Companies with Negotiated Rates

All Companies currently with Negotiated Rates may be viewed by using the Companies with Negotiated Rates command. 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) and is usually a percentage reduction based on the amount of expected business the company will be generating for your property.  The Companies with Negotiated Rates command generates and shows a list of all your accounts in Skyware Systems that have a negotiated rate attached to them. When this command is used, the negotiated rates screen will open, which is identical in appearance to the guest information or group information screen, but contains ONLY the list of accounts with negotiated rates currently attached to them. The list of negotiated accounts for your Property appears on the left, with the details about a selected account appearing on the right in the main area of the screen. You may select a company account from the list on the left to view or modify the details for the account.

Note: To be seen on the Companies with Negotiated Rates Accounts screen, first the guest or company account to which a negotiated rate is attached needs to be set up. Details of how to set up an account in Skyware may be viewed using the Guest Information or Group information help topics. Then any Negotiated Rates may be added using the specific Group Account or Guest Account screen. (A negotiated rate may only be added to a stay by associating the stay with a company or guest record. The negotiated rate must have been attached to a company or group record FIRST).

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 also How to Set Up a Promotional Code and/or How to Set Up Web Rate Codes for more details.

 

 

 

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, 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 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, 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 on the right.

Note: Again, to be seen on the Companies with Negotiated Rates Accounts screen, first the guest or company account to which a negotiated rate is attached needs to be set up. Details of how to set up an account in Skyware may be viewed using the Guest Information or Group information help topics. Then any Negotiated Rates may be added using the specific Group Account or Guest Account screen. See also How to Set Up a Promotional Code and/or How to Set Up Web Rate Codes for more details.

 

 

Negotiated rates attached to an account may be viewed or modified using the Negotiated Rates screen.

 

Click the Add/Modify Negotiated Rates icon from the local tool bar.

Negotiated Rate account screen example with add or modify negotiated rate icon highlighted in the local tool bar

This will open the Negotiated Rates screen for the account, with the current negotiated rate shown.

Negotiated Rates screen for Negotiated Rate Account example, with selected negotiated rate highlighted

If simply viewing the attached rate, you may return to the account screen by clicking the orange button "<< Cancel".

Alternatively, using the Negotiated Rates screen, you can modify the negotiated rate by entering 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.  

Negotiated Rate account screen example with Rate Plan being used for negotiated rate 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 modifying the negotiated rates for this account, you will need to click the orange button "Save and Show Group >>".

This will return you to the Account screen.

 

 

 

The account and the associated rates are ready for use when entering reservations into Skyware. 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. Once the account is selected, the rate plan will be automatically updated and the associated rates will be applied to the reservation).

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).

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

Note: As can be seen, the negotiated rate is NOT used automatically for the reservation but must be selected. If this is a web promotional code, where the reservation is made online by the guest rather than completed by your staff, to have the promotional code AUTOMATICALLY link the online reservation to the account and therefore apply the specified rate, you will also need to enter a web rate code on the account screen.

 

On the Negotiated Rate Accounts screen, the displayed account will have multiple tabs. By default, the General tab will be open. To add a web rate code, which is defined as a "short code given to a client to make online reservations using this rate" to the negotiated rate (promotional code) account, you will need to open the Other tab. Entering a web rate code on this tab will mean that, if it is then used by an online guest, the code AUTOMATICALLY links the online reservation to the promotional code account and therefore applies the specified rate to the reservation when it is made.

Negotiated rate Account screen Other tab example

Once the Other tab is open, simply enter the promotional code that the prospective guest should enter on the website into the Web Rate Code field, then press the Save Save button button in the local tool bar to save the change.

Negotiated Rate Account screen Other tab wit Web Rate Code highlighted and completed, and the save button highlighted

Now when this code is used online at your website, the reservation made will be automatically linked to the account and the specified rate applied.

 

 

The ability to send a URL link (via email) which will open the Property website with the web rate code automatically entered there has been added to Skyware. This allow you to email potential guests with the URL, allowing the receiver to use the web rate code for making their reservation(s). (For example you may wish to email your repeat customers with a special offer that they could then use to make their next reservation, or you might generate a web code for the members of a group block with a special negotiated rate to use).

To send a URL you will first need to click the URL button, found next to the Web Rate Code Field on the Other tab.

Negotiated Rate Account screen Other tab example with URL button highlighted

This will generate and copy the URL for the booking engine with the specific negotiated rate account into the (computer) clipboard. A pop up message from Skyware will appear informing you that this has occurred.

Pop up message from Skyare stating that the URL has been copied to the clipboard

Note: Depending on your browser settings, once you have clicked the button OK, you may see another pop up message asking if this action is allowed or needs to be blocked. Choose allow to continue.

 

Next, with the URL on your clipboard, it may now be copied and pasted into an email to send to the guest for viewing.

Note: The URL is NOT automatically sent to any email address, but must be MANUALLY placed in an email and sent. This helps to prevent unintended or multiple sending of the web rate code.

 

Note: The Web Rate Code field on the Other tab MUST be completed to have the special rate be used in the URL. Otherwise, the URL generated simply opens the website, with the code field left blank.

 

Date Updated February 29, 2024