New Settings Assistant

To access the Listing Assistant, go to:

1. Global Settings
2. Setting Assistant

Using the pages on the left-hand menu, complete all applicable information. Remember to click the red circle next to the page in the menu to keep track of your progress.

The Settings Assistant is comprised of four main steps:

1. Account Setup
2. Operations Setup
3. Reservations & Fees Setup
4. Owner Accounting Setup

Each menu is expandable. Click  on the menu item to expand that category.

Enter the contact details for the property management company and upload your company logo.

1. Enter Contact Details: It is important to complete all fields as this information will appear on various reports that can be sent to external vendors as well as emails sent to owners, guests, and staff members. CiiRUS system and reservation notifications will be sent to the email address entered on this page
2. Upload Company Logo: Upload a company logo to appear on emails and reports sent to owners, guests and staff members. The logo must be at the exact height of 125 pixels. If not, the system will automatically resize the logo.

In order to successfully send and automate emails from CiiRUS to guests, owners and staff, the Outbound Email Settings must be configured. In order to use the CRM to automate emails, you must configure either your own SMTP Server or Mailchimp Transactional Email.

CiiRUS offers three methods of sending emails and notifications from the system:

1. CiiRUS Default (cannot be used to automate emails via the CRM)
2. SMTP Server such as Gmail, Outlook, etc)
3. Mailchimp Transactional Email (Preferred Method)

1. CiiRUS Default:

• This is the original method of sending emails. Emails are sent directly from the CiiRUS Servers and from an '@ciirus.com' sending domain. The user’s emails address is appended as a mailto: in the emails header so that any replies go back to the manager’s own email address.
• This method does work, however, due to recent SPF compliance of email distribution systems, the user may find that their correspondence is blocked by the recipient. This is because this system sends emails using '@ciirus.com' on the behalf of many different users, which can be misinterpreted as spam or ‘spoofing’. Also, this method of sending mail is NOT supported by the CRM

2. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol):

• SMTP is a fairly universal way of remotely sending messages from a 3^rd party email server, using another application to generate the message. Many email services offer SMTP functionality including but not limited to Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Zoho, and others. With SMTP, the message is composed from the CiiRUS system but is then sent to an SMTP sever to actually “send” the message.This method sends the message as the email service user and so instead of the message coming from '@ciirus.com' with a mailto: in the header, the email sends from the user’s actual email address. Such a method is SPF compliant and results in a much more reliable delivery system.
• Users should be careful connecting their SMTP server to an automated system as too high of a volume of messages to the wrong recipients could leave the email address permanently black listed.
• The user should refer to their email service of choice for the documentation pertaining to this set-up.

3. Mailchimp Transactional Email

• Formally known as 'Mandrill,' Transactional Email's by Mailchimp is a purpose built, high volume email distribution solution. It is very much like SMTP except it does not integrate directly with the user’s emails service, and it provides safe guards to prevent black listing from occurring. Additionally, it provides detailed reports, so that the user can see how each email was handled, when it was opened, or if it failed and why.
• Transactional Email's by Mailchimp is a paid service, and setting it up requires a MailChimp Account and a couple of text records will need to be added to the sending domain’s name server to pass SPF Validation.

Click here for more information on Mailchimp’s Transactional Email

At the end of each month, CiiRUS will process the monthly payment from the card or bank account on file. It is important to keep your account details up to date to prevent disruption of service. To pay by credit or debit card, select “Credit / Debit Card, click on “Add New Card” and complete all fields. To submit payment via electronic check, select “eCheck from US Bank Account” and click on “Update Account.”

In the Billing Address box, enter the address information associated with the credit card bank account.

If details are already on file, it will display under the 'Details Currently on File'  section. To update this information, select 'Update Card' and specify the information:

If preferred, CiiRUS can invoice you directly from your bank account using eCheck (ACH).  The Account Number, Routing Number, and the name of the account holder, along with the billing address will need to be inputted. We recommend this option, as there is no need to update details due to expiration dates or compromised card details.

