How Does Online Booking Work for Contractors?

Short answer: Contractor online booking lets a customer choose a service, share job details and request an available appointment through a booking link. In WinkScope, the contractor configures questions, hours and confirmation rules. Requests may need manual approval or be confirmed instantly, depending on those rules; submitting a request is not always a confirmed visit.

What problem does online booking solve?

A missed call rarely contains enough information to plan a visit. The office may still need the property address, the type of problem, access details and a suitable time. A booking form collects those details in one place rather than spreading them across voicemail, messages and handwritten notes. It does not replace a conversation when a job is unclear, urgent or outside the contractor's services.

What happens when a customer books through WinkScope?

1. Open the company's booking link. The customer sees the services and availability the contractor has configured.
2. Choose a service and available time. The form collects customer and job details, including the address.
3. Answer the service questions. Trade questions help explain the work before the visit. Customers can also supply photos.
4. Review any diagnostic fee. A fee is optional and set by the contractor, not a requirement for every booking.
5. Submit and read the status. An instant booking and a request awaiting approval are different outcomes. Follow the confirmation the contractor provides.

The contractor receives the request in Bookings, where they can review its details and manage confirmation, rescheduling or cancellation. The workflow can create or match a client record, keeping the request connected to the customer rather than treating it as an isolated calendar entry.

Should appointments be confirmed automatically or manually?

Use instant confirmation only for services and times you can confidently offer. A straightforward assessment appointment may suit it; a large remodel or a job requiring specialist equipment may need review. WinkScope supports manual, instant and mixed booking rules. Emergency requests are handled manually with high priority; a booking form is not an emergency response service.

Manual approval means the customer should wait for confirmation before assuming somebody will arrive. Mixed rules let the contractor apply different confirmation behaviour by day or time. Choose the workflow that matches the team's actual capacity rather than making every service immediately bookable.

What should a contractor set up before sharing the link?

• Services and trade-specific questions that match work the company actually accepts.
• Working hours, blocked dates and the booking time zone.
• Manual or instant confirmation rules.
• Any diagnostic fee and the payment method customers should use.
• Who receives booking notifications and who is permitted to manage requests.

WinkScope uses one shared company booking link. Put that same link on the company's website or in customer messages. Regenerating it stops older links working, so do not regenerate it casually after publishing it.

Does online booking replace an estimate?

No. Booking reserves or requests time; an estimate describes and prices the proposed work. After reviewing the request, the contractor can open an estimate workflow with booking information pre-filled. The estimate is linked when it is saved, not automatically created just because a customer submitted a form.

Frequently asked questions

Can customers book outside office hours?

They can use an available public booking link without waiting for the office to answer. Appointment choices still follow the contractor's configured availability and approval rules.

Is Bookings available to every WinkScope account?

Access depends on the account's plan and the active rollout stage. Free accounts do not include Bookings. Check the current account access before promising the feature to a team; plan eligibility alone does not override rollout controls.

Can a customer attach photos?

Yes. Photos can accompany the request and help the contractor understand the job. They do not make an on-site assessment unnecessary.

Next step: Review WinkScope Online Bookings and current plans. For setup, check services, hours and confirmation rules before sharing the link. Continue with preventing double bookings.