Menu Bar:

• File:
  • Print Guest: Print the current guest information and fees
  • Send E-mail: Show the "E-mail Template Selection" form.
  • Import Guest: Import a guest from a web based form filled out by the guest using the "Import Guest" form.
  • MS Word Mail Merge: Merge the current or selected guests to an "MS Word mail merge" form.
  • Exit: Exit the program.
• Edit:
  • Preferences: Show the "Preferences" form.
• View:
  • Calculator: Show the "Calculator" form.
  • Rental Properties: Show the "Rental Property Information" form with the property displayed.
  • Owners: Show the "Rental Property Information" form with the "Owner" displayed.
  • Default Values: Show the "Default Values" form.
  • Calendar: Show the "Reservation Calendar" for the current property and dates.
• Tools:
  • Search: Show the "Search" Form.
  • Backup/Restore: Show the "Preferences" form.
  • Send Update E-mail: (How the program is registered will determine to whom the e-mail is sent. If this program is registered to a property owner the e-mail will be sent to the realtor e-mail address typed into the "Register" form. If this program is registered to a Real Estate Company or an Agent the e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address of the property owner for the property of the current guest shown in the guest register. If no e-mail address has been saved to the owner database .. nothing happens.
    • Send New Rental E-mail to Owner/Realtor: A short e-mail via MS Outlook will be displayed for you to send to inform the Owner/Realtor to add a new guest to their calendar.
    • Send Cancelation E-mail to Owner/Realtor: A short e-mail via MS Outlook will be displayed for you to send to inform the Owner/Realtor to delete a guest from their calendar due to a cancellation.
• Help:
  • Register: Enter the registration number, owner name and real estate e-mail address (if applicable). Set the type of program user, either Realtor or Owner.
  • About: Displays version and system information.
• Reports: An Upcomming feature.

Guest Information:

This part of the form is easy to navigate using the "Tab" key on your keyboard. Enter the information in each field and press the "Tab" key when you are ready to move to the next field.

• Honorific: The "Guest Register" will automatically format some entries in this field such as Mr. , Mr. and Mrs. , Mrs. , Ms. , Dr. and Prof. after you tab out of this field.
• Repeat Guest check box: If the guest is a repeat guest check this box. If you have a percentage specified in the "Repeat Guest" field of the "Rental Property Information" form that percentage will be input to the "Calculator" form when it is displayed.
• First Name: Guest's first name. The "Guest Register" will automatically capitalize the first letter of this field (Required Field).
• Middle Initial: Guest's middle initial. Only one letter is allowed in this field as well as a period. The "Guest Register" will automatically capitalize the first letter of this field and add a period.
• Surname: This field is not automatically formatted by the "Guest Register". Example would be Jr. , Sr. , II , III etc.. This field must be selected with the mouse.
• Last Name: Guest's last name. The "Guest Register" will automatically capitalize the first letter of this field (Required Field). Names such as McKenny the "Guest Register" will automatically format with a capital M small c and the next letter as a capital letter. Names such as O'Brian the "Guest Register" will automatically format with a capital first letter and the letter after the ' will be capitalized.
  • Advanced: If you are adding "Realtor" or "Owner" dates to the guest register enter "Realtor" or "Owner" to the "Last Name" or "First Name" field, or both, then select "Booked" or "Tentative" in the "Guest Status" section. Click the "Save Guest" button. If you add "Realtor" or "Owner" dates without selecting "Booked" or "Tentative" the "Guest Register" will remind you to select one of these options.
• Spouse First Name: This field can be a spouse or just another person you wish to add to the guest register. If you leave this field blank and press the "Tab" key, the cursor will skip the "Spouse Last Name" field leave it blank and move to the "Address One" field. If you enter a name in this field the information in the "Last Name" field will automatically be entered in the "Spouse Last Name" field and the cursor will skip to the "Address One" field. If you wish to enter a different "Spouse Last Name" hold the "Shift" key and press the "Tab" key again to move the cursor backwards into the "Spouse Last Name" field.
• Spouse Last Name: Enter the second person's last name here. (See "Spouse First Name")
• Address One: Enter the street address for the guest here.
• Address Two: Enter apartment number, (care of) c/o, etc. here. The cursor skips past this field unless you change the settings of your preferences in the "Guest Register" section of "Preferences" form. Select this field with the mouse if needed.
• City: Enter the city name of the guest here.
• State: Enter the 2 digit state code of the guest here. If you are unsure of the 2 digit code select the state name from the drop down box next to the "State" field. The two digit code will automatically be entered.
• Country: Enter the guest's country here. If you live in the US most of the guest receive will be from the US. The "Guest Register" automatically enters US for "New Guest" entries. The cursor will not stop in this field unless you change the settings of your preferences in the "Guest Register" section of "Preferences" form. Select this field with the mouse if needed.
• Zip Code: Enter the guest's Zip Code here. The "Guest Register" will automatically format a 5 or 9 digit Zip Code.
• E-mail: Enter the guest's e-mail address here. When you attempt to send e-mail to a guest the program will test the format of the e-mail address prior to sending any e-mail to MS Outlook for processing. If the e-mail address is in a bad format you will be prompted to make changes.
• Home Phone, Work Phone, EXT. , and Fax Phone: Enter the guests telephone numbers in these fields. The "Guest Register will automatically format 7, 10 or 11 digit telephone numbers.
• Company Name: Enter the guest's company if applicable.
• Memo: Type in a short note to yourself about this guest if applicable.

