Two tools keep the calendar honest. Blocked time keeps a lunch or a training session from being booked. The waitlist keeps track of clients who wanted a slot you didn't have, so you can call them when one opens.
Block time
Pick the time
On the calendar, select an empty time in the team member's column and choose Block this time. Or select Add → Block time, then select the time.
Choose the type
Check the Team member, then choose a type: Lunch, Break, Training, Meeting, Personal, Other, or one your business added.
Set the times
A new block starts at the next quarter hour today (or noon on another day) and runs for the type's usual length. Change From and To if you need to; the length shows underneath.
Add a reason
Type a Reason if it helps, such as "Supplier visit". It shows on the block.
Save
Select Block time.
Blocked time shows as a grey striped block with its type's emoji, so it never looks like a booking. Online booking won't offer it.
Your own blocked time types
Under Settings → Booking → Blocked time types, add a type with a name, an emoji and a usual length, such as "Admin time, 30 minutes". Counts as sets its calendar icon and, unless you choose otherwise under Pay, whether the time is paid inside a shift, by your payroll rule for that kind. Choose Paid or Unpaid to decide for the type itself. A change to pay applies to blocks saved from then on; blocks already on timesheets keep their pay. Rename, reorder or archive a type; one no block uses can be deleted. To change or remove it, select the block, edit it and select Save, or select Remove.
The waitlist
Select Waitlist in the calendar toolbar. The count beside it shows how many clients are waiting.
Add a client to the waitlist
Start an entry
In the waitlist, select Add to waitlist.
Choose the client
Search for the client and select them, then select Next.
Choose the service
Pick what they want. Choose a team member, or leave Any team member.
Choose when
Under Preferred date and time, pick a Date (or Any date) and a time: Any time, Morning, Afternoon or Evening, or a From and To. Use Add another time if they can do several.
Save
Add any Notes, then select Save.
Book someone from the waitlist
Find them under Waiting and select Book appointment. The booking panel opens with their details. Their ⋮ menu also has View client, Messages and Remove.
Fill a cancelled slot
When an appointment is cancelled or marked as a no-show, Owneli checks the waitlist for a match. A message names the best match, with Notify them.
To have Owneli do this for you, turn on Auto-offer when a slot frees up in the waitlist. Choose Best match only or Notify all matches. Matching clients get a one-tap link to claim the slot, and Pending offers shows each offer with the time it has left.
Choose who gets offered first
The order is set for the whole business under Settings → Booking → Online booking, in Waitlist:
| Option | Who comes first |
|---|---|
| Highest value first | The entry worth the most (the default) |
| Longest waiting first | Whoever joined earliest |
| Manual only | Nobody is sorted or offered automatically. The team chooses. |
You can also re-sort the list for yourself with the sort button at the top of the waitlist.
Check it worked
- A new block appears on the calendar straight away, with Time blocked.
- A new waitlist entry appears under Waiting, with Added to waitlist. Once booked, it moves to Booked. Entries past their dates move to Expired.
- ⋮ → Waitlist reports shows how many entries you take, how many are booked, and how long clients wait.
If something goes wrong
"End time must be after the start time"
The To time is earlier than From. Fix one of them.
A client on the waitlist didn't get an offer
Auto-offer is off, their dates or times don't match the freed slot, or the priority is Manual only.