Complete guide to managing appointments throughout their entire lifecycle, from creation to completion and beyond.
Appointment Lifecycle
Every appointment moves through distinct statuses as it progresses:
Status Flow
Pending → Confirmed → In Progress → Completed → Ready to Pay → Paid
Alternative flows:
Declined (business rejects booking)
Cancelled (customer or business cancels)
Payment Declined (payment fails) → Retry → Paid
Complete Status Guide
1. PENDING
Meaning: New booking awaiting business confirmation
Typical duration: Minutes to hours
Available actions:
Confirm - Accept the booking
Decline - Reject with reason
Edit - Modify details before confirming
Send Message - Communicate with customer
Best practice: Respond within 2 hours for best customer experience
2. CONFIRMED
Meaning: Booking accepted and scheduled
Typical duration: Until appointment time
Available actions:
Start - Mark appointment as in progress
Reschedule - Change date/time
Edit Details - Modify services, team, resources
Cancel - Cancel with reason
Send Reminder - Manual reminder to customer
Pre-Hold Funds - Authorize payment (if not auto)
Automated actions:
Reminders sent automatically (24h, 2h before)
Pre-hold funds (if automation enabled)
Auto-start at scheduled time (if automation enabled)
3. IN PROGRESS
Meaning: Service currently being performed
Typical duration: Service duration (30min - 8 hours)
Available actions:
Complete - Mark service finished
Add Notes - Document service details
Upload Photos - Add before/after photos
Time tracking:
The Time Tracker on the appointment shows Checked In:, Expected Check-out:, Checked Out: and Expected Duration:.
After check-out it compares the actual time with the booked time and shows On Time, Longer than Expected or Shorter than Expected.
Times set by automation (auto-start or auto-complete) are labelled Automated. They follow the booked times, so they do not show how long the service really took.
The tracker cannot be paused or extended, and it does not alert you while a service runs over. To give a service more time, change its end time on the appointment.
4. COMPLETED
Meaning: Service finished, invoice being finalized
Typical duration: Minutes (while staff finalizes invoice)
Available actions:
Finalize Invoice - Lock invoice for payment
Edit Invoice - Add/remove items, adjust pricing
Add Service Notes - Document service outcome
Send Service Report - Share details with customer
Invoice finalization:
Review all service items
Apply discounts if needed
Add tips or additional services
Add invoice message for customer
5. READY TO PAY
Meaning: Invoice finalized, awaiting payment
Typical duration: Minutes to hours
Available actions:
Charge Card on File - Process payment automatically
Take in-person payment - Cash/card reader
Send Invoice - Email invoice to customer
Issue Refund - If needed before payment
Cancel Reader Action - Cancel pending card reader transaction
Payment methods available:
Card on file (saved payment method)
Cash
Bank transfer
Card reader (in-person)
External payment (mark as paid manually)
6. PAID
Meaning: Payment received successfully
Typical duration: Final status (permanent)
Available actions:
Issue Refund - Full or partial refund
Print Receipt - Generate receipt PDF
Send Receipt - Email receipt to customer
View Transaction - See payment details
Rebook - Create new appointment based on this one
Payment details tracked:
Payment method used
Transaction ID
Amount paid
Refunds issued (if any)
Receipt generation history
7. PAYMENT DECLINED
Meaning: Payment attempt failed
Typical duration: Until successful payment
Available actions:
Retry Charging Card - Attempt payment again
Request Different Payment Method - Ask customer for another card
Take in-person payment - Switch to cash/card reader
Cancel Appointment - If unable to collect payment
Retry Card Pre-auth - Re-authorize payment hold
Common failure reasons:
Insufficient funds
Expired card
Card declined by bank
Incorrect CVV/ZIP
Daily transaction limit exceeded
8. CANCELLED
Meaning: Appointment cancelled by business or customer
Typical duration: Final status
Available actions:
View Cancellation Reason - See why cancelled
Rebook - Create new appointment
Issue Refund - If payment was collected
