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Getting Started with Mission Control

Learn how to navigate Mission Control and start using it for your daily pet business operations. This guide walks you through your first visit and essential features.

First Visit Walkthrough

When you first open Mission Control, you'll see a comprehensive dashboard designed for efficient daily operations. Let's explore each area from top to bottom.

The Header: Quick Actions

At the very top, you'll find a row of quick action buttons. These are your most common daily tasks:

Available Quick Actions:

  1. New Customer & Pet - Create a new customer profile with their pet(s)

  2. New Appointment - Book a new appointment

  3. Quick Sale - Process a sale (grooming products, treats, etc.)

  4. Find Pet - Search for any pet in your system

  5. Package Purchase - Sell a package to a customer

  6. Create Stay - Book overnight boarding (if you offer stay services)

  7. Enrol in Courses - Add pets to group classes (if you offer courses)

  8. Block Time - Block out calendar time

  9. Get Help - Contact Petboost support via Intercom

Quick Actions Tips:

  • These buttons adapt based on your business capabilities

  • Don't see "Package Purchase"? You haven't set up packages yet

  • Don't see "Create Stay"? You haven't configured stay services

  • Don't see "Enrol in Courses"? You haven't set up courses

Opening Hours Card

Below the quick actions, you'll see your opening hours displayed Google-style. This card shows:

  • Today's hours - When you open and close

  • Colour-coded timeline - Matches your appointment status colours

  • Busy period visualisation - See where appointments are concentrated

What the colours mean:

The timeline is colour-coded to match appointment statuses, giving you an instant view of how your day flows. Darker, more saturated areas indicate busier periods.

Attention Required Card

This card automatically identifies situations needing your immediate attention:

What shows up here:

  • Outstanding Payments - Appointments with unpaid invoices (red badge)

  • Payment Method Issues - Customers without a card on file (red badge)

  • Depleted Packages - Customers who've run out of credits (amber badge)

  • Overdue Status - Appointments stuck in a status too long (blue badge)

How to use it:

  1. The card shows total items needing attention

  2. Click the card to open the full details dialog

  3. Review each item and take action

  4. Use "Bulk Charge" for multiple payment collections

Priority levels:

  • High Priority (red) - Payment issues, critical items

  • Medium Priority (amber) - Package alerts, reminders

  • Low Priority (blue) - Status updates, routine actions

Special Attention Card

This card highlights pets and appointments needing extra care today:

What shows up here:

  • Medical Conditions/Allergies - Health-related flags (red badge)

  • Behavioural Needs - Special handling required (amber badge)

  • Birthdays - Pets celebrating within 7 days (pink badge)

  • Desexing Alerts - Age-based reminders (blue badge)

  • Dietary Requirements - Special feeding needs (blue badge)

How to use it:

  1. Check this card each morning

  2. Brief your team on special care needs

  3. Click to see full details of each pet

  4. Make birthdays special with treats or extra attention

Team Members & Resources Sidebar

On the left side, you'll see cards for team members and resources working today:

Team Members Card:

  • Shows who's working today

  • Displays their current appointment

  • Click a team member to see details

  • Access quick actions from their card

Resources Card:

  • Shows spaces and play areas in use

  • Displays current pet allocation

  • Click a resource to see details

  • View capacity and availability

Revenue Intelligence Cards

See your day's financial performance:

Today's Revenue:

  • Total expected revenue

  • Single appointments vs package redemptions

  • Percentage split between payment types

Revenue by Category:

  • Grooming, Daycare, Training, etc.

  • Appointment count per category

  • Visual breakdown with colour coding

Week Comparison:

  • Compare today to same day last week

  • Trend indicators (up or down)

  • Percentage change

The Main View Area

The central area displays your appointments in your chosen view mode. Initially, you'll see List View, but you can switch to other modes based on your preference.

