Give me a Shortcut! Series Part 5 - Change data in Tracks the easy way!

One more Tracks Shortcut for everyone!

In Tracks, The Modify Bonus/GL/Category utility allows you to change bonus field data, GL Account, and/or category that was entered at the time of the original sale. You may also add new bonus field or category data to existing receipts.

To get to this screen, go to the Management Menu, Special Functions, and select Modify Bonus/GL/Category.



Why would you want to use this?

• Modify GL Account - Maybe you were taking a deposit and you selected the wrong GL Account on the Work Screen. You can change it here and then when you either do your Closeout the first time or re-export your Closeout Information to SchoolBooks, you won't need to fix it on the SchoolBooks side because you fixed it here first. That's convenient, huh?
• Modify Bonus - Maybe you were selling prom tickets and using the bonus field to enter the guest name. Well, when someone comes crying to you because they have a new date, no need to refund the transaction. Just come to this screen and make a change.
  
• Modify Category - Maybe you were taking a donation and you made a mistake and entered the wrong category. This utility gives you the opportunity to enter the correct category for the donation so that it comes over into SchoolBooks correctly because you fixed it here first.

Fix these things once - on an easy to use screen and that's it!

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Give me a Shortcut! Series Part 4 - Step away from the mouse!

How can you save a ton of time on the Tracks Work Screen? By not using your mouse... hide it from yourself and after a little practice, you'll be flying through your transactions exclusively using your keyboard!

Just use the following shortcut keys:

Function Keys (to use, simply press the function key on your keyboard)

• F3 - Item Lookup
• F4 - Clear the Work Screen
• F5 - Delete a detail line (an item)
• F6 - Edit a detail line (this replaces double clicking)
• F8 - Customer Lookup
• F11 - More options (see below)
  
• F12 - Fast Cash Sale (Print the receipt fast depending on your settings in Workstation Settings!)
• F9 - Print a standard receipt

More Shortcuts (some of these shortcuts are visible on the Work Screen and some are visible only when you click or press , either way, to use them - just type the letters in the Command Line on the Work Screen)

• CH - View the customer's history
• LC - Bring up the last customer
• R - Return item
• LI - Sell the Last Item again (Great for those lines of students buying dance tickets!)
• P - Take payments and pre-payments
• RP - Reprint the last receipt (Great for when it's crazy and you need to write yourself a note to fix something later!)
• AC - Add a new customer
• /C - Add a comment
• RO - Reprint Old Receipt
• CC - Create Credit
• RT - Reverse a transaction

Happy typing!

Give me a Shortcut! Series Part 3 - Tracks Settings for the Work Screen

Today, we're going to look at five different options on the School Settings: Work Screen Tab. You probably use the Work Screen at least once a day - so these quick options could make all that time easier!

1. Customer/Item History Display Options - You all probably know about the options to change a student to Price Level B if they buy a Student Body Card (or some other item that your school uses for giving discounts), but did you know you can set up two additional displays on the Work Screen to show if a customer has either bought or not bought an item?

Let's say you want to see right away who has not turned in their Parent Consent form when they come to your window, just set it up like you see in the picture below. Now, if the student in front of you has NOT BOUGHT (or in this case, turned in), it'll show CONST (or whatever you type there) right on the Work Screen.

Try it out - this doesn't affect anything in your history - and you can change it as often as you want!

While we are still on this tab, there are a few other small options that we will look at briefly as time savers...

2. Give Change: Check this box if you want to Tracks to display the amount of change due the customer at the time payment is tendered.

3. Close Item Screen After Each Item: When you click to do an Item Lookup on the Work Screen, you can choose whether you want the program to keep the lookup window open or close it after you’ve selected an item.

4. Enable Check Number/Name field: Check this box if you want to be prompted to enter the check number and name as you complete the sale. Now, to save time, you could clear this box - but then if a check bounces, it's going to take you much longer to track it down, so what's the real time saver?

5. Sound a Beep on Scan Errors: Check this box if you would like to hear a fun "beep-boop" sound when incorrect entries are made on the Work Screen. This means you scan a your water bottle instead of that student's ID card. Oops!

Questions? Comments? Let us know!