Custom Fields – Seekom

Introduction

Custom Fields is a new enhancement that allows operators to collect additional information from their guests.

They can be collected for a specific room type or against the customer database, for both the front-end booking screen and a backend booking.

Different types of fields can be created, from simple text fields to complicated select boxes. The fields can be configured to show in different areas of iBex (from the backend bookings, to the room servicing report and more).

This feature is driven by a PMS option called 'Custom Fields Advance'. Accounts will be required to have this option activated and the 'New Rooms Tab' for any of these described features to be available.

iBex Backend

Custom Fields Management and Setup

You will need to have the PMS option ‘Custom Fields Advance’ and 'New Rooms Tab' activated in your account. This will then allow you to set up your own custom fields and set whether they are a room type field or a customer database type field, and what screens they are to appear on (front booking screen, backend bookings, a particular report etc).

Managing Custom Fields

Custom fields can be found under Settings Account Search Custom Fields. Custom fields belong to the account as a whole, however individual properties may map the predefined custom fields to their room types and booking templates.

A search page will show all the custom fields available for the account, including global custom fields.

Global Custom Fields

Seekom will create custom fields that are available to all users. These will not be able to be edited by individual operators, but they can be mapped. This allows Seekom to create standard fields (such as bedding configuration) and make them immediately available for everyone to use.

New Custom Fields

To set up a new custom field* click on the New Custom Field option (Settings Account). The following screen will appear:
*If you do not see the “New Custom Field” link please contact Seekom support as they will need to turn the option on for you

Fill in all required fields and click the save button at the bottom of the screen. An explanation on what each field means can be seen below

Field Types

The following are the initial list of custom field types that can be created, along with the individual options that can be applied.

Available For

Each custom field will either be Customer Database or Room Type* level. This controls how this field can be used and where it is stored in iBex. For instance Customer Database will be required once in the booking and stored against that customers details, but the Room Type custom field will be required against each room (if a multi booking) and stored against the room in the booking rather than the customers details, example of these are bedding configuration would be a room type custom field but loyalty card (Fly Buys) details would be stored against the customer's details instead.

*Please note room type level custom fields can not be used for a multi property booking screen.

Available On

Depending on who the custom field is “For” (mentioned above) the custom field can be made available to specific locations in iBex. This allows some custom fields to be limited to the backend only if required. It also prevents different screens from becoming too cluttered with extra fields.

The following can be chosen:

Arrival / Departure Report (Room Types)
Backend Bookings (Full) (Room & Customer Types)
Bookings Calendar - Bookings Information Bubble (Room & Customer Types)
Booking Export (Customer Type)
Day Report (Room Types)
Public Bookings (Room & Customer Types)
Quick New Booking (Room & Customer Types)
Room Servicing Report (Room Types)
Search Bookings (Room & Customer Types)
Template Tags (Room & Customer Types)

Custom Field Settings

An example of a custom field can be seen below.

This custom field is a number type applied to the rooms, it is required so each site booked must fill out the length of their campervan (between 3 - 15 meters) before their booking is completed. This applies to both frontend and backend bookings. I will also be able to see the length of the campervan on arrange of reports - Arrival/Departure, Day Report etc:

Once you have setup your new custom field and saved it a new tab will appear labeled ‘Mappings’

Mapping

Not all of your custom fields you have created maybe suitable for all of your room types or all of your booking screen templates, for instance ‘Bedding Preference’ has no business being displayed with a Campsite.Now that you have set up your custom fields you can ‘map’ them to particular rooms if they have been set as “Room Type”, and if set to “Customer Database” with available on “public bookings” you will be able to map them to particular booking screen templates.

Bulk Mapping

If you have a custom field which can be used across multiple room types or booking screen templates it is easiest to select the mapping tab to do bulk mapping. Below is an example of the mapping screen for a custom field which is set as available for room type. You can bulk set which of your room types this custom field will be applied to:

Here is an example of the mapping screen for a custom field which is set as available for the customer database, please note you will also need to have it set as available on for the ‘public booking’ screens:

Mapping To Individual Room Types

Making the custom field available to a room type occurs when editing the room type (Settings Room Types Search Room Types) . In the Facilities group a multiselect field called “Custom Fields” allows specific custom fields to be ticked.

Select all applicable custom fields for your room type and then save. These custom fields will now be available for this particular room type when it is selected for a booking in either/and the frontend and backend bookings.

Mapping To Guest Fields

All custom fields marked as “Customer Database” will be available to choose or not on the Guest Fields tab of a template (Settings Website Bookings Website Booking Templates). Resulting in your customers seeing and where applicable interacting with them on your front booking screen on the Visitor Details page.

Setting Up The Template Tags

The custom fields you have set up can also appear on your booking confirmation screen (the screen customers see after they have completed their booking and payment).Customer database custom fields will already have predefined tags set up.Select the ‘tag’ arrows then ‘Booking’ and at the bottom of the list you will see the custom fields you have set up:

Enter in these tags to your confirmation screen.

For the room type tags they will need to be manually entered and involve adding in the custom field ID’s which can be found back on the custom fields page (Settings Account Search Custom Fields).

On your confirmation screen add in the following formula {{ room.cf_ID }} for each room type custom field eg for the Bedding Configuration it would look like {{ room.cf_1 }} and the Campervan Length it would look like {{ room.cf_2 }}

You confirmation screen will end up looking something like the following:

And the confirmation screen that your customers will see will be along the lines of:

Once all your custom fields have been set up and mapped they will be available for use on your front booking screen by your guests and in backend bookings, email templates, reports by iBex users.

Backend Viewing / Using Custom Fields

Quick New Booking

If set to appear on the Quick New Booking screen the custom fields will appear below the room and lead guest section. If the room type changes, the fields can also change (since they’re mapped at the room type level, not the unit level).

Bookings Calendar

Custom fields that have been marked as available to the Bookings Calendar will be displayed on the Bookings Information bubble as seen below:

Search Bookings

Custom fields that have been marked as available on the Search Bookings screen will show in the filters panel, with bookings filtered based on the entered values.

Booking Export

If you have set the custom fields to appear on the booking export, and have run the export from the search booking screen the custom fields will appear to the far right of the export:

Full Bookings

If you have set the custom fields to appear on the backend bookings (full) screen they will appear on the overview tab, lead guest tab and also the notes tab.

On the lead guest tab under the additional notes section:

And on the notes tab, the room notes additional notes section:

Room Servicing Report

If you have set the custom fields to appear on the room servicing report they will be shown appended to the “Comments” column as seen below:

Day Report

If you have set the custom fields to appear on the day report they will be shown appended to the “Notes” column as seen below:

Arrival / Departure Report

If you have set the custom fields to appear on the arrivals/departure page they will be shown appended to the “Notes & Comments” column as seen below:

FBS Using Custom Fields

Public Booking Screens (Desktop)

When a room is booked, any custom fields that are configured with that room, and any customer database custom fields which have been configured for the template will show on the visitor details page:

Public Booking Screens (Mobile)

When a room is booked, any custom fields that are configured with that room, and any customer database custom fields which have been configured for the mobile template will show on the lead guests details page: