Just made a test. I set up a service, 5-10 people. Then, as a client, I booked the service bringing 2 people with me. Then, I used a different browser, as another client, and tried to book the same service with the same date but it was not available.
Does this mean when someone has booked a service, this service becomes unavailable to others, even though there are still some spots left? And how can I change that to be available to anyone until the spots are gone?
Could you please check if the option Allow booking below minimum capacity: in Amelia -> Settings -> Appointments is enabled? If this option is disabled when the min is set that time slot will be closed for booking for other customers. You can read more about the appointments settings here.
Your solution has worked indeed. After enabling the Allow booking below minimum capacity, the service becomes available to all clients until the spots are gone.
However, something is missing and will definitely need to be fixed. Scenario:
1. Adding a service 5 - 8 people.
2. One client books the service for 6 people altogether - 2 spots left.
3. Another client books the same service for the same date also for 6 people - there's no mention on how many spots left and the client is still able to add 6 people altogether. Since there are not enough spots left, the system still allows the client to add the maximum number of people as initially set up by the admin. Next step is to pick the time which looks like in the screenshot attached.
This has to be fixed because it's very confusing for clients.
Apologies for replying a bit later, we don't work on weekends.
Glad to see that.
Could you please tell me you have only one time slot available for that service on the chosen day? The available time slots for booking are shown after customers choose the number of persons for the Bringing anyone with you option and they are based on that option. So, this is why you get no time slots after you choose more persons, since there isn't a time slot on that date where those number of persons could fit. And if you had more available time slots, the other ones would be shown as bookable (the ones where you can add the number of persons chosen).
There's only one time slot available on the chosen date and if the number of people selected is higher than the number of available slots left, you still have the option to pick time which makes no sense in this scenario. Instead of having the option to pick the time, there should be a note, something like "Only X spots left, please reduce the number of attendees".
And, in the first place, in the services list (Search Results), it would be great if each service had a note in terms of the number of available spots LEFT, not only the capacity info.
I can prepare a sample site for you to replicate the issue. Please let me know Marija.
I saw in the screenshot that you have no available time slots that is why I assumed you have chosen only the date and the number of persons option and then the screen you sent was there. So, could you please send me screenshots of the whole process? You choose a date first and then you choose number of persons and you still get the choose that time slot? When exactly do you get the error that the appointment can't be booked?
We do have one issue regarding Search view and available time slots with that option enabled, and it will be fixed in the following update, but I want to be sure that the use case/scenario is the same. Thank you.
Thanks for testing out my site. I know what you're saying and I agree with that. But, to be honest, it would be much easier and not at all confusing for clients if there was mention about available spots before a client can proceed to booking - see the screenshot attached.
Also, when a client books a service with the capacity of 5-8 people for a total number of 6 people, that means 2 spots are left to be booked but nobody knows about that - only the admin. And another client books the same service for the same date, he or she still has the possibility to choose 7 persons from the dropdown - that's illogical and confusing. Maybe if the "Bringing anyone with you?" dropdown could be dynamically adjusted based on available spots for a given service that would solve the issue and would make sense. Wouldn't you agree Marija?
Yes, I get your point, the remaining spots information for group appointments would be a useful feature for some use cases, I will add your vote for this feature request in our list.
The screenshot that you sent is where only the date is chosen, and the info added there maybe wouldn't require much work, but that isn't the right place for this information. It can be that there are more time slots on that date/for that service, which would show up only after you click on Book - and choose the number of people, so this is why this info couldn't be shown there. The time slots are shown after your choose the number of people you bring in, so there can be more time slots there on the same date/service (maybe it isn't your use case, but in general), and each of the time slots could have different number of spots left, so the information would need to be added to each time slot separately.
I do hope this feature request gets considered for implementation in the future update of Amelia, as it would be useful for users who have group appointments.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Yes, you are 100% right. There would be a different number of spots left for each time slot, this is why the info on available slots left cannot be added right away when only a date is selected. But, as you say, it is possible for the info on available spots left to be added to each time slot. That would be a great solution for clients.
Marija, please tell me if the following could be done. I wouldn't like to suggest the impossible but I think it might work (changing booking steps order):
1. Pick a date.
2. Click on "Book".
3. Then "Select the Appointment Time" (before the "Bringing anyone with you" option). This screen would then show the client the available time slots with available spots for each time slot. Client selects a time slot.