Essential Operations

Creating a New Appointment

Method 1: Quick Actions (Fastest)

  1. Click "New Appointment" in the quick actions bar

  2. The appointment form opens in a side sheet

  3. Select customer and pet(s)

  4. Choose services

  5. Set date and time using Magic Schedule or Quick Force

  6. Click "Create Appointment"

Method 2: From the Main View

  1. Look for the "New" button in the main toolbar

  2. Select "Appointment" from the dropdown

  3. Follow the same creation process

See also: Creating Appointments Guide

Processing a Quick Sale

Quick Sale is perfect for selling products, treats, or services without booking an appointment:

Step 1: Select Quick Sale

  1. Click "Quick Sale" in the quick actions bar

  2. A pet finder dialog opens

Step 2: Choose the Pet

  1. Search for the customer or pet

  2. Select the pet from results

  3. Click "Continue to Sale"

Step 3: Complete the Sale

  1. The sale form opens with pet and owner pre-filled

  2. Add line items (products, services)

  3. Process payment or save invoice

  4. Done!

Why two steps?

Quick Sale asks you to choose the pet first so the sale is properly attributed to the right customer and pet in your records.

Finding a Pet Quickly

Use Find Pet when you need to look up a pet's information fast:

  1. Click "Find Pet" in quick actions

  2. Start typing the pet name, owner name, or phone number

  3. Select the pet from search results

  4. Click "View Profile"

  5. You're taken directly to their profile page

Tip: This is faster than navigating to Customers & Pets and searching there.

Purchasing a Package

If you offer packages (multi-visit bundles), you can sell them from Mission Control:

  1. Click "Package Purchase" in quick actions

  2. Select the pet whose owner is purchasing

  3. Click "Continue to Purchase"

  4. Choose the package type

  5. Process payment

  6. Done!

Note: If you don't see "Package Purchase", you need to set up packages first in Packages Settings.

Creating an Overnight Stay

For businesses offering boarding, use Create Stay:

  1. Click "Create Stay" in quick actions

  2. Select customer and pet(s)

  3. Set check-in date and time

  4. Set check-out date and time

  5. Assign resource (kennel/room)

  6. Click "Create Stay"

Note: If you don't see "Create Stay", configure stay services first in Services Settings.

Blocking Time

Block calendar time when you're not available:

  1. Click "Block Time" in quick actions

  2. Choose the date and time range

  3. Select which team members or resources are blocked

  4. Add an optional note (e.g., "Lunch break", "Training")

  5. Click "Create Block"

See also: Blocked Times Guide

Getting Help

Need support from the Petboost team?

  1. Click Get Help in quick actions

  2. The Grazi AI panel opens

  3. Type your question or issue

  4. To reach a person, click Speak with the team in the same panel

Choosing Your View

Mission Control offers up to 12 view modes. Start with these recommendations:

Recommended Starting View: List View

If you're new to Mission Control, start with List View:

  • Familiar scrollable list format

  • Shows all appointment details

  • Easy to scan and understand

  • Supports grouping and sorting

To activate List View:

  1. Find the view mode buttons in the main toolbar

  2. Click the "List" icon (three horizontal lines)

  3. Your appointments display in a traditional list

When to Use Each View

List View - Best for:

  • Getting started with Mission Control

  • Scanning all appointments quickly

  • Detailed information viewing

Workflow View (Kanban) - Best for:

  • Processing appointments through status stages

  • Visual workflow management

  • Drag-and-drop status updates

Pets View - Best for:

  • Pet-centric businesses (daycare, training)

  • Seeing which pets are coming today

  • Quick pet identification

Stays View - Best for:

  • Boarding and kennels

  • Overnight stay management

  • Multi-day appointment tracking

Team Members View - Best for:

  • Team-based scheduling

  • Mobile groomers or trainers

  • Seeing who's doing what

Resources View - Best for:

  • Facility-based businesses

  • Room/space management

  • Seeing which areas are busy

Resources & Team View - Best for:

  • Businesses using both team and resource assignments

  • Complex scheduling needs

  • Full visibility

See the full guide: View Modes Explained

Day vs Week Toggle

Mission Control lets you view a single day or an entire week.

