Creating and Managing Online Time Slots 2016V2

NOTE: This feature is available in the Essential, Professional, and Enterprise versions of Stratus Desktop. Spectra does not include this feature.

After you’ve done the preliminary online booking setup (see Setting Up Online Booking if you haven’t), you need to define individual time slots that can be booked online. This gives you control over when sessions are booked. For example, you may not want a 2-hour session booked at 4:30 when you close at 5:00. Or, you may only shoot a certain type of session on a specific day (i.e., “Pet” sessions on Mondays). Also, even if your schedule is totally open next week, you may not want your prospects to know that. If you only make a couple time slots available each day, you appear busier than you actually are.

Creating Online Time Slots #

ATTENTION!

In order for a Time Slot, or the corresponding scheduled Appointment/Session, to appear on your Calendar, you MUST select the User/Resource whose schedule you want it to appear for.

Time slots can be created one at a time or in bulk. See the appropriate instructions below.

Follow these instructions to create individual time slots that can be booked online:

In Stratus Desktop, go to Maintenance > Session > Scheduling Time Slots.
Use the first row of the grid to add a time slot.
Complete the following:

Date – Enter a date or click the arrow to choose a date from the calendar.
Start/End Time – Enter the start and end time of the time slot.
Duration – The duration will be calculated from the times you entered. Modify if necessary, although changing the duration will NOT automatically adjust the times.
Session Type – Choose the session type(s) for this time slot from the drop-down list. This will allow only sessions of that type (or types) to be booked into this slot.
Show Online – Check this option to make the time slot available online. Note: If you don’t check this option, the time slot will only be visible on the internal calendar.
Overrideable – This option allows users with the appropriate security permission to move or adjust the time slot.
Resource – Choose the resource that should be scheduled for this session. The session will appear on this resource’s schedule.
User – Choose the person who will be responsible for the session (usually the photographer). The session will appear on this user’s schedule.

Add more time slots as needed.
Close the window when finished.

HERE’S A FLASH FOR YOU!

You can also add time slots right on the calendar! Just right-click on an available time and choose Create Time Slot. A window will open for you to complete the details for the time slot. The date and time will automatically default to where you clicked on the calendar. Click OK to save the time slot.

Follow these instructions to bulk create time slots that can be booked online:

In Spectra/Stratus, go to Maintenance > Session > Scheduling Time Slots.
Click Bulk Create on the ribbon to open a new window. Note: You can also open this window from the calendar! Just click Time Slot on the ribbon and choose Bulk Create Time Slots.
Choose one of the following:
Click OK and the software will create (or copy) the time slots.

Follow these instructions to have the Control Center automatically create Time Slots every week:

1. Go to Maintenance > Preferences > Online Booking Preferences > Time Slots (tab).

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Managing Online Time Slots #

Deleting a Time Slot #

There are a couple ways to delete a time slot.

On the Calendar – Right-click on the time slot and choose Delete Time Slot. You will be asked to confirm the deletion.
From the Time Slot List – Go to Maintenance > Sessions > Scheduling Time Slots. Click the row of the time slot you want to delete and then click Delete on the ribbon.

Modifying a Time Slot #

You can modify time slots on the calendar or in the time slot list.

On the Calendar – Right-click on an existing time slot and choose Edit Time Slot. Make changes to the time slot in the Scheduling Time Slot Detail window.

HERE’S A FLASH FOR YOU!

You can also drag-and-drop and resize time slots on the calendar to quickly make changes!
From the Time Slot List – Go to Maintenance > Sessions > Scheduling Time Slots. Make changes as needed. Close the window when finished.

Copying Time Slots #

You can easily copy all your time slots from one date range to another. For example, copy all time slots from one week to another.

Follow these steps to copy time slots:

Go to Maintenance > Session > Scheduling Time Slots.
Click Copy on the ribbon.
In the window that opens, choose the first and last date in the range you want to copy from, along with the starting date you want the copied time slots to begin. All the time slots in the Copy From range will be copied to the period beginning with your Copy To date. For example, in the screen shot above, all the time slots from 9/23/2015 through 9/29/2015 (seven days) will be duplicated and fill the dates 09/30/2015 through 10/06/2015 (seven days).
Click OK to complete the copy.
The new time slots will be exactly the same as the originals, except for the date. You can modify the details of each time slot if necessary.
Close the window when finished.

Sorting the Time Slot List #

As your list of time slots grows, use the View group of the ribbon to filter your list of time slots by Date and by Session Type.