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DBR and EDC Problems

Handhelds

Add a New Location

To add a new location perform the following steps:

Add the location to the location file using the following menu option: 

Complete the information on the first and second screens, then return to the menu.

Set up the DBR-to-GL-translation records for each valid city/location/company combination using menu options 9-1-34. (If you do not set up the DBR-to-GL records, you will get error messages when trying to use the new location.)

 REMINDER: The following files need to be updated when adding a new renting location:

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Add a New Vehicle Class

To add a new vehicle class perform the following steps:

Add the location to the location file using the following menu option: 

The following records need to be updated when adding a new vehicle class: 

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Attach Credit Card Reader to a Terminal

Change the terminal defaults to accept the credit card input using the following menu options: 

Enter 3 (both tracks) in the Credit Card Reader field.

In the Credit Card Server field enter 0 if you are installing the reader only, with no authorization modem. If you are installing the reader and an authorization modem, enter 1.

Dip switches are present for 9600 baud. If attaching a card reader to a terminal that is running at 19.2, 4800, or 2400 baud, you must change switches 1, 2, and 3 on switch bank A. Switch bank B settings do not need to be changed (the settings are shown for troubleshooting purposes only).

Connect the credit card Y cable to the modem port on the back of the terminal. Plug the system cable into the Y cable. Connect the nine-pin adapter from the Y cable to the reader. Plug in the power supply.

Go into Contract Open. The system should request that you swipe the card before it asks for the reservation number or name.

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Cancel a Reservation

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Change Class Codes on the Due-Back Display

Use menu options 11-4-1 (Reservation System/File Management/Summary Car Class/Change). Press F5 to access Change mode. Enter the city/location/company code combination or press F9 to access a list of combinations. Change class codes (fields 4-17) accordingly.

NOTE: If any changes are made to the file, other than initial setup, the  Reset Summary Totals program (11-4-2) should be run to correctly reflect changes on the Reservation Summary Screens.

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Change Time/Classes of Reservation Summary Chart

First, print a customization file list using menu options 2-6 (Orion Scheduling System). Enter RZ CHART in the high and low range fields. The customization file list will detail the contents of the Data field of the 2-3 screen.

Use menu options 2-3 pressing F5 to access Change mode. Enter RZ CHART in the Program field.

Enter/change data according to the customization file list.

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Changing Revenue Charge Items

Access the Charge Lines  file 9-1-32.   Click the sample image below to enlarge.

The items shown are:

Item 1: Charge Code - The five digit alpha-numeric code for the charge created in the Charge File 9-1-31.             

Item 2: Item # - The item number is used if more than one line item is needed to build the charges, for example, if the charge is for a Licensing Fee and there is a separate charge amount by vehicle class, item 001 might represent the compact class, item 002 the standard class, item 003 the premium class, etc.                          

Item 3: Print Text - he description of the charge that will print on the contract or invoice. This is a 20 character alpha numeric field.                        

Item 4: Effective Date - The beginning date that the charge will become valid. This allows the user to set up charges in advance.                  

Item 5: Ending Date - The ending date that the charge will be valid. This allows the user to schedule when a charge should end, the system will automatically disallow the item from any programs or search routines.

Item 6: Per Unit Cost - The per unit cost for the charge. For example, if this is the Charge Line for fuel, enter the price per gallon. Or, if this is the Charge Line for additional driver(s), enter the per day or flat rate charge.                    

Item 7: $/Period Rate - The period cost for the charge; weekly cost, weekend special cost, etc..

Item 8: Days in Period - The number of days for the above cost; weekly = 7, weekend special = 3, etc..

Item 9: Maximum Charge - The maximum amount that can be charged per contract if applicable.

Item 10: Calc Parms - Do not change -- Orion use only.

Item 11: Criteria - Call Orion for assistance.

Item 12: Tax Rate - This field is only used for taxes and surcharges.

Item 13: Grace Minutes - The grace minutes allowed per rental for the charge.

To make a change, enter the corresponding number at the Enter Item # to Correct prompt and press enter. The cursor will move to the data line. Make all changes, press end to return to the file maintenance menu. This change will be applied to all future contracts, any contracts that are currently open will use the old values.

