Cancelling a customer's booking takes a few clicks: open the booking and click the orange Cancel button in the header of the booking. A popup opens where you can record why the booking was cancelled, mark it as a no-show, email the customer and, if they've already paid, move the money to their wallet funds.
Where to cancel a booking
You can cancel a booking from two places in KennelBooker:
On the booking itself: open the booking and click Cancel in the header. The button shows on every booking that isn't already cancelled.
From the Bookings list: open the row's action menu and choose Cancel Booking.
Both open the same Cancel this Booking? popup. This works for boarding, daycare, nightcare, grooming, training, walks, drop-ins, homestay, board and train, cremation, universal and other booking types.
How to cancel a booking
Open the booking and click Cancel. The Cancel this Booking? popup opens and shows the Booked Services on the booking.
Type a Reason for Cancellation. It's optional unless you've switched on Require Cancellation Reason (see "Settings that affect cancelling a booking" below).
Switch on No Show if the pet didn't turn up. This lets you see whether a customer builds up a history of not showing up for bookings.
Switch on Send Cancellation Email if you want the customer emailed. It's off by default.
Check any extra options the popup shows for this booking (listed below).
Click Cancel Booking. To leave without cancelling, click Close.
Extra options in the cancel booking popup
Some options only show in the Cancel this Booking? popup when they apply to the booking:
Paid To Date and Add (amount) as Wallet Funds: shown when the customer has already paid something towards the booking. See "Crediting payments already made" below.
Charge Cancellation Fee and Cancellation Fee: shown when cancellation fees are switched on for that service. See the Cancellation Fees/Cancellation Charges article.
Leave Credits on Booking: shown when the booking was paid with credits, for example a daycare booking. Switch it on to keep the credits used on the booking; leave it off to give the credits back to the customer.
Cancel all bookings for (your course name): shown on a training booking that belongs to a course. Switch it on to cancel every booking for that course.
Staff Code: shown when you use a multi-user account and staff codes are required for cancelling. The booking is cancelled in the name of the staff member whose code is entered.
An Attention needed warning: shown when a credit package is linked to the booking. Cancelling the booking removes the package from the customer's account, which could leave them with a negative credits balance if credits from it were already used on other bookings.
Crediting payments already made
If the customer has already paid towards the booking, the cancel popup shows the Paid To Date. Switch on Add (amount) as Wallet Funds to move that amount to the customer's wallet funds (account credit) when you cancel. The amount shows on the customer's account and can be used on future bookings. If you're also charging a cancellation fee, the amount offered is what they paid minus the fee.
The wallet funds entry is recorded on the customer's account with the note "Cancelled booking" and the booking reference.
What happens after you cancel a booking
The booking status changes to Cancelled (or Cancelled (Fee Adjusted) if you charged a cancellation fee).
The booking comes off the calendar and its run, room or kennel is freed up for other bookings.
Any unpaid payment requests on the booking are cancelled. Payments already made stay on record.
Products added to the booking are removed, and each removal is recorded in the booking's audit log.
If a boarding booking has grooming or daycare bookings linked to it, those are cancelled too.
The audit log records "Booking Cancelled - by Staff" with the reason.
The booking moves to Cancelled Bookings on the customer's History page, with the reason and whether it was a no-show.
The customer is only emailed if you switched on Send Cancellation Email. KennelBooker doesn't send a text or push notification about the cancellation.
To see cancellations across all customers, go to Reports and run Cancelled Bookings. The financial reports also include Cancelled Bookings - With Payments and Cancelled Bookings - With Payments moved to Credit.
The cancellation email
When you switch on Send Cancellation Email, the customer gets your Cancellation Email template. You can edit the template on Settings > Email Settings. On the same page, Attach a PDF invoice to cancellation emails adds an invoice to the email, which is useful when a cancellation still leaves a fee to pay.
Allowing customers to cancel bookings themselves
By default, customers can't cancel their bookings in the online booking portal. Most businesses ask customers to contact them when they need to cancel.
If you want customers to cancel online, switch it on for each service you choose. You can do this in either of two places; they change the same setting:
Settings > Main Settings > Services Provided: tick Cancel Online under each booking type, then click Save.
Settings > Online Booking Portal > Cancellation Settings: switch on Allow Online Cancellation for each service. Here you can also set a Cancellation Block, which stops customers cancelling a booking within X hours of check-in.
When a customer cancels online, they can add a reason, they see the cancellation fee if one applies, and you're sent a "Booking Cancelled Online" alert email if your staff account has Booking cancelled notifications switched on. The audit log records "Booking Cancelled - by Customer". For more detail see "Allow Customers to Cancel Bookings Online" in Related articles.
What cancelling a booking doesn't do
Cancelling doesn't refund a card payment. Use Add as Wallet Funds to give the customer account credit, or refund them through your payment provider.
Cancelling doesn't delete the booking. It stays on the customer's History page and in the reports.
Cancelling doesn't email the customer unless you switch on Send Cancellation Email.
