What are buffers?
Buffers allow you to add contingency time before and after services. For example, buffers may be used to allow for preparation, sanitization, or travel time between bookings.
How to add buffers on your services
Hover over Setup and click Manage services
Click the pencil icon next to the service
Click Availability
Under Buffers, select the duration of the buffer(s) for that service, either before, after, or both!
Click Save service
How to amend buffers on your services
Bookings that are yet to be made...
Follow the same steps as above to edit the service
Click Availability
Under Buffers, edit the duration of the buffer(s) for that service accordingly
Click Save service
Bookings that have already been made...
Click the Calendar tab on the left to view your bookings
Click and hold onto the buffer part of the booking with your mouse (or finger depending on device)
Drag up to increase the buffer time, drag down to decrease the buffer time
Best practice ⭐️
If you add a buffer of 5 minutes to any service, make sure that your calendar increments in your general settings are 5 minutes or 1 minute.
If you add a buffer of 10 minutes, make sure that your calendar increments are 10 minutes, 5 minutes or 1 minute.
If you add a buffer of 15 minutes, make sure that your calendar increments are 15 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes or 1 minute.
To summarize, we recommend your calendar increments are a common denominator of the buffers you apply to your services. This makes sure you'll be able to see them in your calendar!
FAQ's
Buffers won't apply to your first available slot
Buffers attached before a booking, will not be applied to your very first available slot of the day. For example, if a service has a buffer of 10 mins added to it and your first available slot if 9am, then the first booking will be for 9am, and not for 9:10am.
Buffers won't apply to your last available slot
Buffers attached after a booking, will not be applied to your very last available slot of the day. For example, if your service has a duration of 1 hour with a 10 minute buffer afterwards, and your availability is 9am-5pm, then a booking can still be made at 4pm.
Buffers won't carry over when modifying existing bookings
You can edit a booking to change the service. If the existing booking was for a service that didn't have buffers, then modifying it to a service that does have buffers, won't make any difference. The buffers will not carry over if the original booking did not have buffers.
As an alternative, we suggest cancelling and making a new booking, or, edit the booking as usual but extend the duration so any buffer time is still taken into consideration.
If you have any feedback we would love to hear it 👂