Setup
Arrival windows and how long jobs take
Office web page → Settings → Online Booking & Scheduling. Owners and admins set these.
Arrival windows
Turn on Book into arrival windows and customers are told "we'll arrive between 8:30 and 11" instead of a set time. The route's order decides the actual minute.
- The starting windows are 8:30–11, 11–2, 2–5 and 4–7. Change the times, name them, or add up to eight.
- Windows can overlap. A 4–7 job can arrive at 4:30 while a 2–5 job is still running.
- Untick a weekday to close a window that day (no 4–7 on Saturdays, say). Days closed under Office hours stay closed.
- A window is offered when the job can start before it closes, after the jobs already booked that day plus the drive. A job started in the last window may run past closing.
Where windows show up:
- Online booking: customers pick a window.
- Find a Time: shows each window with the planned start under it.
- Appointments: have an Arrival window box. Invites and reminders say "arriving 8:30–11 AM".
- The Routes board: sorts unrouted jobs by your windows. Job cards say "arrive 8:30–11 AM".
- The iPhone schedule: shows the window too.
Premium windows (optional)
Any window can carry a premium: a flat amount or a percent of the job. These are usually the first and last windows of the day.
- Online, customers see the premium next to that window. It's added to the price as its own line (shown as you name it, like "Early arrival"), so the estimate and invoice carry it.
- When the office books a premium window, the premium goes onto the job's estimate as its own line when you save, and the estimate is priced again. Switch to a window without a premium and it comes back off. It isn't changed on a declined estimate, or on one already invoiced in QuickBooks; you'll see a note instead.
- The same happens when a premium window is booked on the iPhone.
How long jobs take
Online booking and Find a Time size a cleaning from its price:
setup + the price at your work rate.
- To start: 30 minutes of setup and $150 of work an hour. A $150 job plans at 1½ hours, $300 at 2½ hours and $600 at 4½ hours. Bigger jobs come out faster per dollar, because setup is a smaller share.
- Add-ons (protector, deodorizer…) ride along with a main service: no setup, and $600 an hour to start.
- Different numbers for some services: open the list under the rates and fill in only the ones that differ. A job with several services gets one setup (the longest).
- A length typed on an appointment always wins. Estimates that haven't been priced yet are sized by square feet, as before.
On the iPhone
The appointment editor has an Arrival window picker with your company's windows for that day. Picking one moves the start time into it. Set time (no window) books an exact time instead. A new cleaning starts in the window that holds its time.
A cleaning's suggested length comes from its estimate's prices, using the same setup and dollars-per-hour settings as the office page.
More in Setup
Start here: setup checklistCreate your company accountApp Lock and Face IDCompany profile and logoYour account: name, password, email, deleteManaging your team on the office web pageServices offeredThe office web pageRate sets: standard and contract ratesPrice one surface the same as anotherSquare-foot pricing: bands or tiersService minimumStairs pricingUpholstery pricingAdd-ons and extra chargesPayment terms and card feesSales tax by stateTravel and mileageBranches, franchises and state licensesCurrency, metric and temperatureProposal wordingLead sourcesPromo codes and employee perk codesService reminders ("time for your next cleaning")Bluetooth laser measuresRoutes — the route owns the jobsW-9 and insurance certificate for commercial customersPrice sheets to print or exportConnect QuickBooks OnlineEmails when a customer answersWebhooks — send data to Zapier, Make or your CRMInvite your team and choose rolesPrice changes on site — as needed, within a limit, or lockedPermission to scan and photographPhotos & video notice (marketing and training)Required before sending ("stupid proofing")Screenshots, the security log, and people who leaveTraining coursesCondition charges — wool, woven, soil, petsWalls, countertops and bathroom fixturesPlan & BillingBooking accepted proposals in ZRWare (Zerorez)Export customers to a spreadsheetAutomatic follow-ups on proposalsOnline booking, deposits and cancellationsTeam chat — one on one, groups, photos and videosBring your customers in from QuickBooksZones (your service area by zip code)Bring customers in from a spreadsheetCapacities, time off and blocked timeFranchise systems — stores, zips and system totalsPayments — use your own processorSplitting revenue — secondary techs, multi-route jobs, and revenue after costsWhat you do — setting up your servicesDepartmentsLate fees on overdue invoicesRefunds — card payments and QuickBooksReports and sharingSwitching companiesMonthly goalsPreflight Leadership — one-on-ones, scorecards and personal goalsKudos and Employee of the Month