Archive - Remove from active calendar
Cancellation tracking:
Who cancelled (customer/staff/system)
Cancellation reason
Refund amount (if applicable)
Late cancellation fee (if applicable)
9. DECLINED
Meaning: Business rejected the booking request
Typical duration: Final status
Available actions:
View Decline Reason - See why declined
Send Message - Communicate with customer
Archive - Remove from view
10. BLOCKED (Time)
Meaning: Calendar time blocked (not an appointment)
Typical duration: As scheduled
Available actions:
Edit - Change blocked time details
Delete - Remove block and free up time
Convert to Appointment - Turn into actual booking
Appointment Detail Panel
Sections Overview
1. When & Where
Date and time
Service duration for each pet
Location/address
Assigned resources (rooms, vans)
Time Tracker (check-in and check-out times against the booking)
2. Who & Details
Customer contact information
Payment method on file
Pet details with photos
Special care requirements
Health/behavioral notes
Allergies and restrictions
3. Recurring Series (if applicable)
Pattern (daily, weekly, custom)
Next occurrences
Manage series options
Edit single vs. all
4. Activity Log
All status changes
Payment attempts
Messages sent
Edits made
Who performed each action
Timestamps for all events
5. How Much (Invoice)
Service items per pet
Pricing breakdown
Discounts applied
Tax calculation
Payment method selection
Invoice message
Payment actions
6. Notes & Attachments
Business Notes - Internal Notes (private), Customer-facing Notes and Business Photos & Attachments
Pet Owner Notes - the customer's Instructions & Notes and Customer Photos & Attachments
File attachments
Photo uploads (automatically converted from HEIC if needed)
Quick Actions
These are calendar shortcuts (click, right-click). Report card, print, and Google review actions are on the appointment Manage menu, not here.
From appointment card:
Click - Open detail panel
Right-click (desktop) - Quick action menu. The card menu is not available on phones
Detail panel actions:
Edit - Modify any appointment details
Duplicate - Create copy with same details
Print - Generate printable appointment sheet
Send - Email details to customer
Delete - Permanently remove (with confirmation)
Updating Appointment Details
Change Date or Time
Reschedule options:
Drag appointment on calendar (if Drag Lock off)
Edit → Change date/time fields
Find New Time → Use Magic Schedule to find new slot
Conflict detection:
System checks team availability
Checks resource availability
Shows warnings if conflicts exist
Option to override or find alternative
Customer notifications:
When you save, Notify customer? asks you to choose Send notification or Update silently. Moves made by dragging on the calendar are silent by default
Includes new date/time
Includes cancellation/rebooking link
Change Services
Add another service: the Services field holds more than one service, so you add to a booking rather than starting again.
Open the appointment and click Edit
Click the Services field (it already shows the current service as a chip)
Choose the extra service, it's added alongside the existing one
Click Update This Appointment, pricing and duration update automatically
Remove a service: click the X on the service's chip in the Services field, the price updates automatically.
For the full walkthrough of the booking form, see Using the Booking Form.
Change Team Member
Reassign team member:
Open appointment detail
Click team member dropdown
Select new team member
System checks availability
Confirms reassignment
Magic Match:
Leave Magic Match selected and Petboost picks a free team member when you book
Useful for services where specific assignment not required
Change Resource
Reassign room/van/kennel:
Open appointment detail
Click resource dropdown (or "Change Location" button)
Select new resource
System checks availability
Confirms reassignment
Mobile services:
Change service location/address
Update GPS coordinates
Assign different van
Adding Pets to Existing Appointments
When a customer has multiple pets, you can add additional pets to an existing appointment instead of creating separate bookings. This creates a unified appointment with significant benefits.
Why Add to Existing vs Create Separate?
