Scheduler

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Introduction

The Scheduler is your central calendar and booking management hub. Use it to oversee appointments, assign services, manage team schedules, and keep track of clients. Perfect for individuals and teams, the Scheduler streamlines your daily operations and ensures everyone stays organised.

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Key Features

• Multiple Calendar Views: Switch between Day, Week, Month, and Agenda views for optimal visibility of your schedule.
• Team Schedule Management: View and filter appointments by team member. See Team Schedule for managing team working hours.
• Flexible Date Navigation: Quickly move forward or backward by day, week, or month; jump to today with a single click.
• Zoom Controls: Adjust how much of the schedule you see at once.
• Waitlist Management: Add, edit, book, or remove clients on the waitlist.
• Incomplete Booking Recovery: Follow up with clients who started an online booking but didn’t finish. See Incomplete Bookings.
• Comprehensive Appointment Management: Create, edit, reschedule, or cancel appointments; assign multiple services; and add client notes.
• Working Hours Overlay: Visualise team members’ working hours directly on the calendar with dimmed cells for unavailable times.
• Smart Rebooking Suggestions: AI-powered suggestions to help clients rebook based on their appointment history.
• Resend Notifications: Resend confirmation or checkout summary notifications to clients at any time.
• Refresh Button: Manually refresh the scheduler data with a single click from the header.
• Customisable Status Colours: Choose the background colour for each appointment status (Confirmed, Pending, Completed, etc.) to suit your team’s workflow.

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Complete Appointment Workflow (End-to-End)

Understanding the full appointment lifecycle helps you manage your business efficiently. Here’s how an appointment flows from booking to completion.

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1. Creating the Appointment

Quick Start:

1. Click a time slot on the calendar, click Add Appointment to open the appointment form
2. Select or create a client
3. Add one or more services (and optional add-ons for each service)
4. Assign a team member to perform the service(s)
5. Confirm the date and time
6. Add any notes (optional)
7. Click Save to create the appointment

What Happens:

• The appointment appears on your calendar with a “Confirmed” status immediately
• Client receives confirmation notifications automatically
• Appointment is fully confirmed and ready to proceed

Note: If Working Hours Enforcement is enabled, you can only create appointments within team members’ scheduled working hours. Dimmed time slots on the calendar indicate times outside working hours and cannot be clicked.

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Find a Time

For phone bookings or when a client requests a specific service without a preferred date, use Find a Time:

1. Click the + New dropdown in the scheduler header and select Find a Time (or press F)
2. Select the client — their preferred team member and last appointment details load automatically
3. Add one or more services (or click Rebook last appointment to pre-fill from their history)
4. Choose a team member preference (preferred team member or any)
5. Click Find Available Slots to browse availability across multiple days
6. Select a time slot — the appointment form opens pre-filled with all details, ready to save

Slots are ranked by how well they fill gaps in the team member’s schedule. Look for “Best fit”, “Great fit”, or “Good fit” labels to maximise occupancy.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Walk-In Appointments:

• Click Add Walk-In button for clients without prior appointments
• Same appointment creation flow, marked as walk-in
• Useful for tracking spontaneous clients and walk-in business
• Helps distinguish between scheduled and walk-in appointments in reporting

Note: Payment settings only apply to online bookings. However, if client confirmation is enabled, business-created appointments will stay in “Booked” status until the client confirms.

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2. Performing the Service

On the day of the appointment:

• The appointment appears on the calendar at the scheduled time
• The assigned team member provides the service(s)
• You can add notes during or after the service about what was done

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3. Checkout and Payment

When the client is ready to pay:

1. Open the Appointment: Click on the completed appointment
2. Click “Checkout”: This opens the checkout screen
3. Review Services: All booked services are automatically listed with their prices, including any selected add-ons
4. Add Products (Optional):
   • Click Add Product if the client purchased retail items
   • Search and select products
   • Product prices are added to the total
5. Review Subtotal:
   • Subtotal displays total of all services (including add-on prices) and products
6. Select Payment Method:
   • Cash — cash paid at reception
   • Card (Manual) — in-person card processed outside Bella (covers EFTPOS)
   • Other — bank transfer, voucher, etc.
   • Card on File — charge the client’s saved card via Stripe (when available)
7. Complete the payment: The action button label reflects your selection — for example “Charge Visa ····4242” for Card on File, or “Record Cash Payment” for cash. Clicking it processes the transaction.

