About Scheduling

Overview

This article provides a comprehensive overview of appointment scheduling in ServiceMinder. It includes available scheduling styles, configuration settings, notifications, and troubleshooting tips. Whether you’re an office admin, sales manager, or service agent, this guide will help you navigate scheduling workflows efficiently.

This article will review:

Appointments can be scheduled from several interfaces depending on your workflow:

Accepted Proposal Page (recommended — this carries proposal information forward)
Appointments Grid
Contact Detail Page
"Schedule an Appointment" shortcut

You can configure master settings for Scheduling in Control Panel > Scheduling or on individual services in Control Panel > Services.

To learn more about these settings you can view the following articles:

Date and Time Options

Scheduling Styles Comparison

ServiceMinder supports multiple scheduling styles based on use case.

Scheduling Style	Assigns Agents	Sends Confirmation	Uses Availablity	Holds Time Slot	Description
Normal	✅	✅ if enabled	✅	✅	Default method using set availability and role-matched slots.
Ad-Hoc	✅	✅ if enabled	❌	✅	Ignores normal availability. Still checks for conflicts and drive time.
Queued	❌	❌	❌	❌	Saves as placeholder. Used for batch routing or backlog scheduling.
Tentative	✅	❌ until committed	✅	✅ italic	Holds slot without notifying customer or agent. Confirm by clicking Commit.

Anytime

A visual note only — it doesn’t affect scheduling logic. It signals that the customer is open to earlier times that may become available that day but doesn't trigger slot prioritization or alerts.

First Available

Indicates that the customer is flexible and wants the soonest available appointment. It acts like a waitlist priority and appears in the Snapshots > At a Glance > First Available list as well as in the Appointments grid to help fill cancellations quickly.

Auto-Snap

Auto-Snap is on by default and ensures appointment times align with drive time and routing.
If Auto-Snap is disabled, a lock icon appears next to the time on the appointment details. This indicates the time is fixed.
Appointments made with Ad-Hoc mode and Auto-Snap disabled are locked in time — dragging to another day keeps the same start time.
To remove the lock:
- Edit the appointment
- Enable Auto-Snap
- Save the appointment
Services can be configured to disable Auto-Snap by default via Control Panel > Services > Edit > Scroll to Scheduling > UncheckRoute Optimize

Slot Searching & Availability

When scheduling an appointment:

Contact address must be present for slot search to work (used for drive time).
ServiceMinder searches for available slots:
- Matching the service role (e.g., Sales or Service)
- Considering lead time, time off, holidays, and existing jobs

Common "No Slots Available" Issues:

No agents have matching role availability in their schedule
Appointment duration exceeds available slots
Contact lacks address or it’s not geocoded
The drive time between appointments is too long to fit in that time slot
Lead time or Appointment Window is too restrictive

Editing Appointments

Edit directly from the Appointments Grid or Appointment Detail Page
You can update: Date/time, assigned agent, service, auto-snap, etc.
Recurring chains: Changes can apply to one or all future appointments

Notifications

Schedule and Send

Schedules the appointment and sends automated confirmations (if enabled under Control Panel > Notifications).

Schedule Only

Places appointment on the calendar without notifying the customer.
Use "Resend Notification" or manually send an ad hoc email at a later time.

Alternate Addresses

Sometimes you may need to schedule design consultations at vendor sites, offsite training, or one-time appointments at a different location. To set a different appointment location:

Create and save the appointment.
Click the pencil icon next to the "Where" field.
Enter a new address or click Clear to revert to contact address.

FAQs

Q: Can I set buffer time between appointments?
A: Not directly. Adjust Open Time Granularity under Control Panel > Scheduling to push slots further out.

Q: How do I make appointments only start on the hour?
A: Set Open Time Granularity to 60 minutes.

Q: Can I automate a two-day appointment with linked billing?
A: Yes, if created from a Proposal with Invoicing Mode set to "Via Appointments w/ Carry Forward."

Q: Can I customize scheduler form questions?
A: No, only basic self-service toggles are supported in Control Panel > Scheduling.

Q: Why am I only seeing time slots for myself?
A: Check your User permissions and uncheck the box for "Limit Slot Results to this User"