The Book-by-Slot mode revolutionizes your salon's appointment system with group drop-offs, smart slot management, and automated booking controls. Perfect for businesses that:

  • Handle group drop-offs (e.g., 5 dogs at 9 AM)
  • Need precise control over daily capacity
  • Want to eliminate scheduling back-and-forth with clients

💡 Note: Available for salon businesses only.

Key Benefits

  • Boost Occupancy & Revenue: Fill unused slots by allowing multiple pets per appointment. Clients book instantly online, even outside staffed hours.
  • Optimize Staff Workloads: Set per-slot limits based on groomer capacity. Prevent burnout with balanced scheduling.
  • Smart Slot Customization: Tailor slot lengths (30 mins for nail trims, 2 hrs for full grooms). Add buffer times between appointments.
  • Crystal-Clear Calendar Management: Color-coded slots show availability at a glance. Real-time updates prevent double-booking.
  • Streamline Group Appointments: Book multiple pets in the same slot (e.g., multi-pet family).

How to Set Up Book-by-Slot

Step 1: Switch to by-slot mode

  • Go to Settings > Staff > Shift Management.
  • Under Availability Type, select By Slot: This applies to all staff members.

Step 2: Configure Working Days & Hours

  • Select a staff member.
  • Check their working days.
  • Set Working Hours: It is reflected with grey shades on the calendar. The system will notify you when there is an appointment conflict with non-working hours.
  • Max pets per day (overall limit): When daily setting conditions are met, no further appointments can be booked for that day

Step 3: Customize Time Slots

  • Divide the day into slots (e.g., 9 AM–10 AM, 10 AM–11 AM) and add slots.
  • For each slot: Set max pets allowed
  • (Optional) Click on "Edit" to add booking limits (size/breed/service): Learn more about booking limits.

Step 4: Repeat for All Staff

  • Configure each team member’s slots based on their capacity.

Advanced Settings

Rotating Schedules

  • Set repeating weekly patterns (every 2/3/4 weeks).
  • Learn more about rotating schedules.

Date Overrides

  • Adjust slots for holidays or special events.
  • Learn more about date overrides

Calendar View

  • By default - Hover over dates to see :
    • Slot occupancy (e.g., "3/5 pets booked")
    • Fully booked status
  • Enable slot indicators in Calendar > Config:
    • Show slot time/location
    • Display occupancy

Sync With Online Booking

  • Go to Online booking > Settings > Availability > Team Schedule
  • Toggle on "Staff shift sync" for consistency in manual booking and online booking.
    • You can still decide which staff are available for online booking, but to edit details of each slot, please go to Settings > Staff > Staff management.

💡 Note: The date override and rotating schedule will take effect regardless of whether or not the sync toggle is on.

Customer Experience Booking Online

Single Pet

For single-pet families, the booking process remains familiar - they'll only see available slots based on your book-by-slot configuration.

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Multiple Pet

When it comes to multi-pet parents, if you have preferred groomers, it will also provide special flexibility for the book-by-slot mode.

Parents can choose to either:

  • Book all their pets with the same groomer in consecutive slots, or
  • Schedule multiple pets with different groomers in the same time slot

This intelligent slot logic adapts to their preferences while always respecting your business rules and capacity limits.

Slot Capacity Logic

  • Slots reflect true calendar occupancy, considering actual service times (not just appointment starts)
    • It counts upwards to the nearest slot as capacity.
    • E.g.,  Both 9:10 AM and 9: 50 AM appointment occupies the 9 AM slot
  • Each pet’s service time independently blocks slots
    • E.g., Pets starting at 9 AM and 10 AM in one appointment will block 9 AM and 10 AM slots.
  • Rules work together seamlessly
    • E.g., Pets at 9:00 AM and 10:50 AM (rounds to 10 AM) will block 9 AM and 10 AM slots.