What Happens Next:

• The appointment status automatically changes to “Completed”
• A sale record is automatically created with all services, products, and payment details
• Inventory is updated for any products sold

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5. Appointment Status: Booked vs Confirmed

Understanding appointment statuses helps you track appointment lifecycle: Booked Status:

• Initial status for online bookings when deposit payment is required
• Appointment is created but not yet confirmed
• Client must complete payment to confirm the appointment
• If payment fails or is not attempted, the client can retry — the appointment is only cancelled by the auto-cancel timer if configured
• Appointments in “Booked” status are still on your calendar but pending confirmation

Confirmed Status:

• Final status indicating appointment is fully confirmed
• Business-created appointments: Always start as “Confirmed” immediately
• Online bookings without deposit: Start as “Confirmed” immediately
• Online bookings with deposit: Start as “Booked”, become “Confirmed” when payment succeeds
• Clients receive confirmation notifications when status changes to “Confirmed”
• Confirmed appointments are guaranteed and ready to proceed

Manual Confirmation:

• You can manually confirm appointments if needed
• Click on the appointment and use the confirm option
• Useful for appointments that were created in “Booked” status

Status Flow:

1. Business User Creates: Booked → Confirmed (immediate)
2. Online Booking (No Deposit): Booked → Confirmed (immediate)
3. Online Booking (Deposit Required): Booked → (payment succeeds) → Confirmed

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4. Automatic Sale Creation

Important: When you complete the checkout process, BellaBooking automatically creates a sale record that includes:

• All services performed
• All products sold
• Payment method used
• Total amount paid
• Date and time of transaction
• Link to the original appointment

Where to Find Sales:

• Go to the Sales section to view all completed transactions
• Each sale is linked back to its appointment
• You can view, edit, or refund sales from the Sales section

Why This Matters:

• Complete transaction history for reporting
• Accurate revenue tracking
• Easy refund processing
• Client purchase history
• Team member performance tracking

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Step-by-Step Features

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Calendar Navigation

• Switch Views: Use the Day, Week, Month, or Agenda buttons at the top to select your preferred calendar format.

• Zoom In/Out: Find the zoom controls above the calendar grid to adjust your view.
• Move Through Dates: Use the forward and backward arrows or the date picker to jump to specific dates. Click Today to return instantly to today’s schedule.

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Team and Resource Filters

The scheduler includes a powerful filter to view appointments by team members, resources, or both. Accessing the Filter: Click the filter button (showing a count badge) in the scheduler header to open the filter dropdown. Filter Presets: Custom Filtering: Below the presets, you can toggle individual team members and resources:

• Team members: Toggle specific team members on/off to show/hide their columns and appointments
• Resources: Toggle specific resources on/off to filter appointments by resource

How It Works:

• If no resources are selected: All appointments are shown
• If any resources are selected: Only appointments with those resources are shown

This means selecting resources acts as a filter to show resource utilization, while deselecting all resources shows your complete schedule. Visual Identification:

• Each team member’s avatar displays a coloured ring matching their scheduler colour
• Appointments display a left border in the team member’s colour for quick visual identification

Note: Resources must be enabled in Settings > Scheduling. See Resources for setup instructions.

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Working Hours Overlay

In Day and Week views, you can display a visual overlay that shows each team member’s working hours directly on the scheduler. Toggling the Overlay:

1. Click the settings/options area in the scheduler header
2. Find the Working Hours toggle
3. Turn it on to dim time slots outside each team member’s scheduled hours

How It Looks:

• Time slots outside working hours appear dimmed with a striped pattern
• Time slots within working hours remain bright and clear
• Each team member’s column shows their individual schedule

With Working Hours Enforcement: When Working Hours Enforcement is enabled in your scheduling settings:

• The overlay is always on and cannot be toggled off
• Dimmed cells show a not-allowed cursor and cannot be clicked
• Clicking a dimmed cell shows a message indicating the team member is not scheduled to work at that time
• If a service’s duration extends past working hours, the appointment form shows a red warning and the submit button is disabled

This provides a clear visual guide for scheduling within your team’s availability. For more details, see Scheduling Settings.

