Booking Troubleshooting - Fix Reservation Issues

Booking and availability issues often have simple causes. This guide helps you diagnose and fix common problems.

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No Availability Showing

Common Causes

When customers or staff can't see available time slots:

1. Timeslot Not Valid for Date

Timeslots can be seasonal: - Check timeslot Valid From month - Check timeslot Valid Through month - Dates outside this range won't show availability

Example: A "Summer Season" timeslot valid June-August won't show in September.

2. Wrong Day of Week

Timeslots are day-specific: - Check which days the timeslot applies to - Weekend timeslots don't show on weekdays - Weekday timeslots don't show on weekends

3. No Units Available

All units may be booked: - Check existing bookings for that date - Verify unit quantity settings - Check unit timeslot availability limits

4. Duration Requirements

Timeslots have min/max duration: - Requested duration may be too short - Requested duration may exceed maximum - Check timeslot duration settings

Diagnosing Availability

Step 1: Check the Calendar 1. Go to Bookings → Calendar in the navbar 2. Navigate to the date in question 3. See what's already booked

Step 2: Check Timeslot Settings 1. Go to Account → Timeslots 2. Find the relevant timeslot 3. Check: - Valid dates (seasonal) - Days of week - Duration settings

Step 3: Check Unit Settings 1. Go to Account → Fleets → Unit 2. Check quantity available 3. Check which timeslots are assigned

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Missing Bookings

Can't Find a Booking

Step 1: Search - Use the search bar - Try: confirmation number, customer name, email, phone - Remove any filters that might hide it

Step 2: Check Status Filters - Booking may be in a different status - Check "All" statuses instead of just "Active" - Cancelled bookings are hidden by default

Step 3: Check Date Range - Make sure you're looking at the right dates - The booking may have been modified - Check for any date/time changes

Step 4: Check Account - If you have multiple accounts, switch accounts - Booking may be in a different location

Booking Shows Wrong Status

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Can't Check In or Check Out

Check-In Not Working

Check booking status: - Must be "Reserved" to check in - Already "Rented" = already checked in - "Pending" or "Checkout" = not yet paid

Check timing: - Some businesses require check-in near scheduled time - Too early or too late may show warning (but usually allowed)

Check permissions: - Your user role allows check-ins? - May need admin or staff role

Check-Out Not Working

Check booking status: - Must be "Rented" to check out - "Reserved" = not checked in yet - "Returned" = already checked out

Check for balance due: - Outstanding balance may block completion - Collect payment before final check-out

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Calendar Conflicts

Double Bookings

RecSystems prevents double-booking under normal circumstances. If it happened:

How it might occur: 1. Dashboard booking while customer checking out 2. System issue during high load 3. Multiple staff booking same slot simultaneously

How to resolve: 1. Identify which booking should stand 2. Contact affected customer 3. Cancel or reschedule the other booking 4. Offer compensation if needed

Prevention: - Use soft holds (enabled by default) - Check calendar before manual bookings - Communicate with team about bookings in progress

Overlapping Times

Check for: - Bookings that start before previous ends - Insufficient turnaround time - Multi-day bookings overlapping

Resolution: - Adjust one booking's times - Move to different unit if available - Cancel and rebook if necessary

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Cart Expired

What Happens

• Carts expire after 15 minutes (configurable)
• Items released back to availability
• Customer must start over

Why Expiration Exists

• Prevents inventory hoarding
• Ensures fairness for all customers
• Keeps availability accurate

Extending Cart Time

For individual cart: - Not possible once expired - Customer starts new booking

Adjusting default time: - Account settings control hold duration - Contact support to adjust if needed

Customer Complaining

"I was in the middle of booking and lost my cart!"

Response: - Apologize for the inconvenience - Explain the hold time limit - Help them rebook quickly - If no longer available, offer alternatives

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Modification Issues

Can't Change Dates

Check: - Booking status (some statuses can't be modified) - New dates have availability - Changes are within your policy

After check-in: - Modifications are limited - Return time can usually be extended - Major changes may need cancellation/rebooking

Can't Change Unit

Unit swaps happen in the cart's Modify mode via the Swap Unit button — no need to cancel and rebook.

If the Swap Unit button is missing or disabled, check: - New unit is available for the booking's time window (only available units appear in the swap list) - Your role — employees and admins can swap; viewers cannot - Has the rental window ended? After the booking's end time, only an admin can swap the unit. Staff see: "This booking has ended. Only an admin can swap the unit after the rental window." Ask an admin to make the change. - Account settings — owners can disable unit swaps account-wide (rare)

See Changing a Booking for the full swap walkthrough and pricing options.

Equipment Breakdown During a Rental

Dead battery, engine trouble, flat tire — the customer needs a different unit now:

1. Open the cart and click Modify
2. Click Swap Unit on the affected booking
3. Pick an available replacement
4. Choose Keep original price (the breakdown wasn't the customer's fault)
5. Finalize — booking, calendar, and records update automatically

Then: put the broken unit in maintenance mode so it can't be booked until it's repaired.

Any staff member can do this mid-rental — a manager is only needed if the rental window has already ended.

Can't Add Items

Check: - Cart may already be completed - Items need availability for same dates - Try creating a new cart/order

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Status Stuck

Booking Won't Update

If payment was made but status is "Checkout": 1. Wait 1-2 minutes (webhook processing) 2. Refresh the page 3. Check payment in cart details 4. Contact support if still stuck

If check-in won't register: 1. Verify your role has permission 2. Try refreshing and checking in again 3. Check for any error messages 4. Clear browser cache and retry

Cart Stuck in Processing

If payment seems stuck: 1. Don't retry immediately 2. Wait 30 seconds 3. Check if booking was created 4. If yes, payment worked 5. If no, try payment again

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Email Issues

Confirmation Not Received

Check: 1. Customer email spelled correctly? 2. Ask customer to check spam/junk 3. Email may be delayed (usually instant) 4. Resend confirmation from booking details

Wrong Information in Email

Resolution: 1. Update booking with correct info 2. Resend confirmation email 3. Apologize to customer for confusion

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Quick Reference

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Getting More Help

Information to Collect

When contacting support about bookings:

1. Booking/cart confirmation number
2. Customer details
3. Dates and times involved
4. Current status
5. What you're trying to do
6. Error messages (screenshots help)

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Related Articles

• Common Issues
• Booking Basics
• Changing a Booking
• Calendar View
• Maintenance Mode