Scheduling an Appointment

Kathryn Hamilton
Kathryn Hamilton
  • Updated

Overview: What are we talking about?

Appointments are any reservation type (such as grooming, transportation, tours, or private training) that a customer can book for a specific time with a specific specialist. This article walks through the steps of scheduling an appointment from the business side of Gingr, for both the legacy version and the redesigned appointment scheduling pages, and from the new facility calendar.

 

This article includes:

 

Helpful Hints: Before you begin.

  • The New Appointment page was redesigned in June 2022 and is an opt-in experience for a period of time. Any Admin users in your Gingr app can enable the new version by selecting the 'Use New Version' button at the top right of the page. Please be aware that once the new version is enabled by an Admin, this will update the workflow for all users within the app, across all locations. Admins can optionally switch between the legacy and redesigned versions by clicking on the "Use Old Version" or "Use New Version" button in the top right corner of the New Appointment page. 

  • Reservation Types can be toggled on to show on the New Appointment page, rather than the New Reservation page. To allow a reservation type to appear on the New Appointment page, navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration » Edit Reservation type » Booking Options » "Is this type appointment based?"

  • Much of the functionality for the New Appointment page on the business side is copied over to the customer-facing page, however, customers cannot see how many slots are booked or available for any specialist on any given date. They will only see whether there is availability. They also cannot see how many appointments are booked on that date, nor their pet's grooming notes or appointment history.

  • Information from the Animal or Owner Forms can be tagged to the New Appointment page. See the FAQ section for more information.                                                                                                      
  • The New Facility Calendar was redesigned in October 2022 and is an opt-in experience for a period of time. Any Admin users in your Gingr app can enable the new version by selecting the 'Use New Version' button at the top right of the page. Please be aware that once the new version is enabled by an Admin, this will update the workflow for all users within the app, across all locations. Admins can optionally switch between the legacy and redesigned versions by clicking on the "Use Old Version" or "Use New Version" button in the top right corner of the Facility Calendar page. 

 

How to: Create an Appointment on the Redesigned New Appointment Page

  1. Navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Reservations » New Appointment. Alternatively, if you're in the Animal/Owner Profile, you can click the calendar icon to open the drop-down to book a new appointment.
  2. Select a pet to begin. You can select multiple pets from the same family if you wish to book multiple pets at once for the same date and with the same specialist (see the section on Creating Appointments for Multiple Pets below).
    Note: you can create a new profile from this page if a profile has not yet been created. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-23_at_11.23.00_AM.png
  3. In the Select Service Details box that appears after choosing the pet(s):
    a. Choose the Location - you can book appointments at any location, regardless of where you are logged into. 
    b. Choose a Service Category - this is any reservation type with the "Is this type appointment based" toggle turned on.
    c. Choose an Appointment Type - this is any additional service with a schedule on the Manage Schedules page. For more information on how to set up specialist schedules please see our article on Specialist Schedules

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-23_at_11.23.49_AM.png

    Optionally, you can click the blue View Details button to see the descriptions for each service that is available for the selected Service Category as configured from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration. Click Select Service to proceed with booking the given service. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-25_at_11.55.20_AM.png

    d. Choose a Specialist - this is any user with the selected appointment type on their schedule. You are able to view the first specialist available for a service to get Pet Parents an appointment as soon as possible using the Display By First Available toggle. If a pet has previously completed the given service type, then the system will indicate who they were last booked with "(Last Booked for pet name)."

    Screenshot_2023-02-17_at_10.16.05_AM.png

    e. Choose an Appointment Date - upon clicking a monthly view of dates will appear. Past dates, dates where the selected service is unavailable (no schedule or facility calendar blocks), and disabled dates display in grey. 

    If the user booking the appointment has the Group Permission "Can Override Appointment Capacity" enabled (as configured from Left-hand Navigation: Reports & More » Groups), then fully booked dates will show in orange and can be clicked. The user can then select a time and will be prompted to override the capacity upon clicking Create Appointment
    Screen_Shot_2022-08-04_at_5.44.57_PM.png

    If the user does not have permission to override capacity, then fully booked dates will be red. The user can still click on these dates, but if they attempt to click to add the appointment time they will get an error "Sorry, this specialist is not available at the desired time". 

