The Best Rate Screen Display logic provides a pop-up window on the Reservation and RA Open screens showing the "best" rates available to the customer (as defined by rate profiles set in the Location record) for the requested rental period.
While processing a Reservation or a walk-up rental, this logic allows the user to offer the customer alternatives such as the best rate with limited miles/kms vs the best rate with unlimited miles/kms. Comparing the estimates for the best rates within each profile, the overall best rate is highlighted.
This chapter lists the steps necessary to set up and use the Best Rate Screen Display logic.
II. SET UP
A. EDIT LOCATIONS
Define three best rate "profiles". For example, any of the following profiles for rate comparisons could be set up:
Page 5 of the Location record is used to set up these parameters. The page is shown below:
| OPTION: __ EDIT LOCATIONS Location # TUS (Page 5 of 5) Rate One Profile Rate Three Profile 1 Unlimited miles 13 Unlimited miles 2 Include Cvg1 14 Include Cvg1 3 Include Cvg2 15 Include Cvg2 4 Include Cvg3 16 Include Cvg3 5 Include Cvg4 17 Include Cvg4 6 Included Opt Set 18 Included Opt Set Rate Two Profile 7 Unlimited miles 8 Include Cvg1 9 Include Cvg2 10 Include Cvg3 11 Include Cvg4 12 Included Opt Set 1SAVE 2NEXT 3ERASE 4DELETE 5BACKUP 6 7HELP 8NXT PAGE |
Enter data as follows:
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1. UNLIMITED MILES |
Indicate with "Y" for yes or "N" for no whether or not this profile includes unlimited miles/kms.l EXAMPLE:Type Y(RET) |
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2. - 4. INCLUDE CVG 1 - 3 |
Indicate with "Y" for yes or "N" for no how the Coverage flags from the rate record for the first 3 coverages must be set for this profile. |
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5. INCLUDE CVG 4 |
Indicate with "Y" for yes or "N" for no how the Surcharge Exempt field from the rate record must be set for this profile. |
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6. INCLUDED OPT SET |
If this profile must have an Option Set, enter the Option Set code. EXAMPLE: Type A1 (RET) |
For the second and third profiles, enter data in Fields 7 - 12 and Fields 13 - 18 in the same manner as it was entered for Fields 1 - 6.
An example of a completed screen is shown below with comments following it.
| OPTION: __ EDIT LOCATIONS Location # TUS (Page 5 of 5) Rate One Profile Rate Three Profile 1 Unlimited miles Y 13 Unlimited miles Y 2 Include Cvg1 N 14 Include Cvg1 N 3 Include Cvg2 N 15 Include Cvg2 N 4 Include Cvg3 N 16 Include Cvg3 N 5 Include Cvg4 N 17 Include Cvg4 N 6 Included Opt Set 18 Included Opt Set A1 Rate Two Profile 7 Unlimited miles N 8 Include Cvg1 Y 9 Include Cvg2 N 10 Include Cvg3 N 11 Include Cvg4 Y 12 Included Opt Set 1SAVE 2NEXT 3ERASE 4DELETE 5BACKUP 6 7HELP 8NXT PAGE |
Comments:
The Rate One Profile shows that miles/km are unlimited and nothing else is included.
The Rate Two Profile shows that miles/km are limited and CVG1 (LDW) is included in the rate at no charge and it is Surcharge exempt.
The Rate Three Profile shows that miles/km are unlimited and those Options as defined in Option Set "A1" are included in the rate.
When "Best Rate Display" is requested on a Reservation or walk-up RA, the rate products that are marked as "searchable" are examined. The rates that meet the defined profiles in the opening Location's record are sorted by profile category. Those in each profile category are compared and the "best rate" for each profile is chosen. Part of the examination process, however, is a check of the rules logic. That is, if a reservation is for 5 days, a rate that requires a 7 day minimum is not eligible for consideration. All other rules are checked including those for weekend rates, intercity, start day of the week etc.
B. PROCESSING TIME AND GVT RECORDS
For many operations, the number of rate products in the rate file can become very large. Over time, hundreds or thousands of rate records might exist. Although only those rates that are "searchable" are examined by the Best Rate display program, even that number may be very large. Therefore, using the Best Rate Display may require more processing time than is acceptable.
Rather than examining such a large number of rates, the system can be configured to limit the rates that are eligible for this logic. Depending on how many characters are used for the rate codes, a maximum of 90 rates can be designated. To limit the Best Rate Display logic to certain rates, prepare a list of the rates to be considered. Then contact Thermeon's Support Dept., provide the list, and ask that GVT record BESTRATn be set up.
III. COUNTER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS
Accessing the Display window
Before accessing the Best Rate Display pop-up window, the minimum fields required are:
Reservations:
On-Line RA Open:
To access the Best Rate Display pop-up window, Press Shift/F6 from the "Rate" field. ( Field 5b in Reservations and Field 14a in RA Open.)
