Managing Booking Statuses | Automate & Customize Your Workflow
What Are Booking Statuses?
Booking statuses in OctopusPro help you track and manage each booking throughout its entire life cycle, from the moment a quote is generated, to when a booking is scheduled, and ultimately to its completion.
Why Booking Statuses Matter
- Organized Workflow – Keep a clear overview of your bookings and easily see which ones are pending, confirmed, in progress, or completed.
- Improved Collaboration – Admins, fieldworkers, and even customers can stay informed about the progress and situation of each booking.
- Automated Behaviors – Many OctopusPro features (e.g., Automated Emails, Forms & Checklists, and the Customer Portal) depend on a booking’s status to trigger the right reminders and notifications.
How Booking Statuses Work
Each booking in OctopusPro has a particular status at any given time. Throughout its lifetime, a booking may transition through several statuses:
- Manually Updated – Some statuses require you or your team to change them when the booking moves to a new phase (e.g., from “Pending” to “In Progress”).
- System-Assigned – Others are automatically updated by OctopusPro based on events, such as a scheduled date passing or payment being received.
Customizing Booking Statuses
By default, OctopusPro provides a set of common statuses (e.g., “Quoted,” “In Progress,” “Completed”). If you need more tailored statuses for your workflow, you can:
- Add a New Status – Give it a unique name that reflects a specific stage in your booking process.
- Select a Color Code – Choose a color to visually differentiate this status from others in your calendar and dashboard.
- Configure Additional Options – For example, decide whether the status should:
- Appear in the booking calendar
- Push to Google Calendar
- Delete from Google Calendar
- Trigger automated emails or customer feedback requests
- Allow generating invoices
- Appear under Current status in Calendar
- Integrate with external services (e.g., push or remove events from Google Calendar)
- Be visible only to certain user roles (e.g., Admins, Fieldworkers)
Default booking statuses
The following list explains the general statuses created by default for your account which cover most of the general booking cycles.
| # | Status | What it really means | How it gets set | Why you care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TO DO (Scheduled) | Job has firm date/time and assigned resources; no on-site work yet. | • Auto-promoted from Tentative after admin/fieldworker approval or verified payment.• Can also be created directly by office staff. | Locks crew, parts and calendar slots while you send reminders or order materials, preventing last-minute resource clashes. |
| 2 | TENTATIVE (Provisional Hold) | Temporary reservation for leads that haven’t supplied full details or payment. Default status for customer-portal bookings. Holds the slot until a fieldworker taps “Accept,” stopping double-booking. | Auto-flows• → TO DO once payment/details OK’d.• → CANCELED if client withdraws or deadline expires. | Gives dispatchers breathing room, lets sales chase incomplete bookings and slashes overbooking headaches. |
| 3 | TO VISIT (Site Inspection / Assessment) | Visit needed to scope work, quote on-site, or validate job feasibility—common in HVAC, construction, pest-control. | Created by office when they assign a “survey/inspection” task, or converted from a lead. | Separates inspections from won projects, making conversion rates and fieldworker utilisation easy to track. |
| 4 | TO SCHEDULE (Lead Follow-Up / Call-Back Needed) | A new enquiry, web-lead, or phone request has been assigned to a fieldworker or salesperson, but no visit date is locked in yet. The assignee must phone/text the client to convert it to TO VISIT, TENTATIVE, or TO DO. | Created when an admin routes a lead to a fieldworker.Cleared the moment the fieldworker logs a date or rejects the lead. | Keeps the sales pipeline visible; nothing “dies in the inbox.” Dispatchers see exactly which leads are still waiting on a call-back—critical for avoiding the scheduling gaps and lost revenue cited as a top FSM pain-point. |
| 5 | IN PROGRESS (Multi-Visit / Ongoing Work) | At least one appointment has been attended, but more visits are required before close-out—e.g., multi-day renovations or return trips for parts. | Auto-promoted from TO DO when the fieldworker checks in or taps Start Job in the app; stays here until the final visit is finished. | Real-time visibility for office staff and customers; prevents premature invoicing while still showing labour already committed. |