4. Then the "Bringing anyone with you" option, if more than 1 spot available. And the dropdown would only let you pick the maximum number of persons based on the available spots in a time slot picked in the previous step.
Please let me know what you think of that. And if you also think that would work, can you please forward the feature request to the developers?
We can't tell for now if this scenario can be achieved or not, and when, unfortunately, but thank you for the suggestion, I will add your use case to this feature request, so the developers/management can see it when this feature is considered for implementation in the plugin.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Just one last question, if you don't mind. Once an update becomes available, will there be any notification either via email or the WordPress dashboard?
Of course, no worries. You should receive an email notification about the release and if you activate Amelia in Amelia -> Settings -> Activation with your purchase code you should get the auto-update option for Amelia on the Plugins page as well.
This option will not be included any time soon, as it is not yet planned, unfortunately, if that is what you are waiting for. It needs to be considered for implementation first and then added in one of the future updates. We have a lot of feature requests and the most requested feature are in the top of the list and get implemented first.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
May I know when the next Amelia release will be available that will include the "Packages" feature? And will there be an option for a client to buy, for example, 3 the same kinds of appointments for different dates for a discounted price in one go?
We can't give estimates for the new releases, unfortunately. But it should be in the next couple of months. Yes, you will be able to create Packages or appointments/services and set different price for different number of appointments in that package, that customers will be able to buy.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Hello,
Just made a test. I set up a service, 5-10 people. Then, as a client, I booked the service bringing 2 people with me. Then, I used a different browser, as another client, and tried to book the same service with the same date but it was not available.
Does this mean when someone has booked a service, this service becomes unavailable to others, even though there are still some spots left? And how can I change that to be available to anyone until the spots are gone?
Cheers,
Richard
Hello Richard,
Could you please check if the option Allow booking below minimum capacity: in Amelia -> Settings -> Appointments is enabled? If this option is disabled when the min is set that time slot will be closed for booking for other customers. You can read more about the appointments settings here.
Let me know if this helped!
Hi Marija,
I'll check this out and will definitely let you know.
As always, thanks for your help.
Cheers,
Richard
Hi again Marija,
Your solution has worked indeed. After enabling the Allow booking below minimum capacity, the service becomes available to all clients until the spots are gone.
However, something is missing and will definitely need to be fixed. Scenario:
1. Adding a service 5 - 8 people.
2. One client books the service for 6 people altogether - 2 spots left.
3. Another client books the same service for the same date also for 6 people - there's no mention on how many spots left and the client is still able to add 6 people altogether. Since there are not enough spots left, the system still allows the client to add the maximum number of people as initially set up by the admin. Next step is to pick the time which looks like in the screenshot attached.
This has to be fixed because it's very confusing for clients.
Cheers,
Richard
Hello Richard,
Apologies for replying a bit later, we don't work on weekends.
Glad to see that.
Could you please tell me you have only one time slot available for that service on the chosen day? The available time slots for booking are shown after customers choose the number of persons for the Bringing anyone with you option and they are based on that option. So, this is why you get no time slots after you choose more persons, since there isn't a time slot on that date where those number of persons could fit. And if you had more available time slots, the other ones would be shown as bookable (the ones where you can add the number of persons chosen).
Hi Marija,
Thanks for your reply.
There's only one time slot available on the chosen date and if the number of people selected is higher than the number of available slots left, you still have the option to pick time which makes no sense in this scenario. Instead of having the option to pick the time, there should be a note, something like "Only X spots left, please reduce the number of attendees".
And, in the first place, in the services list (Search Results), it would be great if each service had a note in terms of the number of available spots LEFT, not only the capacity info.
I can prepare a sample site for you to replicate the issue. Please let me know Marija.
Cheers,
Richard
Hello Richard,
You are welcome.
I saw in the screenshot that you have no available time slots that is why I assumed you have chosen only the date and the number of persons option and then the screen you sent was there. So, could you please send me screenshots of the whole process? You choose a date first and then you choose number of persons and you still get the choose that time slot? When exactly do you get the error that the appointment can't be booked?
We do have one issue regarding Search view and available time slots with that option enabled, and it will be fixed in the following update, but I want to be sure that the use case/scenario is the same. Thank you.