Back - First - Last - Next buttons:

These buttons navigate through all records of the database. Click the "First" button to display the first record. "Last" to display the last and "Back" or "Next" to move through the database one record at a time. Most recently added records are at the end of the database so clicking "Last" will display the most recently added guest. If you wish to "Search" for a guest click the "Search" button to display the "Search" form.

House:

The information in this section of the "Guest Register" is generated from information provided by you the "Calculator" form. It displays only propertys that have a length of stay of 1 or more days. If "Peak" is selected on the "Calculator" form, the peak season will display as shown here at the top right of the image.

Calendar:

This section of the form is used to select the "Arrival" and "Departure" dates of the guest. The date selectors automatically reset to the current date when a "New Guest" entry is started.
The "Nights" field will automatically update to the length of the stay between the "Arrival" and "Departure" dates. You can select an "Arrival" date then enter the length of stay (how many nights the guest has reserved) and the "Departure" date will automatically update. The "Departure Date " is not considered a billable day by the calendar as the guests are assumed to be checking out on that day.

The "Calendar" button shown on the left side of the image is used to access the "Calendar" form. The "Calendar" form displays "Booked", "Tentative", "Realtor" and "Owner" dates. When the "Calendar" button is pressed the calendar automatically displays the current property and month of the guest displayed. If the "Guest Register" is blank the current month is shown.

Guest Status:

The "Guest Status" indicates reservation status of the guest.

• No Rental: If the guest is just a prospect who wants information or a brochure or canceled their reservation then their status is "No Rental".
• Tentative: If the guest is considered as having reservations but you are awaiting a lease, payment or some other document from them then the guest is "Tentative".
• Booked: If all documentation is in order and you have received payment the guests status is "Booked"
• Blacklisted: If a guest is not welcome to stay at your property again, they are considered "Blacklisted"

The "Calculator" button displays the "Calculator" form and inputs the information currently displayed on the guest register into the "Calculator" which automatically performs a calculation.

The "Exit" button exits the program.

Guest Options buttons:

These buttons will be grayed out while the guest register is in various modes to prevent inadvertent changes or deletions to records in the database.

