TOPIC: Using DT Register to Book Appts w/in Windows of Availability

Hey there!

Has anyone found a way to use DT Register to book appointments within a window of availability?

For example, we offer 60 to 90 minute sessions between 10am - 2pm on certain days. However, someone can decide to book 10am - 11am and pay for one hour, or they may elect to choose a 90 minute session ... or even book the entire window if they feel like it.

I can't figure out how to set up DT Register to book events this way ... The only way I can figure is to break the window up into hours:

Event 1: 10am-11am
Event 2: 11am-12pm
etc.

However, if someone wants to do a 10:30am-11:30am, then they will not have an option to choose...

Any way to customize this so that it works up, no matter what combination?

Thanks!

You would need to create an event for each time slot as you have described already, OR you could use custom fields instead since you can now put a limit on each custom field value.

So you could make, for example, an event for each day. Then make a custom field set of checkboxes for the time slots. The user would pick which time slots they want... in 30 minute intervals. Based on the number of slots they choose, you could calculate the price as you'd put a price on each field value. Then put a selection limit of 1 for each field value, meaning only one person can choose it. So once the slot for 11:30-12:00 is chosen, it would actually no longer show on the form... so no one else would be able to choose that slot.

I believe this would work just fine for your case. Hope that helps. Be sure to watch our custom fields video tutorial if you need more help with that.

You know ... that worked out pretty well. At first, I was stumped because the 60 minute session costs $75, and the 90 minute session is $110 (which is at a very slight discount, since every 30 minutes = $37.50, essentially).

So, if I made custom fields for time slots in 30 minute increments and calculated fees as the boxes were checkmarked, then a 90 minute session would have ended up being slightly more expensive than it should have been.

So, what I decided to do was this:

The base event is a $75 minute cost. Should a participant want a 60 minute session, I will program custom instructions to have them pick TWO consecutive 30 minute time slots.

Then, one of my custom fields is labeled: "Do you want a 90 minute session for $35 extra?" and it is a checkbox with a fee programmed into the custom field. If that checkbox is selected, then the person will need to choose 3 consecutive half hour time slots.

This way, I do not have to put a fee in all of the time slots, but I am allowed the flexibility of selling a 60 or 90 minute session in the same registration form.

I don't find this absolutely ideal, b/c I am thinking there will be some user error (undoubtedly, some people will be confused that they have to reserve a time slot by checking 2-3 half hour sessions)... but this is the best solution I can figure. I also have a feeling that people who chose the 30 minute add-on will only check two boxes, etc. We'll see how easy the directions will be for people to understand!!!

Thank you for the idea!