Calendar & Availability Management

# Calendar & Availability Management ## What You'll Learn - Set up rental schedules that match your business model (10 minutes) - Configure hourly, daily, or flexible duration rentals - Manage seasonal availability and minimum rental periods - Set cleanup time between rentals - Block dates for maintenance or private use - Maximize utilization while preventing conflicts ## Overview Your availability settings determine when and how customers can book your equipment. RecSystems offers three rental models - hourly (fixed time slots), daily (full-day rentals), and flexible (customer chooses duration). You can use different models for different types of equipment, giving you complete control over your rental operations. ## Understanding Rental Models ### Hourly Rentals (Fixed Time Slots) Perfect for: Jet skis, kayaks, bike rentals - Customers book specific time slots (e.g., 9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm) - Great for high-turnover rentals - Easy to manage staff schedules - Clear expectations for customers ### Daily Rentals Perfect for: Boats, RVs, heavy equipment - Customers book by the day - Flexible pickup/return times within business hours - Can set different minimum days for different days of the week - Options for same-time return or fixed return time ### Flexible Duration Perfect for: Mixed rental businesses - Customers choose their own duration - Offer multiple options (2 hours, 4 hours, full day, etc.) - Set custom pricing for each duration - Maximum flexibility for customers ## Creating Your First Schedule ### Step 1: Navigate to Timeslots 1. Go to **Inventory** → **Timeslots** 2. Click **+ New Timeslot** ### Step 2: Choose Your Rental Model #### For Hourly Rentals: 1. **Name**: "Morning Jet Ski Sessions" 2. **Duration Type**: Hourly 3. **Time Selection**: Fixed (not flexible) 4. **Start Time**: 9:00 AM 5. **End Time**: 1:00 PM 6. **Days Available**: Check days you operate #### For Daily Rentals: 1. **Name**: "Full Day Boat Rentals" 2. **Duration Type**: Daily 3. **Time Selection**: Fixed or Flexible 4. **Pickup Time**: 9:00 AM 5. **Return Time**: 5:00 PM 6. **Minimum Duration**: 1 day (or more) 7. **Return Policy**: - Same Time (return at pickup time next day) - Fixed Time (always return at 5pm regardless of pickup) #### For Flexible Duration: 1. **Name**: "Flexible Pontoon Rentals" 2. **Duration Type**: Hourly or Daily 3. **Time Selection**: Flexible ✓ 4. **Available Hours**: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 5. **Create Duration Options**: - 2 Hour Morning: $150 - 4 Hour Half Day: $250 - 8 Hour Full Day: $400 - 2 Day Weekend: $750 ### Step 3: Configure Advanced Settings #### Days of Operation Select which days this schedule applies: - Weekday schedule (Mon-Thu) - Weekend schedule (Fri-Sun) - Or custom selection 💡 **Pro Tip**: Create separate timeslots for weekdays vs weekends to offer different options or pricing #### Minimum Rental Duration Set different minimums for different days: - Weekdays: 1 day minimum - Fridays: 2 day minimum (must keep through weekend) - Saturdays: 2 day minimum - Sundays: 1 day minimum This prevents awkward gaps in your schedule. #### Cleanup/Turnover Time Buffer between rentals for: - Cleaning and sanitizing - Inspection and refueling - Staff breaks Example settings: - Jet skis: 30 minutes - Boats: 60 minutes - RVs: 90 minutes #### Advance Booking Settings - **Minimum Notice**: How far in advance must customers book? - Same-day (0 hours) - 24 hours notice - 48 hours for holidays - **Maximum Advance**: How far out can customers book? - 30 days (keeps schedule manageable) - 90 days (for vacation planning) - 365 days (annual reservations) #### Seasonal Settings For seasonal businesses: - **Valid From**: May 1 - **Valid Through**: September 30 - System automatically hides this timeslot outside these dates ### Step 4: Assign to Equipment 1. After saving, click **Assign Units** 2. Select which fleets/units use this schedule 3. Set pricing for each unit (can override) 4. Save assignments ## Managing Flexible Duration Options For flexible timeslots, create attractive options: ### Setting Up Options 1. In your flexible timeslot, click **Add Option** 2. Configure each option: - **Name**: "Half Day Special" - **Duration**: 4 hours - **Description**: "Perfect for afternoon cruising" - **Sort Order**: 2 (controls display order) ### Multi-Day Options For daily flexible rentals: - **Weekend Package**: 2 days (Fri-Sun) - **Long Weekend**: 3 days - **Weekly Special**: 7 days with discount ### Smart Pricing Each option can have its own price: - Don't just multiply hourly rate - Incentivize