General questions
What are team members in Petboost?
Team members are the people who work in your pet business. They can be staff, contractors or volunteers who help deliver services to your customers.
How do I add a new team member?
Open Team Members, select New, then New Team Member.
On Role & Personal Info, choose the Role and enter First Name, Surname and Contact Email, then select Next.
On Capacity, set how many pets they can handle at the same time, then select Next.
On Working Hours, set their weekly hours, then select Next.
On Services & Account, choose the services they perform.
Optional: switch on Create user account for this team member if they need to sign in to Petboost.
Select Create Team Member.
For a full walkthrough, see Getting Started with Team Members.
What's the difference between Service Performer and Service Supporter?
Both are roles, and the role decides what the team member can open in Petboost:
Service Performer: appointments and customers, for groomers, trainers and daycare staff. They can view services, packages, products, team members, resources and schedules, but not change them
Service Supporter: basic appointment access, for reception, assistants and trainees. They can create, cancel and reschedule appointments, take payments, enrol pets in courses and move attendees. They cannot create or cancel courses, manage course templates, open settings, or switch off drag lock on the calendar
Any team member can have working hours, pets at a time and services, whatever their role. Owner Admin and Admin are the other two roles.
Open Roles & Permissions.
Read the card for each role.
Optional: select View Full Permissions Map to compare all four roles.
Where can I find the team member dropdown?
The team member picker appears in several places:
Creating an appointment: the booking form offers the team members who are free at the selected time and can perform the selected service. A service with nobody assigned can be booked with any team member
The calendar: on Appointments, open Group By, choose Team Members, then choose which team members to show
Team Members: Team Members lists everyone, where you open a profile with Manage
Schedules & Sessions: Schedules & Sessions shows each team member's week, sessions and special dates
If a team member is missing from the booking form, see My team member isn't showing as available for bookings.
Working hours and special dates
What's the difference between Working Hours and Special Dates?
This is one of the most common points of confusion. Working Hours is the team member's permanent weekly schedule. Special Dates are temporary exceptions to it for a date range.
Working Hours | Special Dates | |
Purpose | The team member's standard week | A temporary change to that week |
How long | Until you change it | From a start date to an end date |
Repeats? | Every week | Only within its date range, or on a pattern with Repeat these special dates, which always ends |
When it ends | Never | The team member goes back to their working hours |
Use for | Sarah Mitchell always works Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8am to 2pm | Sarah Mitchell covers extra shifts the week of 15 December while a colleague is on leave |
Where to set | Working Hours on the team member's page | Special Dates under Working Hours, or on Schedules & Sessions |
If the schedule should repeat every week from now on, use Working Hours. If it applies to set dates only, use Special Dates.
A business once wanted its hydrotherapist to take hydro bookings only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and was told to use special dates. That was wrong: special dates expire and would need re-creating. The right answer was working hours with sessions on those three mornings only, a change you make once.
How do I restrict bookings to specific days and times permanently?
Use working hours, not special dates. Special dates expire and leave the team member on their previous hours; working hours stay until you change them.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Working Hours. Default Hours is selected.
Switch each day they do not work to Day Off, and each day they work to Working.
On each working day, select a session and set its Start Time and End Time to the hours they take bookings, or select Add Session to add one.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
The week repeats automatically. You do not need to enter it again.
How do I set up a team member who only works mornings?
Give each working day a morning session only.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Working Hours.
On each day they work, select the session, or Add Session.
Set Start Time and End Time to the morning, for example 8:00am to 12:00pm, then select Stage for Publishing, or Add Session for a new one.
Switch any day they do not work to Day Off.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
The setting is permanent: the team member is offered for morning bookings only, every week.
Can a team member work different hours on different days?
Yes. Each day has its own sessions, so each day can start and end at different times. For example:
Day | Hours |
Monday | 8:00am to 5:00pm |
Tuesday | 8:00am to 5:00pm |
Wednesday | 8:00am to 12:00pm (half day) |
Thursday | 8:00am to 5:00pm |
Friday | 8:00am to 3:00pm (early finish) |
Saturday | Day Off |
Sunday | Day Off |
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Working Hours.
On each day, set the session's Start Time and End Time.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
This is a permanent weekly schedule. You do not need special dates for it.
