Every service has a price and duration. This article explains how to set and manage these essential service properties.

Service Duration

Duration is how long a service takes from start to finish.

Why Duration Matters

Duration affects:

• Booking slots — Determines available time windows
• Staff scheduling — Blocks appropriate time on calendars
• Capacity planning — Affects how many appointments fit in a day
• Customer expectations — Helps customers plan their time

Setting Duration

When creating or editing a service:

1. Enter the duration in minutes
2. Consider the full service time
3. Include setup and wrap-up time if needed

Duration Examples

Buffer Time

Some businesses need time between appointments:

• Cleanup and preparation
• Staff breaks
• Equipment reset If needed, add buffer to your service duration or configure separately if your system supports it.

Service Pricing

Price is what customers pay for the service.

Setting Prices

When creating or editing a service:

1. Enter the price as a number
2. Decimals are supported (e.g., 49.99)
3. Price displays with your currency symbol

Pricing Strategies

Cost-Based:

• Calculate your costs (staff time, products, overhead)

• Add your desired margin

• Set price accordingly Market-Based:

• Research competitor pricing

• Position relative to market

• Adjust for your value proposition Value-Based:

• Consider perceived value to customers

• Premium services can command higher prices

• Factor in experience and expertise

Free Services

You can set price to $0 for:

• Complimentary consultations
• First-time customer specials
• Add-on services included in packages

Price Display

Prices appear:

• In your service list
• On your booking page
• During customer booking flow

  💡 Tip: Keep pricing consistent with what you charge in person to avoid confusion.

Duration and Pricing Together

Duration and pricing should align:

Customers expect correlation between time and cost.

Changing Duration or Price

When you update duration or price:

• Existing bookings keep their original values
• New bookings use the updated values
• Consider notifying customers of significant changes

Add-ons Affect Final Price

Add-ons (modifiers) add to the base price:

• Base service: $60
• Add-on: +$15
• Customer pays: $75 Add-on pricing is configured separately from base service pricing.

Best Practices

For Duration

1. Time actual services to get accurate durations
2. Include realistic buffer time
3. Adjust if services consistently run over or under
4. Consider different durations for experience levels

For Pricing

1. Be competitive but sustainable
2. Review pricing periodically
3. Consider package deals for longer services
4. Keep pricing simple and transparent