Services Plugins FAQs

Booking appointments in Booky template

Templates
#1

Hello,

The default way of making bookings in Booky is via the calendar. Customer picks timeslot, sends request which the business can then accept/reject.

I’m trying to move this process to the inbox. Ideally I would get the booking flow to the following:

  1. Customer messages business with enquiry
  2. They go back and forth and agree on time/place for service
  3. Once agreed upon, BUSINESS sends customer message that includes link where they can pay straight away (without having to go to bookings section)

I’m having trouble with this. My idea is to have a second button next to “send a message” that only instructors have called “book lesson”

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When the details of the service are agreed upon, the instructor would click on this and be brought to a popup window where they can choose the time/date.

Screenshot 2020-07-20 at 11.58.23
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The customer then gets a new message with time/date of the service. They could the click on the text and be brought to a popup where they pay for the lesson (could use a conditional here).

Where I’m hitting a roadblock is linking the data in the first popup with the parent conversation group. Because it’s a popup it doesn’t seem to link to the conversation window.

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Any idea how I might take the data input in the popup window (second screenshot) so that it can be put in a message and added to the existing conversation?

Of course if there’s a better way of making this booking flow work I would be delighted to hear it :slight_smile:

#2

Hello, @alexcooney6. Thank you for your questions.

I have an idea of how to make it work with less effort. For example, you leave the booking functionality as it is now (customer clicks on the calendar and pick a date) but with one difference - Instructor can allow Customer pick the most convenient time/date for both of them.

How this can be done:

  • a Customer enters the main page of the app, defines the kind of activity and location;
  • on the search page picks the most suitable variant;
  • on the listing page (page of some instructor), a Customer sees the “Contact Instructor NOW” button, instead of “Pick date and time”;
  • once a Customer has left his message/request, the Instructor can view this request and discuss the most convenient date/time for both of them. When both make an agreement on date/time, Instructor press the button (available for the current interlocutor/Customer) and approves that this Customer can book a lesson;
  • once Instructor made Customer available to book a lesson, Customer sees the “Pick date and time” button, instead of the “Contact Instructor NOW”;
    (before Instructor has not allowed Customer to book a lesson, Customer is not available to see the “Pick date and time” button or pick a date by clicking on the calendar);
  • then, a Customer in an ordinary way picks the agreed with Instructor date/time, Instructor confirms it and that’s it.

How to make the “Pick date and time” button be invisible - simply add the condition to this button "When Current user’s allow booking is “no”" - leave the This element is visible checkbox unchecked.

You will be needed to create an additional Field in your User table - for example, you can call it “allow booking” (or anything else) and set its type to “yes/no”.

How to create an “Allow this user to book a lesson” button (available for the Instructor in a conversation with a Customer) - add a button and set an action “Make changes to user”.

Also, add the condition to the calendar on the listing page. Add the condition to the action “Calendar A’s day is clicked” - “Only when Current user’s allow booking is “yes””.

You can set the “Make changes to Current user’s allow booking” to “no” when this user has successfully picked the lesson - to restrict him from picking more date/time without a discussion with the Instructor.

So the point is simply to prevent Customers from booking lessons without the discussion with the Instructor.

I hope this variant will be interesting and useful for you :pray:
Regards,

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#3

Hi @kate, thanks for this - you clearly put a lot of thought and effort into it :slight_smile:

I would still like to put the onus more on the instructor to make it as easy as possible for the customer to book (i.e. I don’t want them to have to go picking dates on the calendar).

You’ve given me an excellent idea with your “hiding” the buttons insight though.

Gonna work on something and see if I can keep it in the inbox. Will report back and thanks again!

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