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Change the Bulletin Board/Hot Sheet

To change the bulletin board use menu options 9-1-23. Press F5 to access Change mode, the program displays lines 24 and 25. 

Enter either 24 or 25 in the Page # field and make any necessary changes on the lines.

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Clear Locked Records

At times, a record or file will be retained in the last terminal that accessed it. When this happens, you will see the message Record in use at Term XX at the bottom of your screen. To correct this use menu options 93-23 (FourD Systems/Data Management). The following screen will  appear:

Double click to view image

Records that are locked will appear on the screen; in the example the VC VA1 (vehicle status file) and the CA TE1 (agent terminal file) are both being protected by the system and may affect other users. Press ENTER to highlight the file(s) and then press HOME to execute the task. 

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Close Files

Use the close files program overcome file access conflicts. Select 2-11 from the system menu, the following screen will display:

Double click to view image

Enter the file that needs to be closed.

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Enter Additional Deposits

From the Counter Agent Control Menu: 

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Ground Alert Dates and Mileage

In 7-1-25 you can enter grounding and alert dates, mileage, or both. You can then run a management report (7-3-6) to plan your turnbacks and sales.  

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Non-Revenue Transfers

This program enables agents to transfer vehicles from one location to another or transfer a vehicle to the repair shop for maintenance. The program assigns and prints a non revenue ticket and allows the user to place the vehicle in the proper status such as transfer, service, etc.

Enter 23 on the Counter Agent Control menu and press ENTER. Select number 1 to open a non-revenue ticket or number 2 to close a non-revenue ticket. 

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Open Contract Accrual Report

The Open Contract Accrual Report (9-7-1 Daily Business/Monthly/Open Contract Accrual Report) shows revenue accrued for rental agreements still open as of the accrual date entered. This report is used by companies doing accrual-based accounting and can also be used to monitor deposits on cash rentals.

This report provides an excellent means to locate contracts that have had vehicles removed improperly.

The report calculates open and closed contracts, ignoring void contracts. If two rates are entered on the contract, the second rate is used to calculate the accrued revenue. If the number of dates to accrue is one to four, the system uses the daily rate; five to seven days, the weekly rate; and over eight days, a combination of the daily and weekly rates.

Today's date defaults in the prompt. If correct, press enter. If incorrect, enter the date through which to accrue revenue and press enter.

After entering the accrual date, the sort screen appears. The dates default according to the accrual date entered. To change any setting(s), select the option by entering the number and pressing enter. Enter the new setting and press enter. When the settings are as you want them, leave the entry field blank and press enter.

Select and verify the print option you want. Press enter to access the print command screen. Since you will probably want a hard copy of this report, make sure the disposition is set to P (printer). To begin printing, leave the entry field blank and press enter.

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Contract Open with a Pending Renter

Sometimes referred to as "advanced open," pending renter is used primarily when there is a shortage of vehicles. Pending renter lets a CSR complete a rental agreement, with the exception of the vehicle data. The contract is saved in the pending renter file for retrieval at a later time.

When opening a contract, complete all prompts prior to the Enter Vehicle or License # prompt. Press SHIFT F9. This causes the system to skip the vehicle information and let you continue from rate entry and the fuel purchase option and coverages. When the contract is complete, press SHIFT F13 if using a Wyse terminal or CTRL F1 if using a PC to save the contract in the pending renter file.

Retrieving the contract: From the contract open prompt press SHIFT F13 if using a Wyse terminal or CTRL F1if using a PC. Press enter for a general search. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate customer. The contract will be brought back to the vehicle entry point. Enter the vehicle information and press PRINT/SEND to save and print the contract.

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Print Pending Renter Contracts

Should the need arise to print a copy of a contract saved in the pending renter file:

At the Enter Last Name/Customer #/Rez # prompt of Contract Open press SHIFT F13 if using a Wyse terminal or CTRL F1 is using a PC and press ENTER (for a general search) to access a list of pending renters. Write down the contract number(s) of the contract(s) you want to print. Press HOME to exit the list. Press ENTER again to return to the Counter Agent Control menu. Select menu option 4 (Reprint) and print the contracts selected.

