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MotelMAX(tm)
the Hotel/Motel Resort Manager
USER MANUAL
Version 2.50s - October 1995
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
MKM Software
2812 Ingrid Ln
Metairie, Louisiana 70003
USA
Phone: (713) 488-2436
Phone: (504) 885-7470
CompuServe: 72704,3566
America Online: MKMware
Copyright (C) MKM Software, 1989-95
All Rights Reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
Disclaimer of Warranty 2
Definition of Shareware 2
Registration 2
Distribution 3
How to Register 3
MotelMAX - Version List 4
Installing MTLMAX.ZIP 4
Updating to a New Version 5
OPERATIONS 7
Opening a Shift 7
Closing a Shift 7
User Name and Password 7
Reservation Browse Table 7
Advance Deposits 9
MasterBills 9
FRONT DESK - FOLIOS 11
Front Desk Menu 11
Updating Folios 12
Transactions 12
Direct Bill Folios 12
Guest File 13
Reports 13
Re-Index 14
Close Account Month 14
Close Account Year 14
Re-build AVL Tables 15
Verify Data 15
MotelMAX SET-UP 16
Site Set-up 16
Taxes / Miscellaneous Set-up 16
Folio Set-up 16
Printer Set-up 19
Room Types 19
Room Set-up 19
Rate Tables 20
Room Type Availability 20
User Names 21
Zip Codes 21
Reservation Codes 22
Travel Agents 22
General Ledger 22
Text Substitution Keys 23
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 1
INTRODUCTION
MotelMAX is a complete Hotel, Motel, Bed & Breakfast and
Resort Manager, providing modules for reservations, advance
deposits, point of sale, accounting, room inventory and many
reports. This program is remarkably easy to use. It will
help organize your work site like never before. It
introduces uniformity in the way room rates are applied,
guests are checked-in and checked out and it saves
everything. You can always go back and reconstruct a period
of activity to verify account totals or track business
activity. In addition, powerful wordprocessing and mailing
features let you create any kind of letter, confirmation or
marketing, to facilitate communication with your customer
base.
The registered version of MotelMAX comes with a 110 page
illustrated user guide. This file is an abbreviated version
of the user guide. Please refer to the online help screens
for the latest program information. Also, whenever the
program requires input from the user, there is always
context sensitive help at the bottom of the screen.
Disclaimer of Warranty
Users of MotelMAX must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
"MotelMAX is supplied as is. The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without
limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness
for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for
damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the
use of MotelMAX."
Definition of Shareware
MotelMAX (Standard Version) is a "shareware program" and is
provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free
to share it with others, but please do not give it away
altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-
supported" software is to provide personal computer users
with quality software without high prices, and yet to
provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new
products.
Registration
If you find this program useful and find that you are using
MotelMAX and continue to use MotelMAX after a reasonable
trial period, you must make a registration payment of
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 2
$135.00 to MKM Software. The $135.00 registration fee will
license one copy for use on any one computer at any one
time. You must treat this software just like a book. An
example is that this software may be used by any number of
people and may be freely moved from one computer location to
another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used
at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a
book cannot be read by two different persons at the same
time.
Users of MotelMAX must register and pay for their copies of
MotelMAX within 45 days of first use or their license is
withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by
contacting MKM Software.
Distribution
Anyone distributing the Standard Version of MotelMAX for any
kind of remuneration must first contact MKM Software for
authorization. This authorization is automatically granted
to distributors recognized by the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for
shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin
offering MotelMAX immediately (However MKM Software must
still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-
date with the latest version of MotelMAX.).
You are encouraged to pass a copy of the Standard Version of
MotelMAX along to others for evaluation. Please encourage
them to register their copy if they find that they can use
it. All registered users receive a personalized copy of the
latest version of the program without any shareware notices,
a printed, illustrated user manual and 90 days of free
technical support. Registered users are kept apprised of
program updates and additional programs that can be used to
generate reports and analyze and graph current and past
business data.
How to Register
You can register or purchase any version of MotelMAX
directly through MKM Software if you pay by check. For a
credit card purchase (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or
Discover) contact Public (software) Library at the numbers
listed below. These numbers are for registering any version
of MotelMAX or for ordering the latest shareware version.
Public (software) Library cannot provide program information
or product support for MotelMAX. Contact MKM Software for
information about dealer pricing, volume discounts, site
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 3
licensing, the status of shipment of the product, the latest
version number or for technical information.
