Freeform Bookings
Index
Overview
Contrary to Live bookings, freeform bookings allow agents to book tours from operators that do not have a live ResPax system or if the tour is not shown as a tour in TourDesk.
Through Freeform bookings, TourDesk allows agents to define all the tour information such as the name, price, levy amount, date of travel, etc. All the details are then confirmed by the operator through the automatic emailing system or via direct contact.
This tutorial will show the areas that are different to a live booking and booking a typical freeform tour.
Please Note: Freeform bookings must be enabled by the administrator before being visible.
Freeform Booking Cart
A freeform booking looks different to a live booking where many new fields are required to be filled in where live bookings automatically fill...
These new fields are:
Description - The name of the tour
Time - The starting time of the tour or pickup time
Basis - The package option of the tour, if required
Levy - The levy amount of the tour
Sell - The sell price of the tour
Pickup - The pickup location
Operator Ref - The operator's reference number. For a freeform booking to be confirmed on commit, this field needs to be filled out with the reference number quoted to the agent by the operator. This is typically used when an agent is creating the booking whilst on the phone to the operator creating the booking in the reservation system.
You Collect - The amount the agent will be collecting upon committing the voucher. This can be defined by currency or percentage.
Please Note: Freeform bookings have no required fields. If any of these fields are not filled in confirmation emails, vouchers and reports will have the field as blank.
When looking at an operator's payment preference for a freeform booking...
Agent's will not have any other option other than Deposit Only, this does not mean that agent's cannot take the full amount for a tour. It means that TourDesk cannot find a payment preference specified for your agent as it does not connect directly to a ResPax database. In a freeform booking, the amount taken is defined by the You Collect fields.
Making a Freeform Booking
In this example, a freeform booking will be made for an unlisted Big Cat Green Island Cruises tour called Tutorial Tour for the 1st of June, 2008. Two adults will be traveling, this tour sells for $100 per adult with no levy and the agent will be collecting the whole amount. Mr & Mrs John Smith will be making their own way to the tour.
In the product catalog, click Create a free form booking for Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises. underneath Big Cat Green Island Cruises in the By Region or By Operator tabs...
Or selecting Big Cat Green Island Cruises under Operator and clicking Add Freeform to Cart in the Freeform tab...
In the booking cart, enter the pax details...
Change the Date to 01-Jun-2008...
Under Description, type Tutorial Tour...
Under Sell, type 200 as the tour is $100 per adult and freeform bookings are not automatically calculated...
Under the advanced section, change Adults to 2...
Type Making own way in the Pickup field...
Leave Operator Ref as blank as, in this example, the agent has not called the operator and is awaiting a confirmation email back before the tour can be confirmed. When committing, the booking will be referred as an Unconfirmed Booking. Unconfirmed bookings are confirmed through a link provided to the operator via email.
In You Collect, type 100 in the percentage field...
When Commit Booking Cart is clicked an email will be sent to the operator, who in turn will confirm or reject the booking and an email will be sent back to the agent.