    Screen_Shot_2022-08-04_at_5.41.39_PM.png
    Screen_Shot_2022-08-04_at_5.42.13_PM.png

  4. In the section with the pet's information there are a variety of actions you can take including:
    a. Add or remove custom icons with the "+" sign.
    b. View Appointment Cards by clicking the Appointment Card icon.
    c. Manage Immunizations by clicking the Immunizations icon.
    d. Edit the Animal's profile with the Edit Profile button. 
    Screen_Shot_2022-05-23_at_5.46.14_PM.png

  5. The Add From History button can be used to quickly select the same services the pet has done previously. The pet's latest three appointments will show here. The service date, type, cost, add-ons, specialist, duration, and service notes will show here. Clicking Book Again will re-enter those details into the appointment you are currently booking. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-08-05_at_10.20.44_AM.png

  6. Next, you will choose when to book the pet's appointment. This step will vary depending on if the service is time-based or slot-based. 
    a. I
    f the service is time-based with the selected specialist, you will choose an Appointment Time below the pet's information. The duration of the service can be changed just above the time-picker. The system will default to the service's default duration or, if Remember Pet’s Last Duration for this service is on for the service type (editable from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration » Edit Service » Booking Options), it will default to the pet's last duration for the selected service. 

    In the drop-down, all appointment times for that specialist and that service on the date selected will show. It will also indicate the capacity for the given appointment time with "(0/1 Booked)", "(1/1 Booked)", and so on. 

    For Users with the Group Permission "Can Override Appointment Capacity", booked appointment times will display an orange dot indicating that time is fully booked. Users with this permission will be able to click already full times and can override if needed when they create the appointment. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_9.54.31_AM.png

    For Users without the Group Permission "Can Override Appointment Capacity," already booked times will show in red and are not clickable. For more information on enabling or disabling this permission please see our article on User Groups. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_10.04.34_AM.png

    b. If the service is slot-based with the specialist, you will not need to enter a time. You can optionally select input a drop-off and pick-up time if you would like. Slot-based appointments will default to 12am on the morning of the appointment if the drop of and pick up times are not filled out. The number of slots the pet will take up can be changed just above the slot information. The number of booked slots will be displayed as a total booked out of the total available. Additionally, any other pets booked with the specialist on that date will be displayed. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_5.55.48_PM.png

  7. It is possible to add Daycare during this process by clicking the Add Daycare? button. By clicking this, the appointment will become a daycare reservation (of the specified type) and the additional service will be attached. Which reservation types are shown here is determined by the Booking Categories, as managed from  Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration » Manage Categories. Any reservation type categorized as Daycare will display in this list. For more information about Booking Categories please see this article

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_11.23.28_AM.png

    After selecting a daycare type, you can enter Drop Off and Pick Up times. These can be any time within the Hours of Operation confirgured for that reservation type and is independent of the appointment time. 

     
    Screen_Shot_2022-08-05_at_10.29.08_AM.png

    Additionally, if your daycare reservation type has associated lodgings (as configured from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Manage Areas and Lodgings) then you can add a lodging assignment at this time. Click Select Lodging to open a popup where you can choose the area and specific lodging. If you have a capacity set on any of your lodgings then this will automatically assign the pet to the first available lodging.  
    Screen_Shot_2022-08-05_at_10.33.10_AM.png
  8. Optionally you can add the pet to the waitlist with the Wait List? checkbox. For more information on waitlisting an appointment please see our article on Using the Waitlist

  9. You may also optionally confirm the appointment for the customer with the Confirm for Customer? checkbox. 

  10. If the Additional Service you have selected has Service Add-ons/Appointment Options, then you may select them from the middle column beside the animal's information. You may skip this or select as many options as needed. For more information on configuring add-ons please see our article on Creating Service Options. Please note that depending on the length of your descriptions you may need to scroll over within that box to see the prices and/or options to select. 
    Screen_Shot_2022-08-05_at_10.41.52_AM.png

  11. Service Notes and Reservation Notes can be added to the appointment in the 3rd column. Please keep in mind that Service Notes are visible to customers. Reservation Notes may also be visible to customers depending on your configuration in Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Form. Optionally, you can add a variety of additional fields from that Admin page. Booking Questions will also display here if configured to show for the selected service type. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_11.48.43_AM.png

  12. Other Dates can also be added at this time (see the bottom section near the Create Appointment button). You can set up a recurring schedule or you can enter specific dates. The system will default to booking with the same service, same reservation type (including Add Daycare), same specialist, same appointment time, and same service options. Service Notes and Reservation Notes are also copied into all reservations. Note: before proceeding with booking multiple dates, please ensure you have selected an appointment time. 

