A sales proposal can be produced after a request has been created using the form detailing the client's requirements. The initial version of a default offer includes the client's requirements as expressed in the form.
Responding to a request
When a new proposal request arrives in your space, its status is automatically Pending. This means that the request is waiting to be processed by you.
To process a pending request > Answer the request.
View of a file/application to be processed:
Top of screen: details of information displayed from left to right
Front line
- Company name, if the applicant is associated with a company. If there is no company, the client's first and last name will be given.
- Name of the person responsible for the file
Second line
- Name of the venue issuing the quotation
- Date on which the request was made
- Reference automatically generated by Backyou
- Source of request (e.g. website or direct)
- Segment to which the request belongs (if Segmentation has been activated in the account settings. For example: tourism, events, etc.).
- A "No accommodation" tag when the request does not include an overnight stay
- Eye icon: indicates how many times the sales proposal has been viewed by the client
- Pencil icon: used to manage the file (reference, person responsible, segment, note)
- 2-sheet pictogram for duplicating the request
- File status
Third line
- client name and contact details
- Tasks and notes relating to the file, which can be used to track actions and add relevant comments.
Central part: client specifications
This section takes up the specifications expressed by the client in the initial request form:
- Type of stay requested, dates of stay, number of people concerned.
- Budget announced by the client
- Specifications by service category
Right side of screen with blue background
In the blue section on the right, you'll find a number of possible action buttons:
> Make a proposal: access the request and draw up your sales proposal to meet the client's needs.
> Suggest to another venue: if you have a multi-venue account, this function allows you to assign the request to another venue in your Backyou account.
> Decline the request: you can decline your client's request using this option if you are unable to meet their needs or expectations. When you decline the request, you must justify your decision by indicating who declined the proposal or request. These reasons will be included in the statistics.
Available justification options :
Venue side:
- Other: free text
- No capacity: client demand exceeds your capacity.
- No group space available: On the dates proposed by the client, you no longer have sufficient availability in terms of group space.
- No accommodation available: On the dates proposed by the client, you no longer have sufficient accommodation available.
- The client has chosen another venue: The client has informed you that they have chosen another venue for their event.
- Strategic reason: free text
- Budgetary reason: The client's budget does not correspond to your prices.
client side:
- The prices are too high: The prices do not correspond to the client's budget.
- Event cancelled: The client's event is finally cancelled.
- No return : You have had no feedback from the client following your sales proposal.
- Wrong location / destination has changed: The location of your venue does not, or no longer, correspond to the client's needs.
- Wrong category: Your range does not meet client expectations.
- Not the right atmosphere: Your venue doesn't meet clients' expectations in terms of atmosphere.
- Does not meet my specifications: Your commercial proposal does not meet the requirements of the client's specifications.
- Booked elsewhere: The client has booked at another venue.
> Modify the dates of your stay: you can use this function to adjust the arrival and departure dates of your request.
- Adjust dates: you can change the arrival and departure dates
- Adjust the number of nights: you can change the number of nights.
- client notification: when you make these changes, you can choose whether or not you wish to notify the client by email of the changes.
> My spaces: this option lets you view your room calendar to check the availability of your spaces.
> Availability: if Backyou is connected to your PMS, this button allows you to check availability in your venue management system directly for the dates of stay in your file.
> Assign to another client: you can change the client associated with a request.
- Enter the client's name:
- if the client is already registered in Backyou, the system will automatically suggest them once you start entering their name.
- if the client does not yet exist in Backyou, the system will ask you to create a new client account and fill in the client form.
Editing a sales proposal
client specifications :
The elements of the specifications are listed at the top of the page. You can view the details of the specifications by clicking on the summary sentence.
Your proposal :
Display options can be selected according to your working habits. Some options can be set by default in the Hosting > Display file.
- Breakfast included
- Show timetables
- Show spaces: to indicate the names of associated rooms
- Display package details: to provide clients with details of each item in a package
- Personalised version of proposals: tick this box if you have set up personalised proposals in your general settings.
Drafting the commercial proposal :
Backyou collects all the services requested and highlights them in the sales proposal.
List of services :
Each line in the proposal represents a product or service.
For each product, you will find :
- The name of the product or service
- The price of the product including all taxes
- The applicable VAT rate
- Specified quantities
- The total for this line
- A detailed description of the product or service
- The dates on which this product or service is offered
Other product features:
In the product thumbnail, you will find 3 small dots in a white circle with clickable fields to perform certain actions:
- Apply a discount: discount in Euros applied directly to the product.
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Convert into a product with undetermined dates: add a product to your proposal without a specific date
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Convert into a buy-resell product: add to the proposal a service provided by an external supplier (equipment rental, shuttle/taxi, etc.)
- Make Optional: add a product to the proposal as an option. It will be appearing on the proposal without being included in your total amount.
