Roster vs Opening Hours

A common question is why the staff schedule (roster) is separate from business opening hours. This guide explains the difference and how they work together.

The Difference

Staff Schedule (Roster)

Purpose: When each staff member is available for bookings
Location: Team > Schedule
Affects: Online booking availability, calendar blocks
Per-person: Each staff has their own schedule

Business Opening Hours

Purpose: When your business is officially open
Location: Settings > Business Info
Affects: Marketplace profile, Google Business integration
Per-business: Same for all staff

Why They're Separate

Flexibility

Staff can work outside business hours (early/late appointments)
Some staff may work part-time or different days
Shifts can vary by location

Accuracy

Not all staff work all opening hours
Different staff may cover different days
Part-time staff shouldn't show as "available" all day

Real-World Examples

Scenario 1: Part-time Staff

Business opens 9:00-18:00
Part-time stylist works only mornings (9:00-13:00)
Their schedule shows 9:00-13:00
Customers can only book with them in the morning

Scenario 2: Extended Hours

Business "officially" opens 9:00-18:00
Senior stylist offers evening appointments (18:00-20:00)
Their schedule extends beyond opening hours
VIP customers can book late appointments

Scenario 3: Multi-Location

Business has 2 locations
Staff member works mornings at Location A
Same staff works afternoons at Location B
Their schedule reflects this split

How Online Booking Works

When a customer books online:

System checks staff schedules (not opening hours)
Shows available time slots based on who's working
If no staff scheduled, no slots available
Opening hours are informational only

Setting Up Correctly

Step 1: Set Business Opening Hours

Go to Settings > Business Info
Set your official opening/closing times
These appear on your marketplace profile

Step 2: Set Staff Schedules

Go to Team > Schedule
Schedule each staff member's shifts
Use repeating patterns for consistency
These control actual booking availability

Step 3: Verify

Check online booking page
Confirm slots appear only when staff are scheduled
Test booking at edge times

The Info Message

On the Schedule page, you'll see:

"The team roster shows your availability for bookings and is not linked to your business standard opening hours. To set your standard opening hours, click here."

This reminds you that:

Roster = booking availability
Opening hours = separate setting
Click the link to edit opening hours

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: No Staff Scheduled

Opening hours set: 9:00-18:00
No staff shifts created
Result: Zero booking availability!
Fix: Schedule staff shifts

Mistake 2: Expecting Auto-Sync

Changing opening hours doesn't change staff schedules
They're intentionally independent
Staff schedules need manual updates

Mistake 3: Over-Scheduling

Staff scheduled 9:00-18:00 every day
But they actually work part-time
Result: Overbooking, no-shows
Fix: Match schedules to actual availability

Use case scenarios

Scenario 1: Salon open but staff off

Salon hours 9-18, but Monday all stylists are off training. Online booking shows "no availability Monday" because staff schedule has no shifts. Salon hours irrelevant for booking.

Scenario 2: Staff working before opening

Anna does prep at 8am for a 9am customer. Her staff schedule is 8-17 even though salon hours are 9-17. Bookings can land at 9am+ for her.

Scenario 3: SEO-focused business hours

Set salon hours 9-18 for Google Maps and your website. Internal staff schedule reflects actual coverage (which may be narrower).

Tips

Salon hours = marketing: SEO, Google, customer trust.
Staff schedules = bookings: actual availability source.
Update staff schedules when hours change: business hours don't auto-sync.
Check before going live: empty schedule = no online bookings.

Roster vs salon opening hours, what each controls