03-23-2021, 03:23 AM
Dears,
here we are ready for another Zak release.
It is a full-bodied release. To be honest, we wanted to add much more,
but we've decided to publish only a first part of the developments.
Another full-bodied part is already 90% made and at the end of the message we will tell you
immediately what to expect in a few weeks.
But let's go back to the release. The publication date is set for
March 22. What have we cooked this time?
1. Major enhancement of the planner
2. Native HRS connection
3. Email Branding Module
4. Digital signature on the Online Checkin
5. Other
* Planner *
A real refresh. We kept in
mind all the advice you have generously given us
in recent years, we have kept them well and we finally arrived
to satisfy many requests in the drawer:
1. On each day, a possible "alert" icon alerts you
the presence of pending reservations, overbookings or
reservations with room change.
2. Weekends are also highlighted on the body of the
planner. Furthermore, we have provided a new preference
to be able to choose the most pleasing contrast, because there
we realized that it varies greatly depending on the
background color.
3. A menu appeared to filter reservations on
planner. Currently You can select "offer" and
"unpaid", but we can expand it. Probably in a
quick and easy way. For any need,
Let us know.
3. We also improved the look. Know that we are
investing to improve the entire booking area.
4. We have dramatically improved the performance of the
loading the "zoom" of a reservation, opening
by a click. The zoom is an excellent tool introduced
in the latest release, it took a little more for
make it perform like now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
* HRS *
Native connectivity to HRS is introduced in this release.
Perhaps there is no need to spend many words about it.
HRS is one of the most important channels and we are happy to manage
it directly on the Zak platform.
It's in Beta. And therefore also free!
But I personally recommend that you to activate it if you have a
good control of the product (Zak and its channel manager).
Obviously we are focused on consolidation!
* Email Branding Form *
This is in my opinion very interesting. Also on the Forum
the problem appeared sometimes. It's not very professional
communicate with your customers by letting Zak send emails
from address: noreply AT wubook DOT net.
Here is the solution. You can configure Zak to allow it to
send emails on your behalf. And it's quite simple too.
I point out two things:
1. From now on, we will remove the ability to open from
our pages Outlook, Thunderbird or any other email client.
We receive lots of tickets for this. Things don't really
work, because even the client itself can give
problems depending on personal setup. If you want to
send emails with your name, you need to activate the form
or copy and paste manuals.
2. For transparency and fairness, we decided to insert
the Email Branding Module on the commercial package
Essentials. So, unlike the PMS Base Package, it's not one
free functionality.
* Digital signature on Online Checkin *
This too is likely to be very interesting. It becomes possible to
configure the Checkin Online page by giving your customers the
possibility (but it can also be made mandatory) to leave
your signature.
Do you know when they deliver parcels to you? When you put the
signature on the "touch screen"? Here, the principle is the same.
But there is more.
When customers leave their signature, it comes
automatically included on all Registration Cards (Italy,
Spain and General).
In other words, after the great features (including upselling
with the sale of extras) of the Online Checkin, this new one
possibility brings things very close to automation
potentially important. The checkin process can become
even fully automatic. For example, configuring the
Templaing / Messaging system, you can invite your customers to
provide all necessary data.
You won't even need to lend him a pen.
* Other *
Finally, a rundown of other features included in the
release:
1. For those who have chosen Zak's Online Reception,
coming from the WooDoo one, it is now possible to import
feedbacks.
2. The corporate page has been enriched with a
smart search, as intelligently suggested on the
forum (thanks!)
3. Your name should now appear on your tax records
of the customer, also this is one the requests of the
our community forum!
4. Alongside the old Google Snippet for Web Analytics
(I must say still very widespread) we also added
the new version: gtag.
5. We have 100% revamped the style of the page
search for reservations. It was time.
6. Same thing for the summary page of the latest
reservations (and we are advancing in all the others,
including the detail page of the reservation).
7. The "shield icons" begin to appear. In the next
release we plan to complete that whole process
started with the introduction of reservation guarantees.
We are very excited about these developments. I really want
hope that they can even become a reference
for the market. We hope they work as we believe.
8. Group bookings on YouBook? Now it can be set
immediately the setup of the room (twin, dbl etc).
9. Online Reception: the room names are rendered
much better. Even when they are long enough,
they are no longer broken.
10. Sytar: on the price mode we exclude (just at the level
graph) the ability to edit the prices of linked rates
and linked products. This doesn't just help not
make mistakes, but it definitely simplifies, because
the choices are fewer and therefore faster
selectable. Also on Sytar, we add another
Reset button, to simplify and speed up the
multiple operations
11. On the "reservation guarantees", another amount appears
specifiable, after the percentage or fixed: the
classic first night.
12. A new payment gateway: PayZen. Even if a little more
limited by Stripe, can be used for operations
of pre-authorization and also future billing.
I'm not weighing it on how much work there is behind the scenes
to make things faster and more stable (last week
we spent a whole night there to optimize the database).
And now?
What should you expect for the next release?
Much. On several fronts.
First, the next release should be out very soon
(we have already completed many developments, as I said
at the beginning). Then, with regard to development issues:
1. Mini sites
2. Reservation Gurantees: 100% automation
3. Adding Quick Extra (on each page)
It is likely that in the next release you will also be able to
publish these:
1. Online Reception and Widget: MultiProperty
2. Online Reception and Widget: widespread structures and apartments
Which are in great demand. And other good news
on the Online Reception.
At this point, we will attack with all the necessary energy
the restaurant module, which I hope it will be ready with
a first version within a few months.
