Creating Your First Manual Booking

Learn how to book appointments manually in rendevo - for phone bookings, walk-ins, or when you need to override availability.

When to Use Manual Booking

Create manual bookings when:

📞 Customer calls to book - Phone reservations
🚶 Walk-in customer - In-person bookings
🔧 Block personal time - Lunch breaks, maintenance
🎁 Special circumstances - VIP bookings, favors

⚠️ Override availability - Book outside normal hours
🔄 Reschedule for customer - Move existing appointment

ℹ️ Note: Manual bookings you create do NOT count toward your AI booking limit.

Quick Start: Create a Booking

Fast Path (3 clicks)

Go to Calendar → Click New Appointment
Select customer, service, date, time
Click Create Booking

Done! Now let's learn the details.

Step-by-Step: Manual Booking

Step 1: Open the Booking Form

Three ways to start:

Option A: From Dashboard

Click New Appointment quick action button

Option B: From Calendar

Go to Calendar page
Click + New Appointment button (top right)

Option C: From Calendar Grid

In Week or Month view
Click on a specific time slot
Form opens pre-filled with that time

💡 Tip: Option C is fastest when you know the exact time.

Step 2: Select Customer

Choose who the appointment is for.

Option A: Existing Customer

Click the Customer dropdown
Type to search by name, email, or phone
Select from the list
Customer info auto-fills

Option B: New Customer

Click + Add New Customer
Fill in required fields:
- Name (required)
- Email (required)
- Phone (required - include country code)
Optional: Check Communication Opt-in for notifications
Click Add

Option C: No Customer (Block Time)

Leave customer field empty
Useful for blocking time for yourself
Add note like "Lunch Break" or "Maintenance"

ℹ️ Note: New customers added here automatically save to your Contacts.

Step 3: Select Service(s)

Choose which service(s) to book.

Single Service:

Click Service dropdown
Select one service
Duration and price auto-fill

Multiple Services (Multi-Service Booking):

Click Service dropdown
Select first service
Click + Add Another Service
Select second service
Repeat as needed

What happens with multi-service:

Services scheduled back-to-back
Total duration calculated automatically
Total price calculated automatically
Shows as one booking group in Calendar

Example:

Haircut: 30 min, €25
Beard Trim: 15 min, €10
Total: 45 min, €35

💡 Tip: Multi-service bookings appear grouped with a "Multiple Services" badge.

Step 4: Select Staff Member (Required)

Choose who will perform the service.

Your options:

If you're solo:

Your name is pre-selected
No need to change

If you have team:

Click Staff dropdown
Select team member
Only staff assigned to the service appear (or all if no assignments)

⚠️ Important: Staff member is REQUIRED. You cannot create a booking without selecting staff.

ℹ️ Note: If staff has custom availability, only their available times show.

Available on: All plans (team member count varies)

Step 5: Select Location (If Multiple)

If you have one location:

Auto-selected, skip this step

If you have multiple locations:

Click Location dropdown
Select where the appointment will be
Only services available at that location show

Location determines:

Which services are available
Which staff members are available
Timezone for the appointment
Business hours to check

Available on: Growth and Business plans (multiple locations)

Step 6: Pick Date

Click the Date field
Calendar picker opens
Click a date

Date restrictions:

Cannot book holidays you've set
Can book any date (past, present, future)
No max advance limit for manual bookings

💡 Tip: You can book outside your normal availability rules with manual bookings.

Step 7: Pick Time

Click the Time field
Scroll through available slots
Select a time

Time slot display:

Shows times in 15 or 30-minute intervals
Green = Available
Red = Conflict detected
Grayed out = Outside business hours (but still bookable)

Override availability:

You CAN book outside business hours manually
Useful for special circumstances
AI won't book these times, only you can

⚠️ Conflict Warning: If you see a conflict warning, decide:

Choose a different time (recommended)
Override and book anyway (creates double-booking)

Step 8: Add Notes (Optional)

Add internal notes about the appointment.

What to include:

Special requests
Customer preferences
Preparation needed
Billing information
Any context for later

Examples:

"Customer prefers Sarah as stylist"
"First-time client, needs consultation"
"VIP - complimentary upgrade"
"Rescheduled from April 15"

Max: 500 characters

ℹ️ Note: Notes are private. Customers do NOT see them.

