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Frequently Asked Questions
Installation and Setup
The Telephone Interface
Printing and The Word Processor
Accounting
Reservations and Walk-ins
Groups
Undoing A Check Out
Using Login/Logout and Password Permissions
Custom Adjusting Rates
Problems with Automatic Night Audits
Problems with File/Path Not Found
Problems
With Speed and Data Errors
Microsoft Windows Vista®
Issues
Installation
and Setup
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What
kind of computer will run LodgeWright?
Any computer capable of running Windows 2000 SP4, XP or Vista with
64MB free memory above the operating system requirement.
You will also need at least 1 Gigabyte of hard disk space for each
150 units, roughly 800MHz processor speed per 75 units, and screen
resolution set to at least 800x600.
This is for a stand alone system or a network server.
Stations only need 50Mb free ram and 50 Mb free hard disk space.
What
system do I need to run the LodgeWright Demo?
You can try the LodgeWright Demo on any Windows system.
We know it will work on any computer running Windows 2000 SP4, XP
or Vista
with 64mb of memory above that needed for the operating
system,
with screen resolution set to 800x600 or higher, and at least an 800MHz
processor speed.
What
kind of instructions do I receive with LodgeWright?
The days of the manuals are gone.
As do most software manufacturers, we include a comprehensive help
system with WinAttend.
Just touch <F1> at any time to receive help on the current
process. We also send free instructional videos on CD with each purchase.
We are also available for
on-site setup and training of your staff at an additional cost.
How
do I set up LodgeWright?
LodgeWright installs the same way any other Windows program does on
your computer. It comes on a CD which should start automatically
when you put it into your player. The installation program will lead
you through each step of the installation. When you get ready to set
up your property on LodgeWright there is an comprehensive set of help
instructions available for each process. If you still aren't sure
about something, we are as far away as the telephone.
What
is the password when I start LodgeWright?
If you are looking at the demonstration you downloaded from this
web site or installed from our demonstration CD all the passwords are initially
set to "DEMOPASS", all upper case. If you are installing a
licensed copy that you have purchased all the passwords will be set initially to
"password", all lower case.
What
is the test clerk's logon id in the demo?
The test clerk's logon id is "TEST".
Can
I change the name of a room?
Yes. You can change the name of any unit at any time.
There are no limitations about changing names as there were in Attend, where the unit label was
used to track occupancy. The only limitation is that the label must
be no longer than five alpha-numeric characters.
Can
I delete or add rooms in mid-year?
Yes, so long as there are no current guests or future reservations
for that unit.
Can
I limit access to accounting reports and processes?
Yes. The Accounting module is available only with the first
four letters of the manager's eight letter password. When the Front Desk Reports
form is loaded from the accounting module all menu items and audits are
enabled. When the front desk audits are accessed from Daily Routines, the
path used by shift clerks, menu items are controlled by a set of privileges you
set up.
In Setup go to Miscellaneous Setup Information and click on the <FD Reports
Access> tab. Here you will see a set of check boxes for each menu item in the
Front Desk Reports form. When a box is checked that function is ONLY
available if the from is accessed from the main accounting menu. There are
two check boxes for each report. The first check box determines if the
menu item is disabled when accessed from Daily Routines. If the first box
is checked the menu item will be enabled ONLY if the form is accessed from the
main accounting menu. The second check box determines if the clerk is
allowed to view the report. Some reports, such as the night audit, can be
run by clerk access through Daily routines (first check box NOT checked), but
the clerk is not allowed to actually see the report itself (second box
checked).
The
Telephone Interface
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Does
LodgeWright have a telephone interface?
Since the Windows environment works very
differently than DOS, we have designed a special program to handle
interfacing your telephone system with LodgeWright.
We call it Attelsys.
It runs at the same time as LodgeWright, on any computer in your
network that is running LodgeWright, capturing calls from guest rooms,
pricing those calls at rates you set, and updating the guest folio
directly. You may have multiple extensions billed to a single
unit. It is similar in look and feel to our
Attelsys program, but has added features and is linked directly to
LodgeWright so that it will post directly to a unit.