To Register by Check or for Technical Support, contact:
MKM Software
2812 Ingrid Lane
Metairie, LA 70003-USA
Phone: 713-488-2436 or 504-885-7470
CompuServe: 72704,3566
America Online: MKMware
You can register by credit card using either American
Express, Discover, Mastercard or Visa. Contact:
Public (software) Library
Toll free USA only - 800-242-4775
Fax: 713-524-6398
Voice International: 713-524-6394
CompuServe: 71355,470
Public (software) Library can manage orders only. They
cannot provide product support. Be sure to provide your
site name (max 35 characters) with your order so that your
copy of MotelMAX can be stamped with your property name.
MotelMAX - Version List
MotelMAX comes in several versions depending on the number
of rooms at your site. The Standard Version supports up to
fifty rooms and is distributed as shareware. Other versions
which are not distributed as shareware include more rooms.
Each version includes the modules for reservations and
advance deposits. All amounts are in US currency. Include
an additional charge for shipping and handling.
MotelMAX Version List
50 rooms................. $135
100 rooms................ $175
101+ rooms............... $250
Shipping US and Canada... $4
Shipping International... $11
Installing MTLMAX.ZIP
The entire MotelMAX program and documentation are zipped up
into a single file called MTLMAX.ZIP. To install the
program, you will have to unzip this file, using the popular
file compression program PkZip v2.04g. You will need the
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 4
file PKUNZIP.EXE from the PkZip program. This program is
available from most bulletin boards and online services.
For this sample installation, we will install MotelMAX in a
directory called \MOTEL. You can choose any directory name
that you prefer. The entire MotelMAX program and all files
are stored in a single directory. There are no
subdirectories and as stated above the directory name does
not matter.
Place the installation diskette in drive A: and at the C:
prompt, enter these DOS commands. We assume PKUNZIP.EXE is
in your DOS path.
C:\=>MD \MOTEL <Ent>
C:\=>CD \MOTEL <Ent>
C:\MOTEL=>PKUNZIP A:MTLMAX <Ent>
C:\MOTEL=>MOTELMAX <Ent>
Updating to a New Version
Let's assume you have been using a prior version of
MotelMAX. It is installed in a directory called \MOTEL.
Now you are upgrading to the latest version of the program.
You have accumulated months of data in the prior version of
the program and you would like to continue to use that data
in the new version. Follow these installation and upgrade
instructions. Install the new version of MotelMAX in a
separate directory called \TEST according to the
instructions in the previous section.
1. Check that you do not have an open shift in your
prior version of MotelMAX. Start the prior version in
the \MOTEL directory. If you are prompted for a
Username, this means there is no open shift, so press
<Esc> to exit. If you see that a shift is open,
continue with the sign-on. From the Main Menu, exit
the program and close the current shift. Now you are
ready to install the new version.
2. Copy the entire \MOTEL directory to another
directory called \WORK. Now you have a backup copy of
MotelMAX in the \WORK directory.
3. Install the new version of MotelMAX in the \TEST
directory.
4. Copy these 4 files from the \TEST directory into
the \WORK directory using the following commands:
C:\=>COPY \TEST\MOTELMAX.EXE \WORK <Ent>
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 5
C:\=>COPY \TEST\SPC.DBF \WORK <Ent>
C:\=>COPY \TEST\LTR.DBF \WORK <Ent>
C:\=>COPY \TEST\LTR.DBT \WORK <Ent>
5. Change to the \WORK directory and start the program
with the command: MOTELMAX NEW <Ent>.
6. Once you sign-on, select from the Main Menu:
UTILITIES; MANAGER; VERIFY DATA. This option reformats
data from prior versions to work with the latest
version of MotelMAX.
When you are sure everything is correct, you can copy the
entire contents of the \WORK directory to the \MOTEL
directory.
That is all you have to do to upgrade to a new version of
MotelMAX. Delete the files in the \TEST and \WORK
directories to reclaim some disk space. Change to the
\MOTEL directory and start the program using the NEW start
switch.
C:\=>CD \MOTEL <Ent>
C:\MOTEL=>MOTELMAX NEW <Ent>
MotelMAX will build all files it needs and re-build old
files to match the new file formats. Even if you do not use
the NEW start switch, the program will verify the file
structures.
