Availability Calendar Guide

Your availability calendar allows you to block off whole days or half days (ie. morning or afternoon blocks) for which you already know you are booked, out of town, or not available for work. Customers will see your availability displayed on your profile when they are submitting an inquiry, and will only be able to select dates/blocks of time in which you have not blocked off. This means you will not have to spend time answering inquiries for dates you know you cannot take.

šŸŒŸ It is very important, however, that you update your calendar on a regular basis (ie. every week or 2 weeks) so that customers have an accurate view of your schedule. It is a frustrating experience for them to inquire about a date they think you’re free only to find out it’s not, and they may not end up booking you or Flytographer at all because of that frustration, so keep your calendar updated to ensure you get as many shoots as possible!

**Note: You MUST accept or decline each inquiry that comes to you, as this feature does not indicate whether you are actually available. It only prevents customers from sending you requests for dates that you are unavailable for.

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A FEW THINGS TO NOTE

We ask that you respond to all customer requests within 24 hours. Our data and current industry trends are showing that customers are more likely to book if they receive a fast response. As we want all your new requests to convert to bookings for you, getting a faster response will help!

  • If you do not respond within 24 hours and there are other available photographers in your city, at that time we will check with other photographers in the city to see if they are available and also give you another 24 hours to respond.
  • If you respond as unavailable to a request and there are other available photographers in your city, we will check with those photographers at that time.
  • Ā 
  • To keep your availability calendar up-to-date without having you log in, weā€™ve created some situations in which we will automatically block off time slots in your calendar. These include:
    • If you respond that you areĀ not availableĀ for a request we will automatically block off that time slot in your calendar, unless you specify on your response form that you would like to keep that time slot open (there will be a checkbox on the response form for this purpose)
    • If you receive a booking in a time slot, we will assume that you canā€™t take another booking in that slot and we will automatically block off that time slot in your calendar.
    • If you do not respond to a request in time, we will assume you are not available and we will automatically block off that time slot in your calendar.

See more details about this in our Global Settings section.

GET STARTED

1. Click on the calendar tab in your Flytographer account on mobile or desktop.

From here, you will see a list of the cities for which you are currently available for shoots. Click on each city to update your availability there. Please note if you have multiple cities, you will need to mark off your unavailability for each city – we currently do not have a way to connect all your city calendars.

BLOCK OFF A DATE OR TIME SLOT

1. To start blocking off a single date, a single time slot, or the same time slot on multiple days, click the date on the calendar.

2. Once you select a date, it will display the two time slots for that date (morning and afternoon). To block off a time slot that day, click on it.

3. To block off the whole day, click both time slots.

4. To block off a recurring time slot for the same day of the week for that time slot, use the check box that says ā€œMake all (days of the week)s unavailable.ā€

5. Before you leave the window, be sure to click on ā€œUpdate Calendarā€ text link.

UNBLOCK A TIME SLOT

  1. Click into the date for which you wish to unblock the slot.
  2. Click the slot you wish to unblock.
  3. Click the lock icon with ā€œEnable Time Slotā€.
  4. Before you leave the window, click ā€œUpdate Calendarā€.

UNBLOCK A RECURRING TIME SLOT

  1. Click into the date from which you wish to unblock the recurring slot.
  2. Click the slot (or slots) you wish to unblock.
  3. Click the lock icon with ā€œEnable Time Slotā€.
  4. Click the check box to ā€œMake all (days of the week)s availableā€.
  5. Before you leave the window, click ā€œUpdate Calendarā€.

Note: This will only unblock the future dates from that date forward; it will not affect dates prior to this.

BLOCK OFF A DATE RANGE

  1. If you need to block off a date range of full days, use the ā€œBlock off date rangeā€ button at the bottom of the calendar.

2. Choose the first date you wish to block and then the last date. (In this example, we want to block off Oct 5-16).

3. Click on “Update Calendar” before leaving screen. It will take you back to your calendar view where you can see your changes.

UNBLOCK A DATE RANGE

Unblocking a date range

  1. If you need to unblock off a date range, click ā€œUnblock date rangeā€ button at the bottom of the calendar.

2. Choose the first date you wish to unblock, then choose the last date you wish to unblock. (In this example, we want to block off Oct 12-16).

3. Click on “Update Calendar” before leaving screen. It will take you back to your calendar view where you can see your changes.

