Welcome to the Tess Travel Solutions Frequently Asked Questions page! We understand you might have questions about navigating our platform, and we’re here to provide you with the answers you need. If you can’t find what you’re looking for below, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team at [email protected]. We are dedicated to ensuring you have a smooth and efficient experience with Tess Travel Solutions.
General Questions About Tess Travel Solutions
Q: Is Tess Travel Solutions currently experiencing downtime?
A: No, Tess Travel Solutions is not experiencing downtime. We pride ourselves on providing reliable 24/7 access to our platform. While we occasionally schedule brief maintenance windows to implement new features and improvements, these are planned in advance and communicated clearly to our users. We announce any planned interruptions via email to all active users, as well as post notifications on our Facebook page and in the Tess Travel Solutions User Group on Facebook. To join the user group and stay updated, please visit Tess Travel Solutions User Group. If you are encountering any difficulties accessing the system outside of announced maintenance periods, please contact our support team at [email protected], and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Account & Login Troubleshooting
Q: I’m having trouble logging in or resetting my Tess Travel Solutions password. What should I do?
A: If you’re unable to log in to Tess Travel Solutions or are having issues resetting your password, first ensure you are using the correct username and company code. A common mistake is assuming your username is your email address; in most cases, it is a unique username chosen during account setup. When using the “Forgot my password” form, double-check the accuracy of your username and company code entry. If you still haven’t received a password reset email after verifying this information, please contact [email protected] for direct assistance.
Q: My Tess Travel Solutions trial period has ended. How do I upgrade to a paid account?
A: Upgrading to a paid Tess Travel Solutions account after your trial is simple. Log in to your account and click on your name located in the upper right-hand corner of the dashboard. From the dropdown menu, select “My Profile,” then navigate to the “My Account” tab. Here, you will find the “Add Credit Card” button. Click this button to securely enter your payment information and activate your paid subscription. For a visual walkthrough, you can watch our short video tutorial: How to Add Credit Card. If you encounter any issues during this process, our support team is ready to help.
Trip and Booking Management in Tess Travel Solutions
Q: How do I record a payment in Tess Travel Solutions from someone who is not one of the travelers on the trip?
A: Currently, Tess Travel Solutions is designed to directly track payments made by travelers associated with a trip. To record a payment from a non-traveler, you have a couple of options. The first option is to include the non-traveler as a participant in the trip. Alternatively, you can attach the payment to the Primary Traveler on the booking and use the payment notes field to specify that the payment was made by a non-traveler and indicate their name. This ensures accurate record-keeping within the system.
Q: I can’t find a specific property, sailing, or room category in Tess Travel Solutions. How can I add missing options?
A: Tess Travel Solutions aggregates its extensive database from multiple industry sources and performs regular updates to ensure data accuracy and comprehensiveness. However, the speed at which new properties, itineraries, and changes are reflected in our system is dependent on these external sources. Occasionally, there might be a slight delay in updates. If you require an option that is currently missing from Tess Travel Solutions, please email our support team at [email protected]. Provide us with the details of the missing property, sailing, or room category, and we will investigate adding it to our database as quickly as possible. We are continuously working with our suppliers to improve data currency and detail.
Q: Could you clarify the distinctions between Proposals, Trips, Group Trips, and Bookings within Tess Travel Solutions?
A: Understanding the different elements within Tess Travel Solutions is key to efficient workflow. Let’s break down Proposals, Trips, Group Trips, and Bookings:
Proposals: A proposal is a preliminary document you create within Tess Travel Solutions to present travel options and pricing to your client before a booking is confirmed. Think of it as a quote or itinerary suggestion. While you can convert a proposal into a trip once the client decides to book, creating a proposal is not mandatory.
Trips: A trip is the central container for all travel arrangements for an individual or a group traveling together (unless it’s a formal group trip – see below). A trip in Tess Travel Solutions comprises one or more itinerary items (flights, accommodations, activities) and at least one booking. Crucially, bookings must be associated with a trip. To start, create a trip in Tess Travel Solutions, and then navigate to the “Bookings” tab within that trip to add the actual bookings. Bookings are essential for commission tracking.
Bookings: A booking represents a confirmed reservation with a supplier (e.g., an airline booking, hotel booking, cruise booking). In Tess Travel Solutions, bookings are linked to trips and are vital for commission tracking and reporting. If you are paid commissions through an agency or host, entering bookings accurately in Tess Travel Solutions is crucial for ensuring timely and correct payments. No booking means no commission tracking!
Group Trips: A group trip in Tess Travel Solutions is designed for managing travel for multiple individuals or families traveling together. This could range from a large managed group of 100 people to just two families coordinating their vacations. Group Trips allow you to organize individual trips (referred to as “Reservations” within a group trip) under a common umbrella. Reservations within a group trip function similarly to standard trips, but they are linked under the group structure for simplified management and reporting of group travel.
Q: How can I view all my trips and bookings in Tess Travel Solutions organized by travel date?
A: To view your trips and bookings chronologically by travel date in Tess Travel Solutions, navigate to the “Reports” section and select the “Projected Income” report. This report is automatically sorted by travel date, providing you with a clear overview of upcoming travel. Additionally, you can utilize the Calendar feature within Tess Travel Solutions to visualize trips and tasks scheduled for specific days. This offers another way to view your travel arrangements in a date-based format.
Q: Is it possible to merge two or more existing trips into a single group trip in Tess Travel Solutions?
A: Currently, the functionality to directly merge existing trips into a group trip is not available for users to perform themselves within Tess Travel Solutions. However, our support team can assist you with merging trips. Please open a help desk ticket detailing the trips you wish to merge into a group trip, and we will process your request.
