Overview
Add-on services are a great way to increase your per-client spending for each appointment. This special type of service is presented at booking as an upsell after a compatible service has already been selected.
Add-on services are just like any other service EXCEPT the same provider must perform both the originally selected “base” service and the Add-On Service.
Setting Up an Add-On Service
If you are using a custom online booking overlay, we recommend having your team review the Add-Ons section of this developer documentation BEFORE setting up any of the new add-on functionality to avoid any disruption to your client booking experience.
NOTE: For the options tab in a service to populate to set up add-ons, please be sure that “Enable Service Modifiers” is checked on under the Manage tab.
Navigate to the Manage Business settings and select Services.
It's recommended to create at least one separate Service Category for your Add-On Services to make it easier to run reports on Add-On Service sales. For example, you may consider creating a category named “Add-Ons” or more specific categories such as “Massage Add-Ons” and “Facial Add-Ons.”
Create Add-On Services as you would normally create services within your menu. For more information on creating service categories and services in Boulevard (including assigning service providers and resources), please reference Services and Categories | Boulevard Help Center
Once you have named the new Add-On Service and you are in the Service Details Overview, two new settings can only be used for Add-On Services, but are not required to set up an Add-On Service:
Add-On Service Only | Turn this on to ensure that the service can’t be booked by itself.
|
0 Minute Duration | When the “Add-On Service Only” setting is on, that service can be set to take 0 min to perform. This is best used for an enhancement that does not add time to an appointment but may require specific resources or service provider settings. Add-On services with 0-minute durations are not visible on the calendar view. |
Creating an Add-On Relationship
Once the Add-On Services are created, you are ready to create a link to the services they should accompany - the “base services.”
Navigate to the Services page of the Manage Business settings and select a desired base service. Select the “Options” tab (shown below).
Select “Add Service” from the Add-On Service section. A pop-up window allows you to search from all of your available services to link an Add-On Service to this base service. You can also include a unique alias or description that displays in the online booking flow for the Add-On when it is used in conjunction with this base service. Otherwise, the Add-On Service name and service description display.
An Add-On relationship created via the business service menu settings is enabled for all locations within Boulevard. Add-On Services may also be reordered in the Manage Business settings using the drag icon on the right-hand side of the Add-On Services table and dragging to drop in the preferred order.
To remove an Add-On Service from a base service, simply select the pencil icon found in the Add-On Services table and select the red “Remove” button.
NOTE: you can link any of the services from your menu to a base service as an Add-On Service – not just the services that have the “Add-On Service Only” setting turned on. For example, if you perform manicures as a standalone service and also pedicures as a standalone service, you could add pedicures as an Add-On Service to manicures. In either client or staff booking, once a manicure has been selected, a pedicure is presented as an optional Add-On Service. If a pedicure Add-On Service is selected, then Boulevard Precision Scheduling™ looks for a time when the same professional can perform a manicure and then immediately perform a pedicure.
Service Modifiers vs. Add-On Services
Service Modifiers below Add-On Services are visible on the Service Options tab. Service Modifiers are best used to add additional detail at booking, but not for a service that has its staff, resource, voucher, reporting, or calendar requirements. Good examples of Service Options include hair length options for a haircut or aromatherapy options during a massage. For more information on Service Options, see this Support Article.
NOTE: To simplify the client booking experience, we recommend choosing to have either service modifiers or Add-On Services affiliated with a base service.
Customizing Add-On Services per Location
For multi-location businesses, each location may customize their available Add-On Services by creating new Add-On Services for their location and linking them to a base service or by customizing the Add-On Services that were created at the business level. Any staff with access to manage the location’s service menu is able to manage Add-On Services in association with their assigned locations.
Creating Location-Specific Add-On Services
Navigate to the Services section of Manage Location Settings.
Select the base service.
From the Options tab of the service, select “Add Service”. A pop-up display that indicates that the Add-On Service is configured for the individual location:
A unique alias and description may also be added for each location’s Add-On Service to display during online booking. An individual location can modify the Add-On Services created at the business level by switching each Add-On Service on or off as well as customizing the business-defined alias or description.
If overriding the business’ alias or description, select the pencil icon to the right of an add-on created at the business and enable the toggle to “Override Business Settings.”
Disabling the “Override Business Settings” toggle restores the business’ default alias and description while saving any custom location text. “Reset all overrides” removes any custom location text and restores it to the business’ default alias and description.
Booking an Add-On Service within the Dashboard
Once Add-On Services are set up, staff may book them in conjunction with base services through the usual “New Appointment” booking experience in the Dashboard.
After selecting a base service, all Add-On Services available for that service are prompted in the booking flow, allowing for a streamlined selection.
The service provider specified for the base service is associated with the selected Add-On. If the provider is not set as assignable to the specific Add-On Service, a warning message appears.
Once all Add-On Services are included in to schedule, proceed with the online booking, as usual, using the “View Times” option or “Select Time on Calendar.” For more information on scheduling appointments, view the linked support article: Adding New Appointments | Boulevard Help Center
Services that are 0 minutes in duration appear on the calendar as white with an outlined border:
NOTE: If you try to include an add-on after the appointment is booked from the edit appointment screen and there are multiple services in the appointment, you are only able to select add-ons for the last service.
These services may be scheduled over with additional services within an appointment due to their lack of duration and to ensure an optimized schedule.
Scheduling Add-Ons When Editing Appointments
When editing an existing scheduled appointment, you can pull in and modify add-ons for all services within the appointment.
Click the three-dot menu to the right of the applicable service.
Click “Select add-ons”.
Click the add-on service you wish to schedule at the end of the appointment.
If you’d like to schedule an add-on to follow the base service rather than the entire appointment, simply remove any subsequent base services and re-add them. The service times automatically adjust to prevent gaps.
Client Booking Experience for Add-On Services
When booking online, clients select a base service and are presented with its associated Add-On Services. An alias set at the business level is presented unless the location has chosen to be customized further.
Upon selecting all preferred Add-On Services, the client is prompted to “Select a Professional” via a drop-down at the bottom of the booking window. The available professionals are filtered to professionals who can perform both the base and selected Add-On Service(s).
The client is prompted to proceed through the remainder of the scheduling process.
NOTE: Add-On bookings are not yet supported in the Boulevard Professional App.