Booking Settings

Customize how your booking system works - from time slots and guest limits to form options and customer feedback. These settings control the booking experience for your customers.

Accessing Booking Settings

1. Log in to your BeSeat account
2. Navigate to Settings → Booking Settings
3. Configure your booking rules and preferences
4. Click Save Changes to save your settings

Note: Only account owners and administrators can access booking settings. Staff members do not have permission to view or modify these settings.

Guest Limits

Control how many guests can book and how bookings are confirmed.

Minimum Party Size

The smallest number of guests allowed in a single booking.

• Default: 1 guest
• Use Case: Set to 2 if you don’t accept single-person bookings
• Example: A restaurant might set this to 2 to encourage couples or groups

Maximum Party Size

The largest number of guests allowed in a single booking.

• Default: 8 guests
• Use Case: Limit large groups or encourage customers to call for large parties
• Example: A small restaurant might set this to 6, while a larger venue might allow 12 or more

Daily Guest Limit

The total number of guests allowed per day across all bookings.

• Default: 100 guests
• Use Case: Control overall capacity to ensure quality service
• Example: A small salon might set this to 50, while a large restaurant might allow 300+

Auto-Confirm Party Size

Bookings with this many guests or fewer are automatically confirmed without requiring manual approval.

• Default: 4 guests
• Use Case: Automatically confirm small bookings while reviewing larger groups
• Example: Set to 4 to auto-confirm tables of 1-4, but require approval for 5+ guests

Date & Time Settings

Configure when customers can make bookings and how time slots are organized.

Week Starts On

Choose whether your calendar week starts on Monday or Sunday.

• Monday: Standard in most countries (UK, Europe, etc.)
• Sunday: Common in the US and some other regions
• This affects how your booking calendar is displayed

Time Interval (Minutes)

The time between available booking slots.

• Range: 15-480 minutes (in 15-minute steps)
• Default: 30 minutes
• Common Values:
  • 15 minutes for high-frequency services (haircuts, quick appointments)
  • 30 minutes for standard bookings (restaurant tables, consultations)
  • 60 minutes for longer services (spa treatments, classes)

Example: With a 30-minute interval, if you open at 9:00 AM, slots will be available at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, etc.

Early Booking (Days)

How many days in advance bookings become available.

• Default: 0 days (bookings available immediately)
• Use Case: Control when customers can start booking
• Example: Set to 7 to allow bookings starting one week in advance

Maximum Booking Date (Days)

The maximum number of days in advance customers can make reservations.

• Default: 30 days
• Use Case: Prevent bookings too far in advance
• Example: Set to 60 to allow bookings up to 2 months ahead

Service & Timing

Configure service duration and booking cutoffs.

Service Time (Minutes)

The duration of each booking or service.

• Range: 15-480 minutes (in 15-minute steps)
• Default: 120 minutes (2 hours)
• Common Values:
  • 30-60 minutes for quick services (haircuts, consultations)
  • 90-120 minutes for standard services (restaurant meals, spa treatments)
  • 180+ minutes for longer experiences (multi-course meals, full spa days)

This helps calculate availability and prevents double-booking.

Late Booking (Minutes)

How many minutes before a time slot bookings are no longer allowed.

• Default: 60 minutes (1 hour)
• Use Case: Prevent last-minute bookings that you can’t prepare for
• Example: Set to 120 (2 hours) to require bookings at least 2 hours in advance

Example: If a slot is at 7:00 PM and late booking is set to 60 minutes, customers can’t book after 6:00 PM.

Late Cancellation (Minutes)

How many minutes before a booking start time a cancellation is considered “late.”

• Default: 120 minutes (2 hours)
• Use Case: Track late cancellations for reporting and policy enforcement
• Example: Set to 60 to mark cancellations within 1 hour of the booking as “late”

Form Options

Customize what information is collected and displayed in your booking form.

Require Phone Number

Make phone number mandatory for all bookings.

• Enabled: Customers must provide a phone number
• Disabled: Phone number is optional
• Recommended: Keep enabled for better customer communication

Show Remaining Guest Capacity

Display how many guest spots are still available for each time slot.

• Enabled: Customers see “5 spots remaining” for each slot
• Disabled: Capacity information is hidden
• Use Case: Create urgency or keep capacity private

Show Table Location

Display the area or location of tables/items in the booking form.

• Enabled: Customers see “Main Dining” or “Patio” when selecting items
• Disabled: Area information is hidden
• Use Case: Help customers choose preferred locations

Allow Booking Deletion

Allow staff members and customers to delete bookings.

