Booking Management
Overview
Booking Management is the heart of your autoGMS dashboard. It is where you create, track, and manage every service job that comes through your garage -- from the moment a customer walks in or calls, all the way through to job completion.
Whether you are running a single-bay workshop or a multi-bay operation, this feature helps your team stay organized, avoid double-bookings, and keep customers informed at every step.
Why it matters:
- Gives your entire team a shared, real-time view of every job in the garage
- Tracks every booking through clear stages so nothing falls through the cracks
- Helps you manage your garage capacity and plan your day effectively
- Keeps a complete record of services, pricing, and customer details for every job
How to Access
- Log in to your autoGMS dashboard.
- From the sidebar, select the garage you want to manage.
- Click Bookings in the sidebar navigation.
You will land on the Bookings page, which shows all of your garage's bookings in a table view by default. At the top of the page you will see tabs for List, Calendar, and -- depending on your feature settings -- Reminders and Service Plans.
In the page header you will also find a Refresh button to reload your data on demand, and a Settings button that takes you to your booking configuration page.
Key Features
- List View -- A searchable, filterable table of all your bookings with inline actions
- Calendar View -- A visual calendar showing bookings by day, week, or month with color-coded status cards
- Reminders Tab -- Schedule and manage service reminders for your customers (feature-flagged)
- Service Plans Tab -- View and manage recurring service plans for fleet customers (fleet mode only)
- Status Tracking -- Move bookings through Pending, Confirmed, In-Service, and Completed stages
- Smart Dispatch -- Automated technician assignment with skill matching when starting service
- Hold and Resume -- Pause an active job when waiting for parts or customer approval
- Pre-Inspection Integration -- Complete vehicle inspections before or during service
- Search and Filters -- Find any booking by customer name, phone number, plate number, or status
- Price Adjustments -- Update pricing directly from the bookings table
- Customer Type Filtering -- Filter between individual and business customers
- Real-Time Updates -- Bookings update live via WebSocket connections as changes happen across your team
Understanding Booking Statuses
Every booking in autoGMS moves through a clear set of stages. Think of it like a conveyor belt -- each job moves forward one step at a time.
The Status Flow
Pending --> Confirmed --> In-Service --> Completed
Any booking can also be Cancelled at any point before completion.
What Each Status Means
| Status | What it means | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | A new booking has been created but not yet reviewed. | Review the booking details and confirm it, or cancel if needed. |
| Confirmed | The booking has been approved and is scheduled for service. | When the vehicle arrives and you are ready to work on it, start the service. |
| In-Service | The job is actively being worked on in your garage. | Complete the work, confirm any inventory used, then mark the job as completed. |
| Completed | The service is finished. | The job is done. Revenue from this booking is now counted in your reports. |
| Cancelled | The booking was cancelled. | No further action needed. Cancelled bookings do not affect your revenue. |
Good to know: Bookings must move forward in order. You cannot skip from Pending directly to In-Service -- you must confirm it first. This keeps your records accurate and ensures nothing is missed.
On Hold
Sometimes a job needs to be paused -- maybe you are waiting for a part to arrive, or the customer needs to approve additional work. When a booking is In-Service, you can put it On Hold.
- On-hold jobs stay in the In-Service status but are clearly marked so your team knows they are paused.
- You must provide a reason and optional notes when placing a job on hold.
- When you are ready to continue, simply resume the job.
- The system tracks how long each job was on hold.
Step-by-Step Guide
Viewing Your Bookings List
The default view when you open Bookings is the List tab -- a table showing all your bookings.
What you will see:
- Two desktop summary cards above the table:
- Completed revenue (total from completed jobs only)
- Pipeline value (combined value of pending, confirmed, and in-service bookings)
- A table with columns for customer name, service, vehicle, date, status, and price
- Status filter chips at the top (Pending, Confirmed, In-Service, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled) with count badges next to each status
- A search bar to find specific bookings
- A customer type filter dropdown (All, Individual, Business)
- Pagination controls at the bottom with a page size selector
When the table is loading new data -- for example, after applying a filter or changing pages -- the existing rows fade slightly to indicate fresh data is on the way. There is no full-screen loading spinner, so you are never blocked from reading what is already on screen.
Filtering Bookings by Status
- Click any status chip to filter the table to show only bookings with that status.
- Each chip shows a count badge so you can see at a glance how many bookings are in that status.
- Click a selected chip again to remove that filter.