Day View (Default)

Shows appointments for one day:

  • Use the arrows - Navigate previous/next day

  • Date label - Shows "Today", "Tomorrow", or the day name

  • Focused view - See everything for one day

Best for: Daily operations, high appointment volume, precise timing

Week View

Shows appointments across a full week:

  • Use the arrows - Navigate previous/next week (jumps to Monday)

  • Date label - Shows "This Week", "Next Week", or date range

  • Weekday buttons - Filter which days are visible

  • Weekly overview - See patterns across the week

Best for: Weekly planning, lower daily volume, resource allocation

Switching Between Day and Week

  1. Find the "Day / Week" toggle in the main toolbar

  2. Click "Day" for single-day view

  3. Click "Week" for week-long view

  4. Your selection is remembered for next time

Using Weekday Filters (Week View Only)

When in Week View, you'll see weekday buttons: SUN, MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT

How they work:

  • Blue button - Day is selected (appointments shown)

  • Grey border button - Day is not selected (appointments hidden)

  • White dot - Indicates today

  • Click any day - Toggle it on or off

Smart defaults:

  • Current week - Defaults to today onwards (if today is Wednesday, shows Wed-Sat)

  • Future/past weeks - Defaults to all days selected

  • Reset button - Returns to smart defaults

Example: It's Wednesday, and you only want to see Thursday and Friday:

  1. Switch to Week View

  2. Click WED, SAT, SUN, MON, TUE to deselect them

  3. Only THU and FRI remain blue

  4. Appointments filter to Thursday and Friday only

Basic Filtering and Search

Using the Search Bar

The search bar lets you find appointments quickly:

  1. Click the search icon or search field

  2. Start typing:

    • Pet name (e.g., "Bella")

    • Owner name (e.g., "Sarah Smith")

    • Service name (e.g., "Grooming")

  3. Results filter in real-time

  4. Clear search to see all appointments again

Search tips:

  • Search is instant - no need to press Enter

  • Search works across all fields

  • Partial names work (e.g., "Bel" finds "Bella")

Quick Status Filtering

Filter by appointment status to focus on specific stages:

  1. Find the status filter dropdown

  2. Check or uncheck statuses:

    • Pending

    • Confirmed

    • In Progress

    • Completed

    • Ready to Pay

    • Paid

    • Cancelled

  3. Appointments filter instantly

  4. Use "Clear All" to reset

Common combinations:

  • Confirmed + In Progress - See active appointments only

  • Ready to Pay + Paid - Financial status view

  • Pending - See what needs confirmation

Using Quick Filters

Quick Filters are preset combinations for common scenarios:

  • Needs Payment - Appointments with payment issues

  • Special Attention - Pets with medical/behavioural needs

  • Arriving Soon - Appointments in the next hour

  • Overdue Status - Appointments stuck too long

  • Outstanding Balance - Customers who owe money

How to use:

  1. Find Quick Filters in the left sidebar

  2. Click any filter badge

  3. Appointments filter to matching items

  4. Click again to remove the filter

See the full guide: Filtering & Organisation

Mobile Getting Started

Mission Control is fully optimised for mobile devices with a different layout.

Mobile tabs and bottom bar

On phones, tablets and narrow windows, two tabs sit under the date:

  1. Appointments (opens first) - The appointment list in your chosen view

  2. Overview - Daily Activity (flow graph, attention items, Coming & Going), stays, Schedules, courses and Revenue Intelligence

The bar at the bottom of the screen has View, Search, Quick, Filters and Group. View and Group work on Appointments only.

