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Booking Manger Admin Setup
Booking Manger Admin Setup

Allow customers to rent/book time online or through the Admin side.

Kristi Carlson avatar
Written by Kristi Carlson
Updated this week

Feature Updates as of Oct 2024:

  • Minimum Duration: Requires customers to book for at least the specified minimum duration, and beyond the minimum if they choose.

  • Terms and Conditions: Allows more flexibility by adding different terms to booking options, event types, or resources that customers need to agree to in order to book online.

  • Request Only (Hide Price): Can choose to hide the rental price from customers when they are reserving a booking online.


Overview

The Booking Manager provides the ability to create customized rentals including contracts, as well as terms and conditions.


Setup

Are you wanting to offer online booking for birthday parties specifically?

Check out this section below on how to set everything up on the Admin side.

Want to see how birthday parties sold online look like?

In this article we walk through how customers can view parties online

Key Points

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  1. Online Booking Add on: In order to turn the Online Booking feature on to display Rentals online to customers, you must go to the "Integrations and Add-ons" page and click on the "Add-ons" section. A User with "System Admin" permissions can toggle the feature on once they have agreed to the terms.

  2. Authorization: Currently you must have the "Booking Create/Edit Authorization" in order to access the Booking Engine and create and/or edit any existing bookings. The "Booking Delete" authorization allows you to delete any events or an entire booking that another user has created. You can choose to add these Authorizations to an existing Role or create brand new Roles (listed under Scheduling).

  3. Products: Create products specifically to be used for the booking manager. These will include rental fees or any additional costs you may want to add on.

  4. Booking Options: Booking options must be created. They can be reused for any resource. This includes set-up for the bookable type, date ranges, availabilities, fees and reservation settings.

    1. Minimum Duration: Customers select start time and duration of rental.

    2. Buffer Size: Customers select from a list of open slots available.

  5. Resource Type/Resource Setting: Booking Options can be assigned to either a Resource Type which are assigned to individual resources or a booking option can be assigned directly to individual resources.

  6. Event Types: Create booking specific event types that fit your business needs. In the Booking Settings area of Event Types, you can add any optional custom forms, additional fees (furniture rentals, etc), assign the booking contract, and customize the "Terms of Conditions" section that appears on the contract.


Booking Options

Creating a New Booking Option (Using Minimum Duration)

The Minimum Booking Duration feature allows you to set a minimum duration for bookings. This ensures that each rental meets a minimum time requirement, helping you manage resources efficiently and maximize revenue. The customer online chooses a start time, then the length of their rental beyond the required minimum duration.

Customer View using Minimum Duration:

At this time, this feature can only be turned on while creating a New Booking Option. Therefore, existing Booking Options will not be able to use "Minimum Duration".

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  1. From the Calendar drop down menu, select "Booking Options" or type in "Booking Options" in the global search box.

  2. Click the "+" option to create a new Booking option.

  3. Name: Type a Name that that can eventually be easily assigned to a resource or resource type.

  4. Online Booking: Choose the appropriate state for this Booking Option

    1. Disabled: Resources/Resource Types with this type will not display online at all.

    2. Visible Only: Resource/Resource Types with this type will display online, but you will not be able to see the availability calendar or request a reservation.

    3. Request Only (aka Require Admin Approval): Resources are visible online and customers can request to reserve a time slot. This will not block off the time until the Admin creates the event.

    4. Request Only (hide price):

      This option will hide the price of the rental to the customer as displayed in the example below in the member app:

    5. Book (signed in) & Request (not Signed In): Resources are visible online and customers can purchase that time on the spot. This will block out the resource and create an event. If they are not logged into the Member App, they can either choose to login to book or send in a request.

    6. Book Only (signed in) (aka Force Purchase): Requires customer to login to their account online in order to book their reservation.

  5. Terms and Conditions:

    Select existing Terms and Conditions for customers to agree to online or create new terms.

    1. Terms and Conditions can be managed by typing in the global search box "Terms and Conditions". From here, you can create, edit, copy, inactivate and delete.

    2. There are a variety of other areas throughout the system that Terms and Conditions can be added which could override what is set at the booking Options level:

      • Event Types

      • Resources (most specific setting for Terms and Conditions)

    3. Once a cu stomer has signed online, their initials and the agreed upon "Terms and Conditions" will appear on the Contract within the Booking.