    For recurring dates, choose which days of the week to book with Begin on Which Days? Then select from the listed How Often? options or enter a custom # of Weeks for the frequency. Optionally enter an Until date or a set # of Dates to Add

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_12.15.14_PM.png

    For specific dates, simply select a date from the calendar picker and then click Add Date(s). Repeat as needed to add all applicable dates. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_12.31.52_PM.png


    If one of the selected dates is not available, you will receive an error that there is a conflict. If you click Override & Book All Dates, the system will allow you to book the appointment even if the specialist is not available for that time/date. Users without the permission "Can Override Appointment Capacity" will only have the button to Only Book Available Dates

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_12.02.56_PM.png

  13. If you have configured your appointment's reservation type to have Deposits, they will be calculated when you choose a date. If you adjust the price while booking, the deposit amount (if a percentage) will update when you click to create the appointment. 

    If you have deposits configured such that "Allow Deposit on Any Reservation" is toggled on from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Deposits, then you will be able to apply a custom deposit entered as a dollar amount. If you have the toggle "One Deposit Per Family" on, then the system will only prompt a single deposit for multiple pets if their reservations are created at the same time.
    For more information about deposits see our article Using Deposits

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_12.53.10_PM.png

  14. An Estimate can be generated by clicking Generate Estimate next to the button to create the appointment. From the top right corner of the estimate, you can refresh it after you make any adjustments to the appointment and/or to your system settings. You can also email the estimate to the customer from here. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_4.05.46_PM.png

  15. Finally, click Create Appointment on the bottom right corner. A link will be provided to the reservation so you can view details as needed.
     
    Screen_Shot_2022-05-24_at_4.48.00_PM.png

How to: Schedule an Appointment from the New Facility Calendar

This option is available when the New Facility Calendar is enabled. Learn more about the New Facility Calendar here

  1. Navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Calendar » Facility Calendar. Alternatively, if you're on the dashboard and have the facility calendar quick action button enabled you can click that button to open the calendar.                                                                                                                                  
  2. Select the date you would like to book by clicking on the calendar date number, months can be switched by clicking on the up or down arrow.                                                                                                                       Facility_Calendar.png               
  3. Find a specialist from the list on the right-hand side of the page and under the specialist you would like, click on the box associated with the time you would like for time-based appointments. You may also filter specialists under the month view of the calendar. Note that scrolling to the right will show additional specialists!

    a. For slot-based appointments, click on the green Slots Available tab under the specialist and skip to step 5.

                                      Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_11.07.54_AM.png
      1.  

 

        4. Once a time is chosen a New Event pop-up will appear, where you will have the option to                        select New Appointment.                                                                                                                                                                                  Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_9.38.35_AM.png

 

         5. Select a pet to begin. You can select multiple pets from the same family if you wish to book                   multiple pets at once for the same date and with the same specialist (see the section on                          Creating Appointments for Multiple Pets below).

        6. In the section with the pet's information there are a variety of actions you can take including:

             a. Add or remove custom owner or animal icons with the "+" sign.

             b. View Appointment Cards by clicking the Appointment Card icon.

             c. Manage Immunizations by clicking the Immunizations icon.

        7. In the Select Service Details box that appears after choosing the pet(s):

             a. Choose a Service Category - this is any reservation type with the "Is this type appointment                   based" toggle turned on.

              b. Choose an Appointment Type - this is any additional service with a schedule on the                              Manage Schedules page. For more information on how to set up specialist schedules                            please see our article on Specialist Schedules

                Screen_Shot_2022-10-19_at_9.49.39_AM.png

 

         8. Next, you will choose when to book the pet's appointment. This step will vary depending on if               the service is time-based or slot-based. 

             a. If the service is time-based with the selected specialist, you will choose an Appointment                      Time below the pet's information. The duration of the service can be changed just above                       the time-picker. The system will default to the service's default duration or if Remember                         Pet’s Last Duration for this service is on for the service type (editable from Left-hand                                Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration » Edit Service »                          Booking Options), it will default to the pet's last duration for the selected service. 

In the drop-down, all appointment times for that specialist and that service on the date selected will show. It will also indicate the capacity for the given appointment time with "(0/1 Booked)", "(1/1 Booked)", and so on. 

For Users with the Group Permission "Can Override Appointment Capacity", booked appointment times will display an orange dot indicating that time is fully booked. Users with this permission will be able to click already full times and can override if needed when they create the appointment.

Screenshot_2022-11-03_at_3.44.11_PM.png

 

For Users without the Group Permission "Can Override Appointment Capacity," already booked times will show in red and are not clickable. For more information on enabling or disabling this permission please see our article on User Groups.