Unified Appointment Benefits:
One calendar card - All pets from the same family appear on one appointment card
One invoice - Single itemised invoice showing each pet's services
One payment - Customer pays once for all pets
Independent timing - Each pet can have different start/end times
Multi-pet discounts - Automatically applied if configured
When to Use Separate Appointments:
Pets have completely different service dates
Different family members handling drop-off/pick-up
Customer specifically requests separate invoices
How Petboost Detects Existing Bookings
When you create a new appointment, Petboost automatically checks if:
The same customer already has an appointment on the selected date
The service type is compatible for combining
If found, you'll see a prompt offering to add to the existing booking.
Adding a Pet to an Existing Booking
Method 1: From the Duplicate Detection Dialog
Start creating a new appointment
When the system detects an existing booking, a dialog appears
Click "Add [Pet Name] to [Existing Pet]'s booking"
The existing appointment opens with the new pet pre-filled
Configure services, team member, and times for the new pet
Save the appointment
Method 2: Edit an Existing Appointment
Open the existing appointment
Click "Add Sibling" button
Select the pet to add (or create a new pet)
Configure services, team member, and times
Save changes
Scheduling Options When Adding Pets
Using Magic Schedule:
System finds available times that work for the additional pet
Considers team member availability
Respects resource capacity
Checks sibling pet gap settings
Using Quick Force:
Manually specify exact times
Faster for experienced staff
Useful when you know availability
No availability checking (warnings shown for conflicts)
Sibling Pets Timing Options
Configure in Settings → Booking Settings → Sibling Pets Scheduling:
Concurrent - Pets scheduled at the same time, different team members
Sequential - Pets scheduled back-to-back, same or different team member
Custom Gap - Specify minutes between sibling pet services
Example: Two dogs from same family
Dog A: 10:00am - 11:00am with Sarah (Grooming Table 1)
Dog B: 10:30am - 11:30am with Mike (Grooming Table 2)
Same appointment card, one invoice, one payment
Adding Notes
Internal Notes (Staff Only)
Private notes visible only to staff:
Service observations
Special handling required
Follow-up actions needed
Issues or concerns
How to add:
Open appointment detail
Open the Notes & Attachments tab, then Business Notes
Type in the Internal Notes (private) field
Select Publish Changes. Until then the note is a draft in this browser
Customer-Facing Notes
Notes visible to customer:
Service completion summary
Recommendations
Follow-up care instructions
Next appointment suggestions
How to add:
Open appointment detail
Open the Notes & Attachments tab, then Business Notes
Type in the Customer-facing Notes field
Choose Send notification or Update silently, then select Publish Changes. The customer sees these notes in their portal
Uploading Photos
Supported formats:
JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, PDF
HEIC (iPhone photos) - automatically converted
Up to 10MB per file
How to upload:
Open appointment detail
Open the Notes & Attachments tab, then Business Notes
Click or drag files to the Business Photos & Attachments upload zone
Choose Send notification or Update silently, then select Publish Changes
Customer can view in their portal
Best practices:
Add before/after photos for grooming
Document injuries or concerns
Show pet having fun (daycare, training)
Use photos for insurance claims if needed
Cancelling Appointments
Cancellation Process
Open appointment detail
Click Cancel button
If a cancellation fee applies, answer Charge customer a cancellation fee? with Charge Cancellation Fee or Waive Cancellation Fee
If the booking used package credits after the notice period, answer What happens to the customer's package credits?
Under Notify customer?, choose Send notification or Cancel silently. Optional: add a note under Write a message for [customer]
Select Cancel Appointment
Recurring series
To pause a recurring series, use Cancel, not a separate Pause button. The Cancel screen has three options:
Cancel single - one visit. The series continues.
Skip these dates - a date range (the pause). Set Stop at. The series continues after that date.
End series (all future) - stops the series for good. You cannot undo this.
If you leave Stop at empty on Skip these dates, the series ends from Start from onwards.
See Pause or cancel a recurring series for the full steps, other series on the same pet, and what pet owners can do.
