Service Providers

Service providers are the external vendors your concierge team works with to deliver guest experiences. Tour companies, private chefs, airport transfer services, yoga instructors, fishing charter captains -- every third party that fulfills a trip service is tracked as a provider in the system.

Overview

The provider directory is the foundation of your concierge workflow. When a guest requests an airport transfer or a sunset sailing tour, the concierge team selects a provider from this directory, assigns them to the service item, and tracks the engagement through to commission settlement.

A well-maintained provider directory makes the concierge team faster and more consistent. New team members can see which providers handle which services, what their commission rates are, and how to reach them -- without relying on institutional knowledge stored in someone's phone contacts.

Managing Providers

Adding a New Provider

To add a provider to your directory:

1. Go to Concierge > Providers (or Admin > Providers). Concierges, property managers, and admins can all add and edit providers.
2. Click Add Provider.
3. Fill in the provider details:
   • Name -- The business or individual name (e.g., "Costa Rica Expeditions" or "Chef Daniel").
   • Contact person -- The primary person you communicate with.
   • Phone -- Phone number in international format.
   • Email -- Business email address.
   • WhatsApp -- WhatsApp number, if different from the phone number.
   • Preferred channel -- How you typically reach this provider: WhatsApp, Email, or Phone.
   • Default commission -- The standard commission percentage for services fulfilled by this provider (e.g., 15%).
   • Notes -- Any relevant details: service areas, peak season availability, minimum group sizes, special instructions.
4. Click Save.

The provider is immediately available for assignment to service items across all properties in your company.

Editing a Provider

Click any provider in the directory to open their detail view. From there you can update contact information, adjust the default commission rate, add notes, or change the active status. Changes take effect immediately -- existing service items already assigned to this provider are not affected, but new assignments will use the updated details.

Deactivating a Provider

If you stop working with a provider but want to keep their historical records intact:

1. Open the provider's detail view.
2. Toggle the Active status to inactive.
3. Save.

Inactive providers no longer appear in the provider selection dropdown when assigning service items. Their historical service items and commission records remain unchanged for reporting purposes.

Deleting a Provider

To permanently remove a provider, click Delete from the provider detail view and confirm. This is only possible if the provider has no associated service items. If they do, deactivate the provider instead.

Deleting is restricted to property managers and admins. Concierges can create and edit providers but do not see a delete action -- if you no longer work with a provider, deactivate it instead.

Provider Details

Each provider record includes the following information:

Field	Description
Name	Business name or individual name. Displayed in service items and commission reports.
Contact person	Primary contact name for day-to-day coordination.
Phone	Phone number for calls and SMS.
Email	Email address for confirmations and documentation.
WhatsApp	WhatsApp number for quick coordination.
Preferred channel	The communication channel the concierge team should use first when reaching out. Displayed as a badge in the provider list.
Default commission	Standard commission percentage applied to new service items. Can be overridden per service item.
Notes	Free-form notes -- service areas, vehicle types, dietary specialties, peak-season pricing, etc.
Active status	Whether the provider is currently available for assignment.

Assigning Providers to Services

When a service item is in the Requested status, the concierge team assigns a provider:

1. Open the service item from the portfolio.
2. Click Assign Provider.
3. The provider selection shows a list of active providers with their name, contact, preferred channel, and default commission rate.
4. Select the appropriate provider.
5. The service item's internal status moves to Awaiting Provider.

After assignment, the concierge team contacts the provider through their preferred channel to confirm availability, date, time, and pricing. Once the provider confirms, the service item is moved to Confirmed.

The provider field is deliberately optional at service creation. Guests request services without knowing or choosing a provider -- they simply say "we would like an airport transfer on March 15." The concierge team decides which provider to assign based on availability, pricing, and quality.

Commission Tracking

Commissions are the financial bridge between your concierge operation and your providers. The system tracks commissions from creation through settlement.

How Commissions Are Created

When a service item is confirmed, the system automatically creates a commission record:

• Gross amount -- The total price of the service (e.g., $120 for a sunset tour).
• Commission rate -- Pulled from the provider's default commission percentage (e.g., 15%).
• Commission amount -- Calculated automatically (e.g., $18).

The commission rate can be overridden on individual service items if you have a different arrangement for a specific service.

