What are Offers?
Offers are similar to orders and carry with them the majority of the same information; however, to reduce overhead no pricing information (except gifts) is included in the offer. All other information is available so the customer can view the contents of the offer.
Offers contain the same inventory entities as orders such as admissions, bundles, miscellaneous items and gifts. All event and seat location information is stored in the offer for both regular admissions as well as bundles. Offers can be fully or partially accepted or declined by the customer either through the Desktop or online. Offers can also be created with an 'Access Code' that allows customers to send the offers to other customers.
Typically one offer is associated to a single order; however, it is possible to associate multiple offers to an order if needed.
By using lighter-weight offers, you can facilitate renewals online and in batches. Remember that offers hold no pricing information for the added inventory elements, except donation amounts.
How Are Offers Used?
Offers for purchaseable items (admissions, bundles, donations) are created for the customer either manually or via a batch process. The customer can select the offer online and examine the contents of it. All of the related information is available except the pricing (gift information is available though).
When an offer is accepted it is converted to an order. A link is created between the offer and the order for to track what offers have been converted. Once an offer is converted, all of the pricing information is available. The payment is then made against the order, and the offer's 'Status' is changed (Accepted, Partially Accepted).
When an offer is declined the contents are released and are made available for general sale. The offer's status is changed to Declined.
If the offer was created with an 'Access Code', customers can send it and their 'Customer Numbers' to other customers, allowing others to access and accept (or decline) the offer. This can be done in the Desktop and online.
Promotion codes can also be used to unlock particular offers in the same manner that promotion codes are used to access other products.
Notifications for offers are also available online, informing users that they have available offers that will eventually expire.
Batch Creation of Offers
There is also an offers batch creation tool that allows you to facilitate renewals, using offers to catalogue the items that customers are able to purchase for the new season. Offers for bundles, events and other purchasable items are created en masse for each customer in the renewal cycle.
The following sections describe how to work with offers:
•Adding a Customer to an Offer
•Adding Content to a New Offer
•Adding Content to an Existing Offer
•Deleting the Content of an Offer