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Editing or Rescheduling an Appointment

1. Click on an existing appointment block in the calendar.
2. In the appointment detail panel, make edits:
   • Change client or services.
   • Reassign to another team member.
   • Adjust date and time.
   • Edit or add notes.
3. Save your changes.

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Resending Notifications

You can resend appointment notifications to clients directly from the appointment details. How to Resend:

1. Click on the appointment to open details
2. Click the menu icon (three dots) in the appointment panel
3. Select Resend Confirmation or Resend Summary depending on the appointment status

What Gets Sent: Use Cases:

• Client didn’t receive the original notification
• Client needs the appointment details again
• Sending a reminder before the appointment
• Resending the checkout summary/receipt

Note: Notifications are sent via the channels enabled in your Automated Messages settings (SMS and/or email).

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Cancelling or Deleting an Appointment

Cancelling (recommended):

1. Open the appointment by clicking it.
2. Click the three-dot menu and select Cancel.
3. Select a cancellation reason from the dropdown if prompted, and optionally add a cancellation note with additional details.
4. Toggle Silent cancellation if you want to cancel without sending any notification to the client.
5. The appointment status changes to “Cancelled” and remains visible for reporting.

Deleting from the edit form:

1. Open the appointment by clicking it. Click the Edit button.
2. Click the three-dot menu and select Delete.
3. Confirm the deletion. The appointment is permanently removed.

Permanently deleting a cancelled appointment:

1. Open a cancelled appointment by clicking it.
2. Click the three-dot menu and select Permanently Delete.
3. Confirm the action.

Cancellation Policies and Refunds: When cancelling appointments that have deposits paid, cancellation policies may apply:

• Cancellation Policies: If you have cancellation policies configured, they determine refund amounts
• Policy Evaluation: The system evaluates whether the cancellation is made with at least the required notice
• Refund Calculation:
  • Cancellations with at least the required notice receive full refunds
  • Cancellations with less than the required notice may have fees applied based on your policy
• Automatic Processing: Refunds are processed automatically through Stripe to the original payment method
• Business Override: As a business user, you can override the calculated refund amount for special circumstances

How Policies Are Applied:

• Default Policy: Your default cancellation policy applies unless overridden at the service level
• Service-Level Overrides: Individual services can have their own cancellation policies
• Multiple Services: When an appointment includes multiple services, the most restrictive policy applies (shortest cancellation period, highest fee percentage)

Self-Service Cancellation:

• If self-service cancellation is enabled, clients can cancel appointments online themselves
• If disabled, clients must contact you directly to cancel
• When a cancellation policy is configured, online cancellation with less than the required notice is only available for appointments with deposit payments
• Appointments cancelled with at least the required notice can be cancelled online regardless of deposit status
• Business users can always cancel appointments regardless of self-service settings or deposit status

For more details on configuring cancellation policies, see Online Booking Settings.

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Blocked Time Management

Block out time when team members are unavailable for appointments, such as breaks, meetings, or personal time.

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Adding Blocked Time

1. Click on a time slot in the calendar or use the Add Blocked Time button
2. Fill in the details:
   • Team Member: Select who is unavailable
   • Date: Date of the blocked period
   • From: When the blocked period begins
   • To: When the blocked period ends
   • Description (optional): notes about the blocked time like the reason
   • Frequency: Change if this blocked time repeats (daily, weekly, etc.)
3. Click Save

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Recurring Blocked Time

For regularly scheduled breaks or time off:

• Change the Frequency option
• Select pattern (Every day, Every week, Every fortnight, Every month)
• Set end date for the recurrence or leave open-ended

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Editing or Deleting Blocked Time

• Click on a blocked time block in the calendar
• Change any field to modify the details or timing and click Update
• Choose Delete to remove it

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Buffer Blocks on the Calendar

When a service or bundle has buffer time configured (Buffer Before or Buffer After), the scheduler displays buffer blocks — grey striped blocks that appear immediately before and/or after the appointment. How buffer blocks look:

• Buffer blocks appear as small, muted blocks with a diagonal stripe pattern
• They sit directly adjacent to the appointment they belong to
• Each block displays “Buffer” and the team member’s colour

How buffer blocks behave:

• Not draggable: Buffer blocks cannot be moved independently. They always move with their parent appointment
• Clicking opens the appointment: Clicking on a buffer block opens the parent appointment’s details panel, not a separate editor
• Visual indicator only: Buffer blocks show when a team member is blocked for setup or cleanup — they are not separate appointments

What buffer blocks represent:

• Buffer Before: Setup or preparation time before the appointment. The team member is unavailable during this period
• Buffer After: Cleanup or reset time after the appointment. The team member is unavailable during this period

Buffer blocks help you visualise the true time commitment for each appointment, including preparation and cleanup that clients don’t see.