Printing
and The Word Processor
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Can
I use more than one printer with LodgeWright?
Most printer functions in LodgeWright allow you to select the printer
to use each time a document is printed. You may select from any
local or network printer installed on the computer.
What
is Mail Merge?
Special codes are used in the body of a document to insert
information from Guest History (for mailing list documents) and confirmation
letters (for reservations) for the purpose of personalizing any document you
want to send to a customer. You can create these documents in the
LodgeWright word processor. Pressing <F1> while in the word processor
will bring up a help page with an example document and with links to the
descriptions of the merge codes for both Guest History and Reservations.
You can cut and paste from there into your own document. To see these merge
codes on line click here for confirmation
letter codes, and click here for guest
history codes.
Can
I use color graphics and special fonts on my mail merge and confirmation letters?
YES! The new
LodgeWright word processor uses the rich text format which allows you to use
special fonts, formatting, AND imbed color graphics. LodgeWright comes
with a couple of examples to give you a quick view of the kinds of things
you can do. After that you can let your own creativity loose on the
task!
Can
I use another word processor to create my mail merge and confirmation
letters?
You
may use any other compatible rich text editor to create your
documents. Which are compatible? It's hard to give a blanket
statement. The WordPad utility that comes with the current version
of Windows is an example. Most current major word processors will
also save in a compatible rich text format. But as manufacturers
change, so may their rich text - so you will just need to try out your
favorite word processor to see if it is compatible. If it isn't,
just use the one that comes with LodgeWright.
My
printer is connected to my Ethernet port rather than a printer or USB
port. I get a printer error when trying to print from LodgeWright.
What should I do?
Go
to your Control Panel/Printers and Faxes. Right click on the printer and
set Sharing to share the printer with the network. You should be able to
print from LodgeWright at that point. Note that you will have to do this
even on the computer to which the printer is directly connected.
Accounting
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Can
I use LodgeWright data in other accounting programs?
LodgeWright accounting and guest history data may be exported in a
text format compatible with most other accounting, spreadsheet, and
database utilities.
Reservations
And Walk-ins
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Can
I change the rate on a reservation or room to whatever I wish
or must I use those set up in LodgeWright?
You can change the rate on the fly, so to speak, to whatever you
wish.
Differences between rack rates and actual rates are reported in the
Rooms Rented Report at each night audit.
There are also multi-day rates determined by length of stay and
custom rates, which can be almost anything you imagine, and package rates
combining up to five different types of charges in a single rate. Click
here for more detail.
Can
I display and select just connecting rooms?
Yes. When making a reservation or a walk-in you may display
only those rooms which you have designated as connecting rooms and reserve
them in pairs!
Undo
a Check Out
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How
can I undo a checkout in LodgeWright?
If you check someone out by accident you can always check them back
in again so long as there has been no activity in that room after checkout.
Simply click on the menu Front Office/Front Desk/Guest Checkout. You will see a
list of guests currently checked in. At the bottom of the form you will see a
check box labeled "Undo A Checkout". Click this box and you will see a
list of folios that have been checked out that are candidates for the undo
process. Simply double click on the guest who's checkout you want to undo. They
will be returned to their folio exactly as it was when they were checked out.
Groups
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How
do I make a group reservation?
Just select one of the two types of group reservation when you
start the reservation process. LodgeWright uses the
same screens as for a regular reservation. The group tab will be
activated and you will be able to manage all the rooms assigned to the
group from this tab. Click
here for more information about making a group reservation.
How
do I delete a room from a tour group after check in?
Simply go into that room as you normally would an individual room
and check it out! The rate for that room will be automatically deducted
from the master room rate. You may subsequently go into the master room
and adjust the rate manually if necessary.
How
do I add a room to a tour group after check in?
Create
a new occupied room by going through the walk-in process on the room you want to
add. When you get to the folio editor screen click on the miscellaneous tab and
then click on the button to add this room to a tour group. You will see a
list of all tour groups currently in your property. Select the one you
want to add this room to. It's just that simple. The rate for the room will be
added to the master room automatically. You may go into the master room folio
and adjust the rate manually if desired.
