Purpose
The Agent module allows for the entry of individual Agents and their associated branches as well as agent specific rates and agent discounts.
There are various areas that need to be setup for your Agents - these include:
- Rate Types - this determines which rates will apply to which agent. For example, an agent called 'ABC Travel' may have branches in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This particular Agent requires rates priced at a 'Wholesale Rate' which is set up as a 'Rate Type'. By assigning 'ABC Travel' the 'Wholesale Rate' type, this agent will then automatically be charged the rates associated with the type. You may have as many Agent Rate Types as required in the system.
- Rates - Rates are set against each different Rate type, as needed for each location and season.
- Discounts - Fixed or Percentage Discounts can be applied to individual agents.
- Agency and Branch setup and details - Record their details, and set of rates, commission, discount and items along with various other options.
Accessing the Agency Records
To Access the Agency Records, go to System Setup >> Agencies
Adding Agent Rate Types
Agent Rate Types describe a specific set of rates for one or more Agents. To access it, select the Agency Rate Type tab.
Note that you can also apply your normal web/retail rates to agencies. If you would like to do this, there is a System Parameter "If no agent rate set up, use retail rate".
To add a record, click 'Add Agency Rate Type'.
Enter the Rate Type name and click on Submit to save.
Adding Agent Rates
Agent Rates are the rates applied to agent bookings. These rates are linked to each Agent Rate Type, enabling you to apply a special rate to different agents. You may have as many Agent Rates as required.
To access, select the 'Agency Rate' tab.
Filters
When maintaining your agency rates, you need to select an ' Agency Rate Type', 'Location' and an 'Active Season' or a 'Year' from the drop-down boxes as shown on the screen below.
Agency Rate Type | Select which Agency Rate Type you wish to view and update the rates of. |
Location | From the dropdown list of locations marked as "Renting Locations", select which location you want to view the rate of. |
Active Season | In this dropdown box, there is a 'Default' option along with any additional Seasons you have setup. Rates can be created for the 'Default' season and/or each Season that you have created in your system (High, Low, Spring, Summer etc.)
Select which seasons rate you want to view.
Note: Rates entered for the 'Default' season will only be used if there are no seasonal rates defined for the dates of the booking. |
Year | If you select a 'Year', all the seasons setup in that year will display for the selected location, and this will override anything set in the Active Season filter above.
Note: if you select the 'Year' view, you are not able to use the copy or update function. To use copy function, you must select a season. |
Once you have made your selections, click 'View' to display the result.
In this example we have chosen an 'Active Season'.
Updating and Copying Rates
To add a rate to a specific Vehicle Category, click on 'Add a Rate'.
A more time saving way to add Agent Rates for multiple Vehicle Categories for a location (Brisbane Airport) and Season (Summer 20-21), is by clicking on the 'Update seasonal rates' button.
The following screen will appear. From here you can easily add in Agent Rates for all the Vehicle Categories that are available. Click 'Submit' to save all changes made.
Once submitted, you will see the newly added agent rates for Brisbane Airport in the Summer 20-21 season. You will then be able to copy the same rates to all or selected locations and vehicle categories for that season.
To Copy the Rates, click on "Copy Seasonal Rates".
The following screen will display allowing you to:
- Copy rates to all or individual locations and all or individual vehicle categories.
- Copy across the same rates to the same season of another location.
- Increase and decrease rates by a positive or negative percentage when copying (Decrease the rate by putting a negative sign in front of the % change eg. -10%).
Note you can individually select and un-select locations and vehicle categories.
In this example we are copying the Summer rates to Gold Coast Airport for Compact, Station Wagon and Mid Size vehicles.
Once submitted, you will see the Summer Seasonal Rate has been copied across to the Gold Coast Airport location for those vehicle categories.
Adding Agent Discounts
Agent Discounts are discounts that may be applied to all bookings made by a specific agent. The discount can be a fixed amount or a percentage of the rates against the booking.
You may have as many Agent Discounts as required, however only one may apply to an agency or agency branch.
Select the 'Agency Discount' tab.
Field Descriptions:
Description | Describes the agency discount, this is used as the discounts name
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Code | Code based reference for the discount
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Type | Discount type can be Percentage or Fixed |
Value | The fixed amount or percentage to apply |
Adding Agents
Click on the Agencies Tab
You may either add a new Agent by clicking on 'Add agencies' or maintain an existing Agent by clicking on the Agency Code. The entries at this level relate to the top level Agency company. By clicking on the 'Branches' button, you can then add Branches for this Agency.
Clicking on 'Add Agencies' will open the following form.