Cancelling doesn't charge a fee unless cancellation fees are switched on for that service and Charge Cancellation Fee is on in the popup.
Settings that affect cancelling a booking
Require Cancellation Reason (Settings > Main Settings > Check-in and Check-out Settings): when it's on, staff must type a Reason for Cancellation before the booking can be cancelled, unless they switch on No Show.
Cancel Bookings under Staff Code Required for (a staff account's Multi-User Account section): when it's on for a multi-user account, the cancel popup asks for a Staff Code.
Enable Cancellation Fee (each service's own settings page, e.g. Settings > Boarding > Boarding Cancellation Settings): adds the Charge Cancellation Fee option to the popup.
Allow Online Cancellation / Cancel Online and Cancellation Block: control whether customers can cancel online, as described above.
Cancelling bookings: frequently asked questions
How do I cancel a booking?
To cancel a booking in KennelBooker, open the booking and click the orange Cancel button in the header, or choose Cancel Booking from the row's action menu on the Bookings list. In the Cancel this Booking? popup, add a reason if you want, then click Cancel Booking.
Does the customer get told when I cancel their booking?
Only if you switch on Send Cancellation Email in the cancel popup. It's off by default. The email uses your Cancellation Email template from Settings > Email Settings. No text message or push notification is sent.
How do I mark a booking as a no-show?
To record a no-show, cancel the booking and switch on No Show in the Cancel this Booking? popup. Add a short reason too. The customer's History page shows a No Show column in the Cancelled Bookings list, and the Cancelled Bookings report includes it.
The customer paid a deposit. What happens to it when I cancel?
When you cancel a booking that has payments, the cancel popup shows the Paid To Date. Switch on Add (amount) as Wallet Funds to put the money on the customer's account as wallet funds for future bookings. Cancelling doesn't refund a card; refund through your payment provider if you need to give the money back.
Can I charge a cancellation fee?
Yes. Cancellation fees are switched on separately for each service on that service's settings page, for example Settings > Boarding > Boarding Cancellation Settings > Enable Cancellation Fee. The cancel popup then shows Charge Cancellation Fee and the fee amount. See the Cancellation Fees/Cancellation Charges article.
Can I undo a cancelled booking?
Yes, a cancelled booking can be restored. See the "Undo Cancelled Booking" article in Related articles. Products that were removed when the booking was cancelled aren't added back.
Can I make staff give a reason for every cancellation?
Yes. Switch on Require Cancellation Reason in Settings > Main Settings > Check-in and Check-out Settings. Staff then can't cancel a booking without typing a Reason for Cancellation, unless they mark it as a No Show.
Can customers cancel their own bookings online?
Only if you allow it. Online cancellation is off by default. Switch on Allow Online Cancellation for each service in Settings > Online Booking Portal > Cancellation Settings (or tick Cancel Online in Settings > Main Settings > Services Provided). Use Cancellation Block to stop online cancellations within a set number of hours of check-in.
Does cancelling free up the run or room?
Yes. When you cancel a booking, it comes off the calendar and the run, room or kennel it was using becomes available for other bookings.
Where can I see all my cancelled bookings?
Go to Reports and run the Cancelled Bookings report. For one customer, open their History page and look at the Cancelled Bookings list, which shows the reason and whether it was a no-show.
Can I cancel several bookings at once?
The Cancel this Booking? popup cancels one booking at a time. For a training booking that's part of a course, Cancel all bookings for (course) cancels every booking for that course. See also "Cancel a Days Bookings" and "Cancel or Delete customers future bookings" in Related articles.
Cancelling bookings: common problems
I can't find the Cancel button on the booking
The Cancel button only shows on bookings that aren't already cancelled. If the booking's status is Cancelled or Cancelled (Fee Adjusted), it has already been cancelled. You can also cancel from the Bookings list with Cancel Booking in the row's action menu.
The Cancel Booking button doesn't do anything and the reason box turns red
Your business has Require Cancellation Reason switched on, so the booking can't be cancelled until a Reason for Cancellation is typed in (or No Show is switched on). Add a reason and click Cancel Booking again.
The Staff Code box turns red when I cancel
Your account is a multi-user account with staff codes required for cancelling. Enter a valid staff code in Staff Code and click Cancel Booking again. Ask your account owner if you don't know your code.
The customer didn't get a cancellation email
The cancellation email is only sent if Send Cancellation Email was switched on in the cancel popup when the booking was cancelled. Also check the customer has an email address on their profile. If it was on and the address is right, contact support with the booking reference.
The Add as Wallet Funds option isn't in the popup
Add as Wallet Funds only shows when the customer has paid something towards the booking, and only for the amount above any cancellation fee you're charging. If nothing has been paid, there's nothing to move to wallet funds.
The customer's credits balance went negative after I cancelled
This happens when the booking had a credit package linked to it. The popup warns about it ("A credit package is associated with this booking"): cancelling removes the package from the customer's account, and credits from it may already have been used on other bookings. You can adjust the customer's credits by hand; see "Manually Adjust Credits on a Customers Account" in Related articles.
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