Service Booking Calendar

1. Booking Creation & Customer Selection

Service advisors create bookings by selecting customers and vehicles from the system. The booking form captures service requirements, estimated duration, preferred date and time, and any special instructions. The system validates customer and vehicle information, checks service history, and suggests appropriate service intervals based on previous services. Bookings can be created for new or existing customers.

2. Visual Calendar Interface

The booking calendar provides a visual overview of all scheduled bookings, showing available time slots, booked appointments, and workshop capacity. The calendar displays bookings by day, week, or month, with colour coding for different booking types or statuses. Service advisors can drag and drop bookings to reschedule, and the system automatically checks for conflicts. The calendar updates in real-time as bookings are created or modified.

3. Workshop Capacity Management

The system tracks workshop capacity including available service bays, technician availability, and estimated job durations. When creating bookings, the system checks available capacity and suggests optimal time slots. The calendar shows when bays are available, when technicians are free, and when the workshop is at capacity. This prevents overbooking and ensures efficient workshop loading.

4. Technician Scheduling & Allocation

Bookings can be pre-assigned to specific technicians based on skills, availability, and workload. The system displays each technician's schedule, showing existing bookings and available time slots. Service managers can balance workloads across technicians, ensuring fair distribution and optimal utilisation. The system tracks technician capacity and prevents over-allocation.

5. Booking Confirmation & Reminders

When bookings are created, automatic confirmation messages are sent to customers via email or SMS. The system sends reminder messages at configurable intervals (e.g., 24 hours before, morning of appointment) to reduce no-shows. Booking confirmations include date, time, service requirements, and any special instructions. Customers can confirm or reschedule bookings through the system.

6. Booking Status Tracking

The system tracks booking status from creation through to completion: Confirmed, Checked In, In Progress, Completed, Cancelled, or No-Show. Status changes update the calendar automatically, and notifications are sent to relevant staff. The system records booking history including any changes, cancellations, or reschedules, providing complete audit trails.

7. Job Card Integration

When customers arrive for their booking, the booking is checked in and automatically linked to a job card. Service requirements from the booking are transferred to the job card, ensuring continuity. The system tracks which bookings resulted in job cards and which were cancelled or no-shows, helping analyse booking effectiveness.

8. Reporting & Analytics

The system generates comprehensive reports on booking performance including booking rates, no-show rates, cancellation rates, and booking conversion to jobs. Reports show booking patterns by day of week, time of day, service type, and customer segment. This data helps optimise booking processes, identify peak times, and improve workshop efficiency.