Connectware Hotel
- Aaron Bailey
The Hotel page controls many of the defaults that will apply system wide as well as the Serial Box if in use. Pages include:
Permissions: Set calling permissions for guests and set what permissions staff are allowed to offer guests.
Dial Permissions Mapping: Maps PMS permissions codes (0-9) to calling permissions. Used so that a PMS system can set a guests calling permission.
Cleaning Codes: Set the cleaning code numbers and description, also set defaults upon check in/out. This is required.
Dial Plan: Add extension translations for things like the operator call group. Used when analog phones have hard coded speed dial buttons that do not dial 0 or other common extensions.
Dropin Messages: Here messages can be setup that staff can easily drop into a guests voicemail box.
Web Console: Controls who has and does not have access to the Connectware Browser Console along with what options are provided to hotel staff.
Wakeup Call: Allows setup of extensions for guest and staff to setup wakeup calls.
Timeframe: Feature being redesigned, more info to come.
Serial Devices: If a Serial Box is in use its MAC address is added here. This page will also display if the device is online.
Serial Logs: Displays logs of the Serial Box for troubleshooting.
Call Accounting: Sets billing rates on outbound calls.
Permissions
Default empty room and guest permissions can be set here. In addition the available permissions a hotel staff member can offer the guest along with if guests are given voicemail is also available.
This is the permission an empty guest room will have.
When a guest checks in these are the default permissions assigned.
If a guest is checked in and the PMS system denotes them as having no credit (being a cash guest) these are the calling permissions that will apply. Normally lower permissions then normal.
This list is what permissions that hotel staff are able to provide to the guest. This can ensure that hotel staff don’t accidentally provide guest with permission to make international calls and incur extra charges.
The timeout for a call to a guest before being send to Voicemail.
If unchecked guests will not have access to voicemail. Normally this is enabled.
Dial Permissions Mapping
When a PMS system wishes to update a guests calling permission they will send a single digit code to set the permissions to. This screen allows those codes to be mapped with a calling permission in ConnectWare.
Using the drop down map a permission to the index that the PMS will send. For example mapping 1 to Internal and Emergency Only.
Cleaning Codes
When a guest checks out the housekeeping staff will use the phone in the guest room to inform the property management system when the room is done being cleaned and ready for new guests. These codes, sometimes call status codes, can be defined here so they reflect correctly in the Browser Console.
Setting a label for each cleaning code the hotel wants to use is required. If these are not set the system will say that room status codes are unavailable when *2 is dialed.
Some PMS API systems use the Label of the cleaning code, not the index. In these cases its important that there is an exact match to what the PMS is using. Ask the PMS vendor for a list of cleaning codes, Phonesuite does not have this list.
There are no universal defaults for cleaning codes, even for hotels with the same PMS system the codes will often be different. Ask the housekeeping staff for what the codes are.
Enter the label for each code and set the defaults to use when a guest checks in or out.
Cleaning codes can be saved as a template for use on other domains. Once cleaning codes are set click the save as template and name the template. On later domains use the Templates button to select a template.
Dial Plan
This page allows additional extensions to be created for any existing extension. Most commonly used to create extensions for the operator call group based on hard coded speed dials of analog phones.
Add / Edit
This is the number dialed by the analog phone or extra extension that needs to exist.
The location the call will be routed with the Dialed Number is called.
These optional notes allow tracking of why a dial plan was created or what phones they support.
Messages
These messages are an optional way that hotel staff can communicate with guests. If the hotel staff is frequently leaving the same message for guests then drop in messages should be considered as a way to reduce staff labor and ensure a high quality message every time.
Text-to-Speech Setup
This button allows the selection of a voice to be used for all text to speech drop-in messages.
Add Drop-in Message
A simple name for the message. This name is presented to the hotel staff so it should be easy to understand.
Clicking this button will allow a new message to be created using text to speech or via uploading a message from local storage (i.e. your computer).
Always play any text-to-speech messages to ensure correct pronunciation and timing.
Deleting Drop-in Messages
Clicking the Clear button will delete the text to speech message.
Broadcast Messages
These messages are used like a drop in message but are delivered to all guests or to guests by group code but are otherwise the same as drop in messages.
Web Console
This section allows control of what options are available for uses of the Browser Console and IP based access control lists can be managed.
Should the browser console allow users to check in/out guests.
Should the browser console allow users to move a guest to another room.
Should the browser console display room status.
Should the browser console display guest call billing data and reports.
This is a whitelist not a black list of IP addresses. Thus if you enter the IP 1.2.3.4 then only people accessing the browser console from 1.2.3.4 will be allowed to log in, all others will be blocked from logging in.
Because the Connectware Browser Console is a shared URL for all hotels a user will be able to see the login screen from an IP not on the whitelist, however they will be blocked from logging in.
Any users listed here will be allowed to log in from any IP, even if the above restrict login feature is in use. If faster the Allowed User Logins can be used to allow only from this list. Don’t use both lists at the same time.
These settings allow localization of a domain including time, language, and currency settings.
If changed a user will need to log out and back into the Hospitality Console to see the changes.
If needed the broadcast feature can be restricted to only the set users.
Sets if a guest name is pushed to the admin phone for reverse caller ID and if the guest name is inverted. Some PMS systems send the guest last name first, this can be worked around here.
Settings this to Yes will allow the PMS to overwrite a guest name for an already checked in guest room. Normally only needed with the Oracle API PMS. Use with caution as PMS systems should check out a guest before checking in a new guest.
For use with the web phone, will display a yellow or red warning when a call has been placed on hold and exceeds the set limits.
Wakeup Calls
Here extensions for guest and admin wakeup call setup can be defined along with the users with permissions to setup wakeup calls.
Add / Edit Wakeup Calls
Sets the extension that guests can dial to setup wakeup calls.
Sets the extension that staff can dial to setup wakeup calls.
Hotel staff must have permission to setup wakeup calls via a phone call. To grant that permission list the users here.
These settings control how many retries a wake-up call will attempt before being considered failed and the time between each attempt. There is also a location to send a notification should a wake up call be missed.
Timeframes
Feature under redesign, more info to come.
Serial Devices
If a Serial Box is in use it must be added to the system here. All that’s required is the MAC address of the Serial Box.
Add / Edit Serial Device
A name for the device, normally “Serial Box”.
Enter the MAC address of the serial box without colons.
PMSLogs
This page will display logs of any attached Serial Devices for debugging and troubleshooting purposes. There is a date filter, otherwise there is nothing to add or edit on this page.
Call Accounting
Allows the setup of rate tables for outbound calls from guests. Call accounting must be enabled for the installation feature to work.
Rule Options
0-9: Any single digit
x: Any dingle digit
?: Allows the proceeding digit to be dialed or not (i.e. 1?xxxxxxxxxx will allow 10 digit dialing with or without the leading 1)
*: Any digit, unlimited length
Click the Default Rules button to begin the process.
Select from Local, International, and NANPA.
Local: Uses the hotels main number to automatically define what is a local call from that area. This feature saves a lot of setup time and hassle.
Adding the default Local rules will add several hundred rules.
International: Basic 011 rule
Long Distance: Basic 1?xxxxxxxxxx rule