How to keep client bookings organised

A client asked about the price on Instagram, agreed a time on Telegram and sent a rescheduling request on Viber. To reconstruct one booking, you have to open three chats.

Messages are useful when someone needs advice or has a specific request. Prices, duration and available times are easier to show in advance. Here is a practical way to organise bookings, using the tools available in M-TIME.

The working day is over, but I’m still answering messages about prices, times and the address. Every evening.

Put the details in the service listing

“How much does it cost?” is often just the start. Next come questions about duration, what the price includes and where the appointment takes place.

If those answers are scattered across posts and saved replies, a client may not find them. Pick a service people book often. Does its listing explain:

• what the client will receive;
• how long the appointment lasts;
• the price and what affects it;
• where you work, or whether the service is available online.

For example, “Consultation” says very little. “Hair care consultation” gives someone a reason to book. Put the duration and price in their dedicated fields, then use the description to explain what you will cover.

M-TIME gives each service its own listing, and you can add work photos to your profile. Share a link to a specific service in a chat: the client can read the details and move on to choosing a time.

Several times a day, I write the same explanation: what’s included, how much it costs and how long it takes.

Let the client choose a time

“I can do Tuesday.” “After six?” “That’s taken now. How about Thursday?” If you reply between appointments, each answer can take a while. Sometimes the booking stalls along with the conversation.

First, open the hours you can actually offer. Then check the process from a client’s perspective: can someone choose a service and find a suitable time without asking you for clarification?

In M-TIME, the client chooses a service and an available time, then sends a booking request. The appointment is not confirmed yet: the professional needs to confirm the request. You can see what is waiting for a reply and what has been agreed.

Keep messages for details that need your attention: preparation, preferences or a question before a first visit.

Share an opening after a cancellation

A booking was cancelled. I have a free hour, but almost no time to tell people about it and find another client.

“I have a space tomorrow” leaves questions unanswered. For which service? At what time? At what price? Without those details, another round of messages begins.

You can share an available time from the M-TIME calendar. Send the link in a chat or add it to a post so a client can open the booking flow and check availability.

If you want to discount an upcoming time, hot offers are available for individual services with a fixed price. You can create one for an available time within the next 24 hours and set the terms yourself.

Separate individual appointments from group sessions

A one-to-one consultation and a group workshop need different booking details. In the first case, a client chooses a time for themselves. In the second, they join a session with a set start time and a limited number of places.

Some lessons are individual and others are for a group. Clients need to see which one they’re booking.

M-TIME supports individual and group services. For a group session, you set the time and number of places. Separate names and clear descriptions help clients distinguish the options: for example, a private drawing lesson and a group workshop.

A service discount and a hot offer also serve different purposes. A discount has the eligibility rules and validity period you set. A hot offer applies to a specific upcoming time. Choose the option whose terms suit your work.

Test the process with one service

You do not need to rewrite your entire profile in an evening. Start with the service people ask about most:

1. Clarify its name, description, price and duration.
2. Add photos that show your work.
3. Open available times in your schedule.
4. View the service as a client, then share its link.

After the next few enquiries, notice what people still ask. If the same question keeps coming up, add the answer to the listing. Your profile can gradually take care of the repeated explanations, leaving you more time for the work itself.