Stay tuned!!
here we are ready for another Zak release.
It is a full-bodied release. To be honest, we wanted to add much more,
but we've decided to publish only a first part of the developments.
Another full-bodied part is already 90% made and at the end of the message we will tell you
immediately what to expect in a few weeks.
But let's go back to the release. The publication date is set for
March 22. What have we cooked this time?
1. Major enhancement of the planner
2. Native HRS connection
3. Email Branding Module
4. Digital signature on the Online Checkin
5. Other
* Planner *
A real refresh. We kept in
mind all the advice you have generously given us
in recent years, we have kept them well and we finally arrived
to satisfy many requests in the drawer:
1. On each day, a possible "alert" icon alerts you
the presence of pending reservations, overbookings or
reservations with room change.
2. Weekends are also highlighted on the body of the
planner. Furthermore, we have provided a new preference
to be able to choose the most pleasing contrast, because there
we realized that it varies greatly depending on the
background color.
3. A menu appeared to filter reservations on
planner. Currently You can select "offer" and
"unpaid", but we can expand it. Probably in a
quick and easy way. For any need,
Let us know.
3. We also improved the look. Know that we are
investing to improve the entire booking area.
4. We have dramatically improved the performance of the
loading the "zoom" of a reservation, opening
by a click. The zoom is an excellent tool introduced
in the latest release, it took a little more for
make it perform like now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
* HRS *
Native connectivity to HRS is introduced in this release.
Perhaps there is no need to spend many words about it.
HRS is one of the most important channels and we are happy to manage
it directly on the Zak platform.
It's in Beta. And therefore also free!
But I personally recommend that you to activate it if you have a
good control of the product (Zak and its channel manager).
Obviously we are focused on consolidation!
* Email Branding Form *
This is in my opinion very interesting. Also on the Forum
the problem appeared sometimes. It's not very professional
communicate with your customers by letting Zak send emails
from address: noreply AT wubook DOT net.
Here is the solution. You can configure Zak to allow it to
send emails on your behalf. And it's quite simple too.
I point out two things:
1. From now on, we will remove the ability to open from
our pages Outlook, Thunderbird or any other email client.
We receive lots of tickets for this. Things don't really
work, because even the client itself can give
problems depending on personal setup. If you want to
send emails with your name, you need to activate the form
or copy and paste manuals.
2. For transparency and fairness, we decided to insert
the Email Branding Module on the commercial package
Essentials. So, unlike the PMS Base Package, it's not one
free functionality.
* Digital signature on Online Checkin *
This too is likely to be very interesting. It becomes possible to
configure the Checkin Online page by giving your customers the
possibility (but it can also be made mandatory) to leave
your signature.
Do you know when they deliver parcels to you? When you put the
signature on the "touch screen"? Here, the principle is the same.
But there is more.
When customers leave their signature, it comes
automatically included on all Registration Cards (Italy,
Spain and General).
In other words, after the great features (including upselling
with the sale of extras) of the Online Checkin, this new one
possibility brings things very close to automation
potentially important. The checkin process can become
even fully automatic. For example, configuring the
Templaing / Messaging system, you can invite your customers to
provide all necessary data.
You won't even need to lend him a pen.
* Other *
Finally, a rundown of other features included in the
release:
1. For those who have chosen Zak's Online Reception,
coming from the WooDoo one, it is now possible to import
feedbacks.
2. The corporate page has been enriched with a
smart search, as intelligently suggested on the
forum (thanks!)
3. Your name should now appear on your tax records
of the customer, also this is one the requests of the
our community forum!
4. Alongside the old Google Snippet for Web Analytics
(I must say still very widespread) we also added
the new version: gtag.
5. We have 100% revamped the style of the page
search for reservations. It was time.
6. Same thing for the summary page of the latest
reservations (and we are advancing in all the others,
including the detail page of the reservation).
7. The "shield icons" begin to appear. In the next
release we plan to complete that whole process
started with the introduction of reservation guarantees.
We are very excited about these developments. I really want
hope that they can even become a reference
for the market. We hope they work as we believe.
8. Group bookings on YouBook? Now it can be set
immediately the setup of the room (twin, dbl etc).
9. Online Reception: the room names are rendered
much better. Even when they are long enough,
they are no longer broken.
10. Sytar: on the price mode we exclude (just at the level
graph) the ability to edit the prices of linked rates
and linked products. This doesn't just help not
make mistakes, but it definitely simplifies, because
the choices are fewer and therefore faster
selectable. Also on Sytar, we add another
Reset button, to simplify and speed up the
multiple operations
11. On the "reservation guarantees", another amount appears
specifiable, after the percentage or fixed: the
classic first night.
12. A new payment gateway: PayZen. Even if a little more
limited by Stripe, can be used for operations
of pre-authorization and also future billing.
I'm not weighing it on how much work there is behind the scenes
to make things faster and more stable (last week
we spent a whole night there to optimize the database).
And now?
What should you expect for the next release?
Much. On several fronts.
First, the next release should be out very soon
(we have already completed many developments, as I said
at the beginning). Then, with regard to development issues:
1. Mini sites
2. Reservation Gurantees: 100% automation
3. Adding Quick Extra (on each page)
It is likely that in the next release you will also be able to
publish these:
1. Online Reception and Widget: MultiProperty
2. Online Reception and Widget: widespread structures and apartments
Which are in great demand. And other good news
on the Online Reception.
At this point, we will attack with all the necessary energy
the restaurant module, which I hope it will be ready with
a first version within a few months.
Stay tuned!!