Screen_Shot_2022-10-26_at_11.49.36_AM.png

b. If the service is slot-based with the specialist, you will not need to enter a time. You may enter a drop-off and pick-up time, but it is optional. If you do not pick a time, the appointment will default to 12am. The number of slots the pet will take up can be changed just above the slot information. The number of booked slots will be displayed as a total booked out of the total available. Additionally, any other pets booked with the specialist on that date will be displayed. Screen_Shot_2023-02-19_at_2.36.09_PM.png

 

9. It is possible to add Daycare during this process by clicking the Add Daycare? button. By clicking this, the appointment will become a daycare reservation (of the specified type) and the additional service will be attached. Which reservation types are shown here is determined by the Booking Categories, as managed from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration » Manage Categories. Any reservation type categorized as Daycare will display in this list. For more information about Booking Categories please see this article

 

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_1.08.35_PM.png

After selecting a daycare type, you can enter Drop Off and Pick Up times. These can be any time within the Hours of Operation configured for that reservation type and is independent of the appointment time. 

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_1.08.52_PM.png

Additionally, if your daycare reservation type has associated lodgings (as configured from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Manage Areas and Lodgings) then you can add a lodging assignment at this time. Click Select Lodging to open a popup where you can choose the area and specific lodging. If you have a capacity set on any of your lodgings then this will automatically assign the pet to the first available lodging.  

 

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_1.59.15_PM.png


10. If the Additional Service you have selected has Service Add-ons/Appointment Options, then you may select them from the Appointment Options category. You may skip this or select as many options as needed. For more information on configuring add-ons please see our article on Creating Service Options. Please note that depending on the length of your descriptions you may need to scroll over within that box to see the prices and/or options to select. 

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_2.04.06_PM.png

 

11. Service Notes and Reservation Notes can be added to the appointment as well! Please keep in mind that Service Notes are visible to customers. Reservation Notes may also be visible to customers depending on your configuration in Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Reservation Form. Optionally, you can add a variety of additional fields from that Admin page. Booking Questions will also display here if configured to show for the selected service type. 

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_2.11.21_PM.png

 

12. Optionally you can add the pet to the waitlist with the Wait List? checkbox. For more information on waitlisting an appointment please see our article on Using the Waitlist


13. You may also optionally confirm the appointment for the customer with the Confirm for Customer? checkbox. 

Screenshot_2022-11-28_at_11.10.48_AM.png

 

14. If you have deposits configured such that "Allow Deposit on Any Reservation" is toggled on from Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Deposits, then you will be able to apply a custom deposit entered as a dollar amount. If you have the toggle "One Deposit Per Family" on, then the system will only prompt a single deposit for multiple pets if their reservations are created at the same time. For more information about deposits see our article Using Deposits.

Screenshot_2022-11-28_at_11.02.32_AM.png

 

15. An Estimate can be generated by clicking Generate Estimate next to the button to create the appointment. From the top right corner of the estimate, you can refresh it after you make any adjustments to the appointment and/or to your system settings. You can also email the estimate to the customer from here. 

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_3.58.36_PM.png

 

16. Finally, click Create Appointment on the bottom right corner. The appointment will appear on the calendar where the details can be viewed by clicking on the appointment and details box!

Screenshot_2022-11-07_at_3.58.49_PM.png

 

How to: Create Appointments for Multiple Pets 

It is possible to create multiple appointments at once for pets in the same family all from the same appointment booking process. These pets must be booking the same service type on the same date with the same specialist. If these details must vary please create independent bookings. You can select different appointment times for each pet.

  1. Type in the pet name or owner name of one of the pets you would like to book. 

  2. If you entered the owner name their other pets will appear. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-25_at_9.57.43_AM.png


    You can instead click Select All Pets to add all pets for the given owner. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-25_at_11.13.31_AM.png

  3. Once you have selected all pets, follow all the steps in the above section Creating an Appointment on the new New Appointment page for the first pet. Then repeat for each additional pet. Be sure to fill out all details before clicking to create the appointment. If you need to remove a pet from this booking process you can click the orange Remove button on the top right of each pet's section. 

    Screen_Shot_2022-05-25_at_12.51.08_PM.png

 

Video Tutorial: A tour of the Redesigned New Appointment Page

 

How to: Reschedule an Appointment

This section will show you how appointments can be rebooked with a different specialist by either clicking Reschedule, opening the Edit Reservation window or dragging and dropping on the Facility Calendar. Alternatively, you can cancel the appointment and create a new booking (see our article on Canceling Reservations and Appointments).

Please note that if using the Edit Reservation option, you must adjust the reservation time in addition to rescheduling the service. Reservation times will not automatically change if you only adjust the service. 

