Setting up Instant Book

Instant Book is an Availability Option on the MySquard Services platform that helps pros expand their business and receive more jobs. By setting up Instant Book, customers can see what hours you are available and book directly into those hours, up to 48 hours before the booking start time.

When customers book or reschedule into the Instant Book Hours that you’ve chosen, you will receive a notification and the job will immediately appear on your schedule. With Instant Book set, you won’t miss out on jobs in the Claim tab that require you to manually claim them. In addition, your customers will be thrilled because they’ll be able to book directly with you, instantly!

Remember there is no obligation to set Instant Book. This feature is just one of the many tools offered through the MySquard Services platform to help you build your business.  Please make sure you review this article and understand the Instant Book feature prior to setting Instant Book hours.

Type of Instant Book Hours 

Like the other Availability Options, the app allows pros to set Instant Book hours that either repeat weekly or apply to only one date. 

How to Set Your Instant Book Hours

Daily Availability 

For pros whose schedules are a bit unpredictable, Daily Availability may be the best option.  This option allows you to set Instant Book hours for a single date.  For example, if you set your daily hours to 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Tuesday, January 6th, customers can only book directly into your schedule between 1:00 PM and 10:00 PM on Tuesday, January 6th. The following Tuesday, the 13th, will not have Instant Book hours between 1:00 PM and 10:00 PM. To set hours for future dates using Daily Availability, scroll through the calendar on your schedule page to set Instant Book business hours for each date. 

Setting Your Daily Availability

Click on the Instant Book bar on the date you are trying to edit in the Schedule tab.

Your Daily Availability defaults to Request Only every day.

You’ll be shown all the possible Availability Options. 

Selecting “Edit Hours” within Instant Book will take you to a page where you’ll be able to set the hours which you’d like to receive bookings for that date.

Once you enter your preferred start and end times hit Save.

Selecting ‘Edit Settings’ within Instant Book will take you to a page where you’ll be able to set the rate, distance, and services for which you’d like to receive bookings within those hours. REMEMBER: These settings only apply to jobs claimed through Instant Book during these hours. They will not change the settings you have on your Claim tab.

Once you enter your preferred settings hit Update.

Your preference will update immediately.

Weekly Availability 

For pros who have a steady schedule, Weekly Recurring Availability may help you maximize your schedule.  This option lets you set Instant Book hours that recur each and every week.  For example, if you want as many jobs as possible every Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, you can set your Weekly Availability so that customers can book directly into your schedule during those hours every week, without you needing to set Daily Availability hours for each date.  By setting your weekly recurring availability, customers can add you to their bookings at any time during your open hours. 

Setting Your Weekly Availability

Select the Gear icon in the top right corner of your Schedule tab in the app.

When you start with MySquard Services, your Weekly Availability will default to Request Only every day.

This means that unless you adjust your Daily Availability, you will only receive jobs that you manually claim or when customers send you a request.

Select the day of the week you want to change.

You’ll be shown all the possible Availability Options.

Selecting “Edit Hours” within Instant Book will take you to a page where you’ll be able to set the hours which you’d like to repeat every week.

Once you enter your preferred start and end times hit Save.

Selecting ‘Edit Settings’ within Instant Book will take you to a page where you’ll be able to set the rate, distance, and services for which you’d like to receive bookings within those hours. REMEMBER: These settings only apply to jobs claimed through Instant Book during these hours. They will not change the settings you have on your Claim tab

Once you enter your preferred settings hit Update.

This means that every week your hours will autofill to your standard Weekly Availability.  Customers will be able to book directly into those hours each week.

And if your schedule changes, you’ll be able to edit just as easily.

You can also select Not Available for days of the week when you’re never able to work.

IMPORTANT : Your Daily Availability overrides your Weekly Recurring Availability. In other words, you can use your Daily Availability to make adjustments to your Weekly Recurring Availability that you only want to apply for a single date.

For example, imagine you are a pro who is generally always available on Tuesdays to work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, so you have set your availability to be open for Instant Book on Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM via your Weekly Recurring Availability. One day, you realize that you have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday the 6th, so you update your Instant Book hours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM recurring availability to 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM Daily Availability via the availability bar on the Schedule tab. 

Once you save, customers will be able to book you from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Tuesday the 6th, not from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. However, the next Tuesday (the 13th), your Instant Book hours will revert back to 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM due to your Weekly Recurring Availability settings. The daily availability you set for Tuesday the 6th overrode the weekly recurring availability you set for every Tuesday. Your other Availability Options will work the same. 

Remember:

  • You will still be able to receive booking requests for any hours that you do not set yourself as Available.
  • Just as with other jobs, you will have a period to consider the job and discuss or negotiate any details you want with the customer. If you cancel a job within 4 hours after claiming it, there’s no fee no matter how long until the job starts. After those 4 hours, please view our cancellation policy. Normal cancellation policy applies for jobs received directly through Instant Book.
  • Jobs may be added to your schedule up to 48 hours before their start time, so be sure your hours are always kept up to date! Any cancellations within four hours of the job will be subject to cancellation fees.

 

Need help? Contact us using the blue chat icon in the bottom right, or email us at partner@mysquard.com