What is a Channel, how do I create one and how are they used?
What is a Channel?
A Channel is a way of identifying sources of business and setting default commission rates to these sources.
A Company can be associated to multiple Channels, but a Channel can only have one Company associated to it.
Create a new Channel through a new Company
1 - Go to the CRM menu and select Companies.
2 - Select the Add Company button.
3 - Name your new Company and then select the Company category.
Only a Booking Agent can have a Channel (and indeed, a Booking Agent MUST have a Channel) so select Booking Agent here.
4 - This will automatically bring up fields that are mandatory for creating a Channel, namely:
- Channel Name, which will be set to the Company Name. You can change this if you wish.
- Commission Basis
- Commission Rate
Select Gross or Net for the Commission basis, depending on how you want the commission to be calculated.
7 - Set the default Commission rate. The user can modify this on a booking by booking basis.
Create a new Channel from the Admin menu
1 - Optionally, you can create a Channel from the Admin menu. Go to Admin and select Channel.
2 - Click Add Channel.
Enter all the Channel information. You will need to provide a name. You can associate a Company (Operator) to this Channel by entering the Company name in the Operator field. Note that the Company must be a Booking Agent. Finally, you should also enter the Commission Basis and Commission Rate.
View created Channel(s) through the Admin menu
1 - To view Channels you have created, either directly in a new Company or via the Admin menu, go to Admin and select Channel.
2 - Here you will have a list of all Channels. You can view any Channel by clicking on it.
You will then be able to see the channel's details.
Using a Channel
1 - The usage of a Channel comes into play when creating a new Booking Enquiry.
2 - Initially, it is just the default Channel that is visible, prior to adding any Booking Contact details.
3 - When adding a Booking Contact, if the contact is associated to a Company that is a Booking Agent (and therefore has a channel) the Channel field will allow for further selection and the Commission Rate field will be visible.
4 - As you can see, Amy Jones has been associated to our newly created company, My New Company, which we know is a Booking Agent.
5 - By selecting My New Company as the Channel, the default Commission Rate has also been entered. You can change the value of the commission rate if you wish.
6 - Also worth noting is that Booking Account and Billing Account have become type ahead searches (rather than drop downs) to allow for maximum flexibility.