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 6
OPERATIONS
Opening a Shift
MotelMAX breaks all usage of the program into segments or
shifts. When you sign-on to the program, if a shift is not
opened, MotelMAX will prompt you for a username and password
to open a new shift. Once a shift is opened, all
accounting activity is tracked and logged onto the shift
report. Shifts provide a way of tracking accounting data
and transactions independent of the transaction date. You
cannot access the program unless you either open a shift or
sign-on after a shift has been opened by you or by someone
else.
Closing a Shift
When an operator exits the program he has the option to
close the current shift. Normally, the answer is Yes. At
this point the program indicates what the closing cash
drawer amount should be based on payments received or
refunds given. It is the responsibility of the operator to
balance the cash receipts and cash drawer with the shift
report and turn in the amount and shift report summary of
shift activity.
User Name and Password
Whenever you sign on to MotelMAX and open a shift you have
to enter a valid user name and password. For the shareware
version of the program enter:
Username: MOTELMAX <Ent>
Password: MOTELMAX <Ent>
Reservation Browse Table
MotelMAX lets you enter reservations up to two years in
advance and to accept one or more advance deposits for a
reservation. All reservations are listed in a browse table.
The browse table can be sorted several different ways. The
default sort order is by arrival date. The browse table is
one of the most important tools in MotelMAX. In practically
all portions of the program, information is first presented
or displayed in a browse table format, so once you learn to
navigate the browse table you are well on your way to
understanding how to use MotelMAX.
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 7
The browse table offers a brief overview of current
reservations. Refer to the <F1> help screen for definitions
of hotkeys and columns. Everything you want to accomplish
with reservations can be accomplished from the browse table.
Whenever you need to input data, refer to the bottom of the
screen for context sensitive help.
Every reservation must be attached to a guest record. You
can add guest information at the beginning of the
reservation or at the end. If you add the guest at the
beginning, information from the guest's last stay is used in
the new reservation, last room type, room number and
discount, etc.
MotelMAX can assign room rates or you can enter your
own rate at reservation time. Following are the rate types:
<N>ormal. Normal Room Rate; MotelMAX assigns a rate
according to the rate tables you have set-up. If the
room night is a Friday or Saturday, the program reads
the weekend rate from the appropriate rate table. If
the room night falls on a Sunday through Thursday
night, the program reads the daily rate from the
appropriate rate table.
<A>ssigned Daily Rate; MotelMAX prompts you for a per
night room rate, you enter the amount and that amount
overrides the amount found in the rate table. This is
a user defined rate at the time of reservation. The
rate tables are not used. You assign the individual
room rate on a per night basis.
<1> Single Occupancy. This selection instructs the
program to read the room rate from the rate table for
single occupancy. Sometimes you may want to
differentiate the room rate based on the number of room
occupants.
<2> Double Occupancy. This selection instructs the
program to read the room rate from the rate table for
double occupancy. Sometimes you may want to
differentiate the room rate based on the number of room
occupants.
<W>eekly Rate. If the guest's stay is seven or more
nights, you can instruct the program to use the weekly
room rate from the rate table. Each seven day segment
of the stay is charged at the weekly room rate. Each
remaining individual night is billed at the normal room
rate.
<M>onthly Rate. If the guest's stay is thirty or more
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 8
nights, you can instruct the program to use the monthly
room rate from the appropriate rate table. Each 30 day
segment of the stay is charged at the monthly room
rate. Each remaining night is billed at the normal
room rate.
<F>lat Rate. This rate type lets you enter the total
room charge for the entire stay. The program then
assigns a room charge for each night based on the total
room charge and the number of nights. This is a user
defined rate at the time of reservation. It does not
use the rate tables. You assign the total room charge
and the program assigns the per night room charge.
Advance Deposits
An important feature of MotelMAX is the ability to track
advance deposits for a reservation. When you press <F5> on
the reservation browse table, a separate browse table is
displayed for advance deposits. One or more deposits can be
added to a reservation. Once you add a deposit, post it
using the <Tab> key or the <Gray+> key.
You can delete a deposit, if it is not posted by pressing
the <Del> key. You can add another deposit by pressing
<Ins>. These are familiar commands from other browse tables
as you will see. Once a deposit is posted, you cannot
delete it. Instead, you have to refund it using the <F6>
key. All deposit browse table commands are displayed at the
bottom of the screen.
When you refund a deposit, MotelMAX prompts you for a
forfeit amount. This is a penalty fee you might assess
against the guest for refunding the deposit. This is an
option. Once you establish a forfeit amount and a refund
amount, MotelMAX creates a folio with these transactions
automatically added and posted. You have to access the
FrontDesk option on the Main Menu to print and close the
Deposit Refund Folio.
