Checkin now offers a feature that will enable you to view Apple’s Schedule Manager reservations without having to use GSX. This tool will enable you to view each service queue separately — Mobile, Audio and Mac — and can filter reservations by store location. It will also automatically add new customer entries, and email customers as reservations are received or the status changes.
Setup
To set this feature up, start at Admin > Company Setup > Stores/Sites, and click on the clock icon to enter your store hours for each location. (Note that this should match what you already have set up in GSX.)
Next, go to Admin > Company Setup > Global Settings and select the “Reservations” section. Your settings should be similar to what you see in this screenshot:
The entry param_reservation_verification should be set to “Y” only if you want confirmation when making a status change that will be sent to GSX. Otherwise, set it to “N”.
For param_email_output_reservations, you have several options as to how automatic emails will be sent:
Email Client: This will cause Mail, or the default email client, to open each time you want to send a message.
Sendgrid: This is an email API that will allow email to be sent from CheckIn, and will also allow for it to be formatted using basic HTML. (Note that if you are using Sendgrid, you’ll need to create an account with the service and enter an API Key into CheckIn. That information is covered in detail in another document.)
SMTP: This will also allow for email to be sent from CheckIn using a service you prefer, though you will not have the option for HTML formatting.
Email Setup
For email to be sent to customers as reservations are received or the status changes, these messages will need to be set up. You can create a series of separate email messages for each repair queue that will be sent when a reservation is received, or the status changes.
Go to Admin > SRO Setup > Show RSVP Emails, and click the “RSVP Emails” button in the top row. This will create a new email message.
Create a name for the message. (We recommend a name that makes it obvious what repair queue and what status the message is intended for.)
From the drop-down menu, select the status this email will be sent in response to (Reserved, Cancelled, et cetera).
From the drop-down menu, select the device type for each repair queue (Mobile, Audio, or Mac).
You can send a message in Plain Text, or HTML.
The Variables Key (to the right of the message window) will allow you to dynamically insert specific information, such as the Customer Name and Appointment Date and Time
If using HTML, make sure your message is enclosed with opening and closing HTML tags (<html>, </html>) and you can use basic formatting when you compose the message, including links. You can also add an image by converting it to Base64, using free online tools.
With HTML, you can preview the message by clicking on the small icon to the top right of the message window.
Repeat this process for each email message for each repair queue, and make sure the “Is Active” box is checked.
Using Reservations
More > Reservations opens the Reservations window to the right of the main CheckIn window. When the window opens, it will automatically check for updated information.
Future versions of CheckIn will have request an update from GSX every 15 minutes; at this time, you will need to refresh the data manually.
You can sort the Reservations by date or Repair Queue, or you can show all of the reservations. (The GSX API shows Reservations for a range of only four days.) When a reservation is received, you will have the option to view the details of the reservation, view the serial number on GSX (if provided by the customer), or create an SRO with the serial number pre-populated.
To change the Status, make a selection from the drop-down menu. That updated information will be sent to GSX, and if necessary, an email will be sent to the customer.
If a customer is late, you can check the “Late” button next to the status.
If a customer requests to Reschedule, you will be asked to enter a new date and time for the appointment.
If a customer requests to Cancel, you will be asked to enter a reason for the cancellation.
Future versions of CheckIn will allow you to update the Notes associated with a Reservation.