The purpose of this article is to help you understand: 

  • How multiple appointments per booking spot works
  • How to enable multiple appointments per provider
  • Setting up multiple booking spots per provider
  • How to limit multiple packages or items per provider
  • How to enable or disable multiple packages or items per booking spot

 

Before You Begin

Before you can begin setting up multi-spot booking, you will need to enable it in your settings section.  Click here to learn how to enable this feature.

 

What is "multi-spot" booking? 

Multiple appointments, or "multi-spot" booking, is a feature that allows customers to book a provider or team more than once for the same date and time spot.  

For example, in the dog walking industry, a dog walker may take out multiple clients' dogs at the same time if they are in the same neighborhood. By enabling multi-spot appointments, the business can decide how many appointments the provider receives for any given date and time.

 

Enabling Multiple Appointments Per Provider

Once you have enabled "multi-spot booking" in your General Store Option settings, you will need to go to each provider's profile that you will allow to take on jobs with multiple appointments. Start by going to:

Providers > Providers

Click on a provider or team's name to be redirected to their dashboard, then click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the page. From here, select the "Forms" tab.

The ability to accept multiple appointments can be enabled or disabled per industry and booking form.  To turn on multiple appointments for a form, click the industry tab and then select the form tab you would like to update.  

Depending on the form you are editing, there will be a few different options when enabling multi-spot booking.

 

Form 1, Form 4, and Form 5

If you are in form 1, form 4, or form 5, you will see the question "Turn on multiple appointments?" at the top of this section.

  • Select "Per Booking Spot" to enable multi-spot bookings for this form.
  • Select "Off" if you do not want to use multi-spot booking for the selected form.

 

Form 2

If you are editing settings for form 2, you will have an additional option to place limits on the number of packages that a customer can book for any given appointment (as well as offer multiple appointments per booking spot).

  • To enable this option, select "Per Booking Spot + Package" to set up limits on the number of packages per appointment.
    • When you select this option, boxes will be inserted next to each package in the section below. 
    • Enter the total number of packages you'd like a customer to schedule with this provider.

    • For example, if the package limit is set to "3", a customer with four packages in their booking will not be able to schedule with this provider.  

 

Form 3

If you are editing settings for form 3, you will have a similar option to place limits on the number of items that a customer can schedule per appointment (as well as offering multiple appointments per booking spot).

  • To enable this option, select "Per Booking Spot + Items" to set up limits on the number of items selected per appointment.
    • When you select this option, boxes will be inserted next to each item in the section below. 
    • Enter the maximum number of items you'd like a customer to schedule with this provider.
    • For example, if the limit for "Medium Dog" is set to "2", a customer with 3 medium dogs would not be able to schedule with this provider.  

Once you are finished making your selections, remember to click the blue "Save" button at the bottom of the page to update your provider's settings.  

 

Setting Up Multiple Spots Per Provider

Once you've enabled multiple appointments under the provider's settings section, you can set the number of appointments per booking spot. 

To do this, go to the "Schedule" tab at the top of the provider's dashboard. 

Next, click on the green "Spots Availability" button in the top right corner of the page.

A pop-up window will appear in the center of the screen, displaying the default multi-spot settings for the provider.

  1. Location: If you have more than one location, select the location you are setting up multiple appointments for.  
  2. Whole: Select "Whole" if you want to set up multiple booking spots for the provider's entire schedule.  
  3. Specific Date: Select "Specific Date" to set up multiple appointments for a single date.
  4. Day: If you are setting up multiple appointments for the provider's whole schedule, select a day of the week from the dropdown box to edit its spots.
  5. Time: Each booking spot will be displayed in a list from earliest to latest.
  6. Quantity: Enter the total number of appointments per spot in the box to the right.
  7. Save:  After changing the quantity of a book spot, click the blue "Save" button to update the provider's availability.  

Once you are finished setting up multiple appointments per spot, click the red "x" icon to close out the pop-up window.  

 

Multiple Packages and Items (Forms 2 & 3)

If you have enabled multiple appointments per booking spot for your business, you will have an additional setting for your packages (form 2) and items (form 3).  This setting allows you to control if a package or item is allowed to be combined with other packages and forms for the same spot.

You may want to use this option if a certain package/item is expected to take more time and resources than your average service. To ensure that the customer cannot add more services once this package/item has been added to their cart, you can disable combinations with other packages/items and forms.

For example, let's say an "Interior Detailing" package has been disabled from package and form combinations.  If a customer attempts to add another package to their appointment, they will see a pop-up explaining that this package cannot be combined with others.

Once the appointment is booked, the assigned provider or team will not be able to accept any other bookings for this time spot, regardless of their multi-spot settings.

 

Package Combinations (Form 2)

To disable (or enable) combinations with other packages and forms, please go to:

Settings > Industries > [Industry Name] > Form 2 > Packages

Click "Options", then "Edit" next to the package you would like to update.

Scroll down the page until you see the question, "Can this package be combined with other packages or forms for the same spot?"

  • Select "Yes" to allow this package to be combined with other packages and bookings when a provider has been enabled for multiple appointments.
  • Select "No" to only allow this package to be booked on its own with no other appointments sharing the same booking spot.  

Once you are finished making changes, click the blue "Save" button to update the package's settings.  

 

Item Combinations (Form 3)

To disable (or enable) combinations with other items and forms, please go to:

Settings > Industries > [Industry Name] > Form 2 > Items

Click "Options", then "Edit" next to the item you would like to update.

Scroll down the page until you see the question, "Can this item be combined with other items or forms for the same spot?"

  • Select "Yes" to allow this item to be combined with other packages and bookings when a provider has been enabled for multiple appointments.
  • Select "No" to only allow this item to be booked on its own with no other appointments sharing the same booking spot.  

Once you are finished making changes, click the blue "Save" button to update the item's settings.