To change or update the ACH (eCheck) Account Number on file,

1. Under the  Billing Address Details window, click the eCheck from US Account button
2. Click the Update Account button.
3. When the Update Account Details window appears, enter your ACH/eCheck information in to the 3 text boxes.
4. When all of the information is entered, click Save to update your your information.

Formally known as 'SecureTrack', System Users & Permissions will allow each member of staff to have their own username and password set by the system administrator. Each user can only access features that the administrator has permitted for the selected staff member. For example, it's quite common to only allow the reservation staff to access the reservation features and accounts department access the accounting functions. This provides greater security as only relevant data is viewed and accessed.

In addition, the System Users & Permissions Module records updates to reservations, housekeeping, maintenance and the owner account. The system tracks the following: what was updated; the time and day the update was made; the person who performed the update; and the location of the person that performed the update. Add System Users & Permissions for staff, franchisees, property managers, etc.

To add individual users:

1. Click the "plus" icon above the table
2. In the 'Add New User' screen, enter the user's full name, staff password*, email address, and phone number
3. Checking “Add as Administrator” will allow full access to the entire system by default
4. Click "Add"

After adding a user, click the 'ellipses' icon and select 'Profile and User Settings' to upload a profile photo and specify the software access settings such as the verification delivery method. From this window, the contact details or password can also be modified:

For non-admin users, set the permissions to give access to certain features and modules for this user.

To do so,

1. Click on the "ellipses" icon
2. Select 'System Permissions'
3. Expand each panel to specify permissions the selected user will have access to. Disabling 'Top Menu Access' will hide the entire module from the menu.

It is very important to add all contacts and vendors into the system to fully utilize the Operations & Accounting Modules. All vendors that provide services to the property manager and/or owner should be entered. For example, housekeepers, maintenance companies, utility companies, inspectors, booking agents, etc.

To add a new contact:

1. Click the "plus" icon above the table
2. Enter the following contact details:
   • Company Name
   • File As
     • The "File As" name should be unique for each contact and vendor
   • POC (Point of Contact) First Name and Last Name
   • Assign Service Type and Service Type 2
   • Other contact details
   • Task Manager Password, if applicable
   • Be sure to enable "Vendor?" if the contact is a service provider.
3. Click "Add"

After adding a contact, any updates can be made directly in the grid by selecting the desired field. Additional columns can be added to the grid by selecting the column chooser icon:

Task Manager:

Housekeepers, maintenance, and inspectors can login to Task Manager to see the tasks assigned to them. Within their contact, locate their username and password to login to tasks.ciirus.com.

With users added and configured, they must be given user credentials to access Task Manager:

1. The username is automatically generated by the system
2. Enter a password to give to this vendor to login to the portal

Configure the housekeeping settings that will apply globally for all cleans. Default housekeeping settings can be overridden on a per unit basis using Advanced Unit Setup.

1. Global Default Housekeeper - Specify the Global Default Housekeeper. The system will automatically apply the specified housekeeper to all units & cleans. However, it can be overridden on a per unit, or on a per clean basis. Keep in mind, only vendors that have been assigned as a "Cleaner" will appear.
2. Long Vacancy Housekeeping - Enable this setting to have the system automatically schedule refresher cleans if a unit is vacant for the amount days entered into this field. For example, if the most recent clean was completed 28 days ago, the system will automatically schedule a refresher clean. This refresher clean can be removed from the housekeeping schedule.
3. Roll Over Housekeeping - This setting will continuously roll-over incomplete cleans from the prior day to the current day until the clean is set to complete.
4. Global Task Manager Housekeeping Template - Specify the Task Manager Template to assign to all cleans. This can be overridden in the housekeeping schedule.

