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Premium (Suites) Step-by-Step Guide

  • Updated

Clover Sport Premium empowers you to streamline your suites operations by customizing menus and managing orders based on specific suite accounts and bookings. It also enables smooth handling of event day operations, ensuring a seamless experience for your guests and employees from planning to execution.

In this guide, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to set up and configure the Suites Premium Module to suit your specific requirements.

Pre-Event Configuration 

1. Create Commissary Locations and Service Locations (Suites)

When preparing for events, having well-organized Suites pantry locations is essential for seamless operations. Depending on your venue's layout and requirements, you may need multiple pantry locations, for example, a pantry for each level.

Understanding Your Suites Workflow

Before diving into the setup, it's crucial to understand your Suites workflow thoroughly. By gaining insights into how your operations function, you can identify the specific settings needed in Location Settings to optimize efficiency and productivity.

Location Settings Configuration

Location Settings play a pivotal role in tailoring each pantry location to your requirements. Here's a breakdown of key configurations:

  • Location Type: Must be categorized as Commissary as to allow for using Service Locations (which allows you to add the Suite number to every order)
  • Default Transfer Source: If using Clover Sport Inventory, each pantry location may have a unique default transfer source, ensuring seamless inventory management.
  • Surcharge and Gratuity: These settings can be applied at the Location level, which would mean that all orders closed on game day will have this surcharge and gratuity applied.
    • Surcharges and Gratuities can be customized per Suite at the Booking or Account level. 
  • Payment Methods: The unique payment methods for Suites are:
    • Tab: Must insert credit card to start the tab.
    • Tab No Card: Start and name a tab without initially providing payment method.
    • House Account: Close orders to an account that can be invoiced and paid through a third-party system later. 
    • Card on File: Card on File can only be used to close a tab that was initially a pre-order linked to a card on file and then converted to an open tab on the day of the event.
  • Portables Mode: Typically, you won't need to enable Portables Mode as you will utilize the Flex device in Ordering Mode so you can assign a Suite Service Location to every order that prints on the receipt and the chit.
  • Expeditor Mode: Some Suites may utilize this mode, requiring specific features like Enable digital receipts and pickup notifications. However, this depends on having contactless commerce features enabled for the venue.
  • Server Station Auto-Logout: Server Station allows multiple Suite Attendants to use the Station Duo to manage their preorders and tabs. The device will log out automatically after a set number of seconds of inactivity, allowing the next Suite Attendant to quickly log in and manage their own tabs. 

Think of your close out process when setting up your Locations:

  • If you are going to accept digital signatures and tips, which means that the guest provide a tip and signs on the digital screen, turn on the following Print Settings:
    • Accept Digital Signatures
    • Allow tips
  • If you are going to have every guest sign a paper receipt and hand-write their tip on the receipt, turn on the following Print Settings:
    • Print receipts twice
    • Allow tips
  • Signature required threshold: Any order above the amount inputted into this field will require a signature. 

2. Create your Event

We recommend that you create a separate Event for Suites Pantries to make reporting easier. You will then be able to filter your Reports by the Suite Event to see all sales for Suites separately (note: not by individual Suite number, but by the Suites Location as a whole).

This also allows you to manipulate the Suites event time window to give more time for closing out or restocking your Suite, without impacting the other Locations' event. 

