Locations Overview
Pricing Tier: All
Appointment Version: Single & Multiple
What is a Location?
The Locations function in the system allows your account to be expanded to an unlimited number of Locations, all sharing the same database and reporting functions.
For example, a physical therapy business that has three separate physical office facilities that can all be set up under one account. You have many options when setting up multiple Locations, including default sharing of preferences, Staff Members and Services.
Each Location receives its own Site Administration page. The Location that you are looking at from your Site Administration page (if you have more than one Location set up) can be determined by viewing the drop-down menu at the very top of the page called Location.
Unless you have set up new Locations, your Location drop down menu at the top of Site Administration will only have one option.
In addition to utilizing the multiple Locations functions for true locations, many clients utilize the Locations functionality to separate and distinguish different aspects or types of their business. When doing so, the system allows the term Locations to be changed within your account. For example, a school utilizing the system to schedule its parent-teacher conferences might utilize a new Location to schedule Appointments or practice sessions for the ball fields. In this scenario, the client might opt to use the term Department rather than Location. This change can be made from the Settings section on the Terms page.
It is important to note that the billing system is a Location-based system. Therefore, as Locations are added in the system, your base billing price will be affected.
Another important change that takes place in the system as new Locations are added to your account is the effect on the Customer View of the system. When you add new Locations, the Customer View will display a list that will prompt your Customers to select the Location for the Appointment. The Location list on the Customer View is by default the first menu the Customers must select from in the Appointment scheduling process.
Setting Up a New Location
You will be prompted to enter information for the new Location (which, except for name, can be the same as the main Location). This can include physical and website address details.
Configuring the Location’s Settings
The remaining activities for setting up a new Location will dictate the initial configuration.
One decision you’ll need to make is to create the Location based off of:
Headquarters Values or,
another Location that has been set up as a template.
The two options are described next.
Use of Headquarter Values
As noted above, when setting up a new Location for your account, the system prompts you to decide whether you want to use (or share) values from your Headquarters Location. Your Headquarters Location is the first Location that is set up on the account. If you will be setting up additional Locations, it is recommended that you add an identifier designation to the Headquarters Location such as "main."
Headquarters values that are shared include the following:
Preferences
Services
Therefore, when setting up a new Location, you must decide whether you want these values to be shared between the Locations. The practical effect of sharing such values includes the elimination of separate Settings preferences for the new Location. In fact, from the new Location you will not even be able to access the Settings section without switching back to the Headquarters Location and accessing the preferences. Preference changes at the Headquarters Location will affect all existing Locations sharing values.
Use of a Location Template
While using Headquarters Values is a good way to establish consistency between your various Locations, it can limit the ability for Location Administrators to modify settings for a specific Location. Using a Location Template to create a new Location allows you to establish the initial settings based on another Location but does not impact the Location when the template’s settings are changed.
How to Set a Location Template
Any existing Location can be a template. You may also have more than one Location as a template. It is recommended that you review the Settings of the Location you wish to use as a template. To do this, choose that Location from the dropdown field in the upper right corner, click Settings and click through the preference pages.
To make an existing Location a template option:
Click Lists.
Click the desired Location's name.
Review the Location’s information and ensure that it is not sharing Headquarter Values.
If the Location is not sharing, click the checkbox for Use this Location as a template.
Click Update.
To create a Location from an existing Location Template:
Click Lists.
Click Add New Location.
Enter Location details as required
Specifically:
Set Headquarters Values to No.
From the Location Template dropdown field, select a Location
Complete additional configuration as appropriate and, when complete, click the Update and Continue
NOTE: Any modifications made to settings within the Lists tab are applied to all Locations, including those Locations that are not set to share Headquarters Values.
Changing Locations
If you have more than one Location set up, you can access each Location from Site Administration by going to the drop-down menu at the top of Site Administration for the designated Location. Select the Location from the drop-down menu you want to access. The page will refresh with the appropriate Location data.
Location Preferences
The Location preference settings for your Headquarters Location are important when adding new Locations. These preference settings can be viewed by doing the following:
Go to your Headquarters Location Site Administration page. This is done by going to the Locations drop down menu at the top of the page and selecting your Headquarters Location.
From you Headquarters Site Administration page, click on the Settings tab at the top.
On the left side of the page, you will find the Preferences pages.
Click on the Locations link under Preferences.
Carefully review the Locations preference settings. The options chosen here will be important to determine which Locations your customers can schedule with or whether Staff Members can be assigned to more than one Location. In the event that you choose to allow Staff Members to be assigned to more than one Location, you also have the option of setting up separate Staff Member schedules for each Location to which they are assigned. This is accomplished through each Staff Member's profile.
NOTE: Please remember when setting up a Staff Member's schedule for two or more Locations, do not overlap the hours between Locations.