Variations blocked time affects appointments availability

[Hedaro]

I am managing the appointments app for a client, but I can't find a configuration that matches the way she handles scheduling.

She has set time slots each day for an appointment, for example:
Monday
12:00 pm

1:30 pm

4:45 pm

6:30 pm

Service duration is 1:30hrs, but she has an option for an "premium" service that lasts 2:00hrs.

I was able to configure the app to emulate this for the basic service by adding working hours blocks that lasts the same as the service, and setting the apointment times to be displayed  According to service duration.

But it doesn't work if create another service or a variation for the premium version, and make it last 2:00, since now the appointment times are at 2:00 intervals and don't match the start of the available slots.
I thought I've found a workaround when using a variation, it gives the option to "Block time after appointment" and I set it to 30 min, but when I tested scheduling an appointment it still treats the variation as a 2 hour service, and gives me the start times in 2 hours intervals.

I think that it should be treated it as a first come, first served situation, meaning that if the service lasts 1:30hrs, it gives me the times for 1:30hrs appointments, and if I already have an appointment at 6:30pm, then appointments for the premium service should not start at 4:45pm, since there is no extra time AFTER the appointment because it is blocked by the 6:30pm one.

Otherwise I see no difference between just setting the variation duration to 2:00hrs and blocking the time after the appointment.

Or is there a better way to configure appopintments to work llike my client wants?

[Stacelyn24 · Accepted solution]

It sounds like you're working hard to configure the appointments app to fit your client's scheduling style! Here’s how you can achieve the desired setup for both regular and premium services:

1. Set Up Separate Services:

   • Make sure to create two separate services: one for the regular service (1:30 hours) and another for the premium service (2:00 hours). Each service should have its own duration set correctly.

2. Configure Time Slots:

   • For the regular service, you can keep the time slots you’ve already set (12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 4:45 pm, and 6:30 pm). Since the service lasts 1:30 hours, ensure that the appointment times align with these slots.
   • For the premium service, you may need to adjust your time slots to accommodate the additional duration. For example, if a premium appointment lasts 2:00 hours, and the last appointment of the day is at 6:30 pm, this service should only be available earlier in the day, such as at 12:00 pm or 4:45 pm.

3. Blocking Time After Appointments:

   • The "Block time after appointment" feature is a good workaround for managing the gaps. For the premium service, if you set it to 30 minutes after the appointment, it should help manage the scheduling. However, you might need to manually ensure that clients can only book premium services if there’s enough time available in the schedule.

4. Availability Settings:

   • Double-check your availability settings in the appointments app. Ensure that each service has the correct durations and that overlapping times are disabled. This way, if there’s a regular appointment booked at 6:30 pm, no premium appointments should be allowed to start within the 2-hour block that would overlap.

5. Testing and Adjustments:

   • After making these adjustments, conduct a few test bookings to see how the system behaves. If the appointment times are still not displaying as expected, you may want to explore the appointment settings again to ensure no conflicting configurations are in place.

6. First-Come, First-Served Approach:

   • Unfortunately, Square’s current appointment setup may not fully support a first-come, first-served approach based on overlapping appointments. If needed, you could communicate directly with Square's support for additional guidance or feature requests, as they often consider user feedback for improvements.

By configuring the appointments this way, you should be able to create a more streamlined scheduling experience that matches your client’s needs. Let me know if you have further questions or need more specific steps!