Searching for Bookings
Use the search bar at the top of the table to find bookings by:
- Customer first or last name
- Phone number
- License plate number
Results update as you type, with the search running against the server for accurate results across your full booking history.
Sorting Bookings
Click on any column header to sort by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order. Sorting is handled server-side, so it works correctly even when you have thousands of bookings across many pages. By default, bookings are sorted by date with the newest first.
Filtering by Customer Type
Use the customer type dropdown to show only Individual customers, only Business customers, or All customers. This is especially helpful when you need to focus on fleet jobs or personal vehicle services.
Using the Calendar View
The Calendar View gives you a visual overview of your bookings laid out on a calendar.
How to switch to Calendar View:
- On the Bookings page, click the Calendar tab at the top of the page.
The calendar component loads on demand, so there may be a brief moment the first time you switch to this view. Once loaded, the sidebar automatically collapses to give you more screen space for the calendar.
What you will see:
- A calendar grid with bookings shown as color-coded cards
- A toolbar at the top with navigation buttons (Previous, Today, Next), view options (Day, Week, Month), search, and status filters
- Each booking card shows the customer name, service type, and vehicle details
Calendar Views
| View | Best for |
|---|---|
| Day | Seeing all bookings for a single day in detail |
| Week | Planning your week and spotting busy days |
| Month | Getting a big-picture overview of your schedule |
Color Coding
Each booking card is color-coded by status:
- Amber/Yellow -- Pending
- Blue -- Confirmed
- Indigo/Purple -- In-Service
- Green -- Completed
Cancelled bookings are hidden from the calendar to keep it clean.
Capacity Indicators
If your garage has a maximum bookings-per-day setting configured, the calendar shows capacity information:
- In Week and Day views, each day header shows the booking count (e.g., "3/10" meaning 3 bookings out of a 10-booking capacity).
- In Month view, each cell shows a capacity badge.
- Days at full capacity are highlighted so you can spot them at a glance.
Searching in Calendar View
Use the search bar in the calendar toolbar to find bookings by customer name, phone number, or license plate.
Opening a Booking from the Calendar
Click on any booking card in the calendar to go directly to that booking's detail page.
Changing a Booking's Status
You can advance a booking through its statuses directly from the bookings table using the action buttons on each row.
Confirming a Pending Booking
- Find the booking in the list.
- Click the action button or actions menu on the booking row.
- Select Confirm.
- A confirmation dialog appears. Review the details and confirm.
What happens: The booking moves to Confirmed status. If the customer has an email on file and notifications are enabled, they receive a confirmation notification.
Starting Service on a Confirmed Booking (Smart Dispatch)
Starting service involves a guided workflow called Smart Dispatch that ensures every job is properly set up before work begins.
- Find the confirmed booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Start Service.
- Pre-inspection check -- If a pre-inspection is required for your garage and has not been completed, you will be prompted to complete it first. A modal opens to guide you through the inspection workflow.
- Technician assignment -- The TechnicianAssignmentModal opens, showing your available technicians with match scores based on skills and current workload. Select the best fit for the job.
- Confirm to start the service.
What happens: The booking moves to In-Service. A job card is automatically created and assigned -- you do not need to manually select a bay. The system handles bay allocation for you. The assigned technician is linked to the job, and the system begins tracking the service duration.
Good to know: You do not need to manually select a bay. autoGMS automatically creates a job card for each active job. The smart dispatch system suggests the best-available technician based on their skills, experience with the service type, and current workload, so you can make an informed assignment quickly.
Completing a Job
- Find the in-service booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Complete.
- Inventory confirmation -- If there are pending inventory items assigned to the job that have not been confirmed as used, you will be prompted to confirm them first.
- Pre-inspection check -- If a pre-inspection was required but not completed, you will be prompted to complete it.
- If any blockers remain, a blockers dialog will appear listing everything that needs to be resolved before the job can be completed.
- Once all requirements are met, confirm the completion.
What happens: The booking moves to Completed. Revenue is recorded and reflected in your reports and analytics. If review automation is configured, a review request may be sent to the customer.
Cancelling a Booking
- Find the booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Cancel.
- Add a note explaining the reason for cancellation, then confirm.
What happens: The booking is marked as Cancelled. Cancelled bookings do not count toward your revenue. This action cannot be undone.
Putting a Job On Hold and Resuming
Putting a Job On Hold
- Find an In-Service booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Hold.
- Select a reason from the dropdown (e.g., waiting for parts, customer approval needed).