How
do I assign a room from a convention group reservation to an individual?
To
create an individual reservation from the rooms assigned to the group select
<Enter a New Reservation> from the menu and then click on <Transfer
From Convention Group To Single>. You will be led through the process
of selecting the group reservation and choosing one of the rooms assigned to
that group. The room you select will then be assigned to a new individual
and will become a separate reservation from that point on. To check in an
individual from a convention group reservation simply go through the process of
check in as you would for any reservation. LodgeWright will see that it is a
convention group and will lead you through the process of selecting a room from
the group. After check in this room will be independent of the group and
will be handled as any other individual folio.
Custom
Adjusting Rates
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How
do I create a custom rate that will adjust the rack rate by a dollar
amount?
Go to Setup/Room Codes, Rates, and Deposits. Click on the
menu item Rates/Custom Rates. Add a new rate with a dollar amount which is
greater than one dollar and set the Mode to add or subtract from the rack
rate. Click Here to see an
example.
How
do I create a custom rate that will adjust the rack rate by a percentage?
Go to Setup/Room Codes, Rates, and Deposits. Click on the
menu item Rates/Custom Rates. Add a new rate with an amount which is less
than one dollar and set the Mode to add or subtract from the rack rate. Click
Here to see an example.
How
do I create a custom rate that will override the rack rate with a new,
flat rate?
Go to Setup/Room Codes, Rates, and Deposits. Click on the
menu item Rates/Custom Rates. Add a new rate with an amount which is
greater than one dollar and set the Mode to use as a rate. Click
Here to see an example.
Problems
With Speed and Data Errors
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I
have only one computer and my system seems to be running very slowly. What can I
do?
Please check to make sure that your computer meets the minimum
requirements for LodgeWright. They
can be found by clicking here. If your computer has the minimum
requirements then check to see if you are running other programs which can be
using a lot of memory. When Windows needs more memory than you have in RAM
it will use "virtual memory" to run programs. This actually
stores the executing programs and data on the hard drive. This process is
tens or hundreds of times slower than when using RAM, and LodgeWright will not
function satisfactorily under these conditions.
I
have a local area network (LAN) and one or two stations seem to be running very
slowly while others work fine. What can I do?
Please check to make sure that these computers meet the minimum
requirements for LodgeWright. They
can be found by clicking here. See the question above for more information.
If these computers meet the minimum requirements but are behaving differently
from others in the network check the cabling. We have discovered installations
where parts from obsolete networks have been pressed into service for
LodgeWright.
You will need 100MB switches and a minimum of CAT5 network cable. We found
one installation where it would sometimes take a minute for a receipt to get to
a network printer from two of the four stations. The customer had an old 10MB
router he bought on eBay that we suspected was the problem. We switched
that to an inexpensive little 100MB switch available at any office supply
store. Suddenly the two problem computers wouldn't work at all! The other
two were cruising. After much head scratching we checked the cables. He
had CAT3 cables running to those computers. Switching the cables to CAT5E fixed
the problem.
I
am having problems with data locks and data errors on all computers.
We put this one in because it actually happened. A customer called with a
rash of very unusual problems that seemed to all be associated with accessing
the databases. After several hours of working with this customer over the phone
he finally found that one of his longer network cables had been spliced with
pliers and electrical tape just as you would a lamp cord! NO-NO. Don't do this,
and don't let anyone else do it either. Something like this can introduce noise
into the system that will create havoc with the data flowing through the
network. If your cable isn't long enough use a commercial cable-to-cable
plug, available at any computer store and most office supply stores, and join
complete cables together to reach your destination.
Problems
With Automatic Night Audit Close
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My
automatic night audit creates a run time error but everything is okay when the
audit is closed manually?
Many new computers come with "sleep" modes set by default.