Commission Statuses

Status	Meaning
Pending	The service has been confirmed but the commission has not been settled yet.
Settled	The commission has been paid. A payment reference and settlement date are recorded.
Reversed	The service was cancelled after confirmation. The commission record is reversed rather than deleted, preserving the audit trail.

Settling Commissions

To settle a pending commission:

1. Go to Concierge > Commissions.
2. Find the commission record (use filters for provider, date range, or status).
3. Click Settle.
4. Enter a payment reference -- a bank transfer number, check number, or other identifier.
5. Confirm.

The settlement date is recorded automatically, and the status changes to Settled. This creates a clear audit trail showing when each commission was paid and how.

Commission Reports

The Commissions page provides summary statistics at the top:

• Total Gross -- Sum of all service gross amounts in the current filtered view.
• Total Commission -- Sum of all commission amounts.
• Pending count -- Number of commissions awaiting settlement.
• Settled count -- Number of commissions already paid.

Use the date range filter to generate monthly or quarterly views. Filter by provider to see how much you owe (or are owed by) a specific vendor.

Provider Performance

While the system does not generate formal performance scores, the commission and service data gives you a clear picture of each provider's engagement:

• Service volume -- How many service items a provider has fulfilled over a given period. Filter the commissions table by provider and date range.
• Cancellation patterns -- Reversed commissions indicate cancelled services. A high reversal rate may signal reliability issues.
• Revenue contribution -- Total gross and commission amounts show the financial relationship with each provider.
• Service categories -- Review which types of services (activities, transfers, dining) a provider handles most frequently.

This data helps you make informed decisions about which providers to prioritize, negotiate better rates with high-volume partners, and identify providers who may need closer coordination.

Managing Provider Relationships

Onboarding a New Provider

When you start working with a new tour company or service vendor:

1. Add them to the provider directory with complete contact details.
2. Set a default commission rate based on your agreement.
3. Note their service area, availability constraints, and any special requirements in the notes field.
4. Assign them to a service item for an upcoming booking as a trial.
5. After the service is delivered, settle the commission promptly to establish trust.

Seasonal Considerations

In a market like Costa Rica, provider availability and pricing often shift between high season (December -- April) and green season (May -- November). Use the notes field to record seasonal pricing tiers, minimum booking windows, or blackout dates. The concierge team can reference these details when assigning providers during peak periods.

Multiple Providers for the Same Service Type

It is common to work with several transfer companies or tour operators. Having multiple options lets you handle capacity during busy weeks, offer different price points to guests, and maintain backup options if a provider is unavailable. The provider directory supports this naturally -- just add each vendor as a separate provider and choose the best fit when assigning service items.

Key Concepts

• Service Provider -- A third-party vendor who fulfills guest services. Scoped to your company.
• Default commission -- The standard percentage applied to new service items for this provider. Can be overridden per item.
• Preferred channel -- The communication method the concierge team should use first (WhatsApp, email, or phone).
• Commission settlement -- The process of recording payment of a commission, including a reference number and date.
• Reversed commission -- A commission record for a cancelled service. Preserved for audit purposes rather than deleted.

Common Questions

Can a provider work across multiple properties? Yes. Providers are scoped to your company, not to individual properties. Any provider in your directory can be assigned to service items for any property.

What if a provider's commission rate varies by service type? Set the default commission to the most common rate. When creating a service item with a different rate, override the commission percentage on that specific item.

Can I see all services assigned to a particular provider? Filter the Commissions page by provider name. This shows every service item (and its commission) associated with that provider within the selected date range.

What happens to commissions when a service is cancelled? If a commission record already exists (the service was confirmed), the commission status changes to Reversed. The record is not deleted, so your financial history remains complete.

Can providers access the system? No. Providers do not have login accounts. All coordination happens outside the system through the provider's preferred communication channel.

How do I handle providers who pay us vs. providers we pay? The settlement pattern field on the provider record distinguishes between providers who pay commissions to you and those you pay. This determines the direction of the financial flow when settling.

Related

• Concierge Overview -- The concierge module dashboard and how providers fit into the broader workflow.
• Trip Services -- Managing the service items that providers are assigned to.
• Messaging Guide -- Coordinating with providers through the unified inbox.