If a reservation has just one remaining posted deposit, and
this deposit is refunded, MotelMAX automatically cancels and
deletes the original reservation. Availability tables are
updated accordingly.
MasterBills
This feature exists primarily for group bookings. But it
has other uses as well. A typical use is as follows. A
business group checks-in. The company pays all room
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 9
charges, but each guest must pay all other charges. Create
a MasterBill which will be paid by the company. Transfer
all room charges for the group to the MasterBill folio and
leave the remaining charges on each guest's individual
folio.
Unlike other folios, a MasterBill is not attached to a
particular room so you cannot add new room charges to it.
If you have to modify the amount of room charges on a
MasterBill, add a room adjustment transaction. While you
cannot add a room charges to the MasterBill, you can
transfer any kind of transaction to the MasterBill from
another guest folio, making it very flexible.
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 10
FRONT DESK - FOLIOS
Guest Folios can be accessed through the Main Menu option;
FrontDesk. After a guest has been checked-in from the
reservation browse table, this is the area of the program
where you perform all changes to the folio right up to check-
out time.
Front Desk Menu
The Front Desk Menu includes these options:
Folios. Access current folios for current checked-in
guest. This option is the main topic of this chapter
and the next. Use this option to browse through the
current checked-in guest. You can select any folio and
perform a variety of actions, including adding,
editing, deleting or posting transactions. Also, it is
here that you access folios in order to check-out a
guest.
DirectBill. Access folios for guests who have checked-
out but whose folio is not paid. A separate chapter is
devoted to Direct Bill folios. This option accesses a
separate browse table comprised only of DirectBill
folios. These folios can be edited or checked-out just
like folios for current guests.
WhoIsOn. Display information about the current shift
and MotelMAX version information. This is useful
information to quickly determine the status of the
current shift.
Payments. Display a list of all payments received
during the current shift. This report should be run
prior to the close of a shift. It can be used by the
front desk operator to confirm that credit card
receipts and cash totals match those in the computer
before the operator actually closes the shift.
AutoPost. Automatically, post all pending unposted
charges through today's date. Prior to 3:00 pm this
feature does not post today's room charges as the
screen message will indicate. This is a precaution in
case a current guest should decide to check-out early.
After 3:00 pm all pending charges, including room
charges are posted. Payments are not posted. These
should be posted manually by the operator at the time
they are added to the folio. You can run this option
as often as is necessary. It will count the number of
folios checked and the number of charges posted and
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 11
display the results.
Daily Posts. Display a list of all folios and the
posted charges and payments for each folio through a
given date. Depending on the number of current guests,
you may want to run this report prior to an AutoPost.
You definitely want to run it after an AutoPost. This
report should be turned in by the night front desk
operator to affirm all folios have been prepared for
the next business day. It permits you to verify folios
are properly updated without having to access and view
each folio individually.
Updating Folios
All current open folios for checked-in guests are listed in
a browse table. The browse table of current folios can be
sorted in several ways. The default sort order is by room
number. This is the central point for working with folios
of checked-in guests. From here you can update the
individual folios and it is from here that you print, check-
out or close all folios. Press the <F1> help key to access
a full screen of online help. Also, press the <F7> View
Menu to display all reports relating to folios.
Transactions
The transaction browse table contains an itemized listing of
all folio transactions for a given guest and whether they
have been posted. The transactions are sorted by
transaction date with payments preceding charges within each
date. Press the <F1> help key for a complete description of
all available hotkeys and options.
Direct Bill Folios
Direct Bill Folios are folios that have been checked out but
were not closed because the balance due was not equal to
zero. We have extended this definition to include any
unresolved folio. You can now send any checked-out folio to
direct bill without regard to the balance due. This gives
you many more possibilities. Also, you can now send a
MasterBill folio to direct bill. This gives you the ability
to combine one or more direct bill folios into one folio,
again increasing the possibilities you have for organizing
your records. When you send a <current> folio to direct
bill, the folio is removed from the browse table of current
guests so as not to clutter the screen. When you are
looking at current guest folios that is all you want to see.
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 12
In most cases, you need to post a final payment after which
you can close and clear out the direct bill folio. You can
add new charges, or print additional copies of the folio as
needed, again, using the same keys you are familiar with
from the browse table of current folios. However, you
cannot add a new room charge to a direct bill folio. If it
is necessary to add a room charge, use the charge option
room adjustment instead.
