How to Book an Appointment for a Customer

Learn how to book appointments on behalf of customers. You can book appointments for existing customers or create new customer records while booking. This is useful when customers call to schedule or when you want to proactively book appointments.

Before You Begin

• You must be logged in to your account at https://app.joinzipper.com
• You need permission to manage schedules (typically organization owners and admins have this permission)
• At least one provider must have an availability schedule set up
• At least one appointment type must be created

Steps

Step 1: Navigate to Appointments

1. Log in to your account at https://app.joinzipper.com/auth/login
2. From the dashboard, click Calendar in the left sidebar
3. Click Appointments (or go directly to the appointments view)
4. You'll see your appointments calendar

Step 2: Open the Create Appointment Modal

1. On the appointments page, look for the Create appointment button (or the + button)
2. Click the button
3. A modal window will open titled "Create appointment"

What happens next: The modal will open and you'll see a form to enter appointment details.

Step 3: Select Customer

1. In the Customer information section, you'll see a Customer dropdown

2. If booking for an existing customer:

   • Click the Customer dropdown
   • Search for the customer by name or email
   • Select the customer from the list
   • Their information will be automatically filled in

3. If booking for a new customer:

   • Click the Customer dropdown
   • Click Add customer or similar option
   • Enter customer details:
     • Email (required)
     • First name
     • Last name
     • Phone number (optional)
   • The new customer will be created and selected

Note: You can also search for customers by typing in the dropdown field.

Step 4: Select Provider and Appointment Type

1. In the Appointment information section, find Provider & appointment type
2. Click the dropdown or selection field
3. Select:
   • Provider: Choose which provider/instructor the appointment is with
   • Appointment type: Choose the type of appointment (e.g., "Consultation", "60-minute session")
4. The appointment duration will be set automatically based on the appointment type

Note: If you don't see any providers or appointment types, make sure availability schedules and appointment types are set up first.

Step 5: Set Appointment Date and Time

1. Select date: Click the date picker and choose the appointment date
2. Select time: Choose the start time from available time slots
   • Available time slots are shown based on the provider's availability schedule
   • Time slots that are already booked won't be available
3. Duration: The duration is automatically set based on the appointment type, but you can adjust it if needed
   • Duration is shown in minutes (e.g., 60 minutes)

Note: If you don't see available time slots, check that:

• The provider has an availability schedule set up
• The date you selected is within the schedule's date range
• There are no date overrides blocking availability

Step 6: (Optional) Book Recurring Appointments

1. If you want to book multiple appointments at the same time:
   • Toggle Book recurring to On
   • Set recurrence options:
     • Selected days: Choose which days of the week to repeat
     • End condition: Set when to stop (after X occurrences or on a specific date)
     • Number of occurrences: How many appointments to create
2. The system will create multiple appointments based on your recurrence settings

Note: Recurring appointments are useful for booking weekly sessions or regular appointments.

Step 7: Configure Payment (If Required)

1. If the appointment type requires payment:
   • Payment method: Choose how the customer will pay:
     • Credit card: Customer pays via credit card
     • Punch card: Customer uses credits from a purchased pass
     • Subscription: Customer has access via subscription
     • Free: No payment required
2. If using Punch card, select which punch card product to use
3. Payment will be processed when the appointment is created (if required)

Note: Payment options depend on what's configured for the appointment type.

Step 8: (Optional) Configure Notification

1. Find the Notify user of appointment toggle
2. If On: The customer will receive an email with:
   • Appointment details (date, time, provider)
   • Calendar invite (.ics file)
   • Instructions or preparation details
3. If Off: No email will be sent

Recommendation: Keep notifications enabled so customers receive appointment confirmations.

Step 9: Create the Appointment

1. Review all the information you've entered:
   • Customer is selected
   • Provider and appointment type are selected
   • Date and time are set
   • Payment is configured (if required)
2. Click Create appointment (orange button)
   • The button will show a loading state while creating
   • If there are validation errors, you'll see error messages
3. You'll see a success message "Appointment updated!" or similar
4. The modal will close and the appointment will appear on your calendar

What happens next: The appointment will be created and:

• Appears on your calendar
• Appears on the provider's calendar
• Customer receives an email notification (if enabled)
• Time slot is blocked from other bookings
• Payment is processed (if required)

Tips

• Book appointments during available time slots to avoid conflicts
• Use recurring appointments for regular weekly or monthly sessions
• Always notify customers so they receive appointment confirmations
• Check customer information before booking to ensure accuracy
• You can edit appointments after creation if details need to change

Troubleshooting

Problem: I don't see the "Create appointment" button Solution: Make sure you have permission to manage schedules. Only organization owners and admins can book appointments. Contact your organization owner if you need access.

Problem: I don't see any available time slots Solution: Check that:

• The provider has an availability schedule set up
• The date you selected is within the schedule's date range
• There are no date overrides blocking availability
• Appointment types are assigned to the provider's schedule

Problem: I can't select a customer Solution: Make sure you have customers in your roster, or create a new customer using the "Add customer" option in the customer dropdown.

Problem: The "Create appointment" button is disabled Solution: Check that all required fields are filled in:

• Customer is selected (or new customer details are entered)
• Provider and appointment type are selected
• Date and time are set
• Payment is configured (if required)

The button will enable automatically when all requirements are met.

Problem: I get an error about payment Solution: If the appointment type requires payment, make sure you've selected a payment method. Check that:

• Credit card payment is configured, OR
• Punch card is selected (if customer has credits), OR
• Subscription access is enabled (if customer has active subscription)