Appointments & Calendar

Overview

Appointments are the operational backbone of your grooming salon. Check-in DOG provides a full-featured scheduling system that lets you book sessions, assign staff, manage a waiting list, and view your schedule in both calendar and list formats. This guide covers every aspect of appointment management.

Creating an Appointment

To create a new appointment, navigate to the Appointments section and click the Create button. You can also create appointments directly from the calendar view by clicking on a time slot.

Selecting the Animal

The first and most important field is the Animal selector. When you select an animal, the system automatically links the appointment to that animal's owner (customer). This means you do not need to separately select a customer -- the relationship is inferred from the animal.

The animal dropdown is searchable. Start typing the animal's name or the customer's name to quickly find the right pet.

Tip: If the animal does not exist yet, you will need to create it first (either from the Animals section or from the customer's profile). Appointments always require an existing animal record.

Date and Time

Each appointment has a start date/time and an end date/time:

• Start -- When the grooming session is scheduled to begin.
• End -- When the session is expected to finish.

Both fields use date-time pickers that respect your salon's timezone setting. Be sure to set realistic durations based on the type of grooming being performed and the animal's breed and size.

Common Session Durations

These are general guidelines. Adjust based on your experience and the specific animal's temperament and coat condition.

Staff Assignment

Check-in DOG provides flexible staff assignment for each appointment.

Staff Field (Free Text)

The Staff field is a free-text input where you can type any name or description. This is intentionally flexible -- you can enter a staff member's name, a station number, or any other identifier that makes sense for your workflow.

Examples:

• "Marie"
• "Station 2"
• "Morning shift"

Person in Charge and Assistants

In addition to the free-text staff field, each appointment can have structured staff assignments:

• Person in charge -- The primary groomer responsible for this appointment. This is selected from the list of shop members (users attached to the salon).
• Assistant 1 -- An optional first assistant, also selected from shop members.
• Assistant 2 -- An optional second assistant, also selected from shop members.

These structured assignments allow you to:

• Track who worked on which appointment.
• Balance workloads across your team.
• Maintain accountability for the quality of each session.

Leash Number

The Leash number field lets you assign a numbered leash or kennel position (1 through 30) to each appointment. This is a practical feature for salons that use numbered holding areas:

• Assign a leash number when the animal is checked in.
• Staff can quickly identify which animal is where by checking the leash number.
• The number range (1--30) accommodates most salon sizes.

Not every salon uses leash numbers. If your workflow does not require them, simply leave this field empty.

Waiting List

The Waiting list toggle allows you to flag an appointment as being on a waiting list rather than confirmed.

How the Waiting List Works

• When the toggle is enabled, the appointment is created but marked as "waiting."
• Waiting list appointments appear differently in the calendar and list views, making them easy to distinguish from confirmed bookings.
• When a confirmed slot opens up, you can edit the waiting list appointment, set the appropriate date/time, and turn off the waiting list toggle to confirm it.

When to Use the Waiting List

• A client wants to come in on a fully booked day -- add them to the waiting list so you remember.
• A client has a flexible schedule and wants to fill any last-minute cancellation.
• You are holding a tentative slot that has not been confirmed yet.

Filtering by Waiting List

The appointment list view includes a filter for waiting list appointments, making it easy to review everyone who is waiting for an opening.

Comments and Notes

Each appointment has three distinct comment fields, each serving a different purpose:

Customer-Facing Comment

This is a note that may be shared with or visible to the customer. Use it for information the client needs to know:

• "Please bring Buddy's special shampoo."
• "Appointment includes nail trim and ear cleaning."
• "Customer requested a teddy bear cut."

Staff-Only Notes

These notes are strictly internal and are never shown to the customer. Use them for operational details:

• "Dog tends to bite during nail trimming -- muzzle recommended."
• "Customer is always 15 minutes late -- schedule buffer."
• "Last time we used the #7 blade, customer wanted it shorter this time."

Comment for Customer

An additional field specifically intended for post-appointment feedback or instructions to pass along to the customer:

• "Buddy did great today! Found a small mat behind the left ear that we worked out."
• "Recommend coming back in 6 weeks for the next session."
• "Noticed some dry skin on the belly -- might want to check with the vet."

Having separate comment fields prevents accidental sharing of internal notes with customers and keeps all information organized.

Calendar View vs. List View

Check-in DOG offers two ways to view your appointments:

Calendar View

The calendar view displays appointments in a traditional calendar format:

• Day view -- See all appointments for a single day, laid out by time.
• Week view -- A week-at-a-glance showing all sessions across the week.
• Month view -- A high-level monthly overview.

The calendar view is ideal for:

• Visualizing your day's schedule at a glance.
• Spotting gaps in your schedule that could be filled.
• Understanding your workload distribution across the week.

Appointments are displayed as colored blocks on the calendar. You can click on any appointment to view its details or edit it.

