The Booking Templates section is where you can create booking templates that allow passengers to quickly book journeys they may require multiple times a day, week or month.
To access this section:
- In the portal, you must first select an account under Accounts and select the Access Profile button.
- Now in your account, click on the Admin button in the bottom left-hand corner, and then click on Booking Templates.
Once in the Booking Templates section, you can proceed to add a new template or make changes to an existing one.
If you have not created a template previously, a landing page appears, from this select the button to Add Booking Template. Otherwise, click on the blue Add button.
Name Section
The first step in creating your template is the Name section. There are eight total sections you can configure.
- Enter a suitable name in the Booking Template Name field to ensure it can be easily found.
- Provide an applicable description so others using your template understand its use.
Time Section
In this section, you can control when bookings can be scheduled. By enabling Limit scheduling bookings, all bookings made through your E-Booking system are restricted to ASAP only, benefitting operations that require urgent transportation needs by simplifying the booking process.
- To enable Limit scheduling bookings, click the toggle button to turn the setting on.
Addresses Section
Here you can add a predefined pickup address and/or a predefined destination address to your template, restricting the location of where the car can pick up and/or drop off a passenger.
-
To add a pre-configured pickup location, toggle on the option Predefined pick up address. This opens up some more options to fill in.
- To add a predefined pickup address, follow these steps:
- Use the text box to search for the pickup address.
- Give a sensible name to the address, so that it's easy for the driver to identify.
- Use the map to drag the marker to the exact location of the pickup address.
- (Optional) If you have any extra information that the driver needs to know, such as a maximum waiting time in the area, toggle on the option to open a text box and enter the information.
- To add a predefined pickup address, follow these steps:
- To add a predefined destination address, turn on Predefined destination address and fill out the required information as described above.
Extra Info Section
This section can be used to add any information the driver may need to know about the trip.
- Toggle on the Add note to driver setting.
- Add the necessary information into the textbox under Add driver note.
Passenger Section
You can configure specific passenger information in this section, adding details to the booking that will be automatically saved and shared with the driver, speeding up the booking process.
There are three options to choose from:
- The Logged-in User: By selecting this option, the system will automatically use the information of the currently logged-in user in E-Booker as the passenger for the booking. This is a convenient choice for Account Portal users. However, if the template is used by other users, it will require them to provide passenger details.
- A Pre-Set Information: Enabling this option allows you to specify a fixed set of passenger information for bookings. This is useful when the booker doesn't always have the actual passenger's name and details at hand or when generic information is preferred for bookings. For this, you need to enter the passenger's name, contact phone number and email address in the relevant input boxes.
- Always Ask For the Details: When this option is activated, the system will prompt users to enter passenger information each time they make a booking, ensuring that passenger details are provided for every reservation.
Vehicles Section
Within this section, you can determine the vehicles available for selection when utilising this booking template.
- Enable the Must enter number of passengers and luggage option to require the booker to specify the number of passengers and bags. Depending on your vehicle configurations, this requirement will influence the available vehicle options for the passenger's selection.
- Choose a default vehicle option for this template, ensuring that your preferred vehicle is pre-selected unless otherwise specified.
- To exclude specific vehicles from this booking template, simply toggle them off. This will result in your chosen vehicle being displayed in a greyed-out state. Vehicle configurations are managed within AppSettings under Vehicle Specifications. For further details, refer to the Vehicle Specification (AppSettings) article.
Payment Section
In this section, you can specify the available payment methods for selection when using this booking template. If you designate Account as the Default Option, you have the option to apply a travel program to the payment that will always be used.
- To enable a payment method, toggle the switch next to the desired payment option. The method is considered enabled when the toggle turns green.
- Select your preferred default payment method by clicking the Make Default button adjacent to your chosen method.
- If you've designated Account as your default payment option, you can enable the use of a travel program. To add a program, access the dropdown menu and make your selection. Keep in mind that this choice will deactivate the card and cash payment options.
Post-Booking Section
The final section to set up is the Post-Booking options, which are presented to the passenger after they have completed their booking. Here, you can customise settings for enabling return bookings and permitting multiple bookings.
- To allow passengers the option of booking a return journey after making their initial reservation, enable the Allow return bookings parameter. Once activated, the booker will find an option to book a return journey on the confirmation page of their booking.
- By enabling the Allow multiple bookings setting, the booker gains the ability to make multiple identical bookings if desired. This option to book the same journey is also presented on the confirmation page of their booking.
Create the Template
After you've completed the configuration of all the required sections for your desired template, click the Create Booking Template button to finalise the creation of your template.
Subsequently, you'll be able to view your newly created template in your list on the Booking Templates screen.
Linking Template to a Passenger
You can then proceed to link your template to a passenger, so every time they book, the template and the subsequent details are automatically loaded.
To link a template:
- Back in your account, navigate to the People tab and open the passenger you wish to link to the booking template.
- Open the Booker tab.
- Under Booking Templates, use the dropdown menu to select a template.
- Make sure to Save your changes to apply the template.
Upon completion of this process, the booking template becomes accessible to the passenger (if they are logged in) within your E-Booker interface, accessible under the Quick Book section.
Upon template selection, the booking form is automatically populated with all the information gathered from the chosen template, streamlining the booking process for a seamless and efficient experience.
Modifying a Template
You can edit a template at any time by double-clicking. This opens the Template editor, where you can make changes. Ensure to save to apply any modifications.
To delete a template, use the Delete () button. A confirmation pop-up will appear, where you can confirm your choice by selecting the I'm Sure button to proceed.