Guest File
Your first introduction to the guest file occurs when you
are booking reservations. You can attach a guest record to a
reservation either at the beginning or end of the
reservation process. Sometimes, however, you may want to
access the guest file directly to lookup specific
information about a current or previous guest or to prepare
a promotional mailing. You can accomplish all this by
selecting the option GuestFile from the Main Menu. A
submenu appears with several including the option to Browse
the guest file. Select this option to access a browse table
of guests.
You can create up to 3 user defined letters to send to any
and all guests. Refer to the <F1> help key for more
information. Also, press <F7> and view the sample guest
letters. The sample letters provide instructions on how you
can create your own letters.
Postal Codes. When you are editing a guest entry and you
enter a US zip code or Canadian postal code, MotelMAX checks
if that code is in the zip/postal code file. If it is, you
can choose to let the program stuff the city, state and
optionally the country name for you. This feature can over
time save you many keystrokes and likewise ensure uniformity
of spelling and style in the adding of city, state, province
or country names. Also, you can generate revenue reports by
zip code.
Reports
MotelMAX contains powerful reporting capabilities. You can
display reports to the screen and subsequently print them or
save them to a file to load into your favorite word
processing program. Press the <F1> key for help in viewing
and printing reports.
Report contents can be selected by date, shift number or
month number. It is best to open and close several shifts
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 13
before you begin to run all the reports, especially
accounting reports. It helps to have more data in the
program to run the reports.
On the other hand, after you enter several reservations,
move to the REPORTS; RESERVATIONS Menu and begin printing
arrival reports and room racks. These are the first reports
you will want to see. Again, wait until you close a few
shifts before you run the accounting reports.
Re-Index
Index files are used by MotelMAX to quickly locate specific
information. If the computer is switched off while the
program is running; or, if there is a loss of power, these
index files can be damaged. In such cases, you should
rebuild all index files using this option. Under normal
circumstances this is not necessary. MotelMAX will always
update index files as needed. This option is made available
as a precaution. Once a week, run the option to <Optimize>
your files. This can improve program performance.
Close Account Month
Closing the month will build a monthly account summary which
is really a composite of all shifts for the current account
month. You can view this composite account summary prior to
closing the month.
If the monthly account summary is balanced and you choose to
proceed, MotelMAX sums all totals for the current month and
updates the general ledger with current totals for the month
and for the year. Next it moves all cleared transactions to
archive files.
Again, we use the term close account month only because most
users will close-out on a monthly basis. It is your choice.
You might choose to close each week or each quarter. It is
a matter of preference. We recommend that you close at
least each calendar month. This will maximize performance
of the program. As part of the closing, MotelMAX takes
certain steps to ensure the best performance of the program.
Close Account Year
This option updates the general ledger by moving Year-to-
date amounts to last year's total and resetting all YTD
amounts for all accounts back to 0.
You should close an account month just prior to closing the
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 14
year. This is not necessary, only recommended. For best
results, when you close a month or a year, we recommend that
you dedicate a shift to that single activity.
For example, prior to closing a month or a year, first exit
the shift you are in. When asked whether to close the
shift, answer <Y>es. Next, sign-on to MotelMAX again and
open a new shift. Do not take reservations, or post
transactions, instead, go directly to the accounting menu
and close the month or close the year. Afterwards, exit the
program and close the shift.
This will provide a clear demarcation between account months
and between account years.
Re-build AVL Tables
Use this option to re-build the room type and room number
availability tables. Whenever you change your room set-ups,
especially when you edit or delete room numbers, or room
types, you may have changed a room number that is currently
in use by a pending reservations. This can cause
discrepancies in the room type and room number availability
tables. However, this is very simple to correct. Simply
run this option. All room type and room number availability
tables are rebuilt starting from today and working through
to the end of the tables. Please note, this option only
affects reservations from today forward. It does change any
past reservations.
Verify Data
If you are updating from an earlier version of MotelMAX
prior to version 2.50, run this option just once. It will
make some adjustments to complete the update. If you should
run it more than once, no harm is done. It exists to ensure
compatibility between the current version of MotelMAX and
all prior versions of the program.
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 15
MOTELMAX SET-UP
This menu contains all the options you need to set-up
MotelMAX for use at your site. Work your way through these
menu options to customize MotelMAX for your particular
needs.