Sessions and service-specific scheduling
How do I set up a team member for specific services only on certain days?
For example: "I want my hydrotherapist to do hydro only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and grooming on Tuesday and Thursday." Two features work together: working hours (when they are available) and sessions (what they do in that time).
Open Schedules & Sessions.
On the team member's week, make Monday to Friday working days.
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, add a session from 8:00am to 12:00pm.
In each of those sessions, switch on Advanced options and choose only the hydrotherapy services under Services in this session.
On Tuesday and Thursday, add a session from 8:00am to 5:00pm with only the grooming services under Services in this session.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
Petboost then offers hydro appointments only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and grooming only on Tuesday and Thursday. See Managing Rosters & Schedules.
How do I set up sessions or time blocks for a team member?
Sessions, sometimes called time blocks, divide a team member's working day into blocks with their own rules. Each session can have its own:
Services: Services in this session
Pets at a time: how many pets they can handle at once in that block
Pet rules: Which pets can book, with Weight Restrictions (kg), Age Restrictions, Included Breeds and Excluded Breeds
For example, Sarah Mitchell grooms large breeds in the morning, 2 at a time, and small breeds in the afternoon, 3 at a time:
Open Schedules & Sessions.
On Sarah's week, add a morning session from 8:00am to 12:00pm with Pets at a time set to 2 and the large breed services under Services in this session.
Add an afternoon session from 1:00pm to 5:00pm with Pets at a time set to 3 and the small breed services.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
See Pets at a Time.
Can I have different team members handle different services on the same day?
Yes. Each team member has their own services and their own sessions. For example:
Team member A performs grooming services and works 8am to 5pm
Team member B performs hydrotherapy services and works 8am to 12pm
Team member C performs grooming and daycare
Petboost follows each team member's services, working hours and sessions, and offers customers only team members who are free and can perform the service they are booking. A service with nobody assigned can be booked with any team member. To choose a team member's services, see How do I assign services to team members?
Capacity and workload
What is "Pets at a time" for team members?
Pets at a time is how many pets a team member can handle at the same time, not per day. If a groomer's Pets at a Time is 2, they can work on 2 dogs at once, and across the day they might groom 8 or more as the dogs rotate. See Pets at a Time.
How do I set team member capacity?
Base it on what they can physically handle at once:
Role | Typical pets at a time |
Solo groomer | 1-2 (tables they work) |
Daycare handler | 8-15 (supervision limit) |
Dog walker | 4-6 (safe walking group) |
Trainer (private) | 1 |
Trainer (group) | 6-10 |
Also consider the service's complexity and length, the team member's experience, the physical demands of the work, and their preferences and way of working.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Capacity.
Set Pets at a Time. It starts at 1.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
What if a team member is overloaded?
Signs of too much work:
Service quality drops
Stress and burnout rise
Absences increase
Customers complain
Solutions:
Lower their Pets at a Time
Improve efficiency through training
Add team members
Change how the service is delivered
Service assignment
How do I assign services to team members?
Assign services by skills and experience.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Services.
Select Manage. With nothing assigned yet, the button reads Assign Services.
In Manage Services, choose the services they can perform, then select Save Changes.
Can team members be assigned to multiple services?
Yes. Assign each team member every service they are qualified and experienced to perform.
Working hours
How do I set working hours for team members?
Working hours are the team member's weekly pattern of working days and sessions. There are no hour templates to choose from.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Working Hours. Default Hours is selected.
On each day, switch the toggle to Working or Day Off.
On a working day, select Add Session, set Start Time and End Time, then select Add Session in the session editor.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
The same week is on Schedules & Sessions. See Working Hours & Leave Management.
Can I set different hours for different days?
Yes. Each day of the week has its own sessions, so each day can have different start and end times. This is a permanent weekly schedule. See Can a team member work different hours on different days? above for the steps.
For different hours for a set period only, such as a holiday roster or covering for a colleague on leave, use special dates. See Can I set up temporary schedules for specific date periods? below.
Can I set up temporary schedules for specific date periods?
