Included Below

Available Emails

Email types currently available from b4checkin include:

1. Reservation Confirmations
2. Reservations Change Confirmations
3. Reservation Cancellations
   
   
4. Pre-Arrivals
5. Online Check-In
6. Mid-Stays
7. Paperless Receipts
8. Post-Stays

chameleon™ includes confirmation, change, and cancellation emails that are sent at time of transaction. These emails are sent by the b4checkin email application from a specified property email address.

Additional pre-arrival, mid-stay or post-stay emails can be added on at extra cost.

Online Check-In is a separate add-on.

Paperless Receipts is a separate add-on.

Purchase Options for Emails

1. chameleon™ automatically includes the option to send confirmation, change and cancellation emails. These emails are sent by the b4checkin email application from a specified property email address for all transactions made through chameleon™.
   
   
2. b4mailer: may be purchased as a stand-alone product or along with chameleon™. b4mailer includes the option to send confirmation, change and cancellation, pre-arrival and post stay emails for all guests, regardless booking method.
   
   You may also include our manual reservation email tool, through which you can send or re-send selected emails manually. See the section “Manual Reservation Email Tool”, below.
   
   
3. chameleon Plus: includes b4mailer.
   
   
4. chameleon Best: includes b4mailer.
   
   
5. b4arrival: enables automatic triggering of online check-in emails to all guests, regardless of booking method.
   
   
6. b4receipts: manual or automatic triggering of paperless receipt emails, so that you do not have to print folios receipts at time of check-out.
   
   

Adding Reservation Emails

If you wish to add Reservation Emails to chameleon™:

1. Contact your Agilysys Sales Representative to confirm that the requested email type is included in your contract with Visual One.
   
   
2. If the email type is not included in your contract, a new contract must be generated, signed, and a purchase order sent to b4checkin.
   
   
3. If the email type is included in your contract, contact your b4checkin Account Representative to initiate the installation process. 
   

Editing Reservation Emails

During the chameleon™ build, you are invited to provide your preferred email text; if none is provided, generic text is used. The email templates are drafted and sent to you for approval. Should you wish to edit the text, design, photography, or structure of the emails:

1. Changes to the text, design, photography, or structure changes must be emailed to b4checkin in writing that can be copied and pasted.
   
   
2. All email related changes must be completed by b4checkin; neither the b4checkin Admin Site nor Visual One houses email content. 
   
   Exceptions:
   
   
1. Terms & conditions can be adjusted per Tariff, Package or Booking ID from within the Messages section of the b4checkin Admin Site. See Messages in chameleon™.
   
   
2. The links in the header of the emails can be adjusted from within the Messages section of the b4checkin Admin Site. See Messages in chameleon™.

Email Customization Options (WIP)

Additional options available for emails include: 

1. For all Email Types:
   
   
1. Bounce back emails can be sent to the property address where the email is coming from.
   
   
2. Multiple property team members can be copied on outgoing emails, excluding pre-arrival or post-stay emails.
   
   
3. Custom Terms & Conditions can appear on emails when configured per Rate Type in the b4checkin Admin Site under Messages.
   
   
4. Links in the Header of the emails can be customized in the Messages section of the b4checkin Admin Site.
   
   
   
2. For Confirmation, Change and Cancellation Emails:
   
   
   1. Auto-sending can be turned off and instead sent selectively through a separate sending tool, a feature most commonly chosen for change or cancellation emails.
      
      
   2. Dynamic Room Images: The room image on the confirmation email can match the room image in chameleon™. The property must provide images for any room types that do not appear online.  
      
      
   3. Emails by Room Group: Different text can appear on emails based on which Room Group the Room Type falls into. This applies only to Room Types that are sold on chameleon™.
      
      
   4. Display of Deposit Taken: If a payment gateway is configured in chameleon™, the emails can show the deposit that was paid at the time of reservation.
      
      
   5. Display of Remaining Balance: if a payment gateway is configured in chameleon™, emails can show the remaining balance after the deposit was taken. Note: development for this will release in early 2017.
      
      
   6. Excluded Origin Codes: Emails can be turned off for selected persons by designating a specific Origin Code to mean "do not email" and having b4checkin exclude records containing that Origin Code.
      
      
   7. Sending Change Email Only Daily: To minimize Change emails potentially generated by internal updates, Change emails can be set up to trigger only once per day, at a time specified by the property. This avoids a separate email being sent every time any detail is updated by the property.
      
      
   8. Change Criteria: Currently, Change emails will trigger if any field is changed. b4checkin is developing improvements that will Change emails only when certain fields are changed.
      
      
   9. Specific emails can be turned off. Most common for post-stay emails.
      
      
   10. The property is able to specify how many day before or after arrival the pre and post stay emails are sent. 
       
       
   11. Exclusion of Private only available for pre post and OCI, not res transactions.
       
       
3. If a guest Replies to an email, their response will send from the property email address that the email was sent from.
   
   
4. The property email address from which any emails are sent must be authorized in the b4checkin mail system. See master page - authSMTP
   
   
5. When a guest calls to report they cannot open the PDF in the reservation email they received, be aware such emails are triggered from Visual One, not from b4checkin. Emails from b4checkin do not include PDFs.
   
   
6. b4checkin emails are not recorded by the transaction log within Visual One. That log only includes emails sent by Visual One, and cannot be used to confirm sending of a chameleon™ or b4mailer email. To confirm if b4checkin emails were sent, you must access the email inbox for the address being used to send your reservation emails, as it is that address that is being copied on all outgoing reservation emails.

Deactivating Emails

1. To turn off selected reservation emails, advise b4checkin which emails you wish turned off - bookings, changes or cancellations.
   
   
2. If you wish to turn off pre-arrival, mid-stay, post-stay, paperless receipts, online check-in, or any other emails sent through b4mailer, you must advise your b4checkin Account Manager.
   
   
3. If you wish to turn off confirmation, change and cancellation emails sent by chameleon™, this can be done by an Agilysys or b4checkin user in the b4checkin Admin Site:
   
   
1. Select the property logo.
   
   
2. Select “Manage Your Properties”
   
   
3. Select the Edit button next to the property.
   
   
   
   
4. Select “b4checkin Settings”.
   
   
5. Half way down the page, select the check box “Turn Off Email”.
   
   
6. Save.
   
   
7. Emails will no longer send.
   
   Note: This only applies for confirmation, change and cancellation emails sent by chameleon™. This does not apply for b4mailer, the automated mailing tool.