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Rental History Report 

The Rental History Report (7-3-20–Vehicle Inventory Control/Management Reports/Rental History) shows revenue and profit for each vehicle model, make, and class in your fleet for the reporting period selected (YTD–year to date, CTD–current period, i.e., current month). The report can also be used to determine fleet mix and evaluate particular vehicle types for actual or anticipated revenue and profit.

The rental history file, from which the report is generated, is built on closed rental agreements only at the time of DBR posting. Rental history is created only on owned vehicles. If the rental carries over the last day of the month, all rental revenue is included in the month of close, not the month in which the contract was opened.

To ensure accuracy, print the Rental History Report only after the last DBR for the prior month has been posted. Once the report is printed and modifications made (if needed), the Zero Period Rental History program (7-1-31) must be run to clear the period accumulation totals prior to posting the first DBR for the new month.

After selecting the type of report you want, a sort screen appears. Change any parameters of the sort to meet your needs. You may want a report for a specific make, model, or class of vehicle.

Proceed through the print options and commands to print the report.

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Repeat Customer Profile 

When booking a reservation, reservation personnel should ask the customer if they have rented from your company before.

If the customer rented previously, at the Repeat Customer # field, the reservationist should enter the customer's home phone number. This will pull the customer profile (from DB SR1) into the reservation screen.

The customer may also indicate that this is a first-time rental. If this is the case, the reservationist has the opportunity to build a profile.

When the customer arrives at the renting location to pick up the reserved car, the customer service representative (CSR) will be able to open the rental contract more quickly because many of the prompts will now be filled in. This will allow for shorter lines and increased customer satisfaction.

If the customer has rented from your company before, but the CSR is unable to bring the profile into the reservation, there is a possibility that the customer's phone number may have changed. At this point, while still at the Repeat Customer # field, the CSR may press F9 to search for the correct profile, pull it into the reservation, and correct the phone number. When the search window is displayed press F3 to choose an alternate search, the file can be search by name, credit card number, drivers license number or company name. 

Another way to find the correct repeat customer profile is to use menu options 10-11.

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Vehicle Exchange 

The vehicle exchange program (10-5–Counter Agents System/Vehicle Exchange) is used to change vehicles on a rental contract. Most information for the original vehicle appears on the screen when you enter the program. Press ENTER to move through the screen for items that require information.

If changing one item, for example, the status code, and the replacement vehicle information is correct, enter the new code and press ENTER to go to the next field. Once ENTER is pressed, the PRINT/SEND key can be pressed to save the vehicle exchange information.

When vehicle exchange is selected, you will be prompted to enter your agent ID and possibly your password. The Agent ID # prompt appears only if the main agent field is blank in the terminal defaults record for the terminal. The agent's name appears in the upper right corner of the screen.

Enter the contract number and press ENTER to display the vehicle exchange screen, an F9 search is available. At the "Enter REPLACEMENT Vehicle # or License #" prompt enter the appropriate number. When the new vehicle is entered, the exchange information defaults in the in/due fields of the original vehicle and the out fields of the replacement vehicle. The original in/due information from the first vehicle is transferred to the in/due fields of the replacement vehicle. 

If any messages were added to the contract using 10-7 (Counter Agents System/Messages), they appear after entering the contract number and pressing ENTER. 

The screen appears with the current date and time and the out city and location. If the vehicle is past due at the time of the exchange, "Warning!!! Contract Overdue! Due Back–MM/DD/YY" appears. To remedy this situation, either extend the contract or close the existing contract and open a new contract for the customer. 

The system will prompt the user for the next contract number, assuming that multiple exchanges are being entered. Enter the next contract number and press ENTER to continue. If no more exchanges are to be entered, press ENTER to return to the daily operations menu.

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Contract Already Closed Message on Overdue Report 

The "Contract Already Closed" message appears for one of two reasons:

1.   The rental agreement was closed off-line and the question to update the vehicle's status was answered N. Reporting potential problems that the vehicle shows on rent, but is not with the proper rental agreement number. 

2.   The rental agreement was opened off-line and the question to update the vehicle's status was answered N. The vehicle status was changed manually to 10, but the rental agreement number on that vehicle was not updated.