The inspection module can assign an inspection to each reservation that is placed. The inspector can then login to Task Manager to view the inspections that are assigned to them. First, configure the inspection settings to create statuses and types of inspections. Then to set the system to automatically schedule an end of stay inspection based on the departure date and specify the default inspector against each unit.

Before an Inspection can be assigned to a booking, the inspection status and type of inspection need to be added. As an example, a unit may require a “Pre-Stay Inspection” or an “End of Stay Inspection.”

1. To add a new Status: Click on the “plus” icon to add a new row and then type for example: “No Issues” or "Minor Issues"
2. Click the “save ”icon to save
3. To add an Inspection Type: for example: "Pre-Stay Inspection," Click on the “plus” icon to add a new row and type “Pre-Stay Inspection."
4. Click the "save"icon to save.

It is important to configure the General Reservation Settings to prevent booking errors or discrepancies. Please keep in mind the following global settings cannot be overridden on a listing basis:

a. Default Check-in/out Times (Please note these can be overridden on a per reservation basis.)

b. Email Notification Settings

1. Default Check-in/out Times - specify the default check-in and check-out times. These can be overridden on a per reservation basis.
2. Reservation & Notification Settings - Enable or disable these settings by clicking on the checkbox.
3. Minimum Night Stay - Enter the global minimum night stay for your listings. This can be overridden on a per listing basis and on a per season basis when configuring rate sets.
4. Terms & Conditions Templates - Create templates for the terms and conditions which can later be assigned to the listings.

Configure the default pricing and fees settings which is important to prevent financial discrepancy later on.

1. Property Manager Commission - commissions can be set on a global basis, per property basis, per supplier basis, and on a per reservation basis. The global commission percentage is entered here to have the system auto-apply to each reservation. 
2. Global Balance Due Setting - Enter the default number of weeks prior to arrival that the balance is due. This setting can be overridden on a per listing basis. Leave this field blank to use the value set against each listing instead.
3. Housekeeping Fee Split - Enter the percentage of the housekeeping fee retained by the PMC and the homeowner for each reservation. For example, if you keep 100% of the housekeeping fee to payout the cleaners on PMC and owner reservations, enter 100% in each field. This can be overridden on a per reservation basis.
4. Discount Code Payout Calculation - When this setting is enabled, the system will calculate the PMC and owner payouts after the discount is deducted from the base rental rate. To enable this setting, check the box. Please note that this may effect the 'Airbnb Host Fee' as this is a discount reservation extra and will apply this calculation to the 'Airbnb Host Fee.'

To maintain a centralized platform, the system can process credit card payments from guests and owners.

CiiRUS has integrations to the following Credit Card Processing Companies:

1. Vacation Rent Payment
2. Authorize.net
3. Lynbrook Group
4. Stripe

Please establish an account with one of these companies. Our Service & Support Team can connect the API Key from the credit card processor to your CiiRUS account to allow you to process payment directly in the system.

Once connected to an integrated Credit Card Processor, enter the type of credit/debit cards you accept for payments submitted by guests and owners.

1. Click the "plus" Icon to add credit card type
2. Enter the Card Type and match it to the System Type
3. If you are using multiple credit card processing companies, specify the Merchant Gateway
4. Press the "save" icon to store your changes

Select which booking status should NOT permit a guest to submit payment through the online payment page:

1. Restrict payment page link when booking is cancelled or deleted
2. Restrict payment page link when booking is a quote
3. Restrict payment page link when a booking is tentative and not yet confirmed

Reservation Sources, formally known as Booking Categories, are applied to each reservation to easily identify the source or supplier of the reservation. The system has a number of predefined sources available; these cannot be deleted or modified, however, new booking sources can be created by clicking the “plus” icon above the table. The reservation sources are assigned to each reservation to create reports and statistics of each reservation supplier.

For example, custom reservation sources can be added to represent booking agents, travel agents, or other companies that the PMC work with. Each source can be color coded so it's easy to identify where the reservation was placed.