If your business uses the Rescheduled Appointment Report, then you should only use the first option, the Reschedule button. This manner of rescheduling will create an entry on that report. 

 

From Reschedule Option

  1. Navigate to any page where you can edit the animal's reservation. This includes the Animal's or Owner's Reservations tab, the Dashboard, Calendar Details, the Facility Calendar, or other Reports that contain reservation lists.

  2. Click Reschedule
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-06_at_6.04.35_PM.png

  3. Click the blue "Re-schedule Appointment" button near the center of the screen, under the appointment tab
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-06_at_6.05.55_PM.png

  4. Click on the Additional Service you would like to re-add. Select any relevant add-ons, enter notes as needed, and adjust the duration if needed. A pop-up will then appear to choose a specialist with the option to enable Display by First Available to view the menu of specialists ranked in order by first available. Upon selecting a specialist from the ranked order, the date of the first available appointment for the selected specialist will display. If you want to book with a specific specialist, then toggle the Display by First Available setting to the off position before clicking on the specialist menu.
    Screenshot_2023-02-17_at_10.45.41_AM.png
    If the appointment is attached to a single-day (Daycare) or multi-day (Boarding) reservation, then the Display by First Available option will not display. This option is only available when rescheduling appointments attached to appointment-based reservations. 

  5. Save & Close the Edit Reservation popup.

 

From Edit Reservation

  1. Navigate to any page where you can edit the animal's reservation. This includes the Animal's or Owner's Reservations tab, the Dashboard, Calendar Details, the Facility Calendar, or other Reports that contain reservation lists.

  2. Click Edit Booking Details.
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-06_at_5.57.37_PM.png

  3. If the appointment will take place on a different date and/or at a different time, first edit the Reservation date and time.
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-06_at_5.58.19_PM.png

  4. Click on the Additional Service tab. Click the red trash can button to the right of the service you will be rescheduling. 
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-06_at_6.00.10_PM.png

  5. Click on the Additional Service you would like to re-add. Select any relevant add-ons, enter notes as needed, adjust the duration if needed, choose the date, then choose the specialist and time.
    Screen_Shot_2022-06-06_at_6.01.33_PM.png

  6. Save & Close the Edit Reservation popup.

 

From the Facility Calendar Drag & Drop Function

If appointments are being rescheduled within the same day or week, it is possible to quickly change the appointment to a different specialist, day, and/or time. This function changes both the reservation and the service at once, avoiding the need to individually adjust these. It is not possible to do this on the month view.

If doing this in the week view to change the date, the system will default to adding the appointment to the same specialist at the same time on the new date. Click to the day view on the day you moved it to if you would like to change the time and/or specialist. 

Note: if the specialist who you are attempting to move the service to does not perform that service (as set up on the Manage Schedules page), the system will not allow you to add to that specialist. 

  1. Navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Calendar » Facility Calendar.

  2. Navigate to the day or week of the appointment(s) you are rescheduling. 

  3. Click and hold the appointment and drag it to the new day, time, and/or specialist.

Within the same day: 
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Within the same week:

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How to: Create an Appointment on the Legacy New Appointment Page

  1. Navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Reservations » New Appointment. Alternatively, if you're in the Animal/Owner Profile, you can click the calendar icon to open the drop-down to book a new appointment.

     

  2. Select the LocationTypeService, and Date. Only reservation types that are configured to be scheduled with a specialist will appear in the drop-down menu.

    Screen_Shot_2018-10-18_at_11.05.57_AM.png

     

  3. Click on the appointment Start Time within a specialist's available appointments or by the slots that they have available. Only specialists who have the availability to perform this service on this date will be populated here.


    Screen_Shot_2018-10-18_at_11.06.56_AM.png

  4. After choosing a time/slot for your pet, you'll be directed to this page in order to set up which pet you'll be reserving for, service add-on's, icons, previous appointment history, grooming notes and any notes needed for the reservation.

    Screen_Shot_2018-10-18_at_11.12.27_AM.png

    The Confirm for Customer? box will send a confirmation email to the customer. The Wait List box will send the reservation to the Wait List area.


    Screen_Shot_2018-10-18_at_10.34.52_AM.png

 

Video Tutorial: A tour of the Legacy New Appointment Page

 

 

 

 

FAQ: Check it out.

How do I tag information to the New Appointment page and/or Appointment Cards?

From Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Owner Form or Animal Form, hover over the field you would like to add and click the pencil to edit it. At the bottom of the side window is Tags. Click New Appointment page and/or Appointment Card then save the side window and save again at the bottom of the form. Thereafter this information will display in the specified locations. 

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