The BrightSide development team is committed to improving the performance, features, and user experience of our software. These are just some of the improvements we made over the past three weeks.

New Features & Updates

• Redesigned the “Integration Partners” settings screen.
• Added the ability to generate a test NACHA file for banks.
• Added all reservation stay types to the “Calculate Month” screen to help track balances more easily when closing the month.
• Simplified reservation and report permissions.

Bug Fixes & Performance Improvements

• Changed the button wording from “Email” to “Send” on the Print/Email Guest Letters function to reflect that it also sends text messages.
• Fixed a minor bug where selecting an arrival date equal to the current departure date displayed zero nights, causing an issue saving the reservation.
• Improved mobile responsiveness on minimum stay overrides.

Support Requests Since October 25, 2024

• Completed 105 support requests.
• Answered 77 support phone calls and provided assistance.
• Returned 32 support phone calls.
• Answered 324 support emails.

BrightSide Fix in Progress (UPDATE) | November 5, 2024

A simple typo was the culprit in the database update. This has been fixed and you should be back to normal operations. You may need to log out, log in, then clear your cache, Ctrl+Shift+R on a Windows computer or Shift+Command+G on an Apple computer. Again, we are sorry for the interruption.

BrightSide Fix in Progress | November 5, 2024

The database update failed to install correctly overnight and many of you are experiencing the fallout from that. A fix is installing now. Everyone should be back up and running normally soon. We apologize for the inconvenience!

The BrightSide development team is committed to improving the performance, features, and user experience of our software. These are just some of the improvements we made over the past seven weeks.

New Features & Updates

• Migrated photos to cloud storage allowing for faster response times.
• Updated the owner portal to support other stay types.
• Added the ability to include reservation information in the guest export.
• Added the ability to show vacant units on the on-call report.
• Added options to include access details and guest information on Cleaning Arrival/Departure Report.
• Updated our Operto integration.
• Updated our smart lock integrations.
• Added the ability to archive and approve or un-approve Booking.com reviews.
• Consolidated numerous permissions to enable easier permissions management.
• Added [Reservation Notes] replacement field to guest letters.
• Added owner email to unit info screen.
• Added support for assigning a markup fee to a website domain.
• Added dashboard widget for reservations posting after contract ends.
• Added ability to easily duplicate a special.

Bug Fixes & Performance Improvements

• Fixed a bug where an imported reservation had a cancellation date improperly stored.
• Fixed a bug where the former owner’s banking information was not deleted when the owner was changed.
• Fixed a server storage issue causing thumbnail images to not load.
• Fixed a bug in the guest portal’s credit card payment field where a space, or an invalid character, in the amount field caused an error.
• Fixed a bug with the Extend Stay button where it added a Special automatically.
• Fixed a bug where cancellations by a reservationist requiring a manager’s approval were not cancelled in Breezeway.
• Fixed a bug in the demo’s cleaning log script.
• Fixed a bug where the bulk rate editor did not fire rate changed events for the units updated.
• Fixed a bug where Airbnb messages did not send.
• Fixed a bug where the unread messages would not clear from the home screen.
• Fixed a bug causing Booking.com messages not to sync.
• Fixed a bug in a direct deposit report.
• Fixed a bug where clicking the “Change Owner” button in a unit, did not allow you to save the new owner’s information, if there was not a former owner.
• Fixed a bug where channel messages were not logged.
• Fixed a bug where a duplicate was being created when adding a new stay type.
• Updated unit occupancy report to consider dates outside of contracts as blocked.
• Replaced “cabin” in labels/text with more generic terms

Support Requests Since September 9, 2024

• Completed and closed 281 support requests.
• Answered 719 incoming support emails.
• Answered 164 support phone calls and provided assistance.
• Returned 106 support phone calls.

Whimstay Webinar | October 30, 2024

You may not be aware that BrightSide integrates with Whimstay, the last minute booking platform. If you are interested in learning more about Whimstay, and how they can help fill your empty beds, we recommend that you register for this webinar. It’s coming soon, so don’t delay!

The folks at Whimstay said, “During this session, we’ll explore the latest industry trends, showcase how Whimstay helps property managers maximize revenue, and provide tips on optimizing your listings to stand out. This webinar will give you valuable insights into the world of short-term rentals. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn and engage with experts from the Whimstay team!”

REGISTER HERE!

BrightSide has been assured by SlimCD that the outage/slowdown has been resolved. We are seeing transactions process at normal speeds again.

If you chose to switch to the temporary Converge gateway, we can move you back immediately. However, support is limited over the weekend, so if the issues with SlimCD reoccur, we may not be available to quickly switch you back to the temporary gateway. You may stay with the temporary gateway over the weekend just in case. Having said that, we are happy to move you back now.