- Add any notes explaining the hold.
- Click Confirm.
What you will see: The booking shows an "On Hold" badge with the reason. The status remains In-Service, but the hold is clearly visible to your whole team in both the list and calendar views.
Resuming a Job
- Find the on-hold booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Resume.
What happens: The hold is lifted and the job is active again. The system records how long the job was on hold.
Running a Pre-Inspection
If your organization has pre-inspection enabled, you can launch it from the bookings table at any time.
- Find the booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Pre-inspection.
- A workflow modal opens guiding you through the inspection process.
Pre-inspections can be completed before starting service (recommended) or during the In-Service phase. If your organization has set pre-inspections as mandatory, the system will require them before allowing status transitions.
Setting a Reminder
If the service reminders feature is enabled for your garage:
- Find the booking in the list.
- Click the actions menu and select Set Reminder.
- A dialog opens where you can configure when and how the customer should be reminded about their next service.
Good to know: Reminders are a separate feature that can be managed in bulk from the Reminders tab. Setting a reminder from a booking row is a quick shortcut for individual bookings.
Adjusting Prices
You can adjust a booking's price directly from the bookings table.
- In the bookings list, find the price column for the booking you want to adjust.
- Click on the price to open the price adjustment control.
- Enter the new price or apply a discount/surcharge.
- Confirm the change.
What happens: The final price is updated. The system keeps track of the original price and all adjustments made, so you always have a full audit trail.
Good to know: Price adjustments can only be made on bookings that are not yet completed or cancelled.
Using the Reminders Tab
If your garage has the service reminders feature enabled, you will see a Reminders tab on the Bookings page.
Click the tab to open the ServiceRemindersTab, which gives you a dedicated interface for managing all service reminders across your customer base. A help tooltip is available in the tab header -- click it to learn how the reminder system works, including automation rules and delivery channels.
For full details on reminders, see the Service Reminders documentation.
Using the Service Plans Tab
If your garage has fleet mode enabled in garage settings, you will see a Service Plans tab on the Bookings page.
This tab shows all active and past service plans for your fleet customers. Service plans define recurring maintenance schedules for fleet vehicles, making it easy to manage ongoing service agreements with business accounts.
Good to know: The Service Plans tab only appears when fleet mode is active. If you do not see it, check your garage settings or contact your administrator.
Handling Missing Customer Email
When performing certain actions -- such as sending confirmations or invoices -- autoGMS may detect that the customer does not have an email address on file. When this happens, a dialog prompts you to enter the customer's email before proceeding.
This ensures that email-based communications and invoices can be delivered without interruption.
Row Actions Reference
Here is a complete reference of the actions available on each booking row, depending on the booking's current status:
| Action | Available when | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| View | Any status | Opens the full booking detail page |
| Confirm | Pending | Moves the booking to Confirmed status |
| Start Service | Confirmed | Launches the smart dispatch workflow (pre-inspection, technician assignment, status change) |
| Complete | In-Service | Marks the job as completed (after inventory and pre-inspection checks) |
| Cancel | Pending, Confirmed, In-Service | Cancels the booking with a required note |
| Pre-inspection | Pending, Confirmed, In-Service | Opens the pre-inspection workflow modal |
| Hold | In-Service | Puts the job on hold with a reason and notes |
| Resume | In-Service (on hold) | Lifts the hold and resumes the job |
| Set Reminder | Any active status | Opens the create reminder dialog (if reminders feature is enabled) |
Tips and Best Practices
-
Start each day by checking Pending bookings. Confirm them early so your team knows what is coming and your customers receive timely confirmation notifications.
-
Use status filters to focus. Filter by "In-Service" to see only active jobs, or by "Confirmed" to see what is scheduled next. The count badges on each chip make it easy to spot where your attention is needed.
-
Use the Calendar View for planning. The week view is especially helpful for seeing how busy each day is and balancing your workload across the week.
-
Complete pre-inspections before starting service. While the system allows you to complete them during In-Service, doing them upfront catches issues early and avoids delays once work has started.
-
Let smart dispatch guide technician selection. The match scores in the technician assignment modal take into account skills, experience, and current workload. Trust the suggestions, but override when you know better -- you know your team.
-
Use On Hold when waiting. Rather than leaving a job idle, put it on hold with a clear reason. This tells your team exactly why work has stopped and helps you track delays accurately.