INSTANT BOOK

What is Instant Book?

Instant Book allows you to choose times, dates and routes where a customer can view your calendar and book and pay right away, no need to send in an inquiry! Instant Book is currently only available for vacation shoots.Ā 

Instant Book is in addition to our regular inquiry process, it does not replace it. Instant Book is optional and you can add as many or as few slots that suit you.

What does a customer see?

On days that you have Instant Book slots set, customers will see dates in yellow with a lightning bolt beside it. Dates that do not have Instant Book slots and are available only via regular inquiry will show up in white.

How to set up your Instant Book slots

To get started, head to the Availability Calendar icon on your dashboard. If you work in more than one city, note that each calendar is city-specific so you will need to click into each and set separate calendars.

Click on the date for which you want to set up slots and you will be taken to a page with available routes. Choose which route/s you would like to add Instant Book slots to by clicking on the dropdown arrow on the right side of each route bar.Ā Ā 

Start by clicking on the blue button “Add New Slot+”. Choose a start time and a shoot length. You must click on the blue “+” button to the right to save it.

You may add more times to the same route as well as times to different routes on the same day, whatever makes sense for you and your calendar.Ā 

To delete a slot, simply click on the garbage can icon.

How can I see my Instant Book slots?

In the Availability Calendar view on your dashboard, you can see two months at a glance. Dates on which you have at least one Instant Book slot will have a yellow lightning bolt. To see how many slots you have available and on which routes, click into the date. The routes will then list how many Instant Book slots you have available. To view the details of each route, click into the route to see the times you have set up.

Your Instant Book calendar is separate from your regular calendar.

This is important to note! This means that you can block off mornings/afternoons or whole days to regular inquiries but still be available for Instant Book slots only.Ā Ā 

This also means that blocking off mornings/afternoons or whole days will not automatically delete any Instant Book slots you may have had on that date. If you don’t want any shoots at all on certain days, you will need to go into your calendar and also remove the Instant Book slots. This includes for blocking off date ranges ā€” Instant Book slots must be removed separately.

FAQ

If I have Instant Book slots set up, can I still receive regular inquiries?Ā 

Yes, Instant Book slots are separate from our regular booking workflow. Customers can still send you a booking request for the same day and time as your slots.Ā 

Can I change the time of a slot once I’ve added it?

Yes, you can go in and add, edit, or delete slots at any time.

Can I change the details of a slot after it’s been booked?

Yes, but please confirm these changes with your customer and concierge first as you do for any other shoot. Once confirmed, you can change the details the same way you would change them for any regular booking by using the Check-In form in the booking view or by contacting the concierge.

I got booked for a shoot via regular inquiry at the same time as I have Instant Book slots set. Do I need to manually remove the slots?

No, we have automations set up for this. If you are booked for a shoot, either via Instant Book or regular inquiry and it conflicts with a time you have an Instant Book slot set, the system will automatically remove the Instant Book slot so you aren’t double booked.Ā 

For example:
You have an Instant Book slot set up for 6:00AM on July 1st. A customer books with you through the regular booking workflow for 6:15AM on July 1st. Customers will no longer be able to view or book your 6:00AM Instant Book slot because it is no longer available (since you will be at your other booking).

You do not need to do any slot management as the system will automatically hide the slot for you. If the 6:15AM shoot is cancelled or rescheduled, then customers will be able to see your 6:00AM slot again, because it no longer conflicts with a shoot.

Another example:
You have a 6:00AM slot set up at Routes 1, 2, and 3 for the same day and a customer books the slot for Route 1. The 6:00AM slots at Route 2 and Route 3 will no longer be visible to customers to book. Again, you do not need to do any management on your side to the Route 2 and Route 3 slots as they will automatically be hidden.

šŸŒŸ Note: If you receive a regular inquiry that would conflict with an Instant Book slot, the slot will not be removed until that shoot is booked. This means there may be up to a 3-day waiting period where it’s possible another customer could book you via Instant Book while you are waiting for the inquiry process. In cases like this, you may want to manually remove the slot until the inquiry process is complete. Another way to manage your calendar is to block dates off for regular inquiries for dates you have Instant Book slots so that the only way to book is by choosing Instant Book slots.Ā 

šŸŒŸ Note: Please make sure to review any inquiry thoroughly before accepting it just to make sure you donā€™t have scheduling conflicts. Hereā€™s what you will see on the photographer response form:

Can I set Instant Book slots on the same day to different routes?