The main advantage of switching back now is you would be able to process any refunds if needed. Issuing a refund is not enabled on the temporary gateway. Please reach out to us to let us know which route you want to take.

Slim CD is still experiencing intermittent processing issues even though they are reporting some improvement. We noticed that some payments are being processed, but many are still failing. The two companies we work with that provide Slim CD are both offering alternative temporary processing solutions. To ensure that this is set up before the weekend, if you want to pursue either of these options, please act now. Neither of these options are perfect, but they allow you to continue to take reservations and receive payments. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Smart Processing Account Holders

In order to meet the needs of BrightSide users, Smart Processing set up an alternative processing solution with Converge First Aid. Converge First Aid and Slim CD are both owned by Elavon, so the setup is fairly quick to implement. If you would like to explore this option, you may reach out to Smart Processing directly at (865) 446-2255.

Ascent Payment Solutions Account Holders

For clients using Slim CD through Ascent Payment Solutions (APS), their alternative processor is Authorize.net. BrightSide already integrates with this payment  gateway, so if you would like to temporarily switch to them, please contact APS at 888-721-9301 or clientsuccess@ascentpaymentsolutions.com. They will start the process and then inform us when it is ready to implement on our end.

Announcement Regarding SLIM CD

The SlimCD credit card gateway is currently experiencing intermittent outages. They are aware of the issue and are working on a fix but currently do not have an ETA. If a card declines and you get the error “Communication_Error_Check_SLIMCD_Website” just wait a few minutes and try again.

If you want to accept online bookings during this outage we can update your settings so cards are not processed automatically. All bookings will be accepted and you can process the payments manually, re-trying as needed.

New Features & Updates

• Added an owner contract “end date” field for units. You no longer need to block dates using maintenance blocks when a unit leaves the program.
• Added the ability to pay owners utilizing an alternate bank account when they own multiple units and require a separate payment for each.
• Added the ability to change the name on a credit card payment after it has been processed. Permission based.
• Updated the API so “Guest Comments” can be pushed out to SmokyMountains.com and other websites.
• Updated header in Vrbo message threads to include the guest name in some threads where it was missing.
• Added the ability to select “All” on the “Checkin List” so you may check in everyone with just two clicks.
• Updated guest letter conditions to enforce all required documents received.
• Added the ability to turn on and off Vrbo, Airbnb, and Booking.com messaging.
• Added the ability to edit the cleaning log.
• Added review integration to Google Vacation Rentals listings.

Bug Fixes & Performance Improvements

• Fixed a minor bug with the Extend Stay button.
• Updated the server processing so photo resizing does not cause BrightSide to load slowly.
• Fixed a bug where the default “State” value in the credit card screen caused a “Declined” status when making a payment in the guest portal.
• Fixed a bug where the Vrbo messages had incorrect time stamp.
• Fixed a bug where clicking “balance” did not enter the correct amount in the payments tab.
• Fixed the Breezeway sync so it correctly updated when a reservation is moved.
• We are currently working on some behind the scenes updates to improve the speed and performance of BrightSide.

Support Requests Since July 15, 2024

• Completed and closed 298 support requests.
• Answered 676 incoming support emails.
• Answered 195 support phone calls and provided assistance.
• Returned 100 support phone calls.

The August Release Notes are just a few highlights of the many improvements and updates we made to BrightSide since June 17th.

New Features & Updates

• Updated API between BrightSide and texting carrier
• Updated Google Vacation Rentals Rate Season Restrictions
• Updated the BrightSide API
• Completed new integration with Breezeway
• Added the ability to reauthorize Airbnb connection
• Finalized Operto integration
• Added ResortCleaning maintenance integration
• Added ability to edit the cleaning log
• Added a default setting for credit card fees
• Added ability to turn on/off Vrbo messages
• Add the ability to add the scheduled date to work orders
• Added ability to automatically check in/out guests
• Added Mailchimp integration

Bug Fixes & Performance Improvements

• Fixed a bug that did not mark the new unit dirty when moving an Airbnb reservation to a new unit
• Fixed a bug that prevented the inclusion of phone numbers in Airbnb guests’ file when exporting “Guest Mailing List CSV”
• Fixed a bug that caused Vrbo messages to be duplicated in the messaging thread
• Fixed a bug causing BrightSide to load slowly
• Fixed a bug where the cleaner schedule was not saving
• Fixed a bug with Breezeway causing reservations not to sync properly when moved to another unit
• Fixed a bug where newly uploaded unit photos were being rearranged

Support Requests Since June 17, 2024

• Completed and closed 380 support requests
• Answered 1157 incoming support emails
• Answered 196 support phone calls and provided assistance
• Returned 124 support phone calls