  6. Min Days Out: The minimum days in advance required for a customer to book a resource.

  7. Max Days Out: The max days out in advance that a resident can book a resource.

  8. Minimum Booking Duration: This toggle must be turned on at this point when creating a new booking if you want to provide the customer with the option to rent consecutive blocks of time as long as the minimum time requirement has been met.

  9. Click the "Submit" button once you are done.

Date Ranges

You can create multiple date ranges for a booking option for seasonal pricing for example. If you want to do seasonal pricing, you would need to add multiple date ranges. By default, a year around date range is pre- setup. To adjust or add additional date ranges, click the "Edit Dates" button.

  • Start Date – The first date that the booking option is available

  • End Date – The end date that the booking option is available

  • Recurring – This allows the date range to be reused year over year

Availabilities and Fees

Availabilities are the times and days of the week the resources are allowed to be booked. Repeat the availability setup process when there are different times and/or fees associated to the availability. For example, you may have a Sat and Sunday availability from 11-3 and charge a weekend rate. That is one availability. Then an additional availability could be a weekday rate where the time frame is 3-5 PM. Click the "Add Availability" option to get started.

  1. Start Time and End Time: This is the time frame the customers are able to book their rental for.

  2. Block Size: The default amount of time for each rental.

  3. Minimum booking duration: This is only displayed if it was turned on when the booking option was created initially. Enter the minimum number of blocks of time the customer must rent the resource for.

  4. Days of the Week: Select the days of the week applicable for this availability.

  5. Fees: Add all the fees that will be charged to the customer to rent the resource during the date range specified. Click "Add Fee" to get started.

    1. Start typing in the Product name until you can select the correct one.

    2. The price will default to the global price. This can be adjusted if needed.

    3. Flat or hourly: You can check the box to charge customers a flat rate despite how long the rental is or leave it unchecked to charge an hourly rate.

    4. Auto Add: When this checkbox is set, it means the product will automatically be added to the cart anytime someone books a space using this availability. You may decide to have some "non auto add "products that will appear on the Admin side that can be used as "optional" fees.

    5. Online: This must be checked if you are planning on charging this fee for an online booking.

  6. Click the "Save" option when you have finished setting up your availability and any fees you want to potentially charge.

If you have additional availabilities to set up for your booking option, you will need to click back into the Date Ranges section and press the "Add Availability" option.


Creating a New Booking Option (Not using Minimum Duration option)

Setting up Booking Options is similar to the previous steps, but with one difference: if you choose not to use the minimum duration feature, you can add buffer time between rentals for tasks like setup or takedown. Customers will see all available spots when booking online.

Customer View with Minimum Duration turned off:

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  1. From the Calendar drop down menu, select "Booking Options" or type in "Booking Options" in the global search box.

  2. Click the "+" option to create a new Booking option.

  3. Name: Type a Name that that can eventually be easily assigned to a resource or resource type.

  4. Online Booking: Choose the appropriate state for this Booking Option

    1. Disabled: Resources/Resource Types with this type will not display online at all.

    2. Visible Only: Resource/Resource Types with this type will display online, but you will not be able to see the availability calendar or request a reservation.

    3. Request Only (aka Require Admin Approval): Resources are visible online and customers can request to reserve a time slot. This will not block off the time until the Admin creates the event.

    4. Request Only (hide price): This option will hide the price of the rental to the customer.

    5. Book (signed in) & Request (not Signed In): Resources are visible online and customers can purchase that time on the spot. This will block out the resource and create an event. If they are not logged into the Member App, they can either choose to login to book or send in a request.

    6. Book Only (signed in) (aka Force Purchase): Requires customer to login to their account online in order to book their reservation.

  5. Terms and Conditions: Select existing Terms and Conditions for customers to agree to online or create new terms.

    1. Terms and Conditions can be managed by typing in the global search box "Terms and Conditions". From here, you can create, edit, copy, inactivate and delete.

    2. There are a variety of other areas throughout the system that Terms and Conditions can be added which could override what is set at the booking Options level:

      • Event Types

      • Resources (most specific setting for Terms and Conditions)

    3. Once a customer has signed online, their initials and the agreed upon "Terms and Conditions" will appear on the Contract within the Booking.

