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Customer Self-Service - Viewing, Rescheduling, and Cancelling

10 minutes

Tutorial 18.4: Customer Self-Service - Viewing, Rescheduling, and Cancelling

Introduction

When self-service options are enabled (see Tutorial 18.2), customers can manage their own bookings without calling or emailing your salon. After completing a booking, customers receive a unique link that lets them view their appointment details, reschedule to a different time, or cancel if needed.

This tutorial explains how the customer self-service portal works, what customers can do, and how these actions appear in your salon's system.

Who this is for: Salon owners, administrators, and staff who want to understand how customers manage their own bookings.

What you'll learn:

  • How customers access their booking management page
  • The process for viewing booking details
  • How customers reschedule appointments
  • How customers cancel appointments
  • What you see when customers make changes

Time to complete: 10 minutes to read through

Prerequisites

Before this feature is available to customers:

  • Online booking must be enabled (Tutorial 18.1)
  • Self-service options must be configured in your settings (Tutorial 18.2):
    • Allow Rescheduling - Enable if you want customers to reschedule online
    • Allow Cancellation - Enable if you want customers to cancel online

How Customers Access Their Booking

Customers can access their booking management page in several ways:

From the Booking Confirmation Page

Immediately after completing a booking, customers see a Manage Booking button on the confirmation page. Clicking this opens their booking management page.

From Confirmation Emails

The booking confirmation email includes a link to manage the booking. This link is unique to each booking and doesn't require a login.

From Reminder Messages

If you send appointment reminders by email or SMS, these typically include a link to view or manage the booking.

Security Note: The management link contains a unique token that identifies the booking. Only someone with this link can view or modify the booking. This approach balances security with convenience - customers don't need to remember passwords.

Viewing Booking Details

When customers open their booking management page, they see comprehensive appointment details:

Booking Information

  • Booking Reference - The unique identifier (e.g., "LH-3KKEDW")
  • Date & Time - Full date, start time, and end time
  • Stylist - The assigned staff member's name
  • Service - List of all services with individual prices
  • Duration - Total appointment length
  • Total - Total price for all services
  • Special Requests - Any notes the customer added (only shown if provided)

Salon Details

  • Salon Name
  • Address - Where to find you
  • Phone - Click to call (on mobile devices)
  • Email - Click to send a message

Rescheduling a Booking

If you've enabled rescheduling in your settings, customers can move their appointment to a different date or time.

When Rescheduling is Available

The Reschedule Booking button appears when:

  • You've enabled Allow Rescheduling in settings
  • The current time is before the reschedule cutoff (e.g., more than 24 hours before the appointment)

If the cutoff has passed, the button won't appear, and a message explains that online rescheduling is no longer available.

The Rescheduling Process

Step 1: Click Reschedule Booking The customer clicks the reschedule button on their booking management page.

Step 2: View Current Booking They see a summary of their current appointment (date, time, stylist) at the top of the page.

Step 3: Select New Date A calendar appears showing available dates:

  • Available dates have a green background with a small dot indicator
  • Unavailable dates are greyed out and cannot be selected
  • A legend shows "Available" and "Selected" indicators
  • They can navigate between months using arrow buttons

Step 4: Select New Time After choosing a date, available time slots appear:

  • Slots are shown as clickable buttons (e.g., "9:00", "10:30", "14:00")
  • Only slots that can accommodate their services are shown

Step 5: Confirm Reschedule The customer clicks Confirm Reschedule to complete the change.

After Rescheduling

  • The booking management page updates to show the new date and time
  • A confirmation message appears
  • The customer's record in your system is updated automatically
  • The appointment moves to the new slot on your calendar

What You See in Luminate

When a customer reschedules:

  • The appointment updates to the new date/time
  • You can see the change in your appointments list and calendar
  • Staff members receive a notification email about the reschedule

Cancelling a Booking

If you've enabled cancellation in your settings, customers can cancel their appointment online.

When Cancellation is Available

The Cancel Booking button appears when:

  • You've enabled Allow Cancellation in settings
  • The current time is before the cancellation cutoff (e.g., more than 24 hours before the appointment)

If the cutoff has passed, the button won't appear, and a message explains that online cancellation is no longer available.

The Cancellation Process

Step 1: Click Cancel Booking The customer clicks the cancel button on their booking management page.

Step 2: Review Booking Details A confirmation dialog appears showing:

  • The appointment date and time
  • The services booked
  • A warning that cancellation cannot be undone

Step 3: Confirm Cancellation The customer clicks Cancel Booking to confirm, or Keep Booking to cancel the action.