Site Set-up
This option lets you control many features of
MotelMAX and customize the program for the special needs of
your site. Complete each item of the Site Set-up edit
window. There is context sensitive help for each entry
field.
Taxes / Miscellaneous Set-up
This options lets you adjust all tax rates and other system
wide settings, including default charges for extra guests.
Refer to the context sensitive help at the bottom of the
screen as you complete each entry field.
Folio Set-up
This option lets you control the folio printout. You can
customize the folio to appear the way you want by changing
the page length or changing the location and font size of
your site name. The default page length format for folios
is 8.5 by 11 inch paper. However, you can change this. If
you are using preprinted forms on 8.5 by 5.5 inch paper, you
can easily adjust the program to handle these forms, using
the options described below:
Currency Symbol. Enter the currency sign or symbol
used in your country. The currency symbol can be up to
four characters in length. You can use upper or lower
case characters.
Place Symbol <B>efore or <A>fter Amounts. Indicate
whether the currency symbol should be printed <B>efore
or <A>fter the amount.
Set Weekly Rates on <D>aily or <T>erm Basis. This
option instructs MotelMAX on how to assign weekly room
rates. If you select <D>, the program divides the
total weekly room rate by seven and assigns a portion
of the amount to each room night in the guest's stay.
However, you may choose <T> for term whereby the entire
weekly room charge is placed on the first night of the
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
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guest's stay. The other room nights are billed at 0.
Set Monthly Rates on <D>aily or <T>erm Basis. This
option instructs MotelMAX on how to assign monthly room
rates. If you select <D>, the program divides the
total monthly room rate by thirty and assigns a portion
of the amount to each room night in the guest's stay.
However, you may choose <T> for term whereby the entire
monthly room charge is placed on the first night of the
guest's stay. The other room nights are billed at 0.
Print <0> Amount Room Charges on Folio. This option
works together with the prior two set-up choices. If
you answer <N>o, only non zero room charges are printed
on the folio printout. For example, if you assign
weekly or monthly room rates on a term basis, only the
one significant room amount is printed. All the zero
room charges are not. This makes for a much shorter
folio printout for guests staying at the weekly or
monthly rate. If you answer <Y>es, all room charges
are printed whether the amount is zero or not.
Folio Length in Lines. Set the length in lines for
your folio printout. The default is 48 for 8.5 by 11
inch forms. If you are using special forms, increase
or decrease this number until you get the results you
want. If you are using 8.5 by 5.5 inch forms, 24 lines
should work correctly.
Set Site Name Font On. Enter the printer <escape
sequence> that turns emphasized printing <ON>. For
example, on an Epson printer, you can turn emphasized
printing on by entering this printer code: \027E. On a
laser printer, you may want to switch to a different
font or larger point size to enhance the appearance of
the site name on the folio printout. Leave this entry
blank if you prefer to print the site name in the
normal print style or font.
Set Site Name Font Off. Enter the printer <escape
sequence> that turns emphasized printing <OFF>. For
example, on an Epson impact printer, you can turn
emphasized printing off by entering this printer code:
\027F. If you are using a laser printer and you
switched on a different font to print the site name,
you now have to switch back to the original font to
print the rest of the folio. Leave this entry blank if
the previous entry on this form is blank. In short, if
you turned a special printer font on in the previous
entry, you must at this point turn that font off or set
the font back to the original font. The entries you
make here depend upon the kind of printer you are using
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
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and can be found in the user guide for your printer.
If you are in doubt, leave this entry and the prior
entry blank.
Set Folio Form Length On. If you are printing folios
on specialized forms, enter the printer <escape
sequence> that sets your printer to the correct page
length. For example, on an Epson impact printer if you
are using 8.5 by 5.5 inch forms, you have to set the
printer page length to 33 lines. The correct printer
<escape sequence> to accomplish this is: \027C\033. If
you are using 8.5 by 11 inch forms, simply leave this
entry blank.
Set Folio Form Length Off. If you set a special form
length in the prior entry, you have to reset the form
length to the normal size after printing the folio. On
an Epson impact printer, if you set the form length to
33 lines per page for the folio in the previous entry,
here you have to reset the lines per page to 66 (the
normal lines per page for 8.5 by 11 inch paper) after
printing the folio. The correct printer <escape
sequence> for an Epson impact printer is: \027C\066.
You have to refer to the user guide for your printer to
find the correct printer code. If the previous entry
is blank, leave this entry blank as well.