List View

The list view displays appointments in a tabular format with sortable columns:

• Animal name
• Customer name
• Date and time
• Staff assignment
• Status (confirmed / waiting list)

The list view is ideal for:

• Searching for specific appointments.
• Applying filters (see below).
• Bulk operations on multiple appointments.
• Getting a quick overview without the visual overhead of a calendar.

You can switch between views using the toggle at the top of the Appointments section.

Holidays

The Holidays feature lets you define days or periods when your salon is closed. This helps with scheduling by clearly marking non-working days.

Creating a Holiday

Each holiday entry includes:

• Label -- A descriptive name (e.g., "Christmas Break", "National Holiday", "Annual Vacation").
• Start date -- The first day of the holiday.
• End date -- The last day of the holiday (can be the same as the start date for single-day holidays).

How Holidays Affect Scheduling

• Holiday periods are visually indicated on the calendar view, making it clear that the salon is closed.
• Holidays help you and your team plan around closures when scheduling appointments.

Common Holidays to Configure

Set up your holidays at the start of each year:

• National public holidays for your country.
• Your salon's annual vacation period.
• Any special closure days (renovations, team training days, etc.).

Time Slots

Time slots allow you to define your salon's operating hours and capacity on a per-weekday basis.

Configuring Time Slots

Each time slot entry includes:

• Weekday -- The day of the week this slot applies to (Monday through Sunday).
• Time -- The start time of the slot.
• Max animals per slot -- The maximum number of animals that can be booked into this time slot.

Example Configuration

Capacity Planning

The "max animals per slot" setting helps prevent overbooking:

• Set it based on the number of groomers available during that time slot.
• Reduce it for slots where you expect more complex grooming (e.g., afternoons might have fewer slots if you do large breeds then).
• Leave some buffer for walk-ins or emergency appointments.

Filters

The appointment list view provides filters to help you find exactly what you need:

Waiting List Filter

Toggle this filter to see only appointments that are on the waiting list. This is the quickest way to review who needs to be scheduled when an opening becomes available.

Upcoming Filter

Filter appointments to show only future appointments. This hides past appointments and focuses your view on what is coming up.

Additional Filtering

You can also use the search bar to find appointments by:

• Animal name
• Customer name
• Staff member

Combining search with filters lets you quickly answer questions like "What are Marie's upcoming appointments?" or "Which waiting list appointments are for this week?"

Appointment Workflow

Here is a typical workflow for managing appointments in Check-in DOG:

Before the Appointment

1. Create the appointment -- Select the animal, set the date/time, assign staff.
2. Add notes -- Record any special instructions in the staff-only notes.
3. Assign a leash number -- If your salon uses numbered holding areas.

During the Appointment

1. Check in the animal -- Verify the appointment details and any special requirements.
2. Refer to notes -- Check the animal's profile and appointment notes for any special handling instructions.
3. Update as needed -- If the appointment runs longer or shorter than expected, update the end time.

After the Appointment

1. Add post-appointment comments -- Record anything noteworthy in the comment for customer field.
2. Create an invoice -- Link the appointment to an invoice for billing (see Invoicing & Quotes).
3. Update the animal's profile -- Add photos, update weight, or note any observations.

Best Practices

Schedule Buffer Time

Do not book appointments back-to-back with zero gap. Animals sometimes take longer than expected, and you need time for cleaning and preparation between sessions. A 15-minute buffer between appointments is a good starting point.

Use the Waiting List Proactively

When a client calls and you are fully booked, always offer to add them to the waiting list. It shows you care about their business and creates a pipeline of potential bookings for cancellation slots.

Keep Comments Updated

Post-appointment comments are valuable for the next visit. If a particular grooming approach worked well (or did not), note it. Over time, these comments build up into a comprehensive care guide for each animal.

Review Your Schedule Daily

Start each day by reviewing the calendar view. Check for:

• Any special requirements noted in staff-only comments.
• Animals that need extra time or special handling.
• Waiting list appointments that could be slotted into gaps.

Configure Holidays Early

Set up your holiday schedule at the beginning of each year. This prevents accidental bookings on days your salon is closed and helps clients plan their visits around your schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have recurring appointments?

Check-in DOG does not currently support automatically recurring appointments. You will need to create each appointment individually. However, you can use the previous appointment as a reference for timing and notes.

What happens if I delete an appointment?

Deleting an appointment removes it from the calendar and list views. Any invoices linked to that appointment retain their data, but the appointment reference will be cleared.

Can multiple animals have the same leash number at the same time?

The system does not enforce unique leash numbers per time slot. It is up to your team to manage leash number assignments to avoid conflicts.

Next Steps

With your schedule in place, learn how to bill your clients for their grooming sessions:

• Invoicing & Quotes -- Create professional quotes and invoices with automatic numbering and PDF generation.