| 6 | COMPLETED (Work & Sign-Off Done) | All tasks are finished and the client or supervisor has approved the result. | Triggered when the fieldworker taps Finish Job and captures the signature/photos, or when an admin marks the booking finished. | Releases the job to billing and KPI dashboards (first-time-fix, labour utilisation). Ensures only validated work hits the P&L. |
| 7 | QUOTED (Estimate Life-Cycle) | A price proposal that is still in the quoting pipeline—even after the customer clicks Accept. It does not become a booking until someone schedules it. | Sub-statuses (retain quote # for audit):• Draft – internal prep.• Sent – emailed to client.• Accepted – client approved.• Declined – client rejected.• Expired – validity date lapsed. | Keeps sales & ops cleanly separated: revenue isn’t forecast as “Scheduled” until date/time are confirmed, yet your team can track acceptance rates and follow-up deadlines from a single list. |
| 8 | CANCELED (Pre-Attendance Cancellation) | Job or quote terminated before anyone arrives on site. | Office or customer clicks Cancel; Tentative bookings auto-convert here if the client backs out; optional default cancellation fee pulled from Finance Settings. | Slot reopens instantly for resale; cancellation data highlights pricing or marketing issues; fees recoup admin time. |
| 9 | FAILED (No-Show / Unable to Complete) | Fieldworker attended but couldn’t finish—access denied, unsafe site, customer refused, etc. | Fieldworker taps Failed in the app, or office marks it so; system can auto-apply a call-out / no-show fee (set in Finance Settings). | Captures lost-revenue events for coaching, routing tweaks and policy review; fee offsets travel cost. |
| 10 | ON HOLD (Paused Work) | Job is stalled indefinitely—waiting on parts, client approval or better weather. | Admin flips status or automation rule pauses it; add a follow-up date so dashboards and reminder emails resurface the job. | Keeps “stuck” jobs visible without skewing completion KPIs; prompts staff to nudge the customer or supplier. |
| 11 | AWAITING UPDATE (Fieldworker Response Needed) | System flag when scheduled finish time passes with no status update, nudging fieldworkers via push/email. | Triggered automatically for statuses that have tracking enabled (TO DO, IN PROGRESS, TO VISIT or custom). Admin can disable in Booking Settings. | Real-time accountability: managers instantly see which jobs need an update and can intervene. |
| 12 | PRODUCTS (Goods-Only Order) | Used when you sell parts/merch without a service call—aligns with inventory-only orders in ERP suites like SAP. | Office creates a goods sale or cart-only portal checkout; no fieldworker dispatched; inventory and tax tracked. | Keeps merchandise revenue separate from labour on the P&L and stops “ghost” service bookings. |
| 13 | GIFT VOUCHER (Pre-Paid Credit) | Digital or physical voucher sold online or by staff; stays here until the recipient redeems it. | Portal purchase or POS sale sets status; switches to Tentative on redemption request, then TO DO once a fieldworker is assigned. | Tracks unredeemed liability, automates balance deductions on use, and delivers a friction-free gift experience. |
Tip: Review Canceled and Failed tallies monthly—high counts often signal pricing friction (Canceled) or dispatch/pre-visit prep issues (Failed).
Booking-status colours
- Purpose – Colour coding is an industry staple on schedule boards; dispatchers can see “Tentative” (yellow) or “Completed” (green) instantly without opening the job card.
- Defaults – Core statuses in OctopusPro ship with locked colours so reports and dashboards stay consistent.
- Custom statuses – When you create a new status you choose any hex value; it shows everywhere the status appears (calendar tiles, list views, mobile app).
Tip: Follow the common traffic-light convention—yellow = Tentative, blue = In Progress, green = Completed, red = Failed/Canceled.
Workflow flags you can toggle per status
| Flag | What it does | Industry context | Key caveats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push to Google Calendar | Creates/updates an event in each assigned fieldworker’s Google Calendar whenever a booking moves into this status.