Step 9: Create the Booking

Review all information
Click Create Booking
Wait for confirmation

What happens next:

✅ Booking created - Appears in Calendar immediately
📧 Customer notified - Gets confirmation email
📱 SMS sent (Growth+ plans) - Text confirmation
🔔 You're notified - Email about the new booking
📅 Google Calendar sync (if connected) - Appears in your Google Calendar

Conflict Detection

rendevo checks for scheduling conflicts automatically.

What Causes a Conflict?

Time overlap with:

Existing appointment for same staff
Booking would exceed business hours
Staff unavailable at that time
Multiple bookings at exact same time

When Conflict Is Detected

You'll see:

⚠️ Red warning message
Details about the conflicting appointment
Option to choose different time

Your choices:

Option 1: Pick Different Time (Recommended)

Click Choose Different Time
Select an available slot
No conflict, no problem

Option 2: Override and Book Anyway

Click Book Anyway
Creates double-booking
Use for intentional overlaps only

When to override:

Team member can handle both (different locations)
You'll handle personally
Temporary placeholder
Emergency situation

⚠️ Warning: Override creates actual conflicts in your schedule. Use carefully.

Multi-Service Booking Details

How It Works

When you select multiple services:

Services scheduled sequentially
- First service starts at selected time
- Second service starts when first ends
- Third service starts when second ends
- And so on...
Total duration calculated
- Sum of all service durations
- Example: 30 + 15 + 20 = 65 minutes total
Total price calculated
- Sum of all service prices
- Example: €25 + €10 + €15 = €50 total
Grouped in Calendar
- Shows as one appointment with "Multiple Services" badge
- Click to see all services included
- All services must be completed/cancelled together

Example Scenario

Customer books:

Haircut (30 min, €25)
Beard Trim (15 min, €10)

Result:

Start time: 2:00 PM
Haircut: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Beard Trim: 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM
End time: 2:45 PM
Total: 45 min, €35

Calendar shows:

"John Smith" at 2:00 PM
Badge: "Multiple Services (2)"
Duration: 45 minutes

💡 Tip: Multi-service bookings maximize your time and revenue per customer.

Timezone Handling

Appointments are stored with location timezone.

How Timezones Work

When you create a booking:

Time is set in the location's timezone
Displayed to you in your timezone
Customer sees it in their timezone

Example:

Location: New York (EST)
You (viewing): Los Angeles (PST)
Booking time: 2:00 PM EST
You see: 11:00 AM PST
Small badge shows: "EST"

Multiple timezones:

Each location can have different timezone
Set in Locations page
Badge shows which timezone

ℹ️ Best practice: Set location timezone correctly to avoid confusion.

Available on: All plans

After Creating the Booking

View the Booking

In Calendar:

Go to Calendar
Find the appointment
Shows customer name, service, time

Click appointment to:

View full details
See customer contact info
Change status
Reschedule
Cancel
Add notes

Customer Notifications

Automatically sent:

📧 Email Confirmation

Sent immediately
Includes date, time, services
Cancellation instructions
Your business contact info

📱 SMS Confirmation (Growth+ plans)

Text message sent
Brief confirmation details
Reminder day before (if enabled)

🔕 No communication opt-in?

Customer doesn't receive notifications
Still appears in Calendar for you
You can contact them manually

What You Receive

Email notification:

New booking alert
Customer details
Service booked
Time and date

Dashboard update:

Counts toward "Today's Bookings" or "This Week"
Shows in "Upcoming Appointments"

Common Questions

Q: Do manual bookings count toward my AI booking limit?
A: No! Only AI-made bookings count toward your plan limit.

Q: Can I book outside my business hours?
A: Yes, manual bookings override availability rules.

Q: What if the customer isn't in my contacts?
A: Add them during booking. They're automatically saved to Contacts.

Q: Can I book for a customer without their consent?
A: Technically yes, but get their consent first. Don't spam customers.

Q: How do I cancel a manual booking?
A: Open the appointment in Calendar, change status to "Cancelled", or click "Delete".

Q: Can customers see my notes?
A: No, notes are private and only visible to you and your team.

Q: What's the difference between manual and AI bookings in the calendar?
A: They look the same. Only you know which was AI vs manual.

Q: Can I create recurring appointments?
A: Not currently. You need to create each appointment individually.

Next Steps

Now you know manual booking:

✅ Practice - Create a test booking
✅ Delete test - Remove the test booking
✅ Try multi-service - Book multiple services
✅ Explore Calendar - See how bookings display

Using the Calendar - Manage all appointments
Managing Customer Contacts - Customer database
Creating Your First Service - Add services to book
Understanding Your Dashboard - View booking stats

Manual booking gives you full control when automation isn't enough! 📅