3. Create Suite Accounts and Customers

  • Make sure that you create Suite Accounts first, then Customers. 
  • Understand Generic Suite Account vs. Specific Suite Account:
    • Generic Suite Accounts: For one day rentals, create a Generic Suite Account that can be booked by customers one time. Do not assign a Suite Owner to the generic account. The customer can then be added to the generic account and log in and view items on the OCPO portal for just the event they are attending.
    • Specific Suite Accounts: These accounts are those that book a Suite for the entire year or entire game season. 
      • The owner of the Suite Account will be able to log into the OCPO Portal and view and place orders at ALL Suites associated with their Suite Account, all other Customers on the that account will only see the Suite they booked.
      • If there is no owner assigned to the Suite Account and there are multiple customers associated with the account, each customer that logs into the OCPO Portal will only see the Suite they booked
  • Understand how Card on File works
    • You may add the Card on File for the guest in Clover Sport Manager. If there is no card on file when they first log in to place a preorder, they will be prompted to input card information before they can view the menu. If guests want a second card added, they must call you to have you add it in Clover Sport Manager. 
  • Understand who has access to OCPO
    • What is the difference between the Suite Account Owner and a Customer?
      • The customer(s) designated as the Primary Contact and Host: The email associated to the host and primary contact assigned to the Booking will have access to log into online customer portal for that booking.
      • The customer designated as Suite Owner:
        • The owner of the Suite Account will be able to log into the OCPO Portal and view and place orders at ALL Suites associated with their Suite Account
        • All other Customers can also access the OCPO portal, but will see only the Suite they booked
        • If there is no owner assigned to the Suite Account and there are multiple Customers associated with the account, each Customer that logs into the OCPO Portal will only see the Suite they booked
  • Understand Order Adjustment Hierarchy

    • Order Settings:

      • Surcharges - Any surcharges applied to orders related to this booking
      • Gratuity - Any Gratuity applied to orders related to this booking
      • Menus - Available menus for this suite
      • Notes - Notes about this booking

      How Order Settings Are Applied:

      Location Settings are the default configuration and will be applied unless overridden by Account Settings, which can then be overridden by Booking Settings.

      This means if you have a suite account that requires a specific menu or gratuity, it will override what normally appears in the location being used. Additionally, if a specific booking has a surcharge unique to it, that surcharge will apply for only that booking.

      These settings should be assigned before pre-order conversion in order to successfully apply to a suites order.

4. Create Bookings and/or Bulk Bookings

  • The employee assigned to the Booking will be the one who can see the preorder when logging in on game day to the device. If the preorders are assigned to the Suite Manager, then on game day the Suite Manager can transfer every preorder to the pertaining Suite Attendant.
  • Save time by using Bulk Bookings to book out multiple events for a Suite Account that will be attending all or most events. 

5. Create your Preorder Menus and Event Day Menus

  • Menu Hierarchy: Menus are highly customizable in our Suites module for the OCPO Portal. You may attach a menu to a particular booking, account, or the Suites Pantry Location. 

    • Can I use the same menu for preorder and event day?
      • Yes, if you want the same menu for the preorders for every guest and on event day, just attach the menu to the Suites Pantry Location. 

    • Can I customize preorder menus for specific suite accounts and bookings?
      • Yes, the OCPO website will adhere to the following hierarchy when pulling menus:

        1. Booking: The OCPO site will look for a menu attached to the booking first. If none exists, see #2.

        2. Account: The OCPO site will then look for a menu attached to the Suite Account. If none exists, see #3. 

        3. Location: The OCPO site will then look for a menu attached to the Suites Commissary Location.

    • Which menu is available on Game Day?
      • It is important to note that the menu attached to the Suites Pantry Location will always be the menu available on Game Day, regardless of what menu is available on the booking or account.

  • Menu Item Images: Menu item images will be displayed on the OCPO portal, where your Suites guests can place pre-orders in advance of the event.  

  • Menu Categories: Make sure there are no limits set under Contains alcohol > Limit alcohol per order, as this will limit your customers to ordering only that number of items within that category on the pre-order website. 

  • Recipes: Building recipes for your menu items is not only important if you are tracking inventory, but also for your Suites Production Guides. If you do not attach a recipe to a menu item sold on the Suites menu, then the Suites Production Guide will only list out the menu items
     
  • Print Groups for KDS and Chit Printers: Print groups must be configured and attached to menu items in order to route orders from a Flex to a KDS or chit printer. Click here for more information on how to set up your print groups. 

6. Manage your guests' Preorders.You may do either or both of the following:

  1. Place Suites Preorder on Behalf of Guest: Through this method, the guest either emails or calls in to place their pre-order based on a menu you provided to them. You will log into Clover Sport Manager and on the Booking, you will input the preorder manually. 