 |
Two-way calendar sync. | Works only after the fieldworker grants OAuth permission; revoking access stops pushes. |
| Delete from Google Calendar | Removes (or moves) the calendar event if the booking is cancelled, deleted or reassigned. |
Google’s own API docs recommend deleting the event when an appointment is cancelled to prevent ghost slots. | Requires the same OAuth link; if the user disconnects, orphaned events may remain in Google. |
| Allow generating invoices | Lets admins or fieldworkers raise an invoice while the booking sits in this status. Common practice is to limit invoicing to Completed, In Progress or Failed. |
Autogenerates the invoice the moment a work order flips to Completed. | Once an invoice is present, the job can only move to statuses that also permit invoicing (to maintain accounting integrity). |
| Display under “Current” in Calendar | Tells OctopusPro to include this status in the default Current calendar filter. |
Most systems bundle active statuses under a single “Current/Open” board view for quick filtering. |
You can still filter by the status explicitly even if it’s nested under Current. |
Activate Booking Tracking Workflow (GPS + ETA)
The booking-tracking workflow in OctopusPro layers live GPS, automated ETA alerts, and geofenced check-ins onto every confirmed visit. Once a fieldworker taps On My Way, the system streams their route, predicts arrival, and flags delays—giving dispatchers map-level visibility and customers real-time updates.
1 How the workflow works
| Milestone | Automatic system step | Customer/office touch-point | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| On My Way | Fieldworker taps the button; GPS starts and full address un-masks. | SMS/Email/WhatsApp with live ETA link. | Fewer “where’s my fieldworker?” calls. |
| Late-arrival check | If no departure within buffer or ETA > start time, app forces one of three choices: Updated ETA • Running Late • No Show + reason. | Delay message goes to customer & dashboard alert to dispatch. | Proactive service recovery & SLA tracking. |
| Arrived (geo-fenced) | “Arrived” button appears only inside radius (default 500 m). | Optional “Arrived on site” SMS/email. | Proof of punctuality; SLA clock starts. |
| Finish Job | Ends tracking; logs actual duration for payroll/billing and triggers follow-up or invoice. | “Job complete” email with photos/signature. | Instant paperwork; clean audit trail. |
Privacy & compliance extras
- Address masking — street number stays hidden until “On My Way” to protect customer data.
- Reason-coded no-shows — standard list (e.g., Customer Not Home, Vehicle Breakdown) captured for KPI reports.
2 Turn it on
- Global switch – Settings ▸ General Settings ▸ Booking Settings → enable Booking-Tracking Workflow.
- Per-status toggle – edit any status (e.g., To Do, In Progress) and tick Include in Booking-Tracking. Leave Tentative unticked so GPS starts only after a firm schedule.
- Save – fieldworkers update to the latest app build; no other setup needed.
3 What admins see
- Dual-map panel with moving pin, live ETA, and traffic layer on the booking view.
- Milestone checklist that time-stamps each step; late items highlight in amber/red so dispatch can intervene.
- Automatic alerts if a step is skipped or ETA drifts beyond the buffer.
4 Fieldworker flow
- Open job → tap On My Way (address reveals, ETA sent).
- App geo-ticks Arrived when inside radius.
- Tap Start Job → perform work.
- Tap Finish Job → capture signature/photos; invoice auto-queues if allowed.
GPS shuts off between visits to save battery/data.
5 Customer benefits
- Live ETA link reduces inbound “where are you?” calls and lifts CSAT.
- Transparent updates—delay alerts and arrival confirmations keep expectations realistic.
- Photo & signature proof in the completion email builds trust.
6 Best-practice settings
- Require location services in the mobile-device policy.
- Enable Auto-Checkout Fieldworker via Geofence (500 m Default Radius) feature.
- Review SLA dashboard monthly—compare planned vs. actual travel and on-site times.
- Pair milestone changes with automated SMS/email templates for hands-free comms.
With booking-tracking enabled, OctopusPro matches the GPS, ETA, and compliance standards seen in top FSM suites—delivering punctual arrivals, happier customers, and airtight service records.
Control which roles can see or use a status
Role visibility – Only the roles you tick (Admin, Dispatcher, Field Tech, Customer) will see a status in their drop-down when they create or update a booking.
| Step | What to do | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go to Settings › General Settings › Booking Settings › Booking Statuses. | Opens the master list of statuses. |
| 2 | Click Add Status or Edit next to an existing one. | Brings up the status editor pane. |
| 3 | In Role Visibility, tick the roles that should see & apply this status:• Admin / Dispatcher• Fieldworker• Customer-Portal User | Unticked roles won’t see the status in their drop-down—preventing fieldworkers from jumping straight to “Completed,” for example. |
| 4 | Click Save. | Changes take effect instantly in web and mobile apps (API obeys the same restrictions). |
Tip: Leave sensitive statuses (e.g., Failed, On Hold) hidden from customers to avoid confusion but visible to internal roles for reporting.