The report looks at all cars with a status of 10 or 11. It then extracts the rental agreement number in that vehicle's contract number field. It tries to get the Contract record accordingly. If the rental agreement number is closed, that is reported because you potentially have a missing car.

If a vehicle prints on the Due Back Report as overdue and also shows "Contract Already Closed," you need to go into status change to update the status record to show the date and time the contract was closed and the correct status. The contract was closed off-line and the status was not updated correctly on close. If the status record has the correct information, call the Orion Help Desk so we can check for duplicate status records.  

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Discrepancies Between Snapshot and Due-Back Display 

The due-back display and the due back report use the Due/In Location field for its calculations and Snapshot uses the Current Location field for its count. Snapshot also includes overdues in the due-today column (Call the Orion Help Desk for a program request change to eliminate this.)

Therefore, if the renting location and the return location are different, a discrepancy will occur.

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Field Does Not Print on Report Generator 

If a field is not printing on a report generator report, select option 5 (List Report) on the control module menu to print a copy of the report setup. Enter D (detail) and the three-letter code for the report as the high and low range for item 1 (Report ID). Check each field name on the report against the field list to make sure each is spelled correctly. Verify that the module and file name are correct on the sort screen.

If you have a report using two files, make sure you have opened the second file before trying to print the field. You should have two columns, one labeled "open file," and one labeled with the correct column heading.  If you have completed both steps, verify that you have entered the correct module and file name. Next, verify that N has been entered for Other File? for the first column and Y to Other File? for the second column. If everything appears to be correct, fax a copy of the report setup to the Orion Help Desk.

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Missing Data on Unaudited Reports 

The Schedule did not run and create records for that day.  Press F4.  Enter 7 in the Item Type field and the Program DB DATfp.  All other fields will remain blank. Press HOME to execute.  You may be prompted to enter the date.

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"No Resave of CX1 Allowed" Error Message During Close 

The contract was not reopened properly. Change the status in 9-5-14 by entering C in field 1. Reopen the contract using Contract Reopen (9-5-19).

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Pound Signs on Snapshot Display 

Rebuild Snapshot using menu options 9-4-3

At the ‘Are you sure you want to rebuild’ prompt, enter Y.  At the ‘Do you want to Protect Platter during rebuild’ prompt, enter Y.

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Terminal Displays Ks When You Type 

You have a card swipe connected to the terminal.

Turn off the terminal and disconnect the card swipe. Turn the terminal on. You should be able to type normally.

You can try to connect the card swipe after turning the terminal off and checking the screen. If this doesn't work, try connecting the card swipe to another terminal. You need to reset your terminal defaults if you remove the card swipe altogether.

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X71 Error When Closing a Contract 

Look at the screen to see where the error occurred. If it occurred on the first or second screen, a value on the open contract is too large or a date is incorrect. Check the open contract in inquiry for any problems. Verify that the following are correct: date out, date due, vehicle mileage, and discount amounts (a $10 discount must be entered as 10.00, while a 10% discount must be entered as -.10.) If you find no errors, call Orion for assistance.

You may also want to look at the contract in Contract Modify to search for possible problems. If the error is on the insurance replacement screen, make sure the contract is an insurance replacement contract. If it is, make sure all fields have been entered correctly, especially dates. (You can use modify to check these fields.) If the "authorized thru" date is blank, enter a date and save the contract. Then try closing it again. If it is not an insurance replacement contract, go into modify and make sure the insurance replacement Y/N switch on the rate screen is set to N.

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DBR Error Messages 

No Cust #" next to Contract: Go to Contract/Quick Edit (9-5-14). Enter the contract number. Check the payment types on lines 16, 17, and 18 for a DB payment type. If there is a DB payment with no customer number listed, select this line. Press

UNBAL?: An unbalanced message indicates the total debits do not equal the total credits on the contract. Reopen and reclose the contract. Reprint the DBR.

NO CC??: Indicates the credit card information has not been saved with the contract. Reopen the contract. Reclose the contract off-line with the correct payment type.