  6. Min Days Out: The minimum days in advance required for a customer to book a resource.

  7. Max Days Out: The max days out in advance that a resident can book a resource.

  8. Click the "Submit" button once you are done.

Date Ranges

You can create multiple date ranges for a booking option for seasonal pricing for example. If you want to do seasonal pricing, you would need to add multiple date ranges. By default, a year around date range is pre- setup. To adjust or add additional date ranges, click the "Edit Dates" button.

  • Start Date – The first date that the booking option is available

  • End Date – The end date that the booking option is available

  • Recurring – This allows the date range to be reused year over year

Availabilities and Fees

Availabilities are the times and days of the week the resources are allowed to be booked. Repeat the availability setup process when there are different times and/or fees associated to the availability. For example, you may have a Sat and Sunday availability from 11-3 and charge a weekend rate. That is one availability. Then an additional availability could be a weekday rate where the time frame is 3-5 PM. Click the "Add Availability" option to get started.

  1. Start Time and End Time: This is the time frame the customers are able to book their rental for.

  2. Block Size: The default amount of time for each rental.

  3. Buffer Size: The amount of time in between rental blocks. Default is 0.

  4. Days of the Week: Select the days of the week applicable for this availability.

  5. Fees: Add all the fees that will be charged to the customer to rent the resource during the date range specified. Click "Add Fee" to get started.

    1. Start typing in the Product name until you can select the correct one.

    2. The price will default to the global price. This can be adjusted if needed.

    3. Flat or hourly: You can check the box to charge customers a flat rate despite how long the rental is or leave it unchecked to charge an hourly rate.

    4. Auto Add: When this checkbox is set, it means the product will automatically be added to the cart anytime someone books a space using this availability. You may decide to have some "non auto add "products that will appear on the Admin side that can be used as "optional" fees.

    5. Online: This must be checked if you are planning on charging this fee for an online booking.

  6. Click the "Save" option when you have finished setting up your availability and any fees you want to potentially charge.

If you have additional availabilities to set up for your booking option, you will need to click back into the Date Ranges section and press the "Add Availability" option.


Assigning Booking Option to Resource Type

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To access the Resource Type page, you can type the word "Resources" in the global search box or click on "Calendar" from the drop down menu and select "Resource Type".

You can assign default Booking Options to each resource type rather than every single resource on your calendar.

You can always override the default booking option on the specific calendar resource itself. Learn how to do this below.


Assigning Booking Option to Resources

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To access the Resource Management Page:

  1. There are a variety of ways to access. You can click on the resource name from the calendar, type in "Resources" in the global search, or find it under the "Calendar" drop down.

  2. Select the resource you are working on.

  3. The Resource Type can be assigned from the Resource page. This allows you to assign the same Booking Options to a variety of resources.

  4. Individual Resources can also have Booking Options assigned at the Resource level. This will override what is set at the resource type.

  5. In the DaySmart Recreation Member App Settings section, a User account must be set as responsible. A task will be emailed to this employee when a customer requests a specific time to reserve this resource. This user will also receive an email when a customer has Booked a Reservation online.

  6. Resource Image: Add an image of the resource for the customer to view online to get a better idea of what they are booking.


Event Types

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At this time, all online bookings use the built-in event type: “Rental”.

  1. From the main search box, start typing in "event" to view the Event Types set-up page.

  2. Select the Event Type you will be using for your Bookings or create a brand new one. You may use a variety of Event Types depending on your business (Wedding Event, Camp Site Rental, Indoor Field Rental, Outdoor Field Rental).

  3. A custom form can be assigned to gather more details about the rental. If this is an online booking, the customer can be prompted to fill out required fields ahead of time during the registration process to gather this info.

  4. From the Settings section, be sure you have the Option selected for "has invoicing and is rentable" in order to have this Event Type appear in the Booking Manager.

  5. Click the tab labeled "Booking Settings".

  6. Under "Contract" start typing the word "contract" and you will see the available "Booking Contract" to select.

  7. For the "Terms and Conditions" section you can create a new template specific for this event type that your customers will see on the Contract or select one from a previously created template.

  8. In the box, titled "Additional Event Fee Options", you can start typing alternate products that you may add to the event. A good example for this could be if you do Outdoor rentals or tables and chairs. Again, this product would have to be already set up. Click the "+" to add more items.


