Frequently Asked Questions

Pitstop AI is available for service businesses by invitation. To get started, contact us at hello@pitstop.com with information about your business including:

• Business Information: Your business name, type (salon, spa, clinic, etc.), and industry
• Scale: Number of staff members, locations, and current booking volume
• Contact Details: Your name, email, phone number, and preferred contact method
• Current Systems: Information about your current booking system or process (if any)
• Goals: What you hope to achieve with Pitstop AI (reduce no-shows, automate bookings, grow customer base, etc.)

Our team will review your request and provide you with account access typically within 1-2 business days. Once approved, you'll receive your account credentials via email with setup instructions. The initial setup process typically takes 15-30 minutes and includes:

• Creating your business profile
• Setting up business hours and timezone
• Adding your first service
• Connecting a messaging platform (WhatsApp recommended to start)
• Configuring basic AI assistant settings

Our support team is available to help you through the setup process and answer any questions you have along the way.

Pitstop AI pricing and payment options vary based on your business needs and subscription plan. We offer flexible pricing tiers designed for businesses of all sizes, from solo practitioners to multi-location enterprises.

Payment Methods: We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and debit cards. Payment processing is handled securely through Stripe with industry-standard encryption and PCI compliance. All payment information is encrypted and never stored on our servers.

Billing: Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually (annual plans include discounts). Billing occurs automatically on your billing date, and you'll receive email receipts for all transactions. You can update payment methods, view billing history, and manage subscriptions from your account settings.

Enterprise Pricing: Enterprise customers with high booking volumes (1000+ bookings/month), multiple locations, or specific requirements may be eligible for custom pricing and can pay via invoice. Enterprise plans include dedicated support, custom integrations, and priority feature requests. Contact our sales team at hello@pitstop.com to discuss enterprise pricing options.

What's Included: All pricing tiers include access to the full platform including AI assistant, multi-platform messaging (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook), booking management, customer management, analytics, and email support. Additional costs may apply for WhatsApp Business API usage beyond included limits, depending on your Meta account tier and usage volume.

Free Trial: We offer a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can test the platform risk-free before committing to a paid plan.

Yes! You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from your account settings (Settings → Billing → Change Plan). Plan changes are flexible and designed to accommodate your business growth or changing needs.

Upgrading: When you upgrade, you immediately gain access to the new plan's features. Billing is prorated automatically - you'll be charged the difference for the remaining billing period, and your next full billing cycle will reflect the new plan price.

Downgrading: When you downgrade, the change takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You'll retain access to your current plan's features until the period ends, then switch to the lower tier. This ensures you get full value from your current plan.

Feature Access: Some features may be limited when downgrading. We'll notify you if downgrading will affect any of your current configurations or data. Review feature differences between plans before downgrading to ensure the lower tier meets your needs.

No Lock-in: There are no long-term contracts or cancellation fees. You can change plans or cancel at any time without penalties.

We offer a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can test the platform risk-free and see if it's the right fit for your business.

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: If you're not satisfied within the first 30 days of your paid subscription, contact us for a full refund - no questions asked. We're confident you'll love Pitstop AI, but we want you to be completely satisfied.

After 30 Days: Refunds after the first 30 days are handled on a case-by-case basis. We'll work with you to resolve any issues, but if you're still not satisfied, we'll consider refund requests based on circumstances. Common reasons for post-30-day refunds include technical issues we couldn't resolve, significant feature changes, or business closure.

Partial Refunds: For annual plans, we may offer prorated refunds for unused months if you cancel mid-term, depending on the circumstances. Contact support to discuss your situation.

Processing Time: Refunds are typically processed within 5-10 business days and will appear on your original payment method. You'll receive email confirmation when the refund is processed.

You can cancel your account at any time from the account settings page (Settings → Billing → Cancel Subscription). Cancellation is immediate and straightforward - no phone calls or complicated processes required.