These modes turn the computer off when it is not used for a certain period of
time. The automatic night audit of LodgeWright depends on the computer running
24/7. You must turn off all sleep modes in your computer if you want to use the
automatic night audit. We have also found that some screen savers will disrupt
the automatic night audit. If you have turned off the sleep mode and are still
getting errors try no screen saver for a night. If the audit runs properly then
you'll need to use a different screen saver or none at all. In the latter case
you should turn off monitors when they will not be used for a long period of
time - and put signs on them so people don't try to turn them back on by turning
the computer on and off with the power switch!
Problems
with File/Path Not Found
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When
LodgeWright tries to do something after a period of inactivity there is an error
indicating that it could not find a database or file path.
Many new computers come with "sleep" modes set by default.
These modes turn the computer off when it is not used for a certain period of
time. LodgeWright checks every few minutes to update the room status screen. The
telephone interface, Attelsys, also processes calls in real time 24/7. It is
imperative that all computers in your system that are running LodgeWright or
Attelsys, or that contain the database those programs are working with, be on
and listening for commands 24/7. Often the server in a system will not actually
be running LodgeWright. Because it contains the databases, however, it must never
go into sleep mode. Go to the Control Panel in every computer and look at Power
Options. The "System Standby" and "Turn Off Hard Disks"
options must both be set to "never".
We are also being told by customers that some screen savers seem to independently control hard disk sleep settings and/or access to system resources. If you turn your power settings to "never" and still have problems try turning off all screen savers and see it that helps. If you can't use a screen saver you should turn off monitors when they will not be used for a long period of time - and put signs on them so people don't try to turn them back on by turning the computer on and off with the power switch!
Using
Login/Logout and Password Permissions
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How
do I set login and password permissions so that users are not continually having
to log in and enter passwords over and over again?
Go into Setup/Miscellaneous Setup and click on the Clerk Identification
Tab. The last checkbox on the tab enables the login/logout function when it is
checked. This does not take affect on each station until you restart LodgeWright
on that station. When LodgeWright starts all functions will be disabled except the
Login/Logout menu item. When a clerk logs in on a station that station will
apply that clerk's id to all functions and will not ask again until the station
is logged out or an audit is closed. When a station is logged out all functions
are disabled again except the login menu.
The clerk will have to enter a password for all password protected functions even though they will not have to identify themselves again.
To preset password permissions so that passwords are not required go to each person's personal information in Payroll. There you will find check boxes for each level of password protection. Checking a box means that when that person is logged onto a station those levels of passwords will not have to be entered on that machine. When a function is entered where password permissions have not been granted the program will ask for the password as usual.
Windows
Vista Issues
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Will
LodgeWright run on Vista?
LodgeWright version 5 and later will install and run on Vista with no
special settings. Any LodgeWright will install and run on Windows Vista, but for
versions earlier than version 5 USER ACCOUNT CONTROL MUST BE TURNED OFF. This
setting in Vista prevents LodgeWright (4.X and earlier) from creating and
changing files in the directory in which it is installed, and also prevents the
Attelsys telephone system interface from using other software to communicate
with the telephone PBX system. Also, Vista will not display Help for LodgeWright
versions earlier than version 5. You must be sure that, after installation, no
one turns User Account Control back on. To do so will prevent LodgeWright from
saving data. It is important to note that LodgeWright will be unaware that there
is a problem, as Vista creates a virtual directory and behaves as though
everything were functioning properly. When you have to restart LodgeWright for
any reason, however, that data will no longer be there since the virtual
directory will be created from scratch again.
Why
Can't I Get LodgeWright On My Vista Station Computers To Function Properly With My
Vista Server?
Vista has a a serious, undocumented problem that prevents two Vista
machines from opening the same Microsoft Access
database file. This causes the second machine trying to open the file to hang.
This bug prevents LodgeWright from being able to open its databases from more
than one Vista machine at a time on your local network. Microsoft has an
unsupported hotfix available for download that will solve this problem if it is
installed on all the Vista machines in you network. You must request this hotfix
directly from Microsoft by going to the web site: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935366/en-us
and requesting a download of the hotfix. Microsoft will respond by putting a
special download link in an email response to you within a few hours. Download
this small program and save it to an easily remembered location on you computer.
Then run this hotfix program on every Vista machine in your network.