Take time off without missing a client

Block vacation days and holidays from your booking page, keep shorter breaks free, set a holiday phone greeting, and let people know you're away.

Rest is part of the work. Before you go, close your calendar for those days, tell callers and anyone who writes, and move any sessions already booked. It takes about 15 minutes.

Before you start

• Time: 10 to 15 minutes.
• You need: your dates, and a list of sessions already booked in that time (Calendar > Appointments > Upcoming).
• Good to know: blocking dates stops new bookings. It doesn't cancel or move sessions already on your calendar.

Step 1: Block the days off

1. Go to Calendar > My Availability. Check your name is selected under Team member.
2. Under Blackout Dates, click Add Blackout.
3. Choose the dates, add a reason if you like ("Vacation"), and click Save Blackout Date.

See Set when clients can book you.

Step 2: Block shorter stretches

For an afternoon or a few hours, start a new appointment and choose Blocked off time instead of Appointment: Calendar > Appointments > New Appointment. No contact is needed. See See, reschedule and cancel your appointments.

Step 3: Move sessions already booked

Open each session in your time away and use Reschedule in its row, or contact the client first and agree a new time. Use Cancel (not Delete) if a session isn't happening, so you keep a record.

Step 4: Set a holiday phone greeting (if you have a number)

1. Go to Phone System > Settings, Pre-call Greetings, and click New Pre-call Greeting.
2. Choose the Holiday type, type your message ("You've reached Maple Coaching. I'm away until Monday the 14th..."), and click Save Greeting.
3. Edit it to set the start and end dates. The card shows them as Active: with the date range.

See Set your call greetings and voicemail.

Step 5: Let people who write to you know

Two ways to tell people who email or text you that you're away:

• A saved reply. Create an "Away" message template ("Thanks for your note. I'm away until the 14th and will reply when I'm back.") and insert it when you check in. See Reuse replies with message templates.
• A temporary workflow. Trigger Customer Replied, action Send Email with your away note. Click Save, switch Inactive to Active before you leave, and back to Inactive when you're home. See Build your first workflow.

Check it worked

• Your booking links show no times on the days you're away.
• The holiday greeting card shows the right Active: dates.

If something's off

• Days off still show times: the session's Hours tab is offering them. See the warning in Step 1.
• The away email went to the same person many times: in the workflow's Settings tab, turn off Allow Re-entry so each person gets it once.
• The holiday greeting plays on the wrong days: check the Active: dates on its card.