- Replace with: replace the product with another product or service.
- Subdivide: only available for Rooms in the case of a stock sale in ROH with a single price and allow room categories to be escalated via connectivity.
- Delete: remove the product from the sales proposal if you no longer wish to offer it to the client.
Configuring the space associated with a service :
Below the products (with the exception of room products), a thumbnail is displayed so that you can configure your space according to the service.
It is displayed in orange if no space has been allocated by default.
The sticker is green if a space has been associated by default with the service offered.
Click on the pen to set or change the preset parameters.
Space configuration options :
- You can adjust the times of the service according to the client's availability or requests.
- Associate a room: by associating the room with the service, it will be visible in your room calendar.
Advantages of association with the venue :
- This association gives your team a clear view of the services scheduled in each room.
- This information will be taken into account when the job description is created.
A package allows you to group several products into a single line with one description and a total price.
When you click on “Configure the package”:
You can now use quantity differentiation for a specific product.
Differentiation allows you to perform several actions:
> removing a morning break from the package: 1 Package = 0 Product.
> split a flat price among the participants
→ situation: a proposal with 10 billed study day packages, the flat price of the room rental can be divided among the 10 participants: 10 Packages = 1 Product.
> double the quantity of a product
→ situation: a proposal with ‘double room and breakfast’ packages, the breakfast in one package will be doubled this way: 1 Package = 2 Products
You can also pre-configure your packages by using quantity differentiation in Venue > Products > Packages.
Additional options:
- add additional products: free products or products already registered
- apply a reduction in monetary value to the entire commercial proposal.
- check the tourist tax: this is automatically calculated by Backyou when the form is created. If you change the number of people, be sure to check the amount of tax by clicking on the wheel icon. If your proposal includes overnight stays for children benefiting from free tourist tax, make sure you enter the correct number in the calculation (Backyou does not distinguish between minors and adults).
- tick or untick the payment of tourist taxes at the time of booking. If you do not tick them, the tourist tax will not be included in the total cost of the proposal.
Proposal price validity period :
The validity period of the proposal is automatically indicated according to the display settings you have defined. You can change the duration on a file at any time if it does not correspond to your agreement with the client. Please note that the validity period does not correspond to an option.
As a reminder, to change the number of days an offer is valid for: Venue > Venue details > Display.
Details of your proposal:
In this box, you can include all the details you wish to give your client, if necessary.
Add attachments to your proposal :
You can add an attachment to your sales proposal, specially adapted for this client (for example: rooming list, menu, etc.).
Terms and conditions:
- Terms and conditions associated with this proposal
The terms and conditions are automatically included in the proposal. You can change the associated terms and conditions at any time by selecting a new T&Cs from the drop-down list. You can manage your terms and conditions directly in the Hosting > Terms and Conditions section.
- Terms of payment
Payment terms are automatically imported and calculated based on the check-in date. You can adjust them at any time for a specific file.
If your payments are initially spread over two instalments, you can add a third (up to a maximum of five).
If you want to change your payment terms permanently: Hosting > Terms and Conditions.
- Special conditions:
In this field, you can enter specific conditions for this proposal in free text.
Proposal PDF template :
The text displayed on the cover page is automatically linked to your pre-configured proposal PDF template. This text is displayed on the cover page. You can personalise this text for each client by modifying it on each proposal.
To modify your proposal PDF template and this text: section Hosting > Templates
Select a segment: if you have previously set up segments, you can associate them with a proposal. This enables you to obtain statistics by client type.
To configure your segment: Settings > Segmentation > Create a new group.
Publish the proposal :
Once you have drafted your sales proposal, you have several options: publish it, preview it, save it or decline it.
Before previewing your proposal, make sure you save it so as not to lose any data.
When you publish your proposal, you can choose whether or not to notify the client by email. If they are not notified, they will not receive any information by email about their proposal, but they will be able to consult it in their personal Backyou space.
If you notify your client :
You can choose a pre-configured message template (Settings > Message templates). Using these templates, Backyou automatically retrieves the data from the dynamic fields. You can also add additional elements or information as required.
Proposal published
Once your proposal has been published,
- the status at the top right is "in progress".
- the presentation of the proposal has changed to a time-stamped version of the services
On the right-hand side of the screen, there are new action buttons:
Put the file in reserved mode
There are 2 possible routes:
- clients make their own booking requests on Backyou
- Your client has requested a reservation by email or telephone
Case n°1: When a client makes a booking request from their Backyou space, they must tick a box which states "I acknowledge that I have read and accept the Booking Conditions without reservation". A clickable link is available at this stage to enable clients to reread the Terms and Conditions, which are available in PDF or text format depending on the configuration chosen by the hotelier.
