Booking FAQ
What if two people book the same slot at the same moment?
Only one succeeds. Etalasse locks the calendar (and the staff member) while processing the order and re-checks the slot before saving, so double bookings do not happen, even when many people press pay together. The customer who lost sees a message that the time was just taken and picks another. This holds for fixed sessions too, and for two services performed by the same staff member.
What if the deposit is not paid?
The order stays Awaiting deposit and the slot is held for now. If it is not paid by the payment method's time limit, the order expires automatically and the slot is released for others. See Sales. The booking is only confirmed once the deposit is received.
Can customers pay the balance online?
Not yet. The balance is paid at the visit and you record it with Record balance payment.
Is the deposit refunded automatically?
Not to the customer's account automatically. Etalasse records that the deposit is refund due; you transfer it and then mark Deposit refunded. See Deposit.
The customer arrived late. Does that count as a no-show?
Only if you mark it, or if you turned on automatic no-show and the time has passed. Set the grace and the automatic minutes generously, or leave automatic off.
My staff member is sick or suddenly on leave. What do I do?
Add time off for that date. The Dashboard shows the conflicting bookings. They are not canceled automatically: reschedule them to another member or time, or cancel and refund the deposit.
Does the price change after rescheduling?
No. The customer keeps the price they were charged, even if a seasonal price rule on the new date differs.
Can a customer book two services at once?
Timed services are booked one per order. For two services the customer places two orders. If the same staff member performs both, the times cannot overlap.
Can bookings through the POS use a deposit?
No. Cashiers in the POS take full payment. Deposits are for online orders in Catalog and Link.
Can I delete a staff member who has bookings?
Not while upcoming bookings are assigned to them. Move those bookings first, or deactivate the member.
Whose time zone do booking times use?
The shop time zone (Shop Profile), not the customer's phone clock. Slots, the deposit refund deadline, and the reschedule deadline all use shop time.
I did not set anything up. What changes?
Nothing. All of this is optional per service: with no setup, a booking shop still uses fixed sessions, no staff, no deposit, customers cannot reschedule online, and there is no automatic no-show.
What if the customer cancels after the refund deadline?
The deposit is forfeited. The order stays Paid (you keep the deposit), the booking is canceled, the slot reopens, and the balance is written off.
Why does the customer not see a Reschedule button?
Usually because the feature is not switched on in the booking policy, the allowance is used up, or the notice limit before the start has passed.