Attach forms & checklists to statuses
Workflow forms – You can attach digital forms or checklists to any status so the right questions pop up exactly when they’re needed (Inspection, Safety, Sign-off, etc.).
| Use-case | Example forms | How to set it up |
| Pre-job risk check | JSA / OSHA safety checklist before fieldworker taps “Start Job.” | 1. Settings › General Settings › Forms & Checklists 2. Create Form → add safety questions. 3. Attach to status = In Progress; Visible to = Fieldworker. |
| Site survey | Roof-measurement form triggered at To Visit. | Same steps; choose status To Visit; visible to Fieldworker & Admin. |
| Customer sign-off | Digital signature & photo checklist at Completed. | Choose status Completed; visible to Customer (portal) for approval. |
Path: Settings › General Settings › Forms & Checklists → create or edit a form → choose Linked Status and Role Visibility → Save.
When a booking flips to that status, the form pops up for the specified users—no paper chasing, no missed data. To Learn more, visit the creating forms and checklists guide.
How statuses work in the Customer Portal
| Action | What customers see | Behind-the-scenes logic |
|---|---|---|
| Create booking | Status shows Tentative in the portal list and on the booking page |
Portal defaults to Tentative to hold the slot while payment or admin approval is pending. |
| Admin / fieldworker approves | Status switches to To Do (Scheduled) |
System reserves resources and triggers pre-job reminders. |
| Customer cancellation (if role permits) | Status becomes Canceled; portal blocks re-edits | Optional cancellation fee applies per Finance Settings. |
Tip: If you prefer customers not to see any status text, un-tick View booking status in the relevant Role permissions.
Add or edit a booking status (Admins)
- Navigate – Settings ▸ General Settings ▸ Booking Settings ▸ Booking Statuses.
- Add new – Click ➕ Add Status (or Edit beside an existing one).
- Define core fields
- Status Name (e.g., “Awaiting Parts”).
- Colour (hex code shows on schedule board).
- Description – short, purpose-driven note (visible on hover).
- Configure behaviour
- Actions – choose triggers such as “Generate invoice” or “Push to Google Calendar.”
- Tracking – tick Include in Booking-Tracking Process if this status needs GPS milestones.
- Role access – select which Roles may apply or view the status.
- Actions – choose triggers such as “Generate invoice” or “Push to Google Calendar.”
- Save – changes apply instantly in web and mobile apps.
Note: Descriptions and Actions on core system statuses (Tentative, To Do, In Progress, Completed) are locked for data-integrity reasons—only role visibility can be adjusted.
Disable or delete a custom status
| Task | Steps | Result |
| Disable | Settings ▸ Booking Statuses ▸ toggle Enabled → Off |
Status disappears from drop-downs but stays in historical records. |
| Delete (unused only) | Click 🗑 Delete beside the status → Confirm |
Removes the status entirely; blocked if any job already references it. |
Key reminders
- Core statuses (Tentative, To Do, In Progress, Completed) can’t be deleted or have their built-in actions changed—only role visibility can be toggled.
- Disable vs. delete – You can disable custom statuses you no longer use (they disappear from menus but stay on old jobs).
- Customer portal limits – Customers can only view statuses you allow and may only cancel within the rules you set under Settings › Customer Portal › Booking Cancellation Window.
Follow these conventions and your team—and your customers—will see only the options that make sense for them, while your workflow captures the exact information you need at every stage of the job.
Best Practices & Tips
- Keep It Simple – Too many statuses can cause confusion. Use only as many as needed to reflect your actual workflow.
- Use Clear Labels – Names like “Awaiting Customer Confirmation” or “Parts on Order” can help your team see what’s happening at a glance.
- Assign Colors – Distinct colors for each status make it easier to spot them in your calendar or list view.
- Automations – Remember that each status can tie into automated notifications, so ensure your statuses align with your communication strategy.
- Review Periodically – As your business evolves, update or retire statuses to keep your workflow streamlined.
Summary
Booking statuses form the backbone of your workflow in OctopusPro. They give real-time visibility into each job’s progress, automate key tasks like notifications, and allow for deep customization to match your specific processes. Whether you use the default statuses or create your own, maintaining an organized, consistent status flow ensures you and your team stay on top of every booking—from initial quote to final completion.
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