Overview

Booking Settings control how customers book appointments through your online booking system. Configure self-service booking, payment requirements, confirmation workflows, and scheduling rules to match your business needs.

Self-Service Booking

Control whether customers can book appointments online without your approval.

Online Booking

Enabled - Customers can book online

Customers see available times and book instantly
Reduces phone calls and admin workload
Works 24/7 even when you're closed

Disabled - Manual booking only

Booking page is hidden from customers
All bookings must be created by your team
Use when you need full control over scheduling

When to disable:

During high-demand periods requiring manual approval
For VIP or complex services requiring consultation
When managing capacity manually

Payment Requirements

Allow customer to book without a card on file

Allowed - Book without payment method

Customer can book without adding a payment card
Payment collected later (in-person, bank transfer, etc.)
Higher no-show risk

Not Allowed - Must have payment method

Customer must add a valid payment card to book
Card is verified but not charged until appointment complete
Significantly reduces no-shows
Enables Pro Automations (pre-hold funds, auto-pay)

Recommendation: Require payment methods to reduce no-shows and enable automated payment workflows.

Booking Confirmation

Control how bookings are confirmed.

Instant Confirmation

Auto-confirm bookings

Bookings are immediately confirmed
Customer receives instant confirmation
Reduces admin workload
Best for most businesses

Manual Approval

Review before confirming

Bookings are "Pending" until you approve them
You manually review and confirm each booking
Customer notified once you approve
Use for high-value or complex services

When to use manual approval:

Services requiring special preparation
VIP or sensitive appointments
When managing capacity manually
During busy periods when you need control

Team Member Selection

Control how team members are assigned to appointments.

Customer Choice

Can select preferred staff

Customers see available team members
Can choose their preferred staff member
Builds customer relationships
Some team members may get booked more than others

Auto-Assigned

Staff assigned by business

System assigns team member based on availability
Balances workload across team
Customers don't choose who serves them
Best for ensuring even distribution

Recommendation: Customer choice builds stronger relationships but may create uneven workloads. Auto-assigned ensures fair distribution.

Booking Notice Period

Set minimum advance notice required for bookings.

Minimum advance notice required for bookings

Prevents last-minute bookings that don't give you enough preparation time.

Time Configuration:

Weeks - 0-4 weeks
Days - 0-7 days
Hours - 0-23 hours
Minutes - 0, 15, 30, 45

Common Settings:

4 hours - Same-day bookings with preparation time
24 hours - Next-day bookings only
48 hours - Two-day advance notice for grooming
1 week - For services requiring special preparation

Example: If set to "4 hours", customers cannot book appointments starting within the next 4 hours.

Best Practices:

Consider preparation time needed
Factor in customer notification preferences
Allow same-day bookings for walk-in friendly services
Require longer notice for complex services (grooming, boarding)

Booking Interval

Set time slot intervals available for booking.

Allow Booking of Appointments Every:

Options:

15 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
2 hours
4 hours

How it works:
If you select "1 hour", customers can only book appointments at:

9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
(Not 9:15, 9:30, 9:45)

Choosing the right interval:

15 minutes - Maximum flexibility, many time slot options
30 minutes - Good balance for most services
1 hour - Simplifies scheduling, reduces slot fragmentation
2+ hours - For very long services or day bookings

Recommendation: 30 minutes or 1 hour works best for most pet service businesses.

Same Owner, Multi-Pet Scheduling Rules

Control how customers book appointments for multiple pets.

When customers book multiple pets

Simultaneous Scheduling

Pets served at the same time

All pets have appointments at the same time
Requires multiple team members/resources available
Faster for customer (drop-off all pets together)
Example: Owner brings 2 dogs for grooming at 10 AM

Sequential Scheduling

Pets served one after another

Pets are scheduled back-to-back
Same team member can handle all pets
Longer total duration but fewer resources needed
Example: Dog 1 groomed 10-11 AM, Dog 2 groomed 11 AM-12 PM

Staggered Scheduling (If supported)

Pets overlap partially
Balance between simultaneous and sequential
Optimizes resource usage

Which to choose:

Simultaneous - Best when:

You have multiple groomers/staff
Customers prefer quick drop-off/pick-up
Resources (grooming tables, kennels) available

Sequential - Best when:

Limited staff or resources
Same person handles all pets
Services are shorter duration

Tips & Best Practices

Booking Settings

Enable online booking unless you have a specific reason not to
Require payment methods to reduce no-shows by 60-80%
Use instant confirmation for most appointments
Set realistic booking notice periods (4-24 hours typical)
Choose booking intervals that match your service durations

Team Member Selection

Let customers choose if you have staff with different specialties
Auto-assign if you want to distribute work evenly
Consider team member preferences and customer relationships

Multi-Pet Rules

Match scheduling to your resource availability
Simultaneous is faster for customers but needs more resources
Sequential works better with limited staff

Testing Your Configuration

After changing settings:

Visit your booking page as a customer
Try booking an appointment
Verify time slots, payment requirements, and confirmation work as expected
Adjust settings if needed

Per-Customer Booking Overrides

You can block individual customers from online booking while keeping online booking enabled for others.

Blocking a Specific Customer

To block a customer:

Open the customer's pet profile
Click More Actions menu (⋮) next to the owner's name
Select Block from Online Booking

What happens:

Customer sees "no availability" when trying to book online
Customer can still log in and access their portal
Customer retains access to past appointment photos and history
You can still create appointments for them manually
All other customers can continue booking normally

To unblock:

Open the customer's pet profile
Click More Actions menu (⋮)
Select Enable Online Booking

When to use per-customer blocking:

Customers who repeatedly no-show or cancel last-minute
Customers requiring consultation before booking
Temporary restrictions during disputes or payment issues
Customers who abuse the booking system

Note: Per-customer blocks override your business-wide booking settings. Even if online booking is enabled globally, blocked customers cannot book online.

Common Questions

Q: Can I temporarily disable online booking?
A: Yes, toggle "Online Booking" to "Disabled". Your booking page will be hidden until you re-enable it.

Q: Can I block specific customers from booking while keeping it enabled for others?
A: Yes, use per-customer booking overrides. Open the customer's profile → More Actions menu (⋮) → Block from Online Booking. Blocked customers see "no availability" but can still access their portal and past appointment photos.

Q: What happens if I require a card on file?
A: Customers must add a valid payment card before booking. The card is verified but not charged until the appointment is completed.

Q: Should I use instant confirmation or manual approval?
A: Use instant confirmation for 95% of bookings. Only use manual approval if you truly need to review each booking individually.

Q: Can customers still book if they don't have a card?
A: Only if you allow booking without a card on file. If you require a card, they must add one to complete the booking.

Q: What's the best booking interval?
A: 30 minutes or 1 hour works for most businesses. Use 15 minutes only if you need maximum flexibility.

Q: How do I change Same Owner, Multi-Pet Scheduling Rules?
A: Use the Same Owner, Multi-Pet Scheduling Rules dropdown to select simultaneous, sequential, or staggered scheduling.