Mobile Quick Actions

On mobile, quick actions open from the bottom bar:

  1. Tap Quick in the centre of the bottom bar

  2. Quick actions sheet slides up

  3. Tap your desired action

  4. Sheet closes and action opens

Mobile quick actions include:

  • New Customer & Pet

  • New Appointment

  • Quick Sale

  • Find Pet

  • Package Purchase

  • Create Stay

  • Enrol in Courses

  • Block Time

Swipe Gestures

Mobile appointment cards support swipe gestures:

  1. Swipe left on an appointment card

  2. Quick action buttons reveal:

    • View details

    • Update status

    • Process payment

    • More options

  3. Tap an action or swipe right to close

Header on mobile

Compress and Expand are on desktop only. On smaller screens, the flow graph and other cards sit on the Overview tab, so the Appointments tab shows the list without them.

Mobile Search and Filters

Search:

  1. Tap the search icon

  2. Full-screen search drawer opens

  3. Type your query

  4. Results filter instantly

  5. Close drawer to return

Filters:

  1. Tap the filter icon

  2. Full-screen filters drawer opens

  3. Select your filters

  4. Close to apply

  5. Filter count badge shows active filters

Keyboard Shortcuts

For desktop users, keyboard shortcuts make Mission Control even faster:

Navigation:

  • ← - Previous day/week

  • → - Next day/week

  • Esc - Close open dialogs/sheets

Quick Actions:

  • N - New Appointment (coming soon)

  • S - Quick Sale (coming soon)

  • F - Find Pet (coming soon)

View Modes:

  • 1 - List View (coming soon)

  • 2 - Workflow View (coming soon)

  • 3 - Pets View (coming soon)

Note: Keyboard shortcuts are being progressively rolled out. Check back for updates.

Customising Your Experience

Setting Your Default View

Mission Control remembers your preferences:

  • View mode - Last selected view (List, Kanban, Pets, etc.)

  • Day/Week toggle - Your last selection

  • Grouping settings - How you last grouped appointments

  • Sort order - Your preferred sort

These persist across sessions, so you don't need to reconfigure each time.

Compressed vs Expanded Header

The header can be toggled between compressed and expanded:

Compressed (Default):

  • Quick actions only

  • More room for appointment list

  • Best for focused task execution

Expanded:

  • Quick actions, the flow graph and the other header cards

  • Best for starting your day

Toggle location: On desktop, select Expand in the quick actions card at the top of Mission Control. Select Compress to return. Mission Control remembers your choice.

Common First-Time Questions

Q: Where did the calendar go?

A: The Appointments Calendar is still available in your main navigation. Mission Control is designed for daily operations, while the calendar is for detailed scheduling and planning.

Q: Can I still drag appointments to different times?

A: Yes, but use the Appointments Calendar for time changes. Mission Control's Workflow View lets you drag appointments between status columns, not time slots.

Q: Why don't I see all the quick actions?

A: Quick actions adapt to your business setup. If you don't offer packages, courses, or stays, those buttons won't appear.

Q: How do I turn off the attention cards?

A: The attention system is always active as it's core to Mission Control's design. If there are no attention items, the cards show zero.

Q: Can I customise which cards show?

A: Currently, all cards are shown when they have data. Future updates may include card customisation.

Q: Does Mission Control replace the Appointments page?

A: Mission Control is designed to be your primary daily tool, but the Appointments Calendar remains available for detailed scheduling work. Use both based on your task.

Next Steps

Now that you're familiar with Mission Control basics, explore these guides:

Related Documentation

Related FAQs

Quick Start Checklist:

  • [ ] Explored quick actions bar

  • [ ] Reviewed attention required card

  • [ ] Checked special attention items

  • [ ] Tried day and week view toggle

  • [ ] Experimented with different view modes

  • [ ] Used search to find an appointment

  • [ ] Applied a quick filter

  • [ ] Processed an action from the attention system

  • [ ] Customised your preferred view

  • [ ] Bookmarked Mission Control for daily use

Welcome to Mission Control - your operational command centre!

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