Site Name Row, Column, Skip. These entries let you
change the location of the site name at the top of the
folio:
Row. Enter the row or line number where you want
the site name printed. Your entry must be more
than 0 and should be less than 15. If you are
using forms that are only 5.5 inches in length,
take care not to use too many lines at the top of
the form. You may want to experiment with
different locations.
Column. Enter the column number where you want
the site name printed. Your entry should be more
than zero and less than 70; otherwise, the site
name may not fit on the page. Use this option to
move the site name to the left or right margin or
to center the site name on the folio printout.
Skip. After printing the site name, MotelMAX
skips to the next line. If you want to skip an
additional line before printing the text of the
folio, enter <Y>es. Enter <N>o if you do not want
to skip an additional line. This is a matter of
preference. Skipping an additional line tends to
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enhance the site name.
Upper Case. Enter <Y>es if you want to force
printing the site name in upper case. If you
answer <N>o, the program prints the site name
exactly as it appears on the screen and reports.
End of Folio Message. Enter a message line to print on
the last line of the folio. This message appears on
folio pre-bills and on the final folio printed at check-
out time. The message can be up to 70 characters in
length. You can enter three different messages. The
default is print message 1, but you can assign any
message to a particular folio.
Printer Set-up
MotelMAX comes with two printer set-ups from which you can
choose. We include Epson and HP LaserJet, two of the most
popular printers. If you have another kind of printer, you
need to add it to the list. Adding a printer to the printer
browse table is done as always by pressing the <Ins> key.
Printer set-up requires that you enter the escape sequences
to reset your printer and to set your printer for printing
in condensed or compressed print mode. Consult your printer
manual for the correct printer codes, or contact us. We
have the codes for several hundred different printers.
Room Types
Describe the different room types for your site. Room Type
0 is reserved for House Account - these are rooms that are
not in service. All rooms described as room type 0 will not
be included in the calculation of percentage of occupancy.
The descriptions you enter here appear throughout the
program on screens, reports and the reservation confirmation
form. These are general descriptions such as Standard,
Deluxe, and Suite. Complete the screen by entering the
total number of room types not including type 0 - House
Account.
Room Set-up
Use this option set-up individual rooms for your site.
MotelMAX comes preset with 35 rooms so you can get started
right away. However, you will want to begin adding your own
rooms as you go along.
A browse table of all rooms is presented on the screen. It
works like all browse tables. Highlight the room you want
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Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 19
to change and press <Ent>. Or press <Del> to delete the
currently highlighted room. If you want to add a new room,
press <Ins>. Press the <F1> key for online help.
All availability files for room types and room numbers are
updated whenever you sign-on to MotelMAX after the close of
an account month, or, when you start the program with the
command: MOTELMAX NEW <Ent>.
Rate Tables
MotelMAX automatically assigns room rates at reservation
time, check-in and whenever room charges are added to a
folio. The rates assigned are based on the rate tables you
enter here. The assigning of room rates is a powerful and
very flexible tool provided with MotelMAX. You can easily
use this tool in more ways than you might first realize.
Or, if you choose you can bypass this option and assign your
own rates at the time of reservation.
Rate tables are presented in a browse table. Press <Ins>
to add a new table, <Ent> to edit a table, <Del> to delete a
rate table. Be careful not to delete tables unless the Thru
Date has expired. A better method is to use the <F6> key to
archive rate tables. Only the expired rate tables are
deleted.
Rate tables are used until the rate table Thru date expires.
The transaction date of a room charge determines what table
to read. Make some sample reservations for which the
guest's stay extends beyond the Thru date of a table and
review the daily charges for that reservation and see how
the rate tables were used.
The <F5> hotkey will create a new rate table from an old
rate table. The new table will carry forward rates from the
old table. Use this option when you want to make a new
table with only minor changes from the original rate table.
The best way to understand rate tables is to create some
tables, then return to the reservation browse table and book
some reservations. While you are in the reservation browse
table, press the <F7> key to get an itemized listing of the
individual room charges assigned by MotelMAX. Each itemized
room charge displayed will indicate which rate table was
used to build that rate. This way, you can see how each
table is applied in building individual room rates. You
will find there are perhaps more pricing mechanisms than you
need. These can be easily worked around or put to good use.
Room Type Availability
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Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 20
Use this option to access the room type availability table.
This table records room use by room type and calculates the
percentage of occupancy on a daily basis. If you want to
have these number reflected accurately, you must enter the
correct number of rooms per room type for your site.