Enter the required details and click on 'Submit' to save the Agency Information
Field Descriptions:
Agency Name | The name of the agency. |
Inactive | Is the Agent Active or Inactive - Inactive agents cannot make bookings via the API. |
Agency Code | Short Code for the agent - this will appear in drop down lists for selection. |
GST #/ABN # | Either the GST number or the ABN number for the agent. |
IATA Code | Agent IATA code if applicable - used as an identifier in the agent booking steps. |
Account No | The account number for this agent if there is one. |
Commission Type | Commission can be Percentage or Fixed. |
Commission Value | The value of the commission. |
Rate Discount | If a discount applies to bookings from this agent the discount type can be selected from the list of discounts you have set up. |
Agency Rate Type | The Rate Type that applies to this agent. |
Wholesale Agent | Whether the agent is a Wholesale agent or not. Wholesale Agent documentation displays differently from non-wholesale agent. |
Display Insurances on documents
| Should insurance amounts show on documents - only applicable for Wholesale Agents. |
Display Extra Fees on documents | Should Extra Fees show on documents - only applicable for Wholesale Agents. |
Display Balance for Wholesale | Should the booking balance appear on customer facing documents - only applicable for Wholesale Agents. |
API: Allow Cancel bookings | Determines if an agent can cancel a booking via the Agent API |
API: Allow define Collected Amt | Determines if an agent can pass the agent collected amount in when creating a booking via the Agent API. if they do, it will be saved as the Agent Collected amount on the booking, rather than RCM calculating it. |
API: Send Confirmation Email | Determines if a Confirmation email is sent to the Customer when a booking is created via the Agent API |
API Bookings | The type of booking that will be created vis the API:
- Unallocated - the booking is created with no vehicle assigned.
- Allocate Vehicle without Credit Card - the booking will be created with a vehicle assigned ( if available) whether a credit card has been entered or not
- Allocate Vehicle with Credit Card - the booking will be created with a vehicle assigned (if available) only if a credit card has been entered.
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Notes | Any notes against the agent
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Agent Contacts | There are three feilds where you can enter the Agencies contact details
- Email: This is the address that emails will be sent to.
- Contact Name
- Phone
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Agent Address | There are six fields in which you can enter the Agencies address:
- Adress
- Suburb/Town
- City
- State/Province
- Postcode
- Country
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CC Agent Email Confirmation
| CC's the Agent when a Confirmation email is sent. |
Send Thank-you Emails | Determines whether a Thank you email is sent to the Customer when their booking is returned. |
Please note: If name/email/address fields are required by any documents or emails, the system will first look to the Branch for the details. If there are no details against the branch, it will use the details from the Agency.
When updating an existing Agent, there will be an additional option at the bottom of the page called "Update Linked Branches". If this is set to "Yes", the Inactive status, Commission Type and Value, and Rate discount values of all the branches linked to this agency will be automatically replaced by the values saved against the Agent. If this is set to "No", the branches will remain unchanged.
Wholesale Agents
If the agents set their own pricing, you can flag them as a "Wholesale Agent".
Any documents sent to their customers will have no prices printed - this includes Confirmations, agreements and Invoices.
Adding Agency Branches
Once an Agency is created, a Branch will be created by Default.
Click on the 'Branches' button against the agent to view the Branches.
If an agent only has the one Branch, you are able to update the default record that have been created for you.
If there are multiple branches, you can click on 'Add Agency Branch' to create additional branches.
Field Descriptions:
Branch Name | The Agency Branch Name |
Branch Code | The short Branch Code |
Inactive | Whether the branch is Active or Inactive - if Inactive, a booking cannot be made for this branch.
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IATA Code | IATA code if Applicable - this is used as an identifier in the Agent Booking Steps |
GST/ABN | GST/ABN as applicable |
Rate Discount | The Rate Discount will be the same as the Agency - this can be changed if it is different for this branch. |
Commission Type | The Commission Type will be the same as the Agency - this can be changed if it is different for this branch. |
Commission Value | The Commission Value will be the same as the Agency - this can be changed if it is different for this branch. |
Agent Collects | Determines the payments collected from the customer by the Agent:
- Full Payment - Full amount of the Booking.
- Commission Only - The Commission amount only.
- Zero Payment - no payment.
- Commission Items - only items flagged as a commission item in the extra fees table.
- Rates Only - Only the rate amount (does not include any extra fees).
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Agent City/Region | City and Region of the agent
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Contact Email | The email entered here will appear on the bookings as the agent email address.
If no email entered here it will use the email against the agent record. |
Invoice Email | Email address for the invoice - if no email here, the contact Email above will be used.
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Address Information | The address information for the branch:
- Contact Name
- Phone
- Address
- Suburb/Town
- City
- State/Province
- Postcode
- Country
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Notes | Any notes against the branch
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Special Requirements | Any Special requirements or requests for the branch.
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Once these steps have been completed, your Agency Database is set up and ready to go.