Yes. Special dates give a team member different hours for a date or a date range, while their working hours stay as they are. Use them for:
Holiday rosters, such as different hours over Christmas and New Year, Easter or school holidays
Training periods, with fewer hours available
Seasonal changes, such as longer summer hours or shorter winter ones
Leave cover, with extra hours while covering for a colleague
Trial schedules, to test new hours before you change them for good
Special projects, such as time set aside for facility upgrades or events
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Working Hours, then Special Dates.
Select New special dates, or click or drag across empty days on the calendar. The dialog opens on Create special dates.
On Date Range, set Start Date and End Date.
Select Next: Configure Schedule, then set the hours for each day of that range.
Select Stage for Publishing.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
Special dates take precedence over working hours in their range, and the team member goes back to their working hours when it ends. A special date needs at least one working day with a session, so for time off, add leave instead. Special dates are for set periods with different arrangements; Petboost is not timeclock software.
For a pattern such as every second week, turn on Repeat these special dates. See Repeat special dates.
How do I change a team member's schedule without affecting existing bookings?
Changes to working hours or to a single special date affect only future availability. Existing bookings are not cancelled or moved, even when they now fall outside the new hours, so move or reassign those yourself. A run of repeating special dates is the exception: Next: Check bookings lists the bookings outside the new hours, and you choose Leave them booked, Move them to another team member or Cancel them. See Bookings outside new hours.
Tip: Before you change a team member's schedule, check their upcoming bookings on the affected days, and move or reassign any that will clash before you publish.
Leave and temporary unavailability
How do I handle a team member going on leave?
Add leave for planned time off, such as holidays and personal time, and for unplanned leave, such as sick days.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Choose Leaves & Restrictions.
Select Add, then Add Leave.
Set the Start Date and End Date.
Set the Start Time and End Time. They default to 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, so change them to cover the whole shift.
Optional: enter a Label (Optional), for example Sick Leave.
Select Add Leave.
When the leave is saved:
Petboost does not offer the team member for new bookings in the leave period
If they have bookings in that time, Appointment conflict detected lists them before you save. Petboost adds the leave without cancelling them unless you select Cancel Appointment or Cancel All. Nothing flags those bookings after you save
When the leave ends, the team member goes back to their normal working hours
For short notice, such as a team member calling in sick today, add leave for today or the affected dates, then check the calendar for their bookings and reassign or reschedule them to other team members.
See Working Hours & Leave Management for repeating leave and planning cover.
User accounts
How do I switch user on the iPad?
Open the menu under your photo and name at the top of the page.
Select Switch user.
Pick the team member, then enter their password.
Switch user turns push notifications off on this device. Turn them back on in My notifications.
How do I sign out?
Open the menu under your photo and name at the top of the page.
Select Sign out.
Signing out turns push notifications off on this device. Turn them back on in My notifications.
The app looks stuck. What do I tap?
Open the menu under your photo and name at the top of the page.
Select Reset & Update, then Let's do it!.
Reset & Update turns push notifications off on this device. Turn them back on in My notifications.
See Reset & Update.
How do I change my account password?
You change a business login password with a reset email. There is no Settings field for the old and new password. This includes the owner login.
If you can still sign in:
Open Team Members and select Manage on your own profile.
Select Send Password Reset.
Open the email and set the new password.
If you cannot sign in, use Forgot your password? on the business.petboost.com login screen.
This is not a pet owner's Pet Owner App password. That path is Send Quick Login SMS on the customer profile.
Full steps, staff iPad access, and when to use Create Login: Change your account password.
How do I reset a team member's password?
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Select Send Password Reset.
The team member opens the email at their login address and sets their own password.
Send Password Reset shows only when they already have a login. If they do not, select Create Login.
Can the team share one login or a generic password?
No. Each person who needs to sign in gets their own login and their own password. Do not share the owner password.
Open Team Members and select Manage on each staff member.
Select Create Login, or Send Password Reset if they already have a login.
On a shared iPad, use Switch user in the menu under your photo and name, so each person signs in as themselves.
Kiosk Mode is for clients at the counter, not staff. See Change your account password.
Should I create user accounts for all team members?
Only create user accounts for team members who need to sign in. Consider:
Do they need to sign in to do their job?
Do they need to see appointments or customer information?