-
Check capacity indicators. If you have a max bookings-per-day setting, watch the calendar capacity badges to avoid overbooking. Days at full capacity are highlighted so they stand out.
-
Refresh if something looks off. Click the Refresh button in the page header to pull the latest data. The system updates in real time via live connections, but a manual refresh can help if you suspect stale data.
-
Keep vehicle details complete. Adding VIN and license plate numbers makes it easier to find bookings later using search, and keeps your customer records accurate.
-
Use the customer type filter for fleet work. When managing a mix of individual and business customers, switch the dropdown to "Business" to focus on fleet jobs that may need consolidated invoicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip a status? For example, go directly from Pending to In-Service?
No. Bookings must follow the sequence: Pending, then Confirmed, then In-Service, then Completed. This ensures every job goes through proper review before work begins.
What happens if I complete a job by mistake?
You can reopen a completed job, which moves it back to In-Service. The system will recalculate costs when you complete it again. This is useful for fixing errors without losing the booking record.
Can I cancel a completed booking?
No. Once a booking is completed, it cannot be cancelled. If you need to reverse a completed job, reopen it first (which moves it back to In-Service), and then cancel it from there.
Do cancelled bookings affect my revenue?
No. Only completed bookings contribute to your revenue figures.
What does "On Hold" mean? Is it a separate status?
On Hold is not a separate status -- it is a flag on In-Service bookings. The booking remains In-Service but is clearly marked as paused. Your team can see the reason for the hold, and the system tracks hold duration.
I see "Pre-inspection required" when trying to start service. What do I do?
If your organization has the pre-inspection feature enabled with a "required" policy, every job must have a pre-inspection completed before it can move to In-Service or be completed. The system will prompt you to complete the pre-inspection when you try to advance the booking. Follow the on-screen workflow to complete it.
What are inventory confirmations?
When parts or materials from your inventory are assigned to a job, they need to be confirmed as used before the job can be completed. This ensures your inventory records stay accurate. If there are unconfirmed inventory items, the system will prompt you to confirm them before allowing completion.
How does the search work?
The search bar in the list view searches by customer first name, last name, phone number, and license plate number. The search runs against the server, so it works across your full booking history regardless of which page you are viewing. Results update as you type.
What is the blockers dialog?
When you try to advance a booking's status and there are outstanding requirements -- such as an incomplete pre-inspection or unconfirmed inventory items -- a blockers dialog appears listing everything that needs to be resolved first. Address each item in the list, then try the status change again.
Will my customers receive notifications when I change a booking's status?
If you have email and/or WhatsApp notifications enabled in your garage settings, customers will automatically receive messages when their booking status changes (for example, when confirmed, when service starts, and when completed). You can configure which status changes trigger notifications in your garage notification settings.
What is the capacity indicator on the calendar?
If you have set a maximum number of bookings per day in your garage settings, the calendar shows how many bookings are scheduled versus your limit (for example, "5/10"). This helps you avoid overbooking. Days at full capacity are highlighted.
What is smart dispatch?
Smart dispatch is the automated workflow that runs when you start service on a booking. It checks for pre-inspection requirements, presents a technician assignment modal with match scores based on skills and workload, and handles the status transition and job card creation in one smooth flow. You do not need to manually select bays -- the system handles that automatically.
I do not see the Reminders tab. How do I enable it?
The Reminders tab is controlled by the service-reminders feature flag. If you do not see it, the feature may not be enabled for your garage. Contact your administrator to enable service reminders in your organization's feature settings.
I do not see the Service Plans tab. Where is it?
The Service Plans tab only appears when fleet mode is enabled in your garage settings. If your garage does not work with fleet or business customers on recurring service agreements, you may not need this feature. To enable it, go to your garage settings and turn on fleet mode.
Can I create bookings for multiple vehicles at once?
Yes. When creating a booking for a business customer with registered fleet vehicles, you can select multiple vehicles and create bookings for all of them in one go. You can assign the same service to all vehicles or choose different services for each.
Why can I not change the service on my booking?
Services can only be changed on bookings that are in Pending, Confirmed, or In-Service status. If the booking is completed or cancelled, the service is locked. Also, only services that have pricing set for the booking's vehicle type will appear in the dropdown.
Do bookings update in real time?
Yes. autoGMS uses WebSocket connections to push live updates to your bookings page. When a colleague changes a booking's status, assigns a technician, or updates details, your view refreshes automatically. If you ever notice something that looks out of date, use the Refresh button in the page header.