Managing Bookings - Artist Guide
Handle booking requests, manage your calendar, and communicate with clients
- Artist Dashboard Overview
- Managing Booking Requests
- Approved Requests
- Booked Requests
- Calendar Management
- Completing Sessions
- Notifications
- Navigation
- Booking Workflow Summary
- Best Practices
- Common Scenarios
- Troubleshooting
- Next Steps
- Need Help?
Managing Bookings
Learn how to efficiently handle booking requests, manage your appointment calendar, track revenue, and provide excellent client communication through TattooReserve.
Artist Dashboard Overview
Your dashboard provides a comprehensive view of your business performance and booking activity.
Revenue & Performance Metrics
Financial Overview:
- Deposits This Week - Total deposits collected in current week
- Deposits This Month - Monthly deposit revenue
- Projected Next 7 Days - Expected revenue from upcoming sessions
- Total Revenue This Month - Complete monthly revenue including final payments
- Projected Monthly Revenue - Estimated total for the month
- YTD Deposits - Year-to-date deposit collection
- YTD Total Revenue - Complete year-to-date earnings
- Average Session Value - Mean booking value
Note: Use the refresh button to ensure metrics are current.
Booking Status Overview
Reserve Request Counts:
- Submitted - New requests awaiting your review
- Approved - Requests you've approved, waiting for client payment
- Booked - Confirmed appointments with deposits paid
- Rescheduled - Sessions that have been rescheduled
Completion Tracking:
- Completed This Week - Sessions finished this week
- Completed This Month - Monthly completion count
- Completed This Year - Annual session total
Schedule Preview:
- Today's Schedule - Current day appointments
- Upcoming 7 Days - Week ahead preview with calendar link
- Needs Your Attention - Requests requiring approval
Quick Actions & Settings
Quick Actions:
- Review Requests - Jump to pending requests
- View Calendar - Open calendar view
- Reschedule - Manage reschedule requests
- Analytics - View detailed business insights
Settings Overview: View and edit key settings directly from dashboard:
- Working Hours - Your availability schedule
- Business Policies - Booking rules and requirements
- Reschedule Policy - Advance notice requirements
- Booking Status - Enable/disable new bookings
- Portfolio Visibility - Public profile settings
Managing Booking Requests
Viewing Pending Requests
Navigate to New Requests to see all submitted booking requests awaiting your review.
Each request card shows:
- Client Name - Who's requesting the booking
- Request Title - Project name/description
- Description Excerpt - Brief overview of request
- Style - Tattoo style requested
- Reference Photos - Thumbnail preview of uploaded images
- View Details Button - Access full request
Reviewing a Request
Click View Details to review the complete booking request.
Request Header:
- Client Name - Requester information
- Status - Current booking state (Submitted)
- Private Notes - Add internal notes (not visible to client)
Request Details:
- Request For - Artist name
- Request Title - Project name
- Style - Tattoo style
- Description - Full project description
Action Section:
- Select Product - Choose session type/duration from your products
- Accept - Approve the booking request
- Decline - Politely decline the request
- Cancel - Cancel action (for internal use)
Additional Information:
- Reference Photos - View all uploaded images
- Comments Section - Communicate with client before accepting
Best Practice: Use the comments section to clarify details, ask questions, or discuss design modifications before accepting.
Approved Requests
After accepting a booking, it moves to the Approved status and awaits client payment.
Approved request cards show:
- Date TBD - Appointment date pending client scheduling
- Length of Session - Duration based on selected product
- Booked Rate - Your locked hourly rate
- Deposit Amount - Required deposit (Status: Pending)
- Estimated Total - Session length × booked rate
- Reference Photos - Thumbnail preview
- View Details - Full request information
Client's Next Steps: Client must pay deposit and select appointment time.
Booked Requests
Once the client pays their deposit, the booking is confirmed.
Booked request cards show:
- Date of Session - Confirmed appointment date/time
- Length of Session - Appointment duration
- Booked Rate - Locked hourly rate
- Deposit Amount - Required deposit (Status: Paid)
- Estimated Total - Expected session revenue
- Reference Photos - Design references
- View Details - Full booking information
Status: Ready for appointment - client has paid and scheduled.
Calendar Management
View and manage your schedule across different time periods.
Day View
Navigation:
- Month/Year display
- Toggle between Day, Week, Month views
Day View Features:
- Next Up - Upcoming sessions for selected day
- Hourly Time Slots - Day broken into hour increments
- Today's Sessions - Appointments scheduled for viewing day
Quick Actions:
- Pending Requests - Review new bookings
- Booked Requests - View confirmed appointments
Week View
Layout:
- Seven columns (one per day)
- Each day divided into hourly time slots
- Sessions appear in their scheduled time blocks
- Visual overview of weekly capacity
Best for: Planning your week and identifying busy/available periods.