Refund Options
If payment collected:
Full refund - Return entire amount
Partial refund - Return portion (e.g., minus cancellation fee)
No refund - Keep payment (late cancellation)
Refund processed to:
Original payment method
Typically 3-5 business days
Customer receives email confirmation
Activity Log
Tracks complete appointment history:
Events logged:
Status changes (who, when)
Edits made (field, old value, new value)
Messages sent
Payment attempts (success/failure)
Refunds issued
Notes added
Photos uploaded
How to view:
Open appointment detail
Click "Activity Log" (shows event count)
Expandable accordion displays all events
Most recent events at top
Use cases:
Audit trail for disputes
Understand why payment failed
See who made changes
Track customer communications
Undo Check-in
If an appointment was checked in (marked as In Progress) by mistake, you can revert it back to Confirmed status.
When it's available: Undo Check In appears while the appointment is In Progress (Undo check in on the appointment page). If auto-start is on for the service, Petboost blocks the undo. Turn auto-start off first.
How to use it:
Right-click the card on the Scheduler (on a computer), or open the appointment or its Mission Control card
Click Undo Check In
The appointment reverts to Confirmed status
What it does:
Reverts the appointment status from In Progress back to Confirmed
Does not clear any time. The earlier Appointment started entry stays in the Activity Log
No customer notification is sent
Best for: Accidental check-ins, checking in the wrong pet, or when a customer hasn't actually arrived yet.
Undo Check Out
If an appointment was checked out (marked Ready to Pay) by mistake, you can send it back to the status it held before check out. Check out is available from In Progress, Completed, Confirmed and Payment Declined, which is why the destination varies.
When it's available: Undo Check Out appears while the appointment is Ready to Pay and that status came from a check out.
A booking that was never checked out has nothing to undo, so the action does not appear on the appointment page, on the Scheduler or on a Mission Control card. That covers a payment recorded without a check out and then un-marked, and older bookings where Petboost has no record of the check out. Un-marking a payment does not erase a check out: a booking that was checked out, paid and then un-marked still goes back to the status it came from.
Petboost blocks the undo when the service has the automation on that would move the appointment forward again: auto-complete when it was In Progress, auto-finalise when it was Completed, auto-start when it was Confirmed. On the appointment page the Undo check out action is not offered while that automation is on. The status chip still lists the earlier status, and clicking it is rejected with the automation named, which is the same message the Scheduler and Mission Control cards show. Turn that automation off in service settings first.
How to use it:
Right-click the card on the Scheduler (on a computer), or open the appointment or its Mission Control card
Click Undo Check Out (Undo check out on the appointment page)
The appointment returns to the status it held before check out
What it does:
Returns the appointment to the status it held before check out
Does not clear any time. The earlier Appointment Finalised entry stays in the Activity Log
No customer notification is sent
Mission Control kanban still only moves forward. Use the Undo Check Out action rather than dragging the card back.
Drag Lock on Mission Control stops accidental status drags. Drag Lock on the calendar stops accidental reschedules. They are separate toggles. Turn Mission Control Drag Lock on when you are browsing, not moving cards.
Recovery & Cleanup Actions
Beyond cancellation, Petboost offers additional actions for managing appointment records.
Un-cancel Appointment
Rebook a cancelled appointment with pre-filled details:
Open the cancelled appointment
Click "Un-cancel Appointment"
Review and adjust the pre-filled form
Save to create a new appointment
What it does:
Creates a new appointment with all original details pre-filled
Original cancelled appointment remains in records
Customer receives standard booking confirmation
Best for: Customer changed their mind, cancellation error, rebooking same slot.
Archive Appointment
Remove from calendar views while retaining data:
Open appointment
Click More Actions menu (⋮)
Select Archive
Confirm
What it does:
Hides from calendar and Mission Control
Data fully retained for records
No customer notification
Can be unarchived later
Best for: Cleaning up old completed appointments, reducing calendar clutter.