An example of the first screen is shown below.
| BEST RATE TABLE SEARCH AvalVeh Drop #Days F2=Loc: TUS /A F3=Class CCAR F4=Return TUS ESTIMATED MILES:_______ |
ESTIMATED MILES: At the field at the bottom of the screen, enter the estimated number of miles/kms the customer will drive, if known. (This is similar to the Estimate window.) Or press (RET) to skip the field.
The screen will then display the "best rates" in each of the profile categories. An example is shown below. Comments follow the illustration.
| OPTION: BEST RATE TABLE SEARCH AvalVeh Drop #Days F2=Loc: TUS A F3=Class CCAR F4=Return TUS105 Rate Day Xday $/Km Est T&K LDW LIS PAI SRCG OptSet 1234 45.00 45.00 0 225.00 N N N N Rate Day Xday $/Km Est T&K LDW LIS PAI SRCG OptSet X DAILY 40.00 0 200.00 N N N N Rate Tier $/Km Est T&K LDW LIS PAI SRCG OptSet T1 36.00 33.00 .300 100 220.00 Y N N Y Rate Day Wkend $/Km Est T&K LDW LIS PAI SRCG OptSet WKND 45.00 30.00 .360 100 231.00 N N N N A1 -------------------------------------------------- CL Rate Day Xday $/KM Est T&K Diff ECAR DAILY OffSell CCAR DAILY 40.00 0 200.00 .00 FCAR DAILY 47.00 0 235.00 7.00 |
The first line shows:
The pick up location. By pressing F2, the pickup location can be changed and the rate query will be run again.
The reserved class. By pressing F3, the class can be changed the rate query will be run again. NOTE:This is how an alternate class is selected from the lower part of the screen. For example, if the customer wanted to take the FCAR instead of the CCAR, press F3 to change the class to FCAR.
The return location. By pressing F4, the return location can be changed and the rate query will be run again.
The number of expected units available.This is the lowest number of committed units expected in the Planning Calendar for the entire length of the rental.
The drop charge if applicable.
The number of elapsed days for the rental.
Displayed Rates:
Up to 3 or 4 rates are displayed, depending on the system's configuration. The column headings vary depend on the type of rate (standard, tiered, weekend, etc.) For each rate, the following data is shown:
A. Rate Code
B. The rates for the rental
Standard rates: appropriate rate (Day, Week, Month) plus the X-day rate
Tiered rates: The single tier rates appropriate for the period
Stepped tiered rates: The appropriate tier rate plus the tier preceding it
Period rates: Period rate and the X-day rate
Weekend rates: Weekend rate plus the Day rate.
C. The rate per mile/km and the free allotment per day
D. The estimated T&M (T&K) for the rental period.
E. The Y/N field for the first 3 coverage fields in the rate record.
F. The value from the Surcharge Exempt field in the Rate record.
G. The included Option Set if applicable
First Rate - The first rate is the Rate Code on the transaction if one was entered prior to invoking the pop-up window. In the illustration above, the renters corporate rate "1234" is listed first.
(Note that this can be suppressed if preferred. To do so, ask Thermeon's Customer Support Dept. to set up GVT record "NO4TH".)
Second Rate - The second rate in the illustration is the best rate under profile 1. The "X" in the far left column defaults to the first rate. Use the cursor keys to move the 'X' up and down to select a different rate.
Third Rate - Notice that the third rate (profile 2) is a Tier rate so the column headings are different from the rates above it. Also, the Tier rate has limited miles/kms, but LDW is included. It is exempt from the Surcharge.
Fourth Rate - The last rate shown (profile 3) is a weekend rate. The T&M (T&K) is actually less expensive, but the chargeable miles/kms at $.36 each make it the most expensive.
Lower part of the screen - Under the dashed line the rates for up to 3 classes at the Best Price rate are displayed. The middle record is the class requested; above and below it are the appropriate classes above and below it according the Class hierarchy. In the example above, the CCAR (compact car) is the requested class; the ECAR (economy car) is above it and the FCAR (full size car) is below. An estimate is shown for each class. The amount in the "Diff" column is the difference from the class requested. It is calculated by finding the difference between the estimated T&M (T&K) divided by the rental length. In the illustration above the difference between the CCAR and the FCAR is $7 per day.
If the Planning Calendar shows that a class is not available during the rental period, the word "Offsell" is shown. This is the case for the ECAR shown above.
Selecting a rate
Use the up and down cursor keys to select the rate chosen. Upon pressing (RET) that rate will be loaded on the Reservation or RA Open screen.
Remember, the pickup and return locations and class can all be changed by using the functions keys from the OPTION field.
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