Central booking from HQ and call-center agents

Central booking lets HQ take a phone call and book the customer at any of your locations from one screen. You can also invite call-center agents who use the same screen and nothing else. It's part of the HQ add-on.

Who can use it

• HQ owners and admins, from Central Booking under Data in the HQ sidebar.
• Call-center agents you invite (see below). They get only the booking screen.

Anyone else who opens the page sees "Central booking isn't available".

Booking a customer

The screen follows a phone call from top to bottom.

1. Customer

1. Type the customer's full phone number or email and click Find. It searches every location, exact matches only.
2. Pick the right person. Each result shows their name, the last 4 digits of their phone, a masked email, their location, their last visit and their next appointment. Nothing about what they've spent.
3. New customer? Under Or enter a customer, type their First name, Last name and Mobile phone. Add an Email if you want a deposit link emailed to them.

2. Location and time

1. Optional: type the Customer ZIP and click Suggest. SalesThumb suggests the location that covers that ZIP, or HQ's default location.
2. Pick the Location. Locations with online booking off are greyed out.
3. Pick the Service. Prices shown are the location's public online prices.
4. Pick a Day, then one of the open times.

3. Book

1. Add Notes for the shop if you like.
2. Click Book. The button names the service and time.

You get a confirmation number. Click Book another for the next caller.

Services with a deposit

If the service needs a deposit, the time is held for 30 minutes and the customer gets a link to pay. It's booked once they pay, and the time is released if they don't.

• The link goes by text only if you tick Customer agreed to receive a text with the deposit link. Only tick it if you asked and they said yes, and the location texts from its own number.
• Otherwise the link goes by email, so you need their email.

If the location can't take payments online right now, the booking still stands and the shop arranges the deposit.

Inviting call-center agents

1. In the HQ sidebar, open Users under Network.
2. Find the Call center card.
3. Type the Agent email and click Invite agent.

The invite link works for 7 days and only for that email address. If the email can't be sent, the card shows the link so you can send it yourself.

The agent opens the link, signs in or creates a login with that same email, and clicks Accept invitation. From then on, signing in takes them straight to the booking screen.

Agents can look up customers and book at any of your locations. They can't see money, reports, royalties or settings, and they don't count as HQ members. To remove one, click the trash icon on their row. A pending invite can be cancelled the same way.

Only people who can manage HQ members can invite or remove agents.

Related

• Searching customers and vehicles across every location from HQ
• Routing customer leads to the right location

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I search for a customer by name in central booking?

A: No. Search by the customer's full phone number or email. It only shows exact matches, at every location.

Q: What does a call-center agent see?

A: Only the booking screen. Agents can look up customers and book at any location, but can't see money, reports, royalties or settings.

Q: How long does a deposit hold last?

A: 30 minutes. The booking is confirmed once the customer pays, and the time is released if they don't.

Q: When does the deposit link go by text?

A: Only when you tick Customer agreed to receive a text with the deposit link and the location texts from its own number. Otherwise it's emailed.