Unarchive Appointment
Restore an archived appointment:
Search for the archived appointment
Open the appointment detail
Click More Actions menu (⋮)
Select Unarchive
Hard Delete (Permanent)
Permanently remove appointment from the system:
Open appointment
Click More Actions menu (⋮)
Select Permanently Delete
Read warning and confirm
Requirements:
Must be in deletion-safe status (Pending, Confirmed, Declined, Cancelled, Invoice Amount Void)
Cannot delete paid appointments
⚠️ Warning: Hard delete cannot be undone. Use Archive for record-keeping purposes.
Best for: GDPR requests, test data cleanup, duplicate removal.
Comparison
Action | Data Retained | Notification | Reversible |
Cancel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Un-cancel |
Archive | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Unarchive |
Hard Delete | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
See Un-cancel & Appointment Recovery for the complete guide.
Tips & Best Practices
Efficient workflow:
Enable Automatic Actions to reduce manual status changes
Add notes immediately after service completion
Upload photos while still with the pet
Avoid common mistakes:
Don't finalize invoice before service completion
Don't cancel without refund if payment already collected
Don't skip notes - they help with future bookings
Don't forget to check eligibility before confirming
Customer satisfaction:
Confirm bookings quickly (under 2 hours)
Send photos to customers after service
Add personalized notes about their pet
Be transparent about any issues or delays
Report Cards
If you have added Customer-facing Notes or photos under Notes & Attachments, on Business Notes, report card actions appear in the appointment Manage menu under Print & Reports:
Preview Report Card - See the full interactive experience the pet owner will receive
Print Report Card - Generate a configurable PDF with toggles for pet photo, attributes, team member, photo gallery, and more
Send Report Card SMS - Send a link to the interactive report card directly to the pet owner (requires Communications Booster)
They are not on the calendar Manage menu.
For the full guide, see Report Cards.
Print cards and upcoming appointments
Print actions sit in the appointment Manage menu, under Print & Reports.
Print a grooming card
If the appointment includes a grooming service:
Open the appointment.
Open Manage.
Under Print & Reports, select Print Grooming Card.
Choose what to include, then select Print Grooming Card.
Print a kennel card
If the appointment type is Stay:
Open the appointment.
Open Manage.
Under Print & Reports, select Print Kennel Card.
Choose what to include, then select Print Kennel Card.
Print upcoming appointments
Open the appointment.
Open Manage.
Under Print & Reports, select Print Upcoming Appointments.
For today's full schedule, see Can I print today's schedule?.
Book the same visit again
Quick Book Again opens a new booking with the same customer, pets, and services. It is available when the appointment is Paid, Completed, or Refund Granted.
Open the appointment.
Open Manage.
Under Booking, select Quick Book Again.
Check the date and details, then save.
Default Notes from Services
When creating a new appointment, Petboost can automatically pre-fill internal notes from the service's Notes Templates. If the service has default internal notes configured, they are inserted into the appointment's notes field when the appointment is first created. If multiple services have default notes, they are combined with separators.
Pre-filling only applies to new appointments and only when the notes field is empty. Staff can edit or remove the pre-filled content after creation.
For setting up notes templates, see Notes Templates.
Calendar Grouping
Week View: By Day Grouping
In Week view, you can toggle between two grouping modes:
By Staff/Resource/Service/Category - The standard view where each column represents a team member, resource, service, or category across the entire week
By Day - Each column represents a day of the week, with appointment counts shown per day for each row
Switch between modes using the radio buttons in the calendar toolbar. Your preference is saved for next time.
Per-day counts adjust automatically to show accurate totals for each day and each row, rather than the whole week.
What's Next?
Report Cards - Share appointment summaries with pet owners
Un-cancel & Appointment Recovery - Recover cancelled appointments
Availability Troubleshooter - Understand booking engine decisions