The problem: one schedule for everything
Until now, the availability you configured in PhotoHeart applied equally to all your calendars. If you did weddings on Saturdays and portraits during the week, you had to open all time slots and trust that each client would book the right type on the right day.
That created awkward situations: a client could book a portrait session on a Saturday you had mentally reserved for weddings, or see slots on days that didn't make sense for that type of session.
The solution: availability per calendar
Now each calendar can have its own schedules. It works like this:
- The global availability you already had configured still exists and applies by default to all calendars.
- When you edit a calendar, you can activate custom availability. By activating it, your global schedules are copied as a starting point and you can modify them freely.
- If you deactivate custom availability, the calendar returns to using the global one.
For example, you can have a "Weddings" calendar available only Saturdays from 10:00 to 20:00, and another "Portraits" available Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00. Each will show only the corresponding slots.
Your clients identify themselves before booking
We've added an identification step at the beginning of the booking process. Before filling in the form, the client can enter their ID so the system searches for their record in your CRM.
If they're already your client, their data is pre-filled automatically: name, surnames, email and everything else. This has two advantages:
- For the client: they don't have to rewrite their data, the booking is faster.
- For you: the appointment links directly to their existing record without depending on email matching.
If the client is new or prefers not to identify themselves, they simply click "I'm a new client" and fill in the form as usual.
Control of interval between slots
New option in Settings: the interval between slots. Controls every how many minutes the time slots your clients see are generated.
You have three options:
- 15 minutes: slots at 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, 9:45... More flexibility for the client.
- 30 minutes: slots at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00... The balance between flexibility and order.
- 60 minutes: slots at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00... Fewer options, more control over your schedule.
Choose the one that best fits your way of working. If your sessions last 90 minutes, a 30-minute interval allows you to fit more appointments. If you prefer clear hour-to-hour blocks, choose 60.
Improved buffer between appointments
The rest time between appointments is now configured with predefined values: 0, 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes. Before it was a free field that could lead to impractical configurations.
These minutes are added at the end of each appointment. If you have a 60-minute session with a 15-minute buffer, the next available slot will be 75 minutes later.
More informative confirmation
The booking confirmation screen now shows specific notices when the calendar has advance payment or contract configured. The client knows exactly what to expect after booking: if they have to make a payment, if they'll receive a contract to sign, or both.
Summary of changes
- Custom availability per calendar: each session type with its own schedules
- ID identification: the client identifies before booking to pre-fill data
- Interval between slots: choose 15, 30 or 60 minutes according to your way of working
- Buffer between appointments: predefined values (0, 5, 10, 15, 30 min) for rest between sessions
- Improved confirmation: clear notices of advance payment and contract on the success screen
All these options are available in Appointments → Management (availability per calendar) and in Settings → Bookings (interval and buffer).