No GLCH1: This message appears for entries entered using the PIO (paid in/out) function. Recall the appropriate PIO entry and enter a valid GL account number. This can be done using menu options 12-1-13 (Advanced Communication/Credit Card Reader/CX1 File Maintenance).

Not EDC'd: This error indicates that the contract closing transaction was not submitted during EDC. Submit the transaction and reprint the DBR.

No DB GL1: This messages appears if the city, location, and company codes do not matched a DB GL1 (DBR-to-general-ledger transaction table) (9-1-34) record. Check the DBR to GL code file (9-1-34) and add or change the record. Reprint the DBR.

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Zero-out Period Rental History 

After posting the last DBR of the month you will run all of your month-end reports. Once you have run the rental history report and before posting the first of the new month's DBRs, choose menu options 7-1-31 to zero-out the file. The user will be prompted to enter ATL (all time) MTD (month to date) or YTD (year to date). 

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Open Approvals Report

The Open Approvals Report (12-1-11) helps determine if overdue contracts require additional authorization. If so, this program dials out and gets the needed authorization for the contract to be EDC'd correctly when closed. This report lets you get additional credit card authorization, as well as do authorization reversals.

Stop trx#'s don't match" error

If this error occurs, press PRINT/SEND (or equivalent save key) to continue with the authorization process.

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EDC Batch Interruption at Phase 6c 

If the status of your EDC batch is still 'O'pen and while posting it is interrupted at phase 6c, check with your processor to verify that they received the batch. If is was received, go into 12-1-12. Enter Y to continue and bring up the last screen of the submission. Enter A to accept the batch and press PRINT/SEND. If none of the batch was received, enter R (retry). If a partial batch was received, call the Help Desk with the batch number.  

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EDC Deposit Summary 

To make reconciliation of your bank account easier, run the Deposit Summary Report 12-1-15. It will give you total dollars EDC'd on specific dates by card type. As long as your EDC batches tie with your DBR Post, the numbers will also match your general ledger cash account.

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EDC Errors & Corrections on a Verification Report or Submission 

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Kill and Restart PBASE 

From a root prompt you can now type the following shortcut to get to the pbase directory.

To kill and restart pbase, you do not need to be in the pbase directory. You can restart pbase from any directory.  From a root prompt type the following: 

Press enter again to get back to a  root prompt.

After typing  pb_clean, you must see three lines under the pb_clean. If you don’t, type pb_clean until you do. Then, do the pb_start. 

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Handheld Hardware 

Batteries

Batteries should be used until totally depleted before recharging. Recharging batteries before they are completely depleted will result in low life expectancy and reduced charge capacity.

Batteries should be replaced every 18-24 months.

If your battery charger comes with a discharge feature, it should be used at least once a month. This will take the charge down to zero and then recharge the battery to 100%.

Cables

The cable between the handheld and printer is fragile. Make sure the cable does not get crimped or caught on anything. A spare cable should be kept on hand in case one goes bad.

O'Niel Printers

Always push the red button before sending a print command. The O'Niel has a quick sleep cycle and needs to be awakened before printing. If the red button is not pushed, the contract will not print completely (the first half is usually missing).

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Handheld Terminal Requirements 

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Killing the Handheld Process in UNIX

Use the following process if the restart option (11-2-32—Advanced Communication/Hand Held Terminal/Restart Handhelds) does not work.

At a root prompt (>), type the following (^ indicates space) and press enter:

>ps^-ef|grep^HHT

The screen will show the handheld process, usually identified by rtp -s -d32 HHT01. Type the following and press enter:

>kill^-9^____ (process number)

The handheld process will restart after being killed.

Killing the handheld process also removes the message log file and recreates it.

To view the message log file, type the following at the root prompt and press enter after each entry:

>cd^/tmp

>tail^-f^hht01

 Press CTRL+C and enter to exit the tail program.

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Reset the Handheld Base Unit

RCB4000

Flip dip switch 8 on the base unit down and back up. NEVER unplug the base unit from the electrical outlet.

RCB1000

Unscrew the power cord from the end of the base unit. NEVER unplug the base unit from the electrical outlet.

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Restart the Handheld Process

In UNIX 

At the root prompt (root>) type KHHT ## (## = base number).

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