Hi Marija,
Thanks for testing out my site. I know what you're saying and I agree with that. But, to be honest, it would be much easier and not at all confusing for clients if there was mention about available spots before a client can proceed to booking - see the screenshot attached.
Also, when a client books a service with the capacity of 5-8 people for a total number of 6 people, that means 2 spots are left to be booked but nobody knows about that - only the admin. And another client books the same service for the same date, he or she still has the possibility to choose 7 persons from the dropdown - that's illogical and confusing. Maybe if the "Bringing anyone with you?" dropdown could be dynamically adjusted based on available spots for a given service that would solve the issue and would make sense. Wouldn't you agree Marija?
Cheers
Richard
Hello Richard,
You are welcome.
Yes, I get your point, the remaining spots information for group appointments would be a useful feature for some use cases, I will add your vote for this feature request in our list.
The screenshot that you sent is where only the date is chosen, and the info added there maybe wouldn't require much work, but that isn't the right place for this information. It can be that there are more time slots on that date/for that service, which would show up only after you click on Book - and choose the number of people, so this is why this info couldn't be shown there. The time slots are shown after your choose the number of people you bring in, so there can be more time slots there on the same date/service (maybe it isn't your use case, but in general), and each of the time slots could have different number of spots left, so the information would need to be added to each time slot separately.
I do hope this feature request gets considered for implementation in the future update of Amelia, as it would be useful for users who have group appointments.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Hi Marija,
Yes, you are 100% right. There would be a different number of spots left for each time slot, this is why the info on available slots left cannot be added right away when only a date is selected. But, as you say, it is possible for the info on available spots left to be added to each time slot. That would be a great solution for clients.
Marija, please tell me if the following could be done. I wouldn't like to suggest the impossible but I think it might work (changing booking steps order):
1. Pick a date.
2. Click on "Book".
3. Then "Select the Appointment Time" (before the "Bringing anyone with you" option). This screen would then show the client the available time slots with available spots for each time slot. Client selects a time slot.
4. Then the "Bringing anyone with you" option, if more than 1 spot available. And the dropdown would only let you pick the maximum number of persons based on the available spots in a time slot picked in the previous step.
Please let me know what you think of that. And if you also think that would work, can you please forward the feature request to the developers?
Cheers,
Richard
Hello RIchard,
We can't tell for now if this scenario can be achieved or not, and when, unfortunately, but thank you for the suggestion, I will add your use case to this feature request, so the developers/management can see it when this feature is considered for implementation in the plugin.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Hi Marija,
Yes, that would be great if you could forward my suggestion to the team - thank you so much.
All the best!
Richard
Of course. You are welcome, Richard.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Hi Marija,
Just one last question, if you don't mind. Once an update becomes available, will there be any notification either via email or the WordPress dashboard?
Cheers,
Richard
Of course, no worries. You should receive an email notification about the release and if you activate Amelia in Amelia -> Settings -> Activation with your purchase code you should get the auto-update option for Amelia on the Plugins page as well.
That's perfect. Thank you so much for all your help and I'm looking forward to good news included in the next update.
Take care,
Richard
You are welcome, Richard.
This option will not be included any time soon, as it is not yet planned, unfortunately, if that is what you are waiting for. It needs to be considered for implementation first and then added in one of the future updates. We have a lot of feature requests and the most requested feature are in the top of the list and get implemented first.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
100% understood. Also, is there a change log available for every update?
Cheers,
Richard
Just wanted to point that out, to check if we are on the same page
Of course, you can access it here.
Thanks again Marija. I really like Amelia and really do hope my use case will be considered.
Best regards,
Richard
You are welcome, Richard. Glad to see you like Amelia. I hope this feature will be possible in the future releases as well.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
Hi Marija,
May I know when the next Amelia release will be available that will include the "Packages" feature? And will there be an option for a client to buy, for example, 3 the same kinds of appointments for different dates for a discounted price in one go?
Cheers,
Richard
Hello Richard,
We can't give estimates for the new releases, unfortunately. But it should be in the next couple of months. Yes, you will be able to create Packages or appointments/services and set different price for different number of appointments in that package, that customers will be able to buy.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.
That is perfect Marija. Thanks again for everything.
Cheers,
Richard
You are welcome, Richard.
If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to open a new ticket and we will gladly help.