With online booking, it’s important that you control how far into the future clients can see your open slots. Some employees prefer to let clients book only a couple of weeks ahead, while others want to offer the option to plan appointments several months in advance. In SalonLife, you can set this individually for each employee.
The advance booking setting lets you plan your work ahead without opening up slots that are too far off and uncertain. This way, you avoid last-minute changes and cancellations, keep booking simple for clients, and get a smoother, less stressful workflow.
Setting the Advance Booking Window
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- Open the Apps page
- Select the Staff tab
- Click the profile of the employee whose setting you want to change
- Click the Settings button
- Scroll down a little until you see the How Far in Advance Bookings Are Allowed setting
- Choose the time frame you want, for example 2 weeks, 1 month, or 3 months
- Save your changes
Real-life example, let’s say:
• the advance booking window is set to 3 months
• today’s date is May 15
In that case, the client will see open online booking slots up to August 15, assuming your work schedule is open until then.
You, on the other hand, can open your calendar 5 months ahead, for example, to plan workdays, time off, or schedules further out. Clients will still only see the times that fall within the 3-month window you’ve set.
If a Client Can’t Find Open Slots Online, but Your Calendar Shows They’re Available
Sometimes a client will contact you and say there are no open slots in online booking, even though your calendar shows the times are actually available. This usually isn’t a system error or a fully booked schedule—it’s the advance booking setting at work.
If a client can’t see any open slots, start by checking the following:
• whether the time the client wants falls further into the future
• whether the advance booking setting is limiting how far ahead clients can see open slots
If the advance booking window is set to, say, 1 or 3 months, more distant slots simply won’t be shown to the client, even if they exist in your calendar and your schedule is open.
The advance booking setting gives you control over how far into the future clients can see available times. You can set it separately for each employee profile. You’re free to open your calendar further ahead than what clients can see, so you can plan your work comfortably. If you have any questions or anything’s still unclear, feel free to reach out to SalonLife support (info@salon.life).