Yes, but make sure you leave enough time to get from one route to the next if both of the slots end up being booked.
For example, try to avoid adding slots right after each other but at different spots in the city, like 6:00AM at Route 1 and 7:10AM at Route 2, unless you can get from Route 1 to Route 2 in ten minutes or less.

When you are booked for a regular inquiry shoot, please check if you have any Instant Book slots set before the shoot time. If there isn’t enough time to get from one shoot to next, we recommend deleting the Instant Book slot so you wonā€™t have to worry about scheduling issues or being late.

Can I set recurring time slots, like 7:30am every Friday at the same route?

Not at this time but we do have plans to make this possible in future.Ā 

Can customers use Instant Book for proposals?

No, proposals will need to be requested via the regular inquiry process for now.Ā Ā 

Why should I add Instant Book slots?

You can say exactly when and where you want to do a shoot and the customer can easily book it without any back-and-forth communications, saving you time and effort reviewing inquiries and checking your calendar. It makes it easier and faster for the customer to book, and customers are always happier when things are easier. As well, photographers who have Instant Book slots will bump to the front of the city page line if they have Instant Book slots on the same day a customer is looking for a shoot.Ā Ā 

Can the concierge team help me with Instant Book slots?

Yes, the concierge team understands how Instant Book works and can help answer your questions; however, they canā€™t access your calendar or edit your Instant Book slots for you. If you need help with that, please email photographer@flytographer.com.

GLOBAL SETTINGS

Your availability calendar comes with standard global settings for all the cities you shoot in. We created these to make it easier to keep your calendar up-to-date without having to log into your account.

There are some conditions for which the system will automatically block off time slots for you, including:

  • If you respond that you areĀ not available for a request we will automatically block off that time slot in your calendar, unless you specify on your response form that you would like to keep that time slot open (there will be a checkbox on the response form for this purpose).
  • If you receive a booking in a time slot, we will assume that you canā€™t take another booking in that slot and we will automatically block off that time slot in your calendar.
  • If you do not respond to a request in time, we will assume you are not available and we will automatically block off that time slot in your calendar.

šŸŒŸ We know these settings may not work for everyoneā€™s business, so in order to give you control over your calendar, you may change these auto-settings in your Global Calendar SettingsĀ section.

Find your Settings on desktop by clicking under your name at the top right.

Find your Settings on mobile by clicking on the hamburger menu, then opening the dropdown under your name.

Find “Calendar Settings” in the menu list under your name. Choose which setting you would prefer as a global calendar rule and then choose “Update Settings.”

There are two global settings options:

šŸ‘‰ Option 1: Always automatically block off time slots and dates when I receive a confirmed booking in that slot.

This is the default setting.

We will automatically block off time slots for you in your calendar if:

  • You donā€™t respond to a request in time and we assume you are unavailable
  • You get a new booking for that time slot

*Note: Although a time slot is automatically blocked off for you in these situations, we will always notify you when it has happened and you do have the ability to mark it as available at any time.

šŸ‘‰ Option 2: Do not automatically block off time slots or dates when I receive a confirmed booking. I prefer to manually adjust my calendar when I’m no longer available.

This setting will stop the system from automatically blocking off a time slot when you say you arenā€™t available and also when you receive a new booking. In both of these scenarios, your calendar time slots will be left open for customers to submit a request.
Use this setting if:

  • You like to book multiple shoots in the morning or evening time slots and you still want customers to be able to request you when you already have a Flytographer booking that day.
  • Even though you say you are unavailable for a shoot, you donā€™t want us to block off that date because you want to manually manage your calendar on your own.

*Note: There is an override for this setting if you do not respond to a request in 24 hours. If you do not respond to a request in time, we will assume you are unavailable and automatically block off that time slot for you so that other customers do not try to request that time on that date. We will always notify you that we have done so. You may turn that date back on at any time.

HOW CUSTOMERS VIEW YOUR CALENDAR

As you save changes to your calendar to block off days you are not available, customers will see those days greyed out on your profile page. They will not be able to select them.

If they select a day that is half-blocked, they will see which time slot is unavailable.

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