the icon on the left or the breadcrumb words on the top right for the Full menu.

Full Menu Icon OR Full Menu option when viewed using the modern light look of Skyware

This will display the Full menu in a tabular form, with four sections, Registration, Status, Cashier and Other.

Full Menu Table OR Full Menu popup version seen in Modern Light look of Skyware

From the Other Section, select Files =>.

Other Section of the Full Menu Table with the option Files => selected OR Other section of the Full Menu with Files => command selected, NEW look for Skyware

The Files Menu screen has two sections, Files List 1 and Files List 2.

Files Menu Screen OR Files Menu, NEW look for Skyware

The Companies with Negotiated Rates command is in the Files List 2 section.

Files List 2 section of the Files Menu with the Companies with Negotiated Rates command selected OR Files List 2 section of the Files Menu with the Comapnies with Negotiated Rates command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

The Sales and Catering Menu may be reached either directly from the Quick Menu, or by using the Full Menu and selecting Sales and Catering => from the Other section.

 

1. Select Sales and Catering => from the Quick Menu (left side of screen).

Quick Menu with Sales and Catering command selected OR Quick Menu with Sales and Catering => command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

OR

 

2. Select Sales and Catering => from the Other section of the Full Menu,

Click the icon on the left for the Full menu.

Full Menu Icon OR Full Menu option when viewed using the modern light look of Skyware

This will display the Full menu in a tabular form, with four sections, Registration, Status, Cashier and Other.

Full Menu Table OR Full Menu popup version seen in Modern Light look of Skyware

Select Sales and Catering => from the Other section.

Other Section of the Full Menu with Sales and Catering command selected OR Full Menu popup version seen in Modern Light look of Skyware

The Sales and Catering Menu has four sections: Selling Tools, Groups, Sales Reports and Catering Reports

Sales and Catering Menu screen OR Sales and Catering Menu, NEW look for Skyware

The Companies with Negotiated Rates command is in the Selling Tools section.

Selling Tools section of the Sales and Catering Menu with the Companies with Negotiated Rates command selected OR Selling Tools section of the Sales and Catering Menu, with Comapnies with Negotiated Rates command selected, NEW look for Skyware

 

When selected, the Negotiated Rate Accounts screen will open, with a list of negotiated accounts for the property appearing on the left, and the details about any selected account appearing in the main area of the screen. By default the account details are shown for the first account in the list.

Companies with negotiated rates accounts screen example

Select a company account from the list on the left to view or modify the details for the account.

 

Note: If you wish to VIEW or MODIFY the negotiated rate, proceed from here as you would when ADDING a negotiated rate by using the Add/Modify Negotiated Rates icon from the local toolbar across the top of the screen to access the Negotiated Rates screen area. View and/or edit the rate amounts for all rooms or a different rate per room type as desired.  When any changes are saved, these new rates will now be the rates that will carry over to any stays, when the Company record is associated with a stay.

 

 

Note: A negotiated rate may only be added to a stay by associating the stay with a company or guest record, or a "promotional code" account. The negotiated rate must have been attached to the account FIRST.

 

 

The account and the associated rates are ready for use when entering reservations into Skyware. When making a quick reservation, there is a Company field on the screen (basic information section) that allows you to associate a Company (account record) that has a negotiated rate with this reservation. When using the Advanced Reservation Wizard, this field is found on the first screen, Dates, (as well as being available for adding if generating a new Guest Account using the Guest Account screen). To add a negotiated rate to a new reservation, on the reservations screen, the account with the negotiated rate attached must be selected in the Company field.

Note: The search box next to the field may be used to generate a pop up window listing all companies with negotiated rates accounts. The list of companies can be searched and selected from (this list will only show account records that have negotiated rates associated with them).

Companies with negotiated rates list example

Once the account is selected, the rate plan will be automatically updated and the associated rates will be applied to the reservation). The negotiated rates appear in the Accommodations section (quick reservation) or on the Room Type screen (advanced reservation).  By default, the system populates the stay’s guest type, segment, and rate type with that of the company.

Schematic of selecting the company that the promo is associated with automatically adjusting the rate plan

Note: This includes if the negotiated rate to be used is a promotional code rather than a negotiated rate associated with a particular group booking or company. The associated "promotional code" account must be selected in the Company field to be applied to the stay (the promotional code is NOT used automatically).

 

Note: these are not fixed and CAN be modified on a per stay basis. Furthermore, in the Advanced Wizard the stay’s rate can still be modified using the Rates screen.

 

Once the reservation has been saved, the attached company is visible under the Stay Information tab of the Group or Guest Stay information screen.

Folio example with Attached Company with negotiated rate attached

 

 

A negotiated rate can also be added to a Stay AFTER it has been generated by using the Company field on the accommodation section of the Stay Information tab and selecting the relevant company, as you would during the reservation process. Once saved, the attached company ID number will be shown in the company field, and the name of the company next to it.

Any guest associated with a company with a negotiated rate would be entitled to that negotiated rate. If an existing reservation has been made that should be associated with such a company, but does not yet, simply open the Guest Stay or Group Stay (Main Folio screen) and modify the folio by entering in the relevant account number (guest ID) into the Attached Company field.

Main Folio screen with Attached Company field highlighted

It may be easier to use the search box next to the field to generate a pop up window listing all companies with negotiated rates accounts, and select the desired one by clicking on it in the list.

Schematic of opening the pop up window and selecting a company from the shown list

This will automatically complete the Attached Company field for you.

Schematic showing changes when a company is added to a stay

 

When you are sure that the correct Company has been added, save the change to the folio screen using the save icon (Save button) in the local tool bar. A pop up message will then appear, informing you that the rates for the stay have been reset based on the Company selected.

Pop up message telling you that the rates for this stay have been reset based on the company selected

 

Note: The attached company may also be added/changed via the Modify Stay button:

Example of the Modify Stay button

OR Example of the Modify Group button

When selected, the Modify Stay button opens the Quick Reservation form, allowing you to make the necessary change to the reservation; just as when making the initial reservation, the account with the negotiated rate attached must be selected in the Company field. The Modify Group button opens the Group Reservation Wizard, on the first screen, Dates, where the Attached Company field may now be changed.

When any changes have been made, click Finish to apply them and the Folio screen will reappear with the updated information.

 

Date Updated February 27, 2024