Overview
At the heart of Zenbooker's Service Territories is the concept of Service Areas. These are the specific regions you've defined, indicating where your business provides its services. Think of them as the geographic markers that tell Zenbooker, "Hey, we work here!" When a customer decides they'd like to book with you, Zenbooker uses these service areas to check which territory services the customer.
Location, Location, Location
Zenbooker first needs to determine where this customer is located. You can choose how this is done on your booking form to best match your needs:
ZIP Code/Postal Code: This is the default method. Customers simply enter their postal code to determine if they're within a serviceable region.
Street Address: Some businesses prefer a full address for a more accurate location check.
Dropdown Menu: Here, customers can choose their territory from a list. It's beneficial if your territories have names recognizable to your customers.
Change how your booking form checks the customer's location
Change how your booking form checks the customer's location
From your Zenbooker Dashboard, go to Online Booking > General
Under 'How should we check if customers are located within your service area?' you can select your preferred option.
Once Zenbooker has a fix on the customer's location, it works to match that to one of your predefined service areas. This quick check determines which of your territories will be handling this job.
Now, with the right territory in view, Zenbooker showcases booking options tailored for that area. This ensures the customer only sees what's available and relevant to them – from the services offered to available time slots and potentially even pricing nuances.
Finally, after the customer books, Zenbooker creates the job and assigns it to the correct territory. From there, it ensures that only the team members linked to that territory get the job details, be it through manual assignment, auto-assign, or job offers.
Understanding the "Enforce Service Area" Feature
Zenbooker is all about making things smooth and efficient for both the business and the customer. One feature that lends a lot of clarity to the booking process is the "Enforce Service Area" toggle. Here's how it works:
Enforce Service Area: ON
When this option is enabled, Zenbooker becomes a gatekeeper of sorts. It ensures that customers can only book online if their location falls within one of your predefined service areas. No more confusing bookings from locations you don’t service. It's a strict but clear guideline that ensures you're only getting bookings from locations you're prepared to serve.Enforce Service Area: OFF
When you switch off this option, Zenbooker is more flexible with booking locations. If a customer tries to book from a location not directly within any of your service areas, Zenbooker won't turn them away. Instead, it calculates which of your territories is closest to the customer's location and routes the booking there. It's a more accommodating approach, especially if you're considering expanding your service areas or are okay with occasional bookings from fringe locations.
Enabling 'Enforce Service Area'
To access this feature, navigate to the Territories tab in your Zenbooker admin panel. You'll find the toggle for "Enforce Service Area" on the left side of the screen.
Customizing the Message Displayed for Out-of-Area Customers
When the "Enforce Service Area" is enabled, you can customize the message displayed to customers who are trying to book from outside your service areas. This feature is handy if you'd like to provide an alternative scheduling method, such as directing them to call your business for special arrangements.