longer rentals - Account for reduced turnover costs ## Calendar Management ### Viewing Your Calendar Navigate to **Dashboard** → **Calendar** to see: - **Month View**: Overall availability and bookings - **Week View**: Detailed daily schedules - **Day View**: Hour-by-hour breakdown - **Schedule View**: Timeline by equipment ### Understanding the Colors - 🟩 **Green**: Available for booking - 🟦 **Blue**: Active bookings - 🟨 **Yellow**: Pending/unconfirmed - 🟥 **Red**: Blocked/maintenance - ⬜ **Gray**: Outside operating hours ### Blocking Dates Need to block time? From the calendar: 1. **Click and Drag** across dates to block 2. **Select Reason**: - Maintenance (scheduled service) - Private Event (owner use) - Weather (safety closure) - Holiday (business closed) - Training (staff development) - Other (custom reason) 3. **Choose Scope**: - Specific units only - Entire fleet - All equipment 4. **Set Details**: - Add notes for staff - Recurring? Set pattern - Notify affected bookings ### Quick Actions from Calendar - Click any booking to view/edit - Drag bookings to reschedule (if enabled) - Right-click for quick actions menu - Filter by fleet for focused view ## Preventing Conflicts RecSystems automatically prevents: - Double bookings - Bookings during maintenance - Insufficient turnover time - Bookings outside operating hours - Violations of minimum duration ### Conflict Resolution If conflicts arise (rare): 1. System highlights in red 2. Click for resolution options: - Move to different unit - Adjust times slightly - Contact customer - Override (manager only) ## Optimization Strategies ### Maximize Utilization #### For Hourly Rentals: - Minimize gaps between slots - Offer "squeeze-in" times - Use 30-min buffers, not 60 - Stagger start times across units #### For Daily Rentals: - Encourage mid-week rentals - Set strategic minimums - Offer pickup time flexibility - Use return time rules wisely ### Seasonal Adjustments **Peak Season**: - Longer minimum durations - Earlier booking cutoffs - Shorter time slots - Higher turnover efficiency **Shoulder Season**: - Flexible minimums - Last-minute deals - Extended daily hours - Special packages ### Smart Scheduling Tips 1. **Popular Times**: - Create more slots during high demand - Shorter durations when busy - Premium pricing for peak times 2. **Slow Periods**: - Longer slots to reduce turnover - Flexible duration options - Special mid-week timeslots 3. **Maintenance Planning**: - Schedule during slow days - Rotate units to maintain availability - Block in advance to avoid conflicts ## Common Scenarios ### Scenario: Holiday Weekend Management **Challenge**: July 4th weekend with high demand **Solution**: 1. Create special holiday timeslot 2. Set 3-day minimum starting Friday 3. Increase cleanup buffer 4. Adjust pricing with rules 5. Block early for staff planning ### Scenario: Weather Cancellations **Challenge**: Storm forecast requires closing **Solution**: 1. Block affected dates immediately 2. System notifies affected customers 3. Clear blocks when safe 4. Easy rebooking for customers ### Scenario: Transitioning Seasons **Challenge**: Switching from summer to winter equipment **Solution**: 1. Set end dates on summer timeslots 2. Create winter timeslots with future start 3. No gap in bookability 4. Clear customer communication ## Troubleshooting ### Timeslot Not Showing for Customers - Check seasonal date settings - Verify days of week are selected - Ensure units are assigned - Confirm timeslot isn't archived ### Can't Block Dates - Check for existing bookings - Verify permission level - Try smaller date ranges - Clear browser cache ### Availability Showing Incorrectly - Review cleanup time settings - Check minimum duration rules - Verify business hours - Look for conflicting timeslots ### Calendar Loading Slowly - Try week view instead of month - Filter to specific fleets - Check internet connection - Contact support if persistent ## Best Practices ### DO: ✅ Create separate timeslots for different customer needs ✅ Use cleanup buffers to maintain quality ✅ Set realistic advance booking windows ✅ Plan maintenance during slow periods ✅ Review and adjust seasonally ### DON'T: ❌ Overcomplicate with too many timeslots ❌ Forget to account for staff breaks ❌ Set cleanup time too short ❌ Ignore seasonal patterns ❌ Let maintenance backlog build ## Related Guides - [Fleet Setup](fleet-configuration.md) - Create your rentable inventory - [Pricing Rules](../03-revenue-optimization/pricing-strategies.md) - Dynamic pricing strategies - [Booking Management](../01-daily-operations/) - How bookings work - [Reports](../07-reference/) - Analyze utilization