  2. Guest Orders via Self-Service Ordering Portal (OCPO): Through this method, the guest will log into the online customer portal (OCPO) and place a pre-order themselves, which then auto-generates in Clover Sport Manager where you can manage it. 
    • Who has access to OCPO?
      • The customer(s) designated as the Primary Contact and Host: The email associated to the host and primary contact assigned to the Booking will have access to log into online customer portal for that booking.
      • The customer designated as Suite Owner:
        • The owner of the Suite Account will be able to log into the OCPO Portal and view and place orders at ALL Suites associated with their Suite Account
        • All other Customers can also access the OCPO portal, but will see only the Suite they booked
        • If there is no owner assigned to the Suite Account and there are multiple Customers associated with the account, each Customer that logs into the OCPO Portal will only see the Suite they booked

    • How do guests log in to OCPO?
      • Guests will use their email and the password you assign to their Customer profile. 

    • Do guests need a card on file to place a preorder on OCPO?
      • Yes, if there is no card on file for the customer in Manager, the guest will be prompted to add their card when they first log in. They can only add one card themselves. If they need to add an additional card(s), they will need to call and have you do it in Manager. 

    • Can guests provide preorder item-level special instructions?

      • Yes, if the customer inputs Item-level Special instructions when placing their preorder on OCPO, those notes appear in the Pre-order Notes Section of the printed Setup Guide. 

    • Can guests provide preorder order-level special instructions?

      • When the customer has finished building their order, they click on the cart to check out. Under Special Instructions, they may add additional notes below the booking notes that have already been saved in Manager.

    • Will guests receive an email to confirm their preorder?
      • Once a customer completes their preorder, they will receive a confirmation email at the email address configured on their customer page. Customers will not receive an email for orders booked by the venue in Clover Sport Manager, however, an order confirmation can be printed from the Bookings module in PDF format and sent to the client.
    • Can guests edit their preorder?
      • Once guests complete their online preorder in OCPO they must call the venue to make changes. Customers are alerted that any changes will require a call when they submit and finalize their order in OCPO.

7. Create and print your Pre-Event Preparation Guides

  • Understand the Guides available to you and your staff
    • Setup Guide: The Setup Guide gives an overview of the order including the stock items needed to make the menu items as well as the following:
      • Pre-Order Notes: The pre-order notes are generated when a guest places an order on the OCPO portal and writes special instructions for the menu item they are ordering. These notes can be provided to the kitchen staff for preparing their order. 
      • Account Notes: Account Notes are generated from Clover Sport Manager, when you or a member of your team adds notes into the Account Notes field on the guest's account. 
      • Booking Notes: Booking Notes are generated from both typed notes in Clover Sport Manager and the Special Instructions on an order placed by a guest in the OCPO portal. 
    • Order Confirmation: The Order Confirmation page can be sent to the guest via email to confirm their order is complete. You may also use it as a checklist to ensure everything has been prepared for the Suite before the event. 
    • Invoice: The Invoice can be sent to the guest to outline what they owe for the Suite order.

    • Notes Report: The Notes Report is a CSV file that will list out every Suite that is booked along with the account notes and booking notes for that Suite. 
    • Print Production Guide: The Production Guide is generated based on the Recipes holding the Stock Items attached to every menu item that the guests order on the OCPO portal. You must create the Recipes ahead of time. If no Recipe is attached, the Production guide will only list the menu items and the quantity for the order. 

      The Production Guide can be provided to the kitchen staff to inform them what to prepare for each Suite. 

    • Print Production Labels by (Menu) Item: Production Labels for your Suites orders are available by Menu Item. 
    • Print Production Labels by Stock Item: Production Labels for your Suites orders are also available by Stock Item if you have attached recipes to the menu item. 

Event Day Operations

8. Manage Event Day Ordering & Fulfillment

  • Preorders Convert to Tabs: About five minutes before the event start time, the preorders that were placed on OCPO or in Clover Sport Manager will be converted to open tabs that can be modified on the Clover Flex or Station Duo. 

