Balance Due Notification
After a reservation has been secured with a deposit payment, there is usually a period of time before a second (optional) or balance payment is due. If handled in a manual fashion, most property owners use some kind of paper or electronic calendaring system to notify themselves that a balance is due from a particular guest on a particular date. If you are managing multiple reservations, each one requires proper entry and periodic inspection, and ultimately a manual follow-up notification.

VRconnection automatically tends to your reservations and alerts you when a particular guest's balance is due. In fact, VRconnection can take this one step further and can automatically notify the guest on your behalf. The system can even be configured to give you an advanced warning that it will be acting on your behalf, with an option to intervene (see image to right). By handling minor administrative tasks such as these, VRconnection can free you up to focus on more important things.

Providing Access
In a similar fashion, VRconnection can assist in the provision of access to the property. Many property owners use a lock-box system to actually procure a key for their guests, and we strongly recommend this approach. These devices range from $30, manual push button types found at your local Home Depot and Lowes to sophisticated, Internet based ones that can run hundreds of dollars. Depending on the nature of the lock-box, the frequency with which you may change combinations may vary. VRconnection supports the ability to track and disseminate the code if it is changed on a per guest basis or less frequently. Lock-boxes eliminate the hassle of having to mail keys back and forth or to provide a hosted check-in process. Since the approach is somewhat 'self-serve', the current code does not need to be distributed too far in advance and can usually be provided on the day of arrival, or perhaps a day or two before for guests arriving via air. Once again, VRconnection can accommodate any time frame for dissemination of this information on a per guest basis. The system can automatically notify the property owner when access needs to be provided, or can actually provide that access directly to the guest via an e-mail message. Since the VRconnection system is completely automated, it handles these tasks on your behalf, eliminating mistakes that can be made if remembering these items is left up to some manual data entry process.

If you like what you see so far, click here to list and manage your property with VRconnection. Otherwise, let's continue the tutorial with refunding security deposits and closing out a reservation.