Experience Services (Group Bookings)

Maximize revenue per session and reduce no-shows with experience services. Perfect for fitness classes, tours, workshops, tastings, and any activity where multiple customers share the same time slot.

Why Use Experience Services?

Experience services solve key challenges for group-based businesses:

📈 Maximize Revenue: Fill every spot in your sessions instead of booking one customer at a time
🎯 Reduce No-Shows: Payment collection ensures committed attendees
⏰ Predictable Scheduling: Fixed sessions let you plan staff and resources in advance
👥 Flexible Pricing: Charge different rates for adults, children, seniors, or VIPs
🔒 Private Options: Offer exclusive bookings for groups who want the whole session

💡 Tip: Businesses using experience services typically see 40% higher revenue per time slot compared to 1:1 appointments.

Experience vs. Appointment: Which to Choose?

Feature	Appointment	Experience
Customers per slot	1	Multiple (you set capacity)
Scheduling	Any available time	Fixed sessions only
Pricing	Per booking	Per person with tiers
Payment	Optional	Recommended
Waitlist	Manual only	Automatic when full
Best for	Haircuts, consultations, massages	Classes, tours, workshops, tastings

ℹ️ Note: You can offer both types in your business. A yoga studio might have "Private Session" (appointment) and "Group Class" (experience).

Setting Up an Experience Service

Step 1: Create the Service

Go to Services in the sidebar
Click + Add Service
Select Experience as Service Type
Fill in basic details:
- Name: Be descriptive (e.g., "Morning Yoga Flow" not just "Yoga")
- Duration: Total session length including any buffer
- Description: What customers can expect

Step 2: Configure Capacity

Maximum Capacity (required)

The most guests allowed per session
Example: 12 for a yoga class, 8 for a wine tasting, 20 for a tour

Minimum Capacity (optional)

Sessions won't run unless this threshold is met
Useful for activities that need a group dynamic
Example: Set to 4 for a cooking class that needs enough participants

⚠️ Important: If you set a minimum capacity, communicate this clearly on your booking page. Customers need to know the session might be cancelled if the minimum isn't reached.

Step 3: Set Up Pricing Tiers

Create different prices for guest categories:

Example: Wine Tasting Experience

Adult (18+): €45
Senior (65+): €35
Designated Driver: €15 (includes non-alcoholic options)

Example: Family Kayak Tour

Adult: €60
Child (8-15): €40
Child (under 8): €20

💡 Tip: Keep tier names simple and intuitive. Customers should immediately understand which category applies to them.

Step 4: Enable Payment Collection

Toggle Require Payment ON
Set Invoice Expiry (how long customers have to pay)
- 15 minutes: For high-demand sessions
- 60 minutes: Standard (recommended)
- 24 hours: For expensive experiences where customers need time to decide

Payment collection is highly recommended for experiences:

Reduces no-shows by 80%+
Secures revenue in advance
Releases unpaid spots automatically

Step 5: Private Booking Option (Optional)

Allow customers to book the entire session exclusively:

Toggle Allow Private Bookings ON
Set Private Booking Price (fixed amount for whole session)
Example: Yoga class normally €20/person × 12 spots = €240 potential
- Set private price at €180 for groups who want exclusivity

ℹ️ Note: When someone books privately, the session shows as "Private - Not Available" to other customers.

Creating Sessions

Experiences require fixed sessions - specific times when they run. Without sessions, your experience won't appear on the booking page.

Find your experience service in the Services list
Click Manage Sessions
Click Add Session
Configure recurrence, time, staff, and location
Set seasonal dates if applicable
Click Save

⚠️ Important: If you see a "No sessions configured" warning on a service, customers cannot book it. Add at least one session to make it bookable.

Detailed guide: Creating Experience Sessions

How Customers Book

The booking flow is optimized for group activities:

Service Selection: Customer chooses your experience
Guest Selection: Counter for each pricing tier appears
Price Calculation: Total updates in real-time
Session Selection: Available dates show with capacity
- "8 spots left" - plenty of room
- "3 spots left" - urgency indicator
- "Fully booked - Join Waitlist" - session at capacity
Customer Details: Name, phone, email
Payment: If enabled, directed to secure checkout
Confirmation: Email sent with booking details

Capacity Indicators

Display	Meaning
"12 spots left"	Session has plenty of availability
"3 spots left" (amber)	Low availability warning
"Fully booked"	At capacity - waitlist option appears

Managing Experience Bookings

In Your Calendar

Experience bookings display differently from appointments:

Capacity Bar: Visual showing "6/12 spots filled"
Booking Count: Number of separate parties (e.g., "4 bookings")
Payment Status: Icons for each booking's payment state
Revenue: Total collected for that session

Viewing Booking Details

Click any experience appointment to see:

All parties who booked
Guest breakdown by tier (3 adults, 2 children)
Payment status per booking
Contact information for each party
Notes from customers

Payment Actions

For each booking, you can:

Send Invoice: Resend payment link via email
Mark as Paid: Confirm cash or bank transfer payment
Skip Payment: Waive the requirement (VIP, comp, etc.)
Refund: Process return via Stripe

Best Practices

Capacity Settings

Business Type	Recommended Max	Reasoning
Yoga/Fitness	12-20	Space and instructor attention
Cooking Class	8-12	Kitchen stations and equipment
Wine Tasting	8-16	Intimate experience, glass service
Walking Tour	15-25	Group management, audio equipment
Workshop	10-15	Materials and one-on-one help

Pricing Strategy

Tier Discounts: Children 30-50% off adult price
Senior Discounts: 10-20% off typically
Private Premiums: Private should be 70-90% of maximum group revenue
Early Bird: Consider time-based pricing for advance bookings

Session Frequency

High Demand: Multiple sessions daily
Medium Demand: 3-4 times per week
Specialty: Weekly or bi-weekly
Seasonal: Use Active From/Until dates

Common Questions

Q: Can I convert an existing appointment service to an experience? A: Currently, you need to create a new experience service. You cannot change the type of an existing service.

Q: What happens if minimum capacity isn't met? A: The session still appears on your calendar. You decide whether to run it or contact customers to reschedule. Consider reducing minimum capacity if this happens often.

Q: Can customers book partial groups? A: Yes! A customer can book for any number of guests (1 to remaining capacity). They don't need to fill the session.

Q: How does private booking affect public availability? A: Once someone books privately, the session shows as unavailable to others. The private booking takes all capacity.

Q: Can I offer both experiences and 1:1 appointments for the same activity? A: Yes! Create two services: "Group Yoga" (experience) and "Private Yoga" (appointment). Assign to the same staff and location.

Q: What if someone wants to add guests after booking? A: They need to make a new booking for additional guests, or you can create a manual booking for them.

Q: How do cancellations work? A: When you cancel a booking, spots return to availability. If payment was collected, you can process a refund through Stripe.

Troubleshooting

"Experience not showing on booking page"

Check if sessions are configured (Manage Sessions)
Verify service is not archived
Confirm service is assigned to a location
Ensure at least one session is in the future

"Can't add more guests than capacity"

This is correct behavior - capacity is enforced
Check if other bookings have filled spots
Consider increasing maximum capacity

"Payment not being collected"

Verify Stripe is connected in Settings
Check if "Require Payment" is toggled ON
Ensure service has a price set

Creating Experience Sessions - Set up your schedule
Payment Collection - Collect payments and manage invoices
Waitlist Management - Handle full sessions
Managing Services - Edit and organize services
Using the Calendar - View and manage bookings

Experience services help you serve more customers per time slot while providing a better booking experience! 🎉