Completing Sessions
After finishing a tattoo session, mark it complete to track revenue and finalize payment details.
Session Cost Summary:
- Estimated Total - Original session estimate
- Deposit Paid - Amount client paid to book
- Estimated Remaining - Balance before final payment
Final Payment Information:
- Final Payment Amount - Amount client paid at appointment
- Square Payment ID - Optional reference number
- Completion Notes - Optional session notes or aftercare instructions
Actions:
- Cancel - Close without completing
- Complete Session - Finalize and archive booking
Why This Matters: Tracking completion helps with:
- Revenue reporting
- Year-over-year comparisons
- Client history
- Tax documentation
Notifications
Stay informed about booking activity and client actions.
Accessing Notifications:
- Notification count badge on your profile image (top right)
- Click profile dropdown → Notifications Page
Notification Types:
- New Reservation Request - Client submitted booking (actionable)
- Deposit Paid - Client paid deposit
- Reschedule Request - Client wants to reschedule
- Message Received - New comment on booking
- Booking Cancelled - Client cancelled appointment
Managing Notifications:
- View Unread - Filter to unread only
- View All - Complete notification history
- Mark as Read - Clear individual notifications
- Actionable Links - Click to jump to relevant booking
Best Practice: Check notifications daily to respond quickly to client requests.
Navigation
Access all booking management features from the sidebar menu.
Bookings Section:
- Dashboard - Overview and metrics
- New Requests - Pending requests (Submitted status)
- Approved Requests - Accepted, awaiting payment
- Booked Requests - Confirmed appointments
- Past Requests - Completed sessions
- Needs Rescheduled - Reschedule requests
Portfolio & Calendar:
- My Portfolio - Public profile management
- My Calendar - Schedule views
Flash Overview:
- Events - Flash and tattoo events
- Flash Items - Individual flash designs
Business Tools:
- Analytics - Revenue and performance insights
- Documentation - Help guides
- Questions - FAQ and support
- Changelog - Platform updates
User Menu:
- Account settings
- Profile options
- Logout
Booking Workflow Summary
1. New Request Arrives
- Client submits booking through your portfolio
- Appears in New Requests
- You receive notification
2. Review & Communicate
- View request details
- Ask clarifying questions via comments
- Review reference photos
3. Accept Request
- Select appropriate product/session length
- Click Accept
- Moves to Approved Requests
4. Client Pays Deposit
- Client receives approval notification
- Client pays deposit and selects date
- Moves to Booked Requests
5. Complete Session
- Perform tattoo session
- Mark as complete with final payment info
- Moves to Past Requests
Best Practices
Response Time
- Review requests within 24 hours - Quick responses build trust
- Enable notifications - Don't miss new bookings
- Set booking hours - Manage when requests can be made
Communication
- Ask questions early - Clarify before accepting
- Set expectations - Be clear about timeline and process
- Use private notes - Track important client details
Calendar Management
- Keep availability updated - Prevent double bookings
- Use buffer time - Allow setup/cleanup between sessions
- Block personal time - Vacations, days off
Revenue Tracking
- Complete sessions promptly - Maintain accurate records
- Note Square IDs - Link payments to bookings
- Review metrics monthly - Track business growth
Common Scenarios
Client Wants to Reschedule
- Navigate to Needs Rescheduled
- Review reschedule request
- Approve new date or suggest alternative
- System updates calendar automatically
Request Doesn't Match Your Style
- View request details
- Click Decline
- Add polite decline reason (optional)
- Client receives notification
Client Asks Questions After Approval
- Navigate to Approved Requests
- Open booking details
- Use comments section to respond
- Client receives email notification
Need to Change Product After Accepting
- View approved booking
- Update selected product
- Client sees updated deposit amount
- Changes reflected in booking total
Troubleshooting
Request not appearing in dashboard?
- Check notification bell - may be delayed
- Verify booking availability is enabled (Settings → Portfolio)
- Refresh dashboard metrics
Can't accept request?
- Ensure products are created (Settings → Products)
- Check Square connection (Settings → Square)
- Verify availability settings
Client says they can't pay deposit?
- Confirm Square is connected and active
- Check deposit amount isn't $0
- Verify client's payment method
Calendar not syncing?
- Reconnect Google Calendar (if using)
- Check timezone settings
- Refresh calendar view
Next Steps
Need Help?
Questions about managing bookings? Contact support.
Efficient booking management keeps clients happy and your schedule full. Check your dashboard daily!
Need help? Contact our support team