Include Individual Plus Total Costs in Bills
The bill currently shows the total amount owed (sum). They should also display the individual item costs included in the bill.
Make it an option to also include the item cost in the overdue notice as well (incentive to return!).
In our date due slips (JasperSoft) we include the cost of each item and a total cost to show what the patron saved by using the library vs. buying.
Closing this and spliting one out for the item cost in overdues to implement once Sierra has that metadata available with overdues. https://ideas.iii.com/forums/951985/suggestions/49186118
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AdminTaylor Fisher (Admin, Innovative) commented
Hi Alison,
Thank you for this request and suggestion.For Sierra Customers:
We are pleased to share that individual costs for each item can be displayed in your Bill notices using the Item Total Owed merge tag to show the total cost, or the Item Charge tag if you prefer to display the cost without fees.Regarding the Overdue notice and displaying item costs, we have proposed this feature on the Sierra forum. Currently, Sierra does not provide this information with overdue notices. They will need to implement this feature on their end for LX Starter to display item costs in the overdue notices.
You can view that idea on the Sierra forum here:
https://ideas.iii.com/forums/951745/suggestions/49185884For Polaris Customer:
Both of these features are already available. Simply use the Replacement Cost merge tag in Overdue notices and the Item Total Owed merge tag in Fine notices.Thanks,
Taylor -
Victoria commented
This would be a lovely (and necessary) addition to the billed notices going out!
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Rosendale commented
This would be such a help for our staff and our patrons!
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Daniela commented
This would be helpful as seeing the dollar amount might inspire the patron to return the item earlier rather than wait for the follow up bill.
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Jaclyn Savolainen commented
I just had a patron question about this topic earlier today! That would be very helpful.
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Meg Soltis commented
I do the billing and overdue notices for our library, and having the cost of the items would be very valuable!
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Corinne commented
The bill currently shows the total amount owed. It would be beneficial to our patrons
to display the individual item costs included in the bill and the overdue notice. -
Tamara Gaskell commented
Overdue slips should include the cost of items due so that patrons realize how much they will be billed if they do not return the overdue items. With so many libraries now fine free, often it is the overdue notice, or the bill, since they overdue notice does not let them know there will be consequences for not returning an item, that leads to a patron returning items due.
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Mountain Top Library commented
We would definitely like a replacement cost / fine line item. We are a fine free branch, but if an item is damaged or needs to be replaced, it would help the patron to plainly see
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Tara commented
Adding the replacement cost of the item(s) with the overdue notice would be useful because it could incentivize the patron to return the item sooner or look for it harder.
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Amy Smith commented
Itemizing the costs would be helpful information for library users to have. Please add that merge tag option to the notices.
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Dee Ann Campbell commented
This might make patrons look harder for a misplaced book.
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Donna Perolli commented
Please include the replacement cost of the item with the overdue notice. Often, patrons don't realize that although we are fine-free, they will be charged for items that are not returned.
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Janice commented
It would be helpful to include the replacement cost of item, along with the overdue notice. So the patron is aware of being charged the item if it is never returned.
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Lisa Sassi commented
Please add the cost of the item to the overdue notice. It is helpful for the patron to know.
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Alison Pruntel commented
I can't seem to edit this, but need the title of this to read Include Individual Plus Total Costs in Overdue Notices, since this does work in the bills.
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Pam Wells commented
For the bill with individual item cost comment: I did the with the {item_total_owed} tag like someone said below. If you need any help feel free to email me: pamela.wells@sjcd.edu
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Pam Wells commented
For the courtesy notice comment: I was told by III that is what fine notices do and overdue notices are for libraries that don't exact fines. Not that I agree with them but that is their rational. We send out both.
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Alison Pruntel commented
In the Overdue Notices merge tags, there isn't anything for item price/cost or processing. Just in the Fines Notices (Bills) can you get this info. I need to update the heading of this idea to Include Individual Plus Total Costs in Overdue Notices.
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Robyn commented
I could be wrong but I had assumed this is what the merge tag {{item_total_owed}} did. Have you already tried that?
It may depend on your ILS configurations, but as long as your system has billed their account for the replacement cost of the item, I would think that's what would display when you add a merge tag for the amount owed for that item.