Tip #1: How to avoid last-minute bookings

Dear Zoho Bookings users,

We are glad to launch Tips and Tricks, a biweekly series to help you explore Zoho Bookings features and learn how to use them for your various business needs. Follow this space, and let us know about any topics you'd like us to cover. Let's start with the first tip of the series on how to avoid last-minute bookings.

Tip #1: How to avoid last-minute bookings

While getting booked is usually seen as a positive, it's not always that way with last-minute appointments. The definition of last-minute appointments varies from business to business. Some businesses don't need any preparation time and are always ready for appointments, but others need time to prepare resources, learn about the customer, and look at the appointment history. The more you prepare, the more confidence you will have and the more satisfied the customer will be.

That's why we give you the option to set limits through the Minimum Booking Notice feature. The slots that appear on your booking page are those that occur after this specific duration, so customers can't book with you immediately before an appointment.

For example, if you have set the minimum booking notice to one hour, a customer can only schedule an appointment if it is at least one hour out from the desired appointment time. This gives you enough notice to get ready. Your minimum booking notice can be set in minutes, hours, or days.

Follow the below steps to set a minimum booking notice:

Click Services in the menu bar and choose the desired service from the left sidebar. Select Service Preferences.
On the right-side panel, scroll down to Booking Notice.
Next to Minimum Booking Notice, set the duration according to your requirement. Changes are auto-saved.

To learn more, please refer to this help article. We hope this tip was useful. Follow this space to get notified about this Tips and Tricks series, and let us know your feedback in the comments.

We'll see you soon with the next tip.

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