Access Until Period End: Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You'll retain full access to all features until your paid period expires, allowing you to continue using the platform and export your data if needed. No further charges will be made after cancellation.

Data Export: Before cancellation, you can export your data (bookings, customers, payments) to Excel from the dashboard. We recommend exporting your data before the period ends to ensure you have backups.

Reactivation: If you change your mind, you can reactivate your account at any time. Simply log in and resubscribe - all your data will be restored exactly as you left it.

No Cancellation Fees: There are no cancellation fees or penalties. You can cancel anytime without any financial obligations beyond your current billing period.

Feedback: When canceling, we'd appreciate hearing why you're leaving. Your feedback helps us improve the platform for other users. You can provide feedback during the cancellation process or contact us directly.

The AI booking agent is an intelligent assistant powered by Mastra and advanced language models (Google Gemini) that handles customer inquiries and bookings automatically 24/7 via WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger.

Core Capabilities: The AI can answer questions about your services, pricing, and policies; check real-time availability across your calendar; create bookings automatically; handle rescheduling and cancellations; send confirmations and reminders; and manage complete customer interactions without any human intervention.

How It Works: When a customer sends a message, the AI uses natural language processing to understand the request, checks your knowledge base for relevant information, uses tools to access real-time data (availability, customer info, etc.), and responds appropriately. The AI maintains conversation context, remembers previous messages, and provides personalized, accurate responses.

Knowledge Base Integration: The AI uses your Q&A knowledge base (FAQs, service descriptions, policies) to answer questions accurately. It uses semantic search (RAG - Retrieval-Augmented Generation) to find relevant information from your Q&A pairs and provide context-aware answers.

24/7 Availability: Unlike human staff, the AI never sleeps, takes breaks, or gets overwhelmed. It handles multiple conversations simultaneously and responds instantly, providing excellent customer service around the clock.

Continuous Learning: The AI improves over time as you update your knowledge base, refine instructions, and provide feedback. Regular reviews and updates help maintain accuracy and improve performance.

The AI assistant uses advanced language models (Google Gemini) combined with your knowledge base to provide accurate, context-aware responses. Accuracy depends on several factors:

Knowledge Base Quality: Accuracy improves significantly when you add comprehensive Q&A pairs (FAQs, service descriptions, policies) to your knowledge base. Well-structured, up-to-date Q&A pairs enable the AI to provide accurate answers. Without a knowledge base, the AI relies on general knowledge which may not match your specific business.

Semantic Search (RAG): The AI uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to find relevant information from your Q&A pairs. It understands context and meaning, not just keywords, so it can answer questions even when phrased differently. RAG ensures answers are based on your actual business information rather than generic responses.

Real-Time Data Access: For availability, bookings, and customer information, the AI accesses real-time data through tools. This ensures answers reflect current availability and accurate booking information, not outdated data.

Typical Accuracy: With a well-maintained knowledge base, the AI typically achieves 90%+ accuracy for common questions. Accuracy is highest for information clearly documented in your knowledge base. For complex or unusual questions, the AI may ask clarifying questions or suggest the customer contact you for help.

Improving Accuracy: Regularly update your knowledge base, review AI conversations to identify incorrect responses, refine agent instructions, and provide feedback. Continuous improvement maintains and enhances accuracy over time.

Yes! You have extensive customization options to make the AI assistant match your brand and business needs:

Knowledge Base: Add Q&A pairs (FAQs, service info, business policies) so the AI can answer questions accurately. The AI uses this knowledge plus your business profile and services to respond to customers.

Tool Configuration: Enable or disable specific tools (booking creation, availability checking, customer lookup, etc.) per agent in Settings → Agents. Required tools for messaging agents are always on. Tool configuration ensures the AI has the right capabilities for your business.

Testing & Refinement: Test the AI with common customer scenarios after customization to verify it behaves as intended. Review conversations regularly and refine instructions or knowledge base based on results. