Booking & Scheduling
Record a visit you couldn't get into
You showed up, but the lockbox code was wrong or the gate was locked. That isn't a no-show, so Chester records it as Couldn't get in, with a note saying what happened. The pet owner sees your note, and you choose what it costs and how your team is paid.
The short version
- Open the visit once its start time has passed.
- Tap Couldn't get in and write what happened.
- Tap Record couldn't get in, and the pet owner is told.
On your phone
- From your schedule, open the visit.
- Tap Couldn't get in, next to Mark no-show if you can mark no-shows.
- On a group walk, use the button on that household's row.
- Under What happened, write a short note, for example "The key did not work and the side gate was locked".
- The owner and the pet owner both see it.
- If a fee applies and you can see client prices, Chester shows it.
- A team member who can't see prices sees their own pay instead.
- Tap Record couldn't get in.
On the web
- Open the visit from your schedule.
- Click Couldn't get in, fill in What happened, and click Record couldn't get in.
- The web doesn't show the fee before you confirm, and the phone does.
What your client gets
- A "Couldn't get in for your visit" notification, unless they've turned off booking change notifications. Household contacts get one too, by their own settings.
- Your note shows on the visit in their Chester account.
- The visit shows Couldn't get in (not No-show) in their schedule.
- If your policy charges for it, a fee goes on a draft invoice for you to review and send. A visit covered by a prepaid pack gets no fee invoice.
Good to know
- Set the fee in your cancellation policy. The Couldn't get in box sets what the client pays, on your defaults, a service type or one service. Left as the no-show fee, it charges the same as a no-show. See Set cancellation policies.
- Choose how your team is paid. On Your defaults, "Pay the team member as for a done visit when they couldn't get in" is on to start, so they get their normal rate.
- Turn it off to pay them what your no-show team pay says. It shows only once you have a team.
- Who can record it. Anyone with the Cancel bookings permission, plus the team member on the visit, even a contractor.
- It only appears once the visit's start time has passed, the same rule as a no-show. On a stay, it's offered only on the check-in day.
- A note is required. It's the pet owner's explanation, so keep it factual.
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