Availability Calendar

## Availability Calendar This guide shows rental shop staff how to use the Availability Calendar to choose dates and timeslots for customers. It is non-technical and focused on daily operations. ### What the Availability Calendar is - A simple tool to see which days are available for a unit and choose the best pickup time or multi-day range. - Used both by renters (on your website) and by staff (inside the dashboard) with a familiar experience. ### When to use it - Helping a customer pick a date and pickup time for a new booking. - Adjusting an existing booking's dates/times when a customer calls to modify. ### How to open it - Public website: the "Check Availability" button on a unit page opens the calendar. - Dashboard: from cart/booking modification screens the "Date/Time" button opens the same calendar with extra booking context. - Your selection is staged into the cart and shares the cart’s unified hold timer during Pending/Checkout. ### Reading the calendar - You will see a monthly grid with day buttons: - Available days can be selected. - Unavailable days are dimmed and not clickable. - Use the arrows to move between months. A Month/Year dropdown is also available. - If your unit has a minimum stay (for example, 2 nights starting on Fridays), the calendar will hint which return dates are valid once a start date is picked. ### Selecting dates - **Preferred dates**: If the customer previously selected dates on the search page, those dates are automatically pre-selected when the calendar opens. This saves time for repeat customers. - Single-day rental: - Click the desired start date. Timeslots for that date appear on the right. - If preferred dates exist, the start date is already selected. - Multi-day rental: - Click "Add return date" (Multi-day). - Pick a start date, then select a valid return date. The calendar will highlight valid end dates. - If preferred dates exist with both start and end dates, both are automatically selected. - If the chosen range does not meet rules (for example, minimum nights), you will see a message to pick a different range. - For quantity > 1, the system checks capacity across all days; selections stage into the cart for final pricing. ### Choosing how many units - Use the "How many units?" controls to set the quantity. - The calendar and timeslots will update to reflect the number of units you need for that date/time. - Holds and availability are enforced once items are added to the cart; timers are unified across staged items. ### Choosing a timeslot - After selecting a date (or date range), the right side shows all available options for that selection. - You may see two types of timeslots: - Fixed timeslots (set start/end time). - Flexible timeslots (choose a pickup time within a daily window). For multi-day options, you may also see package choices (for example, 2-Day, 3-Day). - Pick the option that best matches the customer's needs. Pricing shown includes taxes/fees if indicated in your account settings. ### Pricing notes - Prices can vary by date, duration, and selected option. - "Starting at" pricing appears for flexible options; final totals update as you choose the pickup time or package. - If pricing looks unusual, reselect the date or quantity to refresh. For complex pricing, proceed and review totals in the cart. ### Cutoff times (last-minute bookings) - If your account blocks bookings too close to pickup time, some same-day times will not be selectable. Choose a later pickup time or a different date. ### Timezones and accuracy - Times shown reflect your business's local time. When a renter is remote, confirm the pickup time verbally in local time. ### Modifying an existing booking (staff, from cart) - From the cart’s “Modify” screen, click the “Date/Time” button for the specific booking to open the calendar. - The calendar shows the booking’s current dates and a “Current Booking Details” summary to compare changes. - Select new dates/times just like a new booking. The cart will stage the changes and show any price difference. - If the new selection conflicts with availability, the cart highlights a conflict and can suggest alternatives. - You can keep adjusting or discard changes. When satisfied, proceed per your cart’s “apply/charge” flow. - If soft holds are enabled on your account, the cart’s unified timer extends briefly during active editing. ### Troubleshooting - No times are showing for a day: - Try another date or reduce quantity. - Check for minimum stay rules that push the return date. - Multi-day will not let you pick an end date: - The start date may require a certain number of nights or continuous availability may be broken. Try a different start date. - Price looks off: - Reselect the date or timeslot. If still off, proceed to cart to review totals or consult your pricing settings. ### Troubleshooting restrictive settings - Minimum nights: Some units require a minimum number of nights, which can change by day of week (for example, Fridays may require 2+ nights). If you cannot pick an end date, try a later return date or start on a different day. - Maximum duration: If a stay is too long, the end date will not be allowed. Shorten the range. - Seasonal windows: Units may only be available during certain months/dates. Dates outside the season will appear unavailable. - Closed days / limited hours: If your shop is closed or has limited pickup hours on certain days, same‑day pickups or specific times may not appear. Pick a different day/time. - Cutoff time (last‑minute): Same‑day bookings may be blocked within a set number of hours before pickup. Choose a later time or a different date. - Book too far ahead: Some accounts limit how far in advance a booking can be made. If a future date is disabled, try a nearer date. - Location availability: If a unit has multiple locations, some dates or times may be available only at certain locations. Try switching locations (where allowed) or adjust the date/time. - Quantity constraints: For multi‑day rentals, availability must hold for all days in the range. If the range is invalid due to limited stock, try fewer units or different dates. If you frequently run into restrictions for a unit, ask a manager to review the unit’s availability rules and account settings. Managers can consult: - `guides/02-inventory-setup/availability-rules.md` (minimum/maximum duration, day‑of‑week rules, seasons) - Account settings for booking cutoff hours and related options ### Best practices - Ask about flexibility: "Are you open to different pickup times?" Flexible options often unlock more availability. - Confirm duration early: if a customer needs multiple days, start in Multi-day mode to see valid return dates immediately. - For busy weekends, advise booking earlier dates or fewer units if availability is tight. ### Related guides - Daily operations overview: `guides/01-daily-operations/booking-views.md` - Availability rules overview (for managers): `guides/02-inventory-setup/availability-rules.md`