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Drag-and-Drop Scheduling

The scheduler supports drag-and-drop for quick rescheduling and adjustments.

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Rescheduling Appointments

1. Click and hold on an appointment block
2. Drag it to a new time slot
3. Release to drop it in the new position to reschedule

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Moving Appointments Between Team Members

1. Click and drag an appointment
2. Drop it in another team member’s column/row
3. Release to drop it in the new position to reassign

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Adjusting Appointment Duration

1. Hover over the bottom edge of an appointment block
2. Click and drag to extend or shorten the appointment
3. Release when the desired duration is reached
4. The system recalculates timing

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Rebooking Suggestions

BellaBooking can intelligently suggest rebooking options based on a client’s appointment history. How It Works: When you create a new appointment for an existing client:

1. The system analyses the client’s previous appointments
2. It identifies their most frequently booked services
3. Suggests the same services and team member combination

Using Rebooking Suggestions:

1. Open the appointment creation form
2. Select a client who has previous appointments
3. If suggestions are available, you’ll see a “Suggested” section
4. Click to apply the suggestion, which pre-fills:
   • Previously booked services
   • The team member who performed the service
5. Adjust the date and time as needed
6. Save the appointment

Benefits:

• Faster appointment creation for returning clients
• Consistent service delivery
• Helps maintain client-team member relationships
• Reduces time spent selecting services manually

Note: Suggestions are based on the client’s most recent completed appointments. If a client is new or hasn’t had recent appointments, suggestions may not be available.

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FAQs

Q: How do I switch between different calendar views? A: Use the Day, Week, Month, or Agenda buttons at the top of the Scheduler. Q: Can I see appointments for only one staff member? A: Yes, use the team filter to display only the selected team member’s appointments. Q: How do I block out time for lunch breaks or meetings? A: Click on a time slot, select “Blocked Time,” fill in the details, and save. You can make it recurring for regular breaks. Q: Can I sell products during appointment checkout? A: Yes. During checkout, click “Add Product” to include retail items in the transaction. Q: Can I delete a recurring blocked time? A: Yes. You can delete a single instance, this and future instances, or all instances of the recurring block. Q: How do rebooking suggestions work? A: When creating a new appointment for an existing client, BellaBooking analyses their appointment history and suggests their most frequently booked services and team members. Click the suggestion to pre-fill the appointment form. Q: Why don’t I see rebooking suggestions for a client? A: Rebooking suggestions are based on completed appointments. New clients or those without recent completed appointments won’t have suggestions available. Q: Why can’t I click on certain time slots? A: If Working Hours Enforcement is enabled, time slots outside a team member’s working hours are blocked. These slots appear dimmed with a striped pattern and show a not-allowed cursor. To create appointments outside working hours, disable the enforcement setting in Settings → Scheduling. Q: Can I see when team members are available? A: Yes. In Day or Week view, toggle the Working Hours overlay in the scheduler header. This dims time slots outside each team member’s scheduled hours, giving you a clear visual guide. Q: Can I resend appointment notifications to a client? A: Yes! Click on any appointment, then use the menu (three dots) and select “Resend Confirmation” or “Resend Summary”. This sends the appropriate notification via SMS and/or email based on your automated messages settings. Q: What notification is sent when I resend for a completed appointment? A: For completed appointments, the checkout summary notification is sent. For booked or confirmed appointments, the confirmation notification is sent. Q: What are the grey striped blocks before or after appointments? A: Those are buffer blocks. They represent buffer time (setup/cleanup) configured on the service or bundle. Buffer blocks show when a team member is blocked and unavailable for other appointments. They cannot be dragged independently — clicking them opens the parent appointment. Q: Why can’t I drag a buffer block? A: Buffer blocks are tied to their parent appointment and cannot be moved separately. To change buffer time, edit the service or bundle configuration in the Service Catalog.