Overview
In this article you will learn how to set up your facilities for online reservation. By default, facilities are not available to reserve online. This feature must be explicitly activated for each facility where this is desired.
From the dashboard, click on the Facilities tab, and select the facility you wish to set up to allow online reservations.
How do I turn on Online Reservations?
Before people can actually reserve facilities online, Availability Schedules must be set up. It is these Availability Schedules that specify when (dates and time blocks) facilities can be reserved and for how much (applicable fees).
It is common to have multiple Availability Schedules per facility - each named after the associated time block - (i.e. - Hourly Reservations, Half-Day Reservations and Full-Day Reservations). Naming them in this manner gives them context when members of the public see them on your RecDesk Community Portal.
Build the Availability Schedule for Online Reservations
- Click on Add New Availability Schedule
- If you'd like to copy an existing availability schedule:
- Click Copy Existing Availability Schedule;
- Choose the Facility whose availability schedule you'd like to copy from the drop down;
- Choose the Availability Schedule you'd like to copy from the drop down;
- Click Copy Availability Schedule;
- Make modifications if necessary and click Save.
- Enter a Name for the Availability Schedule - it is recommended that naming schemes similar to those outlined above are used
- Enter a Start Date and End Date that this Availability Schedule is in effect for (the date range that your patrons can reserve dates within). The length can be no longer than a calendar year and is more commonly seasonal in nature.
- (Optional) Enter a Passcode that will be required online to reserve a time block in this availability schedule. This passcode can then be given to coaches or other authorized personnel who are allowed to reserve one or more of these time blocks.
- (Optional) Check Rolling Availability to update the start and end dates of this schedule on a daily basis. If checked, the Start Date and End Date will be incremented by 1 day at approximately 12 am local time if the availability schedule meets the following conditions:
- If the date it gets incremented is GREATER THAN THE START DATE of the availability schedule; AND
- If the date it gets incremented is NOT MORE THAN 1 DAY AFTER THE END DATE of the availability schedule.
- (Optional) Click on Show Advanced Options and choose:
- Memberships Restrictions
- Opt to Add In Facility Default Setup/Teardown Times
- Set up the time blocks that apply to the Availability Schedule
- Start Time, End Time and Days of Week it applies. Repeat this for each time block available
- If it was a Half Day availability schedule, you might have two time blocks as follows: 8AM - 12PM - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 12:30PM - 4:30PM -Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
- Assign appropriate Standard Fee Types, Fee Amounts and Deposit Amounts (Fees can be set to be applicable to Only Residents or Only Nonresidents. See How do I Set Up Residency Requirements?).
- (Optional) Assign Appropriate Add-On Fees with Fee Amount (per item), Residency Restriction (if applicable), and the Maximum Quantity allowed for a that time slot.
- If the fee-type chosen is listed under the Fee Schedules tab for that facility, the Fee Amount (per item) and the Residency Restriction will be prefilled with those values. They can be overridden, if appropriate.
- Click Save.
Turn on (Enable) Online Reservations
- Navigate to the main Online Reservations tab, and click the Enable Online Reservations button.
- You may optionally set a Required lead time for the public to make online reservations by setting the Required Lead Time from the drop down.
- You may optionally set the Max. number of online reservations per member to a number of reservations made Per Day, Per Calendar Week (Sun. - Sat.), or Per Calendar Month.
- On parent facilities you also have the option to Apply restrictions to child facilities. When this is checked, the maximum reservations will be enforced for the parent and child facilities collectively.
This facility will now have a Reserve button next to it on the RecDesk Community Portal and the public will be able to reserve it.
Tips:
Availability Schedules will show on the community portal in alphabetical order. In order to designate the order you wish - you may wish to number them (i.e. - 1. Hourly Reservations, 2. Half-Day Reservations, 3. Full-Day Reservations).
Notes:
All Availability Schedules "talk" to each other, so there will not be a conflict in booking. Once a time is selected and reserved, it will not show as available on the other schedules.