11/13/2023
This week saw visual improvements to the host app and great strides towards some new features that everyone would love, as well as another addition to our knowledge base.
See the latest new features, improvements, and product updates
This week saw visual improvements to the host app and great strides towards some new features that everyone would love, as well as another addition to our knowledge base.
We're excited to announce more valuable updates to your REX app.
Building on our recent introduction of texting capabilities in REX, we've taken it a step further with the introduction of Quick Texts. These are pre-constructed messages that you can create and send to your guests with just a single click. Say goodbye to the time-consuming task of copy-pasting old messages or typing out the same message repeatedly. Quick Texts are a game-changer for efficiently communicating with your guests, especially when dealing with standard messages.
We understand that a simple reservation display may not always paint the complete picture, especially when guests arrive early or late. To address this, we've introduced Reservation Timers. The timer can be initiated at any moment and begin a reservation countdown, indicating the remaining time for a particular guest, regardless of their initial arrival time. This feature is a valuable addition for effectively managing checked-in reservations and ensuring a smooth guest experience. To stop the timer, simply update the status of the reservation to "completed."
Previously, add-ons were tethered to the same deposit percentage as the package they were assigned to. For example, if a package had a 50% deposit requirement, this applied to both the package itself and any add-ons. Now, with a simple setting adjustment, you have the flexibility to set add-ons to a 0% deposit percentage, while having a separate deposit percentage for the package. This update empowers you to tailor your deposit structure according to your specific needs and preferences.
We’ve updated the Host App to automatically refresh, eliminating the need to manually refresh the page each time you want to see new reservations. As reservations come in, they will now auto populate, giving you an accurate look at your calendar at all times.
• How to use quick texts and create pre-made messages
• Reservation timers in the host app
This week saw some fantastic features such as texting being finalized as well as allocating specific resources within the same category to a package, along with major steps towards other features you are sure to love, and of course, more articles added to our knowledge base.
Last week the ability to use Twilio inside of Rex to text your guests had been turned into a reality! By clicking any reservation on the check-in page, or by clicking the reservation's phone number in the calendar, a side panel showcasing your 2 way conversation will appear. Along with normal texting, you can create pre-made prompts to make sending repetitive messages a breeze. Now, struggles communicating with your guests are a thing of the past. If you want to enroll in texting with REX, contact support@reservewithrex to begin.
A feature added this week allows a package to select specific resources within a category rather than the entire category. For example, you can connect "VIP Bowling" to lanes 4,5,6 instead of the entire bowling category. With this feature, you'll have added flexibility, options, and creativity for your packages!
Sometime's the logo you created for your page don't look good against a white email background, which is why we added the ability to add a second logo meant specifically for emails. By going to the global settings and "theme design" you can now place that secondary logo that will only appear on emails. Logos that look horrible on e-mails are no longer an issue!
Specific Resources in a Package
Updated Common Reasons Your Package Isn't Showing Up
This week we continued to make the calendar in the host app exceptional, as well as made great strides towards some new features we are sure you will love. And of course, added new articles to our knowledge base.
In recent weeks, you may have observed some notable updates to the calendar feature in the host app. One significant enhancement is the ability to consolidate all your packages into a single comprehensive view. By selecting the "all" category, you can effortlessly access reservations across all your resources, eliminating the need to navigate through individual resource categories. This improvement will greatly benefit venues with diverse single resource categories, such as escape rooms, making reservation management more streamlined. It also offers a convenient way for any venue to view their daily schedule at a glance.
How to Reorder Packages on the Reservation Page
How to Create a Link for a Featured Package
This week we added some new features making using the host app much easier! Including new ways to view the calendar, and a new feature to make creating walk-in reservations much easier, as well as 2 new articles to our knowledge base!
In the past, the calendar in the host app by default displayed the reservations based on hour time slots. This could be hard to use for venues that have shorter reservations and need the calendar to be based on a smaller unit. This feature allows you to change the duration the calendar is based on, and you can now choose 30 minutes or 10 minutes. Basing the calendar on these new durations will make managing shorter reservations much easier.