What they can open depends on their role. A Service Performer or Service Supporter cannot change working hours, their own included.
How do I create a user account for a team member?
Create a login only for people who need to sign in to Petboost.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Select Create Login.
Check their email and phone are correct.
Select Create Login & Send Invite.
Petboost emails them a link to set their password. Create Login shows only when the team member does not already have a login.
How do I remove a team member's login when they leave?
Archive their team member profile. Archiving locks them out of Petboost on every device: they cannot open the app, owners, pets or bookings.
Open Team Members and select Manage on the team member.
Select Archive Team Member.
If the archive is blocked, they still have unfinished work, including unpaid past appointments and add-ons on other people's bookings. Choose who should take it, tick the confirmation, then select Move to with that person's first name & archive. Recurring series, unpaid past work and add-ons assigned to them move with the rest.
To pick a start date or skip some appointments, select More migrate options instead, then come back to archive.
If nothing is blocking, read what archiving does, tick the confirmation, then select Archive.
The business owner cannot be archived, and nobody can be archived while unfinished work is still assigned to them.
Archiving does not delete the login itself. It locks the person out of this business in the app. If they should sign in again later, unarchive them and select Create Login.
What happens when I archive a team member?
They are locked out of Petboost on every device, if they had a login
They cannot open the app, owners, pets or bookings
Their profile is hidden from the active team list
Appointments they already did stay in history and reports
Unarchiving brings the profile back. It does not restore their login
If they use the same login at another business, they lose access to this business only. That other login stays.
How do I restore an archived team member?
Open Team Members, open Filters and switch on Include Archived Team Members.
Select Manage on the team member.
Select Unarchive Team Member.
If they should be able to sign in again, select Create Login and send a new invite.
Troubleshooting
The archived profile still looks like they have a login
They cannot sign in. Archiving locks them out of Petboost on every device: they cannot open the app, owners, pets or bookings.
The profile badge shows Cannot sign in. Unarchiving them does not restore the login. Select Create Login only if they should have access again.
My team member isn't showing as available for bookings
If a team member does not appear in the booking form, or customers cannot book them online, work through these checks:
Open Team Members and check the team member is not archived and is marked Bookable. To see archived team members, open Filters and switch on Include Archived Team Members.
Select Manage on the team member, choose Working Hours and check the day of the booking is Working, with a session covering the time.
Choose Services and check the service is there, when the service lists specific team members. A service with nobody assigned can be booked with anyone.
Choose Capacity and check Pets at a Time is high enough for the bookings they already have at that time.
Choose Leaves & Restrictions and check no leave covers the date.
Choose Working Hours, then Special Dates, and check no special dates change their hours on that date.
If you use sessions, check the session at that time includes the service under Services in this session.
If they still do not appear, see the Availability Troubleshooter for a detailed diagnosis.
Team member not appearing in appointment creation
Check:
The team member is not archived
Their working hours cover the time
The service is assigned to them, when the service lists specific team members
Their Pets at a Time is not already used up at that time
Can't assign services to team member
Stay services and course lessons never appear on a team member's Services section. A stay service is booked into resources rather than team members, and a course's instructors are set on its course template. Check the service's type and its Team & Resources tab on Services.
Team member capacity issues
Review:
Their Pets at a Time
How work is spread across the team
Service complexity and length
Feedback from the team member and how they are performing
Quick decision guide
Not sure which feature to use? Find your scenario below:
I want to... | Use this feature |
Set a team member's permanent weekly schedule | Working Hours |
Give a team member different hours on different days, every week | Working Hours, with sessions on each day |
Restrict a team member to mornings only, permanently | Working Hours, with morning sessions only |
Handle a holiday roster for 2 weeks | Special Dates |
Cover for a colleague on leave for 1 week | Special Dates |
Test new hours before making them permanent | Special Dates |
Block a team member from bookings for a specific date | Leave, on Leaves & Restrictions |
Control which services are available at which times of day | Sessions, with Services in this session |
Limit a team member to only certain services | Their Services section |
Stop a team member from being booked for a while | Leave, on Leaves & Restrictions |
Remove a team member who has left, including their login | Archive Team Member |
Need help? Contact support or select Get Help in your dashboard to chat with our team.