  • Suite Managers May Reassign Preorders to Suite Attendants on Event Day: If every booking  was assigned to the Suite Manager, the Suite Manager will need to transfer each preorder to the  Suite Attendant that will be managing that Suite on the day of the event.
  • Suite Attendants May Manage Tabs on a Flex
    • Ordering Mode: Suite Attendants will use Ordering Mode to start new tabs on the Flex. This way, they can assign the Suite number to every order and the kitchen printer will print the Suite number on the top of the chit so that the runner knows where every order is going. 
    • Employee Profile: The employee profile for suite attendants should have portables unselected if that server will always use ordering mode when using the Flex. This will eliminate confusion of accidentally starting an order in portables mode and not adding the Service Location (Suite Number) to the chit. 

  • Suite Attendants May Manage Tabs using Server Station:
    • If suite attendants are not using Flexes, they may share a Station to manage their tabs. Suite attendants can log into Server Station.
    • This allows the Suite Attendants to utilize the auto-logout feature, where after the indicated number of seconds of inactivity (selected by the venue), the device logs out automatically. When the Suite Attendant walks up, they are able to log in faster with their user card and only view the tabs they are managing. This ensures they do not accidentally add to a tab that isn't assigned to them. 

Post-Event Operations

9. Close out at the end of the night

  • Close Tabs
    • All preorders that converted to tabs will close out to a card on file if they were placed on OCPO or the guest had a card on file and the order was placed in Clover Sport Manager. If there was no card on file for a preorder created in Clover Sport Manager, this preorder will need to close to credit, cash, or house account.  
    • All tabs made on event day will need to be closed to another payment method such as credit or cash. They cannot be closed to a card on file since the owner of the card did not authorize those tab amounts. 
    • A guest may have a House Account on file with you. You may close the order to that account and invoice them using third-party software later. A house account does not capture payment but will generate a report showing the order total. You must bill the client later in a system other than Clover Sport.

  • Split Checks Workflow Options
    • Please consult your Training Manager for the available split checks functions according to your workflows.
  • Order takers may print out the Order Taker Sales Report
    • The Order Taker Sales Report will give a summary of the Suite Attendants' sales and tips. 

10. View Premium Reports

  • Production Guide by Suite: Displays Menu Category, Item, and Item Count per Suite. 
    • Filter by Event, Suite, Menu Category, and Menu Item. 
  • Pre-Order Notes: Displays detailed information on any pre-orders with Suite Account or Booking notes.
    • Filter by Event Date, Event, Suite, Suite Account, and Location.
    • Note: Item-level special instructions from the OCPO portal will not display on this report. 
  • Pre-Order Status: Displays whether the preorder has been placed for all of the bookings in the selected event.
    • Filter by Event, Location, Suite, and Suite Account
    • Includes the Booking Notes as well
  • Suite Accounts Spend: Displays the total amount spent by a Suite Account and lists out the individual Preorder ID's and Preorder Totals
    • Filter by Event Date, Event, and Suite Account 
    • Note: This report does not include Orders taken on Event Day
  • Suites Production - Stock Items: Shows the quantity of stock items organized by inventory category.
  • Suites Production - Items by Menu Category: Shows the quantity of stock items organized by menu category that are included in the preorders.
    • Filter by Event, Menu Category, Location, Suite, and Menu Item
  • Pre-Order Items by Suite: Shows the quantity of stock items in suites organized that are included in preorders. 
    • Filter by Event, Stock Item, Location, Suite, and Inventory Category 

Please note: There is no report that displays the total sales for the Service Location (Suite). If you need this, we recommend printing out every receipt and totaling the sales at the end of the event. 

 

How to Restock a Suite

There are two ways you can restock a Suite. 

1. Keep track of the start and end count of the items for the Suite. Add the number of items that must be restocked to the preorder while the guest is there and close to the card on file. 

2. Create a separate Restocking event. Create a booking and a preorder on behalf of the client in Clover Sport Manager. Add the items that need to be restocked to the suite. On the device, once the preorder has converted, close the order to the card on file. Send the invoice to let the guest know that they are being charged for the items that were used at the event. 

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