Before this update, in the host app to create a reservation, you would need to collect the guest's name, email, and phone number. A past update allowed you to skip collecting the email and phone number, but the issue still existed that you needed to collect their name. This update now lets you simply turn on a toggle, create pre-filled information for a skipped name, and easily skip collecting the guest's name during a walk-in creation in the host app. With this new feature, creating walk-in reservations will be very quick.
Change Host App Time Window Durations
How to Skip Collecting Guest Names in the Host App
This week we made some major strides towards some new updates that will be mentioned soon, a few fixes, as well as added new articles to our knowledge base!
Reservations that had a price of "zero" would always show up as "unpaid," even after selecting "mark as paid." After this update, those reservations will always appear as "paid," making it easier to see which reservations still need to be paid.
Why Can't I Make a Reservation During A Time With Open Slots
Here's what's new: We organized calendar blocks into "Past" and "Active" categories making it easier to navigate all blocks. Additionally, we have improved the visibility of guest notes, updated the treatment of hidden packages, and expanded our knowledge base with the addition of numerous articles.
Previously, the host app displayed all created blocks in a single list view. This made it diffifult to navigate between upcoming, ongoing, and past reservations. With our latest update, we’ve introduced a more organized approach by categorizing blocks into "Past" and "Active" categories. Blocks that have concluded are filed under "Past," while those representing current and upcoming dates are categorized as "Active." This enhancement makes finding, editing, and adding new blocks much easier.
It's very important for administrators to clearly see guests notes ahead of a reservation. With this update we made guest notes more visible. We’ve merged notes made by the admin with those made by the guest and now display all the notes in one place. Additionally, we’ve streamlined the process of viewing these notes. No matter your view within the host app, you can easily access the notes by simply clicking on the reservation and navigating to the prominently labeled "Notes" section. Accessing pertinent notes is now as straightforward as selecting the relevant reservation. Learn more here.
Prior to this enhancement, linking to a hidden package displayed solely the specific hidden package linked. If guests modified the date, the system would exit the hidden package view, revealing all standard public reservations. However, our latest update has refined this feature. Now, when linked to a hidden package, users remain in the hidden package view, ensuring that even if the date is altered, only the hidden package is visible. This improvement is ideal for crafting "members-only" package paths or secret events. Learn more here.
How to Allow Guests to Add Notes, and view those notes
How to Create Packages Tabs Only Available to Select Guests
This week was a great week for features at Rex! Admin in the host app can now ignore staff capacity rules set for the guests, we added an auto check-in feature for checking in guests at their times, and we also removed needing a "guest minimum" for guests to click for event inquiries. We also added more help articles to our knowledge base!
Previously, admin were bound by the same "staff capacity" rules as guests, limiting the flexibility to accommodate additional parties even when feasible. Recognizing this constraint, we’ve introduced a toggle feature in the host app. This enhancement maintains the staff capacity restrictions for guests but grants admin the liberty to bypass these settings and secure reservations. This ensures a seamless reservation experience, allowing admin to optimize bookings based on real-time insights and operational capacity. Read more here.
The check-in page within the host app has proven to be an effective tool for managing reservations at venues. By default in Rex, admin are required to manually check in guests upon arrival and shift them to 'completed' as their time concludes—a rather hands-on process. However, if you prefer a more automated approach, we have just the feature for you! By enabling the "Auto Complete Reservation" option in your venue’s host app settings, guests will be seamlessly transitioned to the "completed" tab on the check-in page once their time is up. Read more here.
Prior to this update, guests could only make a contact inquiry if their party size exceeded the maximum reservation limit. Now, we’ve introduced the flexibility to customize both the minimum and maximum party sizes for contact inquiries! This enhancement simplifies the process for guests seeking to make custom reservations, making it easier than ever for them to get in touch.
Auto Complete Guests on Check-in Page
How Can Admin Ignore Staff Capacity
This week we added additional articles to our ever-expanding knowledge base.
This week we added the pre-buffer feature as well as new articles to our knowledge base.
For those with packages that need preparation before a reservation, our new pre-buffer feature is your solution. It lets you add a specific time before a booking, ensuring no other guests can reserve that slot. For instance, with a 15-minute pre-buffer, a 12:00-1:00 reservation will block 11:45-1:00. While guests won't see this extra time, it's reserved for your setup needs. Click here to read more.
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