Set your booking rules before you switch anything on

What does an AI tool need to know before it can book?

Everything a new receptionist would need on day one. The tool doesn't know that a cut takes longer on thick hair, or that your plumber won't start a job after three. If you haven't told it, it either guesses or books anything that fits an empty gap.

Guessing is where wrong bookings come from. AI tools sometimes state invented details as if they were true, which researchers call hallucination¹. Fixed rules in the settings leave it less to invent.

Most scheduling software has a similar set of functions, including schedule access control and the ability to book a meeting room or equipment². Those settings are where your rules go.

How long does each service take?

Write one length for each service you offer. Include setup and clean-up if they block the calendar, not only the time with the customer.

Be honest about the services that vary. A first visit usually runs longer than a repeat. If the length depends on the customer's answer, ask the question first, then let the tool choose the length. Or mark that service "person decides".

Do you need gaps between bookings?

Probably. A gap between bookings is called a buffer. It covers cleaning, resetting a chair, loading the van or travelling to the next address.

Decide two things for each service: is there a buffer, and does it come before, after or both? Put it in the settings so the customer never sees it but the calendar blocks it.

For visits at a customer's home, arrival windows matter more than exact times. Software built for mobile workforces often narrows customer wait windows to around 60 minutes². Pick a window you can keep, not the shortest one a tool allows.

What are your hours, really?

List opening hours, but also the hours when each person works. A salon can be open all day while one stylist only works Tuesday to Thursday. Then add the things that break the pattern:

• public holidays and local closures
• staff leave and training days
• lunch or admin blocks you want left empty
• seasonal changes

The tool can only offer what the calendar shows. If your block-outs live in your head, they won't be respected.

What limits should the tool respect?

Limits stop a good tool from being used badly. Think about:

• how far ahead a customer can book, and how late they can book the same day
• how many bookings one customer can hold at once
• which services need a person to approve them first
• which staff member or room each service needs, since software can book rooms and equipment too²
• how much notice you need for a change or cancellation

That last one links to reschedules and cancellations, where the tool applies a rule you've already chosen.

Which requests should never be left to the tool?

Decide this now, not after the first bad booking. Write a short list of "send to a person" cases: unusual jobs, complaints, urgent problems, anything outside your services. The hand-over page goes through them.

Who owns the rules?

One named person. Rules change, and someone has to change them when a service gets longer or a staff member leaves.

Check them on a schedule. Set a reminder to look over the settings after any change to prices, staff or hours, because the tool won't notice on its own.