• New Guest: Clicking this button will clear or reset all fields of the "Guest Register" in preparation of adding a "New Guest" to the database.
• Save Guest: (shown disabled) Clicking this button saves a new guest to the database. When a "New Guest" is saved to the database the program will check the database to see if it is a duplicate guest. If the "First Name" and "Last Name" and "Home Phone" fields of the "New Guest" are the same as a guest currently in the database you will receive a prompt stating that a duplicate guest is being added. The program will also insure that the fields "First Name" and "Last Name" are not blank. If the "First Name" or "Last Name" fields are blank you will not be able to save the guest.
  • Advanced: If you are adding a "Realtor" or "Owner" date to the database the program will allow blank fields in one of the two fields.
• Save Changes: When changes are made to a guest already in the database you need to save them. Click the "Save Changes" button to save your changes. If you make changes to the current guest in most cases trying to leave the "Guest Register" or navigate through the database will display a warning that there are un-saved changes. If changes have been made that require recalculation (such as a date change) you will receive a prompt to recalculate before proceeding.
• Delete Guest: (disabled when adding a "New Guest"). Clicking this button will permanently delete the guest shown in the "Guest Register".
• Search: Clicking this button displays the "Search" form. This form is used to locate a specific or range of guests in the database.
• This button displays the "Guest Import" form.
• This button displays the "E-mail Selection" form.
• This button prints the current guest in a format preset by the program.
• Mail Merge: This button displays the MS Word "Mail Merge" form.

Itemized Fees:

Each fee listed at the right is a calculated value: These amounts are generated from information provided by you on the "Calculator" form and calculated with the information saved to the house database.

• Rental Fees - Total amount of the base rental fee.
• Total Discount - Total amount of the "Cash Discount" plus the "Percent Discount".
• Damage Deposit(s) - Total calculated damage deposit a property with a stay of at least one night.
• Misc. Fees - Total of the miscellaneous fees input as described in the section above.
• Cleaning Fee - The total amount of the cleaning fee charged for a property with a stay of at least one night and the "Charge to renter" selected for that property in the house database.
• Sub Total No Tax - Total amount of fees that are added to the total due which are not taxable.
• Sub Total Taxed - Total amount of fees that are added to the total due which are taxable.
• Taxes - There are three values which will be calculated if a value has been added to the "Rental Property Information" form. Each item is calculated separately and totaled below.
• Totals
  • Rental Fee Total - Total amount of all taxable items before taxes.
  • Tax Total - Total of the taxes charged to the taxable items.
  • Total Due - This is the total amount due from the renter.

Tutorial:

Prior to performing the following tutorial "Add a House" to the house database and the Standard Fees on the Rental Property Information form must be set. Learning to use the "Guest Register" should take very little practice. Reading and practicing the tutorials for the other forms may help you understand the "Guest Register" better.

You may wish to print this help file so you will have the information handy for quick reference.

Jack and Jane Quick want to rent a property for their honeymoon. They called and gave you the following information:

Press the "Tab" key after typing each line.
Notice the ease of flow through the "Guest Register".

Mr. and Mrs.
Jack
B.
Nimble
Jane
12 Really Quick Street
Candle Stick
AR
12345-1234
jumpover@candle.com
11231231234
01231231234
4561234
2345
Fast Delivery Service
Jumps over the red tape for a faster delivery.

Using the mouse click the drop down button beside "Arrival Date" selector for "House One". They want to arrive the last day of this month. Click the last day of the month shown.

Press the "Tab" key or select the "Nights" field for "House One". They want to stay for 5 days so type a 5 into this field.

Use the mouse to select "Tentative" in the "Guest Status" section of the "Guest Register".

Using the mouse click the "Calculator" button to display the "Calculator" form. Select the property they will be renting from the list. The rental fees are automatically calculated so review the itemized fees then click the "Guest Register" button on the "Calculator".

Now using the mouse again click the "Save Guest" button. A prompt will display that reads "Guest added would you like to add another guest". Click "No".

You have successfully added Jack and Jane Nimble to the guest database.

Now click the "Calendar" button to see their tentative dates automatically displayed on the calendar.