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How to set the status for new bookings

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When adding a booking to the calendar, you have the option to set an initial booking status. This will affect how that appointment is treated when it comes to reminders and notifications. In this article, you will learn how to set the status for new calendar bookings.

 

 

Calendar bookings

To update the default status of new appointments when a staff member adds a new appointment to the Timely calendar:

 

1 Head to setup from the main menu in your Timely account dashboard, and click on calendar settings.

 

2 Scroll down to the appointment settings section, and under initial status for new appointments, select pencilled-in or confirmed and click save to apply.

 

Timely notes:

  • When adding a new appointment to the Calendar, the Booking status will automatically be set to the status selected.
     
  • When the initial status is set to Pencilled-in the customer won't receive a notification that the appointment has been entered in to the Calendar. 
     
  • To send the customer any notifications about their appointment or any changes, you would need to Confirm the appointment first.
     
  • When an appointment is pencilled-in, and the customer receives a reminder, the customer will be prompted to confirm they still want the appointment. When the customer replies with 'Y' the appointment will be automatically confirmed in your calendar.
     
  • You can set Pencilled-in bookings to auto expire after a certain amount of time if not confirmed, which will free up that time in the Calendar:

 

 

Online bookings

When customers book online, you can choose whether the appointment is automatically accepted confirmed or if it requires a staff member to accept or reject the appointment pencilled-in. To update the status of new online bookings:

 

1 Head to setup from the main menu in your Timely account dashboard, and click on online bookings.

 

2 In the settings section, update the initial status for online bookings to confirmed or pencilled-in.

 

3 When you are ready, click save to apply your changes.

 

4 When the status of online bookings is set to pencilled-in then the customer will request a booking at the selected time, which you can then confirm or decline. When the appointment is accepted then the customer is sent a confirmation SMS/Email, if this is enable.

 

 

How does this process work?

  • The customer makes a booking online.
     
  • You receive an email message asking you to confirm or decline the appointment.
     
  • If you confirm the appointment, the customer is sent a confirmation SMS or email confirming their appointment time.
     
  • If you decline the appointment, the customer is sent an SMS or email to inform them their time is not available and the booking has not been confirmed.
     

Timely note: you can choose leave the appointment as pencilled-in, without accepting the appointment. In this instance, the customer won't receive any notification that their appointments has been accepted, until their appointment reminder is sent. For more information on customer reminders and notifications, see our help guide How to set up client reminders.

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