This validation is recorded in the History of the conversation with the client on Backyou where the client's electronic signature can be read: "You have accepted the booking conditions without reservation on xx/xx/xxxx at such and such a time with the IP address: xxxxxxxxxxxx".
AGAH - Backyou certifies that these data come from its databases and that they are inviolate."
This booking request triggers an email to the sales team and an alert in the "Booking to be confirmed" file management module.
The hotelier must then either confirm the reservation or decline it. If the booking is confirmed, the client receives a proforma listing the instalments to be paid and the payment dates.
Case n°2: The client informs you that they wish to validate the sales proposal and make a reservation by email or telephone. You must then change the status of the file to "Reserved".
Billing information :
A window opens to edit the client's billing information if these fields were not filled in when the request was created. If this is the case, the billing address will be the one in the client file by default.
It is also possible to add a different billing address to that in the client file.
Confirmation of terms and conditions:
To confirm the Terms and Conditions (T&Cs), you must tick the box on the right-hand side. This means that you assume responsibility for collecting the signed T&Cs on behalf of the client or the accepted Bon pour accord commercial proposal.
Once you have made your booking request, you can confirm it.
The status of the file will change from "client wishes to reserve" to "reservation in progress".
Ask for an option
- An option for the client:
If your client wishes to place an option on a space (thus blocking spaces and prices for a given period), a window will open. You will need to indicate the expiry date of the option and choose whether or not you wish to notify the client by email. You will also be able to select a template message to send.
- Option request by the client on his Backyou space :
clients can also request an option via their Backyou space.
Configuring options in your establishment:
To decide whether or not to include options in your venue: Venue section > Venue file > Settings > Option and reminder request.
Once the option has been made, the status of the file will change from "In progress" to "Under option until [date specified]".
Modify my proposal:
You can modify your sales proposal at any time. A window with 3 buttons will open:
- Modify quantities and prices: you can change prices and services, add new ones, etc.
- Change check-in date: you can change your client's check-in date.
- Add nights: you can add nights before and after the initial check-in date.
Cancel my proposal:
You can cancel your proposal by indicating whether it was you or the client who refused it. When cancelling, you will be able to select from the supporting documents offered by Backyou.
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There are also two new buttons underneath:
Return the proposal to the client:
You can send the proposal back to your client at any time, with a personalised message.
Change billing details:
The invoicing details must be completed so that the proforma invoice can be issued and so that the address can appear in the signature block of the Terms and Conditions.
You can add several different billing addresses for the same client.
Messages / History tab:
This section shows the history of exchanges with your client since the initial request was created, as well as the different versions of the proposal that you have presented to them. You can send messages to your client at any time via this interface, even after the file has been closed.
By clicking on the blue bars, the corresponding information will be displayed on the screen. Previous versions of proposals are also downloadable if you wish to access them again.
All messages exchanged with the client through this “Messages / History” module are also available. If a message has been sent to the client, the line “Email sent to the client” will appear.
If you publish a proposal and check the “notify the client” box:
If you publish a proposal without checking the “notify the client” box:
The instant messaging feature of the module allows you to choose an existing message template from your list of templates (Settings > Templates), or to write a message you wish to send to the client. You can customize the formatting and font, attach a file, or even add a secondary contact to receive the messages sent from Backyou.
clients can also use the interface when they are logged into their Backyou space to chat with you.
In addition, this section will allow you to track information relating to the validation of the Terms and Conditions of Sale (T&Cs) by the client from their Backyou space at the time of booking requests.
Download tab:
Here you will find the proposal in PDF format and the proforma once you have confirmed the booking.
Details of errors when sending emails:
What is a soft bounce in an email?
A soft bounce is a temporary delivery failure. When an email soft bounces, it means that, in most cases, the email address is valid and your email has reached the mail server of the recipient, but the mail server rejected it. It means that your email has not been delivered to the inbox of your recipient (or any of their folders, whether it’s in promotions, spam, etc.).
Here are some common reasons why an email address may soft bounce:
- The mail server of the recipient is unavailable.
- The inbox is full (over quota).
- The domain name doesn't exist.
- The recipient's server does not accept emails sent by Backyou due to a configuration.
How does Backyou deal with soft bounces?
Before an email generates a soft bounce, it is deferred. We continue to try to resend the delayed email over the next 36 hours, until it is delivered. If it is still not delivered after these attempts, we stop trying to send the email and we mark it as a soft bounce in the file history and mark the client account as an "email error".
What can I do about this?
You can contact your client by telephone to inform them of the rejection or simply try to send an email directly from your mailbox.
What is a hard bounce in email?
A hard bounce is a permanent delivery failure. In case of a hard bounce, it means that the email has been rejected either because:
- the email address of the recipient doesn't exist or is invalid.
- the mail server of the recipient has blocked the delivery.
What can I do?
You can contact your client by telephone to inform them of the rejection.