Booking & Scheduling
Set your booking rules
Booking rules decide which times your clients can ask for. Set them once for everything, then change them for a type of service (like all Boarding) or for one service. The most specific setting wins.
The short version
- Open Settings, then Booking rules.
- Set your defaults for every service.
- Open a type or a service, tap Customize on any rule to change it there, then Save changes.
On your phone
- Tap the More tab, then Settings.
- Under Services, tap Booking rules.
- Tap 1 · Your defaults and tap Edit on a rule.
- Tap Save changes at the bottom.
- To change one type or one service, go back and tap its row (for example Boarding rules).
- Tap Customize on the rule, change it, and tap Save changes.
On the web
- In the left sidebar, click Settings.
- Under Services & Access, click Booking rules.
- Your defaults are on this page: click Edit on a rule, then Save changes.
- To change one type or one service, click its row under Customize by type or service.
- Click Customize on the rule, change it, and click Save changes.
The rules
- Minimum notice - how soon before a visit a client can still ask for it, for example 2 hours or 1 day. Up to 30 days.
- Book ahead - how far into the future clients can book, for example 3 months. Up to 12 months.
- Break after each booking - free time after a visit before the next one can start. Up to 4 hours.
- Service times - Only at set times limits clients to the start times you add, like 9:00 AM, or a range like 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. For boarding, this limits drop-off only.
- Who can do it - on a type or service, only the people you tick. Team plan only.
- Where it happens - at the client's home or at your place. Walks, sitting, grooming and training start at the client's home; boarding and daycare at your place.
- Show on visits - what your team sees on a visit: Getting in, Gear, and Feeding and medication. Clients never see this.
What your client sees
- Times that break a rule aren't offered. A day too far out is greyed, with "Too far ahead".
- A day with no allowed times says "No times this day", then "Try another day" on the web or "Choose another date" in the app.
- The service list shows your notice and book-ahead, for example "Book at least 1 day ahead · up to 2 months out".
- Chester also refuses a request that breaks notice, book ahead or service times, so the rules hold even on an old version of the app.
Good to know
- Use default removes a type's or service's own setting, so it follows the level above again. It takes effect when you tap Save changes.
- Choosing "No minimum" or "No limit" on a type or service turns the rule off there, even if your default has one. That's different from Use default.
- When you book for a client yourself, Chester warns you if you're outside a rule, and you can tap Book anyway (Assign anyway when it's for a team member). It keeps a note that you did.
- Changes apply to new bookings. Visits already booked stay booked, and Chester tells you how many no longer fit.
- A team member's own break also applies. When both are set, the longer break wins.
- Who can change rules. Anyone with "Manage services & pricing". Everyone else can view them.
- The page also holds pet types, deposits, extras, tax and your cancellation policy. See Set cancellation policies.
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