The ability to enable electronic signing of custom documents by guests at your property via email has been added to Skyware. This means that (once your property enacts this function) upcoming guests at your property may receive a customized document (containing all relevant details for their upcoming stay) automatically via email that they may then open and "sign" (by checking the required box and completing the name field). The document to be signed may be sent at the time the reservation is made, or at the time a "check-in" email is sent, depending on the preference at your property. Once the document has been signed by the guest, they will receive a copy of the document complete with their signature via email automatically, and Skyware will store a copy for the property. This copy is accessible via the folio using the guest activity icon, with the guest activity screen now having columns for showing if a signature was required for confirmation of the reservation, if the document has been signed, the name signed, and when it was signed. An icon (an envelope with a pen and signature) will appear next to any reservations that have been confirmed electronically in this way when using the search functions, (such as the check-in or modify folio functions) to give a quick and easy visual indication for your staff.
Note: This function can only be used if you have the e-mail of the intended recipient included with the guest information. It is important to ensure that you have this information correctly recorded within Skyware if you wish to use the electronic signature function.
Note: You may also use the Rate Plan Types maintenance screen to require an electronic signature at the time of confirmation, with a custom confirmation e-mail being sent to the guest containing a link for the document to collect the signature, for each specific rate plan. This method allows you to select individual rate plan types to associate with electronic signature requests. However, depending on the preferences of your Property, if you wish ALL reservations, regardless of rate plan type to have an electronic signature request e-mail be sent, or for the signature request to be sent as a check-in email rather than a confirmation e-mail, you should use the Property Definition screen to enable this function.
Note: Electronic Signatures (for use at your property with your registration cards, if you have the appropriate signature capture device, enabling the guest signature to be saved into your Skyware System records without the need for paper copies for your files) and Electronic Document Signing (the ability to enable electronic signing of custom documents by guests at your property via email) are two separate functions in Skyware. Please also see our How to Set-Up and Use Electronic Signatures Help Topic for more details.
To use the electronic signature function:
For automatic electronic signature request e-mails to be sent, first the electronic signature function must be enabled. Enabling the electronic signature function takes place via the Property Definition screen.
Note: Please be aware that Electronic Document Signing for Activities is enabled separately (and in a different way) to the Electronic Document Signing used with upcoming reservations for guests at your property
To open the Property Definition screen:
Select Managers Screen from the Quick Menu on the left side of the screen, then select Configuration > Property Definition.
Select Manager's Screen to be taken to the MANAGER'S COMMANDS screen.
Select Configuration to be taken to the PROPERTY AND SYSTEM CONFIGURATION screen.
Alternately, you may also be able to select Configuration directly from the Quick Menu, if the menu has been set up to include the Configuration option.
This will take you to The Property System Configuration Menu.
The list of property configuration options are divided into four sections, which are Required Configuration, Optional Configuration, Locales/Dates and Sub-Systems.
Select Property Definitions from the Required Configuration section.
Electronic signature request e-mails may be sent at the time of confirmation, or as the check-in e-mail, depending on the preferences of your property. Both are enabled using the Property Definition screen, but using different tabs.
For an electronic signature request e-mail to be sent at the time of confirmation:
Open the Reg / Conf tab of the Property Definition screen.
The important fields for utilizing the electronic signature function at time of confirmation are highlighted below.
1. Custom Confirmation: Select the Custom Confirmation document to be sent as the link in the e-mail for the signature to be completed with.
This is a drop-down menu of all available options. Select one. If the option you desire is not available in the drop-down menu, you can create one. See How To Create or Customize Your Documents for more details.
2. Automatic E-Mail at time of Reservation: For an electronic signature request e-mail to be sent at the time of confirmation, this box should be checked.
This box may be checked or unchecked. By default it is unchecked.
3. Signature Requested: For an electronic signature request e-mail to be sent at the time of confirmation, this box should be checked.
This box may be checked or unchecked. By default it is unchecked.
Note: It is important that if the signature requested check box is checked on this tab, the automatic e-mail check box is also checked, to ensure that the e-mail with the signature request gets sent at the appropriate time. These options work in unison to ensure that the signature request e-mail is sent at the time of confirmation.
Note: Please be aware that a signature request with the confirmation email document may be requested via the Rate Plan Types maintenance screen, if you do not wish to send a signature request with every rate plan.
For an electronic signature request e-mail to be sent as the check-in e-mail:
Open the Web / E-Mail tab of the Property Definition screen.
The important fields for utilizing the electronic signature function with the check-in e-mail(s) are highlighted below.
1.Check-in E-Mail: This is an option for a custom Check-In Confirmation e-mail. Select the custom document to be sent as the link in the e-mail for the signature to be completed with. You can select one from the available options in the drop-down menu, or leave it blank (to send no e-mail). If the option you desire is not available, you can create one. See How To Create or Customize Your Documents for more details.
