Seasons

Run a regular service only part of the year, or at a different frequency, hours and price outside its season, and email customers before each change.

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What it is#

Much outdoor work changes with the year. A lawn may need cutting every week in summer and not at all in winter. A season lets one regular service carry both patterns, so you do not have to end it in autumn and add it again in spring.

A seasonal service has an in-season part, with its dates repeated every year, and a rest of year part, which is either no visits or its own frequency.

When to use it#

Use it for any regular service whose frequency changes at the same points each year. If the change is a one-time break, such as a customer away for a month, pause the property instead.

How to do it#

  1. Open the sheet with Add a regular service, or with Change this service on the customer's record.
  2. Under Visit frequency, set the in-season frequency, then untick All year.
  3. Set In season: the start day and month, and the end day and month. These repeat every year. The dates start at 15 March to 31 October until you change them.
  4. Under Rest of year, choose No visits, or set a frequency for the rest of the year.
  5. If the rest of the year has visits, fill in Hours per visit, rest of year and either Price per visit, rest of year (£) or Hourly rate, rest of year (£).
  6. Read the summary line under the control to check the pattern is right.
  7. Tick Email the customer a week before each change if you want the customer told. It is off unless you tick it.
  8. Press Add service to save it.

What your customer sees#

If you ticked the email, the customer gets an email from your business 7 days before each change:

  • When the season starts again: Your visits at the address start again. It gives the frequency and the date they start, and says you will confirm the day of the first visit nearer the time.
  • When the frequency changes for the rest of the year: Your visits at the address are changing. It gives the date, the new frequency and the price a visit.
  • When the season ends with no visits until the next: Your last visit of the season. It gives the week of the last visit and the date visits start again.

These emails give days and weeks only, never a clock time. If the tick is off, the customer is sent nothing about the change.

What happens next#

The diary follows the season on its own. Inside the season, visits are placed at the in-season frequency. Outside it, visits stop, or follow the rest of year frequency with its own hours and price.

The team member sees only the visits that are placed, so their page follows the season too.

Good to know#

  • The season is set per service. Two services at one property can have different seasons.
  • 29 February is never offered as a season edge.
  • In automatic mode ("Let the diary plan itself") the diary places the visits of each part for you. In self mode ("I place visits myself") each visit waits for you to choose its slot, whichever part of the year it falls in.
  • A season is not a pause. Nothing is ended and the service keeps its place on the customer's record all year.

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