The school bus pulls in, the group is checked in, and then the teacher mentions that they’re skipping the planetarium show and no longer need the second classroom. Now the reservation in Altru says one thing and the day is going another. The planetarium seats are still held, the classroom still shows as booked, and the invoice may still carry a charge for something the group never used.
Changing a group reservation after check-in is one of the trickier corners of Altru group sales, mostly because check-in is meant to mark the reservation as “happening,” and organizations often restrict edits once it’s reached that point. Below is how to think about it, the routes that usually work, and how to set up your process so these changes get handled the same way every time.
First, figure out what’s actually stopping you
When someone says “I can’t remove the resource,” it’s usually one of three things:
- Status. Once a reservation is checked in, some edits to the itinerary and its resources may be limited or unavailable. Exactly what’s locked can vary with your Altru setup, so don’t assume; test it.
- Security. The person at the desk may not have rights to edit itineraries or undo a check-in, even if a supervisor does. Ask your Altru administrator to compare the two roles before anyone concludes the software won’t allow it.
- Money already posted. If the group has paid, removing a priced item affects the balance. Altru will want that difference handled as a refund, credit, or adjustment, and that’s usually where the confusion starts.
The fastest way to know which applies is to recreate the situation in a test or sandbox environment: book a reservation with a resource, check it in, take a payment, and try to remove the resource. If you still can’t tell whether a given edit is supported after check-in, Blackbaud support can confirm for your version.
Routes that usually work
1. Undo the check-in, edit, then check in again
If your Altru setup lets you undo a check-in, and your security role allows it, this is the cleanest option. Confirm in a sandbox that this works for your version before you build a procedure around it. The reservation goes back to its pre-arrival state, you remove the resource or itinerary item normally, and you check the group back in. Do it right away, while the group is still on site, so attendance counts and reporting stay accurate for the day. Limit this permission to leads or supervisors so it doesn’t become a habit.
2. Leave the item and correct the money
If you can’t undo the check-in, or you don’t want to, leave the resource on the reservation and fix the financial side instead. Apply a discount or adjustment for the unused item, or issue a refund or credit for that portion if they already paid. Add a note on the reservation saying what changed and who approved it. The itinerary won’t perfectly match reality, but the group’s bill will, and that’s the part they’ll call about.
3. Release the resource for other bookings
The other cost of a resource you can’t remove is capacity. A classroom or show that still appears booked can block another group or a walk-up sale. If the resource is needed later that same day, tell whoever manages that space so they know it’s actually open. Test in your sandbox whether removing or adjusting a resource on a checked-in reservation releases that capacity in Altru, rather than assuming it does.
Adding a resource after check-in
The opposite case comes up too: the group decides on arrival to add lunch or a guided tour. Treat it the same way. If you can edit the reservation, add the item and collect payment. If editing is locked, many teams ring up the add-on as a separate sale and note it on the reservation, so the revenue is captured and the group sees one consistent story at checkout. Decide ahead of time which approach your team uses.
Make it a written procedure
Day-of changes get messy when every staff member handles them differently. A short procedure for the group sales desk fixes most of it:
- Confirm the change with the group leader and write down what’s being dropped or added.
- Decide who can undo a check-in, and call them instead of working around it.
- If the reservation can’t be edited, adjust the balance and add a note: what changed, why, and who approved it.
- Tell whoever manages the affected space or program that it’s free.
- At the end of the day, review the reservations that changed so the deposit and reports line up.
A final confirmation call or email a few days before the visit catches many of these changes before check-in, when they’re simple edits. It won’t stop every last-minute change, but it cuts down how often staff are fixing a reservation with the group standing at the desk.
Quick answers
Will removing a paid resource refund the group automatically?
Don’t count on it. Expect to process the refund, credit, or adjustment yourself, and check the reservation balance afterward.
Should we just cancel and rebook the reservation?
Usually not after check-in. It can disrupt payment history, attendance, and reporting for the day. Undoing the check-in (if your setup allows it) or adjusting the balance is normally less disruptive.