Online Birthday Party Booking Setup

Overview

Using the Online Booking feature, your customers can see available time slots designated for birthday parties, provide answers to questions needed ahead of time if necessary via a custom form, and book their time slot all in their Member app.

Setup

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  1. Before enabling Online Booking, check if your database has previously used this feature. If not, you’ll need to activate it in the "Integrations & Add-ons" section. Since Online Booking is an Add-On product, additional fees may apply for offering party reservations online.

  2. Event Types: Online bookings currently require the default "Rental" event type. If you're using this type for admin-side events, consider discontinuing it to easily distinguish online bookings on the calendar.

    Key settings to review:

    • Custom Form – Attach a generic form to collect customer details at booking. Click here to learn more.

    • Has Invoicing & Is Rentable – This must be enabled for Booking Manager functionality.

    • Email/SMS Reminders – Automate reminders for customer convenience.

  3. Product: Next, set up Birthday Party Package products. If you offer multiple party types and need to track them separately, create a unique product for each one.

    User-added image
    • Create an email template for your birthday party and attach it to the product to automatically send details and a receipt upon checkout.

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      Example email seen below:

      User-added image

  4. The key step is setting up Booking Options for each birthday party package. If you're new to this, check out our help page first, then return for birthday party-specific tips:

    Key Points

    • Create a different Booking option for each Birthday Party Package you want to offer to your customer. Examples are Inflatable only, Inflatable and field combo, or Field only.

      User-added image

    • The Booking Options page is for all locations. If you offer the same party package but at a different price or different time slots depending on location, it is best to create a different booking option and denote the location in parenthesis.

    • If you offer overlapping party slots or at the same time, create 2 different booking options. For example, I may offer 3 blocks of an Inflatable birthday party that begin at 11:15 with a 45 min buffer in between and a second booking option that starts later and has a staggered time from the first one.

      User-added image

    • For each booking option that is created, we will also create a new Resource later to connect them.

  5. Resource Types group similar resources, helping customers browse available party packages. For example, if you offer three inflatable party options, create an Inflatable resource type and assign the relevant booking options to it. Additional inflatable-related settings will be covered in the next step.

    User-added image

  6. Each Booking Package/Option requires a dedicated Resource to ensure it appears correctly on the Admin calendar. For shared spaces like fields or ice, set up Blocking Rules in advance, as parties may use different surfaces than those shown on the calendar. Some facilities add Birthday blockers to real resources. Here’s what to configure for your new resources:

    • Each Resource name, should match a package/booking option you created. If you offer more than one Inflatable booking option to your customer, than you need a resource for each one since they could overlap.

    • Type: Here is where you need to enter which Resource Group Type it falls under.

    • Booking Option: Select the Booking option this resource should use.

      User-added image

    • Member App Settings (CRUCIAL): To enable online party booking, an employee/user account must be added. This user will receive email notifications for new bookings to ensure follow-ups with customers. Consider creating an alias group as a system user, so multiple staff members can manage birthday party bookings instead of just one person.

      User-added image
    • Here is an example of an email a staff member will receive when a customer has booked online.

      User-added image

    • Amenities: On the Member App, when the customer is looking for birthday party slots, there is a filter to view amenities associated to the resource/party. This is not something that is required to add.

Other Tips or Notes to Consider

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  1. Currently, membership discount pricing for birthday products does not integrate smoothly with online booking when changes are made on the Admin side. While the initial online transaction applies the discount correctly, any modifications in the Admin panel will remove the discount, charging the customer full price. This is a known issue and will be addressed in future updates.

  2. Online booking is limited to the "Rental" event type and does not support custom event types. Keep in mind:

    • All online bookings—whether for parties, field rentals, or booking contracts—will use the same event type.

    • If you attach a custom form to an online booking option, it will apply to all online rentals, including both field rentals and birthday parties.

  3. If custom forms are attached to the event, they can be edited as you gather more details from the customer or if changes to the party occur.

  4. If needing to create a bday party on the Admin side, the "Rental" event type will only allow you to book time on the resources at the scheduled time you have set in the booking options. If you want to book outside of those times, you will need to create rental outside of the booking manager.

  5. Each bookable area or party type will need to be its own resource - not a sub resource (ex: Gold party package, Silver party package or Inflatable party, field party, etc).

Video tips demo

How it Looks

To see how the customer uses the Member App to book the birthday party, check out this help article here.

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