• Enabled: Bookings can be deleted by staff and customers
• Disabled: Only administrators can delete bookings
• Use Case: Control who can cancel or remove bookings

Success Message

Custom message shown to customers after they successfully make a booking.

• Default: “Your booking has been confirmed!”
• Customize: Add your own message with instructions or next steps
• Example: “Booking confirmed! We’ll send you a reminder 24 hours before your visit.”

Customer Feedback

Configure how you collect and use customer feedback.

Collect Customer Feedback

Enable feedback requests after bookings are completed.

• Enabled: Customers receive feedback requests via email
• Disabled: No feedback requests are sent
• Use Case: Gather customer satisfaction data and improve service

Redirect 4+ Stars to Google Review

Automatically redirect customers who give 4 or 5 stars to your Google Business Profile review page.

• Enabled: High ratings redirect to Google Reviews
• Disabled: All feedback stays within BeSeat
• Requires: “Collect Customer Feedback” must be enabled
• Use Case: Build your online reputation on Google

Google Business Profile URL

Your Google Business Profile review link (required if redirect is enabled).

• Format: https://g.page/r/... or your Google Business review URL
• How to Find:
  1. Go to your Google Business Profile
  2. Click “Get more reviews”
  3. Copy the review link
• Example: https://g.page/r/YOUR_BUSINESS_ID/review

Saving Your Changes

1. After configuring your settings, click Save Changes at the bottom
2. You’ll see a success message confirming your settings have been updated
3. Changes take effect immediately in your booking widget

Note: If you haven’t made any changes, you’ll see an info message indicating there are no changes to save.

Best Practices

Time Settings

• Service Time: Match your actual service duration to prevent overbooking
• Time Interval: Use intervals that make sense for your business (15, 30, or 60 minutes)
• Late Booking: Set based on how much notice you need to prepare

Guest Limits

• Party Sizes: Set realistic limits based on your capacity
• Daily Limit: Consider your staff capacity and service quality
• Auto-Confirm: Use for bookings you’re confident you can handle

Form Options

• Require Phone: Always require phone numbers for better communication
• Success Message: Use to set expectations or provide next steps
• Show Capacity: Enable to create urgency, disable to keep it private

Feedback

• Enable Feedback: Collect feedback to improve your service
• Google Reviews: Redirect high ratings to build your online reputation
• Review Link: Keep your Google Business Profile URL updated

Common Scenarios

Restaurant Setup

• Service Time: 120 minutes (2 hours for dining)
• Time Interval: 30 minutes
• Min Party: 1, Max Party: 8
• Daily Limit: Based on capacity
• Late Booking: 60-120 minutes
• Require Phone: Yes

Salon Setup

• Service Time: 60 minutes (standard appointment)
• Time Interval: 15-30 minutes
• Min Party: 1, Max Party: 1 (individual appointments)
• Daily Limit: Based on stylist capacity
• Late Booking: 30-60 minutes
• Require Phone: Yes

Clinic Setup

• Service Time: 30-60 minutes (consultation)
• Time Interval: 15-30 minutes
• Min Party: 1, Max Party: 1 (individual appointments)
• Daily Limit: Based on doctor availability
• Late Booking: 60-120 minutes
• Require Phone: Yes

Troubleshooting

Bookings Not Appearing

If bookings aren’t showing in your widget:

• Check your Business Hours - bookings only show during open hours
• Verify Time Interval - ensure it’s set correctly
• Check Maximum Booking Date - customers might be trying to book too far ahead
• Review Late Booking setting - bookings might be too close to the time slot

Time Slots Not Working

If time slots aren’t appearing correctly:

• Verify Service Time matches your actual service duration
• Check Time Interval is appropriate (15, 30, or 60 minutes)
• Ensure Business Hours are set correctly
• Review Early Booking and Maximum Booking Date settings

Auto-Confirm Not Working

If bookings aren’t auto-confirming:

• Check Auto-Confirm Party Size - bookings must be at or below this number
• Verify the booking party size is within the limit
• Ensure the booking is within your business hours

Feedback Not Sending

If feedback requests aren’t being sent:

• Ensure Collect Customer Feedback is enabled
• Check your Email Templates are configured
• Verify your SMTP Settings are working
• Make sure bookings are being completed (not just created)

Related Settings

• Business Hours - Set when you’re open for bookings
• Booking Items - Manage your tables, rooms, or services
• Exception Dates - Override regular hours for specific dates
• Email Templates - Customize booking confirmation emails