2.Days to E-mail before check-in (0=Immediately): This option goes with the Check-In E-mail - if you have selected a document to send, you MUST specify here how many days before check-in it should be sent. By default the option -0- is entered in the field, meaning the selected e-mail will be sent at the time of check-in.
3. Signature requested?: For an electronic signature request e-mail to be sent as the check-in email, this box MUST be checked. Otherwise, the e-mail sent as the check-in e-mail will not require a signature.
OR
1. Check-in E-Mail #2: You can choose to send a second, follow-up custom Email confirmation. If you prefer to request the guest signature on this follow-up e-mail, select the Custom Confirmation document to be sent as the link in the email for the signature to be completed with. You can select one from the available options in the drop-down menu, or leave it blank (to send no email). If the option you desire is not available, again you can create one.
2. Days to E-mail before check-in (0=Immediately): This option goes with the Check-In E-mail #2 option - if you have selected a document to send, you MUST specify here how many days before check-in it should be sent. By default the option -0- is entered in the field, meaning the selected e-mail will be sent at the time of check-in
3.Signature requested?: For an electronic signature request e-mail to be sent as the check-in #2 e-mail, this box MUST be checked. Otherwise, the e-mail sent as the check-in #2 e-mail will not require a signature.
Note: Whilst it is possible to select BOTH Check-in E-Mail and Check-In E-Mail #2 as requesting signatures, it is recommended that only one or the other actually be chosen for the guest signature request. Only one copy of a guest signature should be required.
Once the electronic signature function has been enabled, the electronic signature request e-mail will be sent AUTOMATICALLY at the specified time - immediately if it sent as the confirmation e-mail, or the specified number of days before check-in if sent as either the check-in e-mail or check-in #2 e-mail.
You can also MANUALLY send a document as an electronic signature request e-mail once a reservation has been made via the main folio screen, using the Print/Email Custom Documents icon located towards the left end of the main tool bar.
When selected, this icon opens the separate "Select Document to Print or Email" Skyware window, where you can then scroll down to the appropriate file and click on the "Email this Document for Signing" icon next to it to send the selected document immediately to the guest for signing.
Selecting a document to send for electronic signature will send an email to the guest AND open a new tab showing the document sent with the line "This document has been sent to "e-mail address" for signature".
This allows you to send any of your custom documents, any time, as electronic signature requests manually, EVEN if you do not have automatic signature requests enabled.
Note: For any electronic signature request e-mail, be it automatic (for a confirmation or for a check-in) or manually sent, the NAME of the selected document sent will be entered as the SUBJECT (title) of the e-mail that the guest will receive. Please be aware of this when naming your document(s) for electronic signature requests and choose something that you wish your guests to see. (For example, Confirmation for "your property name" would be a more appropriate title than KPH Conf ).
Guest completion of electronic signature:
Once the electronic signature request e-mail has been sent, the guest should receive it at the entered e-mail.
The guest will need to open the email and click on the provided link to open the custom document in a new tab.
The document is bracketed at the top and bottom with information on electronically signing the document - at the top, they are informed what they will need to do ("Please read all the way to the bottom. Check the check box and type your name in the signature text box."), and at the bottom, they are provided with a check box and a field to sign, with instructions ("Check here and type your name here to accept this document") as well as a submission button ("Accept Document") to click once they have completed the required fields.
The guest will need to BOTH check the box AND type their name into the field before the document will be accepted as signed by Skyware. Otherwise, a pop-up window will appear informing them that the requirements for completion have not yet been met ("Both the check box and the signature (greater than or equal to 3 characters) must be filled!").
Once the guest has completed the required fields and clicked the Accept Document button, several things will happen. The submission will be received and accepted by Skyware, which will record the information for your records and store a copy of the signed document. A message informing the guest of successful submission will appear, and Skyware will also e-mail the guest a copy of their signed document for their own records.
Viewing completed electronic signature documentation in Skyware:
Within Skyware, any reservations that have been confirmed electronically (the stay has an electronic signature associated with it) will be indicated by the appearance of the electronic signature icon (an envelope with a pen and signature), between the guest status icon and the guest name, on any of the search functions screens - such as the modify folio screen, or the check-in screen.
If this icon does NOT appear, no electronic signature has been completed. This is intended as a quick visual way of indicating if an electronic signature has been received or not for the stay in question.
The DETAILS of the electronic signature are accessible via the folio screen for the stay, by using the guest document activity icon to open the guest activity screen, which lists any document activity associated with the stay, and shows the date and time the document was sent, the e-mail address it was sent to, and if a signature was required; with another entry if it has been signed and if so, the name that was signed.
Note: the Guest Documents Activity screen lists activity in descending order, thus the most recent activity appears first in the list - meaning the returning of the signed document appears above the initial sending out of the document for signing.
The actual copy of the signed document in Skyware is also available to view at any time, and may be accessed through the Guest Documents Activity screen by selecting the folder icon in the "Open" column for the appropriate line entry.
The copy of the signed document will open in a new tab. Once opened, it may be saved separately or printed if desired.
Date Updated March 20, 2024