User Names
This option lets you define user names and passwords and
control who has access to what parts of the program.
MotelMAX comes preset with at least two usernames: MANAGER
and MOTELMAX. Notice that these two user names are
described as system users. This means they cannot be
deleted. Having two system user names ensures that there
are always two user names and that you do not have the
problem of someone deleting all the user names.
You can add as many user names as you like. However, each
name you add will not be a system user name and therefore
can be deleted. When you add you own user name you may want
to edit the system user name MANAGER or MOTELMAX to your
name so that your user name is a system user name.
Overriding Restrictions. Sometimes a new user may have a
shift open and as it happens you need to print an accounting
report for which this user does not have access. As the
system manager, simply select the option you want even
though the access is restricted for the current user's name.
The program warns you this option is restricted, however,
you are prompted for a password. If you enter the password
for either of the two system user names, you can override
the restriction and access any option you want. Take care
to keep the passwords assigned to the system users known to
only those for whom you want access.
Zip Codes
Use this option to edit the zip code or postal code file.
You can add and edit postal codes as you enter reservations
or as you edit guest records. However, at some point you
may want to access this file directly to make changes or to
delete some entries. Use this option for direct access to
the zip code or postal code file. If you add a US zip code,
only add the first five digits. Do not add the entire nine
digit zip code to any entry in the file. If you are adding
a Canadian postal code, add only the first three characters.
Do not add the entire six character postal code. It is too
specific.
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Reservation Codes
Use this option to add, edit or delete reservations codes.
You can add and edit reservation codes as you enter
reservations or as you edit reservations. However, at some
point you may want to access this file directly to make some
changes or to delete some entries. Use this option for
direct access to the reservation code file.
Travel Agents
When you select this item, a list of all travel agents
currently defined are presented in a browse table. You can
add, edit or delete travel agents to the browse table as
needed. Also, when you are booking reservations, if you
need to book a reservation from a travel agent you can add
agents to the agent list while you are booking the
reservation. However, at some point you will want to come
to the main travel agent browse table and be sure that all
information is correctly added for each agents.
General Ledger
View the general ledger and current amounts for each
account. MotelMAX lets you define the exact payment and
charge accounts you want. You can make an account active by
entering a Menu Key code, and by deleting a menu key code,
the account will become inactive. Inactive accounts will
not appear as a selection on menus. The account labels and
account numbers are fixed, but many of the accounts can be
customized. All accounts are presented in the familiar
browse table. Refer to the bottom of the screen for help
messages, or press <F1> for a full screen of online help.
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Reservation Letters - Text Substitution Keys:
<today> - today's date
<account> - account name
<mrms> - greeting for letter Mr or Ms
<f_name> - guest's first name
<l_name> - guest's last name
<addr> - street address
<city> - city name
<st> - state or province
<zip> - zip or postal code
<cntry> - country name
<fol_no> - folio number - can be used as a confirmation number
<room> - room number
<roomtype> - room type description - up to 25 characters
<a_date1> - arrival date in format: MM/DD/YY
<a_date2> - arrival date in written format: Month DD, CCYY
<d_date1> - departure date in format: MM/DD/YY
<d_date2> - departure date in written format: Month DD, CCYY
<nights> - number of nights
<xx> - use for adding <s> to plurals
<t_xgst> - total extra guest charges
<t_room> - total room charges
<t_tax> - total tax charge
<dpstdue> - deposit due amount
<dpstpaid> - amount of deposit paid
<duedate> - deposit due date
<t_chrg> - total charges
<t_chrgx> - total charges with tax
<t_due> - total amount due
<t_duex> - total amount due with tax
Guest Letters - Text Substitution Keys:
<today> - today's date
<account> - account name
<mrms> - greeting for letter Mr or Ms
<f_name> - guest's first name
<l_name> - guest's last name
<addr> - street address
<city> - city name
<st> - state or province
<zip> - zip or postal code
<cntry> - country name
<l_room> - last room number
<l_stay1> - last stay date in format: MM/DD/YY
<l_stay2> - last stay date in written format: Month DD, CCYY
<f_stay1> - first stay date in format: MM/DD/YY
<f_stay2> - first stay date in written format: Month DD, CCYY
<t_stays> - total number of stays
<t_nites> - total nights stayed
<t_chrgs> - total charges not including tax
MotelMAX - User Manual v2.50s
Copyright (C) MKM Software 1989-95 - All Rights Reserved Page 23
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you
resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX
616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to
ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.