Question 1

What's the difference between a stay and a regular appointment?

Accepted Answer

Regular appointments are single time slots (e.g., 2-hour grooming) where pets drop off and pick up the same day. Stay appointments are multi-day/overnight bookings with check-in and check-out dates. Stays track accommodation assignment (which kennel/room), calculate pricing per 24-hour period, and support adding services during the stay (walks, grooming, medication). Use stays for boarding, overnight daycare, and pet hotel services.

Question 2

Can I see all current stays at a glance?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Use Mission Control's Stays View mode to see all current boarding guests. This view shows check-in/check-out dates, kennel assignments, and days remaining. You can also use the calendar's Timeline view grouped by resource to see kennel occupancy visually across dates.

Question 3

Can customers book boarding online themselves?

Accepted Answer

Yes! If you enable self-service booking for your boarding service, customers can book stays through your portal 24/7. They select check-in and check-out dates, choose from available kennels (if you allow), add their pets, and pay upfront. You receive notification of the booking and can prepare for their arrival.

Question 4

How is boarding priced?

Accepted Answer

Petboost bills boarding per 24-hour period, not per calendar night. This ensures fair billing regardless of check-in and check-out times. Configure two tier types in your service settings: (1) Per-Day Period Rates for full 24-hour periods with optional "stay longer, save more" discounts, and (2) Short-Stay & Spillover Rates for partial days under 24 hours. Example: A 5-day stay at $73/day = $365 total. If the customer checks out 8 hours beyond the full days, a spillover rate (e.g., $55 for the 4-8 hour tier) applies. Configure in Services → [Your Stay Service] → Pricing & Duration.

Question 5

What is "stay longer, save more" pricing?

Accepted Answer

Configure tiered daily rates that decrease with longer stays. Example tiers: 1-2 days at $117/day, 3-14 days at $73/day, 14+ days at $63/day. When a customer books 5 days, they unlock the "3-14 day" tier at $73/day for ALL 5 days, not just days 3-5. This rewards longer bookings with better rates across the entire stay, encouraging customers to book extended stays.

Question 6

How are partial days and spillover hours billed?

Accepted Answer

Hours remaining after full 24-hour periods use your Short-Stay & Spillover Rates. Example: A stay of 5 days and 8 hours means 5 full days use your per-day tier rate (e.g., $73/day = $365), and the 8 spillover hours use your 4-8 hour tier (e.g., $55). Total: $420. Configure spillover tiers to cover the full 0-24 hour range with no gaps to ensure accurate billing.

Question 7

Why 24-hour periods instead of calendar nights?

Accepted Answer

Calendar nights ignore actual boarding time. A customer checking in Monday 9am and out Wednesday 6pm (57 hours) pays the same as one checking in Monday 6pm and out Wednesday 9am (39 hours) under calendar billing, yet one stays 18 hours longer! 24-hour period billing is fairer and more accurate, ensuring customers pay for actual care time.

Question 8

Can I set different rates for peak seasons or holidays?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Create separate boarding services for peak periods (e.g., "Holiday Boarding") with higher tier rates. Alternatively, use variable pricing and manually adjust when creating bookings during peak times. Many businesses also add surcharge add-on services for specific holiday dates.

Question 9

How do I set up kennels or rooms as resources?

Accepted Answer

Go to Resources and create location resources for each kennel, room, or boarding space. Set the capacity (typically 1 pet per kennel, or more for family suites), working hours (kennels can be 24/7 for overnight stays), and assign boarding services. Magic Schedule will then check kennel availability when booking stays, preventing double-booking.

Question 10

How do I manage resource capacity for boarding?

Accepted Answer

Each kennel/room resource has a capacity setting (usually 1 pet, or more for family suites). When booking stays, Magic Schedule checks that the selected kennel is available for the entire stay duration. The system prevents overbooking automatically. View kennel utilisation in Mission Control Resources View or Calendar Timeline view.

Question 11

What happens if a kennel becomes unavailable during a stay?

Accepted Answer

If you need to move a pet mid-stay (maintenance, emergency, etc.): (1) Open the stay appointment, (2) Change the resource assignment to a different kennel, (3) Add a note explaining the move. The system tracks the change. For planned maintenance, block the kennel as unavailable before accepting new bookings for those dates.

Question 12

How does check-in and check-out work?

Accepted Answer

Check-In: Open the stay appointment, click 'Check In', record arrival time, inspect pet condition, confirm belongings, and status changes to 'In Progress'. Check-Out: Click 'Check Out', record departure time, review stay with customer, return belongings, finalise invoice and process payment. Both actions can be done from Mission Control or the appointment detail.

Question 13

Can customers extend or shorten their stay?

Accepted Answer

Yes! To extend: Open the stay appointment, edit the checkout date, extend to the new date. The system recalculates pricing automatically based on the new total duration (which may unlock a better tier rate), updates the invoice, and you can notify the customer. To shorten: Similar process. Adjust checkout date earlier. If already paid, you may need to process a partial refund for unused periods.

Question 14

How do I handle early check-out refunds?

Accepted Answer

If a customer picks up their pet early: (1) Edit the checkout date to the actual departure time, (2) System recalculates the invoice based on actual 24-hour periods plus any spillover hours, (3) If already paid, issue a partial refund through the invoice for unused periods, (4) Complete the check-out process. Your cancellation policy determines whether partial refunds are offered.

Question 15

Can I add services during a stay?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Open the stay appointment and add services for specific dates. Options include: one-time services (bath on day 3), daily recurring (walks every day), or specific dates (grooming on Monday and Thursday). Each service appears on the invoice with its date. Perfect for offering 'while they're here' add-ons that increase revenue.

Question 16

How do I track special care instructions?

Accepted Answer

Use the pet's Quick Notes and the appointment notes to record special care instructions and requirements. These notes appear on the appointment detail so staff always see them. Many businesses print care sheets from the pet profile to keep in the kennel area.

Question 17

How do I communicate with pet parents during a stay?

Accepted Answer

Use the appointment detail to send messages or updates to the pet parent. Many businesses send daily photo updates or brief notes about how the pet is settling in. Automated notifications keep customers informed about check-in confirmation and upcoming check-out. For urgent matters, contact details are readily accessible from the appointment.

Boarding & Stay Appointments