Q: Can multiple agents book into the same group trip within Tess Travel Solutions?
A: At present, Tess Travel Solutions does not support multiple agents booking into the same group trip simultaneously. However, this is a feature that is planned for implementation in a future update within this year. We understand the importance of collaborative group bookings and are actively working to incorporate this functionality.
Q: I have multiple travelers in a group, but they require separate invoices. How can I manage this in Tess Travel Solutions?
A: To generate separate invoices for travelers within a group in Tess Travel Solutions, you need to set them up as individual “Reservations” within a Group Trip. This structure allows you to manage their travel under a common group umbrella while maintaining the ability to invoice each traveler separately. To learn more about setting up group trips and reservations, please refer to our detailed guide: Group Trips in Tess Travel Solutions.
Q: What are the airline codes for budget airlines like Frontier or JetBlue?
A: Airline codes are essential for accurate booking. For a quick lookup of airline codes like Frontier or JetBlue, the fastest method is often using a voice assistant or a quick web search. You can ask “Hey Siri, what’s the airline code for Frontier Airlines?” or simply type “airline code for JetBlue” into Google. While Tess Travel Solutions also includes an Airline code lookup feature within the system (navigate to “Suppliers,” then “Airlines”), this requires you to navigate away from your current trip workflow. Using a quick external search is typically more efficient.
Q: Why is the save button missing from my custom Tab in Tess Travel Solutions?
A: If you are unable to locate a save button within a custom tab in Tess Travel Solutions, ensure that you are clicking directly on the custom tab at the top of the screen, and not on the name of the extension itself. Clicking the extension name might lead you to the extension settings, taking you out of the active trip context. If you can no longer see your Trip ID displayed, it indicates that you have navigated away from the trip and are in the extension settings. On smaller screens, custom tabs might be located within the “More+” menu. Expand this menu to find your custom tab and ensure you are within the trip context to access the save functionality.
Q: Why is my booking number showing as unavailable in Tess Travel Solutions?
A: If you encounter an “unavailable” message when entering a booking number in Tess Travel Solutions, it indicates that the booking number has already been used for that specific operator within the system. First, search your booking list to check if you have previously entered this booking. If you need to use the same booking number again for a valid reason (e.g., for a linked booking or amendment), you can increment the booking number by adding “-2” (or -3, -4, etc.) to the end of the original booking number. Tess Travel Solutions will recognize this as a unique entry.
Client Management within Tess Travel Solutions
Q: How do I export my client list from Tess Travel Solutions for use in another system?
A: Exporting your client data from Tess Travel Solutions is straightforward. Navigate to your client list and locate the “Import/Export” button. Clicking this button will initiate the export process, allowing you to download your client data in a compatible format for use in other systems. For detailed instructions on exporting and importing client data, please see our guide: Importing and Exporting Clients in Tess Travel Solutions.
Q: Can clients directly enter their personal information into Tess Travel Solutions?
A: Yes, clients can directly input their information into Tess Travel Solutions, streamlining data collection and enhancing client engagement. As the agent, you initiate this process by entering the client’s name and email address into the system. Then, you send a “Travel Authorization” task to the client through Tess Travel Solutions. This task provides clients with secure access to a portal where they can complete their profile information, preferences, and other necessary details directly. Learn more about this efficient feature here: Travel Authorization and Client Portal.
Q: Where should I store my client’s CVV code for credit card payments in Tess Travel Solutions?
A: For security and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance, Tess Travel Solutions, and indeed industry best practices, do not permit the storage of CVV codes. The CVV code is a security feature designed for point-of-transaction authorization and should never be stored after a transaction is processed. When your client uses a credit card online or through Tess Travel Solutions, the CVV code is used to authorize the payment but is immediately discarded and not stored in our system. This practice is in line with PCI compliance standards and ensures the security of your clients’ sensitive payment information. This same principle applies to how Tess Travel Solutions processes credit cards for monthly subscription fees – CVV codes are used for authorization but never stored.
Q: My client is not tech-savvy and doesn’t use online accounts. How can they access their client portal in Tess Travel Solutions?
A: We recognize that not all clients are comfortable with online accounts. To accommodate clients who prefer not to use social media or Google logins, Tess Travel Solutions is adding a username/email login method soon. This will provide an alternative login option for clients to access their portal using a traditional username and password combination. We are committed to making Tess Travel Solutions accessible and user-friendly for all your clients.
Email Template Customization
Q: Can I personalize the pre-built email templates within Tess Travel Solutions?
A: Yes, you can absolutely customize the built-in email templates in Tess Travel Solutions to align with your branding and specific messaging (this is a feature of the Advanced package). To customize a built-in template, you first need to add it to your personal template library. Once it’s in your library, you can then edit your copy of the template to your specifications. This allows you to tailor the content, branding, and style of your email communications while leveraging the efficiency of pre-designed templates.
Travel Authorizations and Client Portal Tasks Clarification
Q: My client can see information for all travelers on the trip within the client portal. How do I restrict access so they only see their own details?
A: In Tess Travel Solutions, the primary traveler on a trip is granted the ability to verify information for all travelers associated with that trip within the client portal. This is designed for families or groups where the primary contact manages travel for everyone. If you require each traveler to only access and verify their individual information and wish to maintain stricter privacy, you should designate each traveler as a secondary traveler within the trip setup. Alternatively, for enhanced separation and individual management, you can set up each traveler (or family) as separate reservations within a Group Trip. This structure also enables separate invoicing per reservation.