After Cancellation

  • The booking management page shows a "Booking Cancelled" notice
  • The appointment status changes to "cancelled"
  • The time slot becomes available for other bookings
  • The customer no longer has access to reschedule options

What You See in Luminate

When a customer cancels:

  • The appointment shows as "cancelled" in your system
  • The slot is freed up for other bookings
  • You can see cancelled appointments in your appointments list (filtered by status)

Deadline Notifications

If a customer is approaching their reschedule or cancel deadline, the booking management page shows helpful information:

  • "Reschedule by Thu 22 Jan, 16:30" - Shows the deadline date and time when rescheduling is still available
  • "Cancel by Thu 22 Jan, 16:30" - Shows the deadline date and time when cancellation is still available

After the deadline passes:

  • The relevant button disappears
  • If they need to make changes, they'll need to contact your salon directly

Common Scenarios

Customer Wants to Change Services

Customers cannot add or remove services through self-service. They can only:

  • Reschedule (same services, different time)
  • Cancel (and book a new appointment with different services)

If a customer wants to change their services, they should contact your salon or cancel and rebook.

Customer Reschedules Multiple Times

Customers can reschedule as many times as they like, as long as they're within the cutoff window each time.

Customer Tries to Cancel After the Cutoff

The cancel button won't appear. The page will show a message indicating that online cancellation is no longer available, and they should contact the salon directly.

Customer Lost Their Management Link

Options include:

  • Check their email for the original confirmation or reminders
  • Contact your salon, who can provide appointment details
  • Book a new appointment and cancel the old one (if within cutoff)

Common Pitfalls

"Customer says they can't reschedule but I enabled it"

Check your reschedule hours setting. If set to 24 hours, customers can't reschedule within 24 hours of their appointment. Either reduce this setting or accept that late changes require salon intervention.

"Customers keep cancelling at the last minute"

Consider increasing your cancel hours setting. Moving from 24 to 48 hours gives you more notice. Alternatively, disable self-service cancellation entirely.

"We didn't know the customer rescheduled"

Staff notifications are sent when customers reschedule or cancel, but these may be missed. Consider:

  • Checking your email regularly for booking notifications
  • Reviewing upcoming appointments at the start of each day
  • Checking your appointments list for recent changes

"A cancelled slot wasn't filled"

Self-service cancellation frees the slot immediately, but doesn't notify other customers. Consider:

  • Posting last-minute availability on social media
  • Contacting waitlist customers manually
  • Using reminder messages to fill gaps

Tips for Managing Self-Service

  1. Set appropriate cutoffs - Balance customer convenience with your operational needs. 24 hours is a common starting point.

  2. Include your phone number - For customers who miss the cutoff, make it easy for them to call you.

  3. Monitor changes regularly - Check your appointments for recent changes, especially before busy periods.

  4. Communicate policies clearly - Include reschedule/cancel policies in your booking terms so customers know the rules upfront.

  5. Use the waitlist - When a customer cancels, check your waitlist for potential fill-ins.

Related Tutorials

  • Tutorial 18.1: Setting Up Online Booking for Your Salon - Initial setup
  • Tutorial 18.2: Managing Your Online Booking Settings - Configure self-service options
  • Tutorial 18.3: The Customer Booking Experience - The booking process
  • Tutorial 2.3: Working with the Waitlist - Fill cancelled slots

Frequently Asked Questions

Can customers reschedule to any date?

Customers can reschedule to any available slot within your booking constraints (maximum advance days, minimum lead time, and staff availability).

Does rescheduling send a new confirmation?

The booking management page updates immediately to show the new details. The customer should take note of the new time.

Can I disable self-service for specific bookings?

No, self-service settings apply to all online bookings. If you need more control over specific appointments, book them manually instead of through online booking.

What happens to the management link after cancellation?

The link still works, but shows a "Booking Cancelled" notice. Customers can't take further action on cancelled bookings.

Can customers partially cancel (remove one service)?

No, cancellation is all-or-nothing. To change services, customers must cancel and rebook, or contact your salon.

Is there a limit to how many times customers can reschedule?

No limit, as long as they're within the reschedule cutoff window each time they want to make a change.

How do I know if a booking was rescheduled vs originally booked at that time?

Currently, there's no indicator in the appointment details. The booking shows its current date/time. Consider checking appointment history or notes if you need to track changes.

Can staff use the same management link?

Staff can access any booking through the Luminate dashboard. The public management links are intended for customers.

Last Updated: January 2026