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Location Location Location

139 posts
Mon Dec 28, 20 11:32 AM CST
Hi Tim,

I'm setting up my booking calendar:

Booking Calendar/Outdoor (category)/various sessions

I have various locations that I shoot in, and if the clients don't have a way to select the location then I'm going to have to follow up every booking.

What I'm hoping I can do, is create various location pages (which would be available as webpages in their own right on my site) and have the clients select which location they want when making the booking.

What is the best way to do this?

As an extension, it would be ideal if I can somehow allocate a particluar day to a particular location once the first client on of the day has selected a location. For example, first client booking Jan 1st has option of all locations. Once they select a location and confirm the booking, clients subsiquently booking on that day only have the option of that location. So locking down the location on a particular day.

thanks!

Edited Mon Dec 28, 20 11:32 AM by Elizabeth Andrews
16,148 posts (admin)
Tue Dec 29, 20 6:15 AM CST
You would either need to create a booking service for each location. And maybe check the option "All Day Event" for each service. With that checked, once someone books it it will become unavailable for the entire day.

Another method would be to create 1 booking service and create an option for location.
Tim Grissett, DIA - PicturesPro.com
My Email Address: info@picturespro.com
139 posts
Tue Dec 29, 20 8:59 AM CST
Tim,

Thank you for your quick response, I went with the "optional extra" option. I created some standard webpages with the locations (pictures, directions etc) and then created a drop down optional extra in the booking form where I manually keyed those locations in.

I know you are always improving this wonderful software, and having a group of web pages identified as location, and having those being selectable in the "service" (as a checkbox drop down) and selectable by the client in the booking form would be a lovely addition. I'm not sure if I've ever met a photographer that hasn't taken a photo in something other than their own studio before so I'm sure the enhancement would be widely welcomed. If you do get around to it, please consider allowing us to insert a "time between location" so the booking calendar would allow us to add minutes for a change of location if two clients pick different locations on the same day, but doesn't limit us if we have two shoots in the same location.

Until then, I'll do my best to maintain it manually.

Liz.
38 posts
Mon Oct 03, 22 10:18 AM CST
+1 on this one. I have multiple locations throughout the Lehigh Valley that I shoot at. Especially during my busy season - right now through November, I'm booking 3 and sometimes 4 sessions in a single day. I need to know locations on the booking calendar directly and how much time between locations.
This reply was deleted.
S
325 posts
Tue Oct 04, 22 7:56 AM CST
You build in a time cushion with the time blocks. If you have a shoot the lasts 30 minutes and it takes 15 minutes to get to any location, you add your block for an hour, giving yourself plenty of time to get from one location to the next, allowing multiple people to booking multiple time slots on the same day without overlapping.

Unless I did not understand your question/suggestion, then I apologize.
139 posts
Wed Oct 12, 22 9:32 AM CST
So the first part is related to locations, and allowing the client to select which location they want when ordering. I currently use "options" for this, but its not linked to my "locations" in any way so it requires the client to back out (which sometimes results in confusion and loss of a sale) to investigate which location they want. A link option with "new window" would solve that.

For the second part, I thought about doing what you suggest, but then if its the same location I'm sat around for 30 minutes doing nothing - if its a different location I need varying amounts of travel time. Coming back to specifically look at location, I want to stipulate the travel time between each location and have that factored into my availability/ schedule. Naturally this will be a much more effective use of time, but it might also encourage people to book sessions in the same locations once people start booking into that day as there would be more availability.

The adding block time is a work around, but in times like fall, it has a significant negative impact on my earning ability.



451 posts
Fri Oct 14, 22 4:27 PM CST
Hi Elizabeth, What tim & Sean recommended is the only options, and i just use options or i create location bookings. If someone books your first session and someone books another session at a different location, but then someone books later in the day it will not be able to keep all times available because drive time will effect booking times, so you would either lose booking slots or it would have to adjust the booking time someone already requested, if that happens that person may not be able to make the sitting. Does that make sense?
139 posts
Fri Oct 14, 22 8:16 PM CST
I'm afraid I might need a drink to follow :-)

Let me expand upon my suggestion:

Let's say there is an option "location", it's a special option as the "added time" is a variable and it would be front loaded in the calendar. Each location has a page related to it, that can be clicked at checkout as a popup and a mini page too (both would have to be populated when creating the location).

Assume 3 locations, A, B and C. When setting up, you load the following information as variables:

A is 60 minutes away from B.
B is 40 minutes away from C.
C is 50 minutes away from A.

Scenario 1)
The client has selected a 60 minute shoot 60 minutes after a shoot at location A concludes.
All locations are available to the client in the options menu, they can click the pop ups or better yet, hover over the location name and see the mini page details.
They select Location B.
The calendar books the 60 minute session as requested and reserves 60 minutes prior in the calendar as travel time as the last known location was A.

Scenario 2)
The client has selected a 60 minute shoot 0 minutes after a shoot at location A concludes.
Only location A is available to the client in the options menu.

Scenario 3)
The client has selected a 60 minute shoot 120 minutes after a shoot at location A concludes.
All locations are available to the client in the options menu.
They select Location B.
The calendar books the 60 minute session as requested and soft reserves the time between both bookings (120 minutes). This time will show as available on the calendar, however, the first 60 minutes can only use location A and the second 60 minutes can only be reserved for location B. If either booking is subsequently made the travel time will then be reserved as required.

As you can see, this is a much more adaptive logic which maximizes availability without the need to manually manage travel times or forego back to back sessions in the same location.

Perhaps you need a drink now too? and if you are wondering, Location C just sucked.

In all seriousness, I have a studio, but 50% of my work is outside and I have many beautiful locations and clients in those different areas who won't travel. I wouldn't even mind the option to lock location by day based on the first lockable location.

For example, lets say I offer 2 sessions, 60 minute outdoor, and 60 minute indoor.

60 minute indoor is studio based with no location option (or one, the studio).
60 minute outdoor has the location option selected, with A, B and C.

Having a checkbox on that session to lock location so that: first location booked (lets say C) means all other timeslots for that session (or other sessions that have the checkbox checked) can only offer location C now.

I would schedule my indoor and outdoor at different times so they don't interfere with each other, and hope that not selecting the location lock on the indoor would make it immune from any outdoor sessions booked.

That's a rocking calendar feature if you ask me.
139 posts
Fri Oct 14, 22 8:18 PM CST
oh, and did I mention, the location setup also includes directions which are automatically appended to the booking confirmation?

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