When a source is set to an 'owner booking,' the owner can view and update financial and duration details from the owner portal. When 'owner booking' is not set, no financial details will be displayed and only the guest name, arrival/departure dates are visible.

To add a new Reservation Source:

1. Click on the "plus" icon above the table. A new row will appear in the table.
2. Enter an abbreviation code and the full name of the reservation source
3. Specify the color indicator to color code the source
4. Specify the disbursement rule for Owner Accounting (see below for more information)
5. To automatically process the balance due for a certain booking source, check this checkbox.
6. To override the default PMC commission  for the source, check the ’Override Global Commission’ checkbox and enter the new amount in the "Default Commission %" column
7. Click the "save" icon

Reservation Flags can be assigned to a reservation to indicate it may have a special requirement. For example, you could create a reservation flag named “VIP Guest” to indicate that a reservation has a VIP guest coming to stay, or if a guest has requested an early check-in or late check-out. Reservation Flags are a good way to handle upcoming alerts. Reports can also be created for Reservation Flags. Please note the Code has a 15 character limit.

To add a new flag:

1. Click on the ‘plus’ icon
2. Enter a code and a description
3. Click the 'save' icon

Enabling the Owner Accounting module, will allow the system to generate monthly owner statements. Disabling this skips the configuration of the owner account settings in the following screens. This does not disable the owner accounting functionality in the software. You can come back to this page at any time to configure.

Formally, 'Owner Account Categories,' transaction types can be used as the general ledger or chart of account. Owner transaction types are assigned to each transaction on the owner statement to create bookkeeping reports and annual statements. The system has a number of predefined types available; these cannot be deleted or modified, however, new types can be created.

To create a new type,

1. Click the "plus" icon above the grid
2. Enter the description or name of the transaction type in the row
3. Click the "save" icon

The system can credit rental income to the owner accounts based on the disbursement rule applied to each reservation source. This efficient method provides a more automated solution to owner accounting. In the below table, please set the disbursement rule for each reservation source. The reservation will only be available to trigger to the owner account via the Credit Rental Income screen once it meets the exact parameters of the disbursement rule.

Click into each field under the 'Disbursement Rule' column and specify the rule against each reservation source. Be sure to click the 'save' icon.

To apply the same rule to each reservation source, click "Bulk Apply" and specify the rule from the dropdown menu:

It is very important to configure the settings on this page, prior to processing transactions to the Owner Account. Configuring these settings accurately, will prevent any financial errors on the owner statements. Please keep in mind, these are global settings that will apply to all owners in the system.

Minimum Owner Account Balance -

The minimum owner account balance is the owner reserve amount. The  owner must maintain this amount on a monthly basis. If the owner is  below the minimum requirement, the system will require an owner payment  that amounts to the minimum requirement. If the owners balance is above the minimum, the system will display an amount due to the owner. This can be overridden on a per owner basis, within Advanced Unit Setup.

Owner Statement Layout -

The system provides two options for the owner statement layout:

Option #1: Classic- transactions will appear in chronological order.

Option #2: Grouped- transactions are grouped together based on type and category.

Transactions Only: Shows only the transactions to the owner for each month

Transactions Plus Year to Date Summary: In addition to the transactions, a year to date summary is provided to the owner on the last page

Click the "Preview" button to see an example of each statement layout. Please keep in mind, these are factious statements. The preview shows the 'Year to Date Summary' on the last page of the statement.

Payment Link and Header/Footer -

Owner Payment link  - Applies only when a valid Merchant Account is configured. This allows the owner to click the link to submit a payment using their credit card.

Statement Header - Enter general information such as company name, address, phone number to appear at the top of the owner statements.

Statement Footer  - Enter information to appear at the bottom of the owner statement. This is usually payment information and terms. This information is not specific to each unit, therefore, enter general  information to appear at the bottom of each owner statement.

PMC ACH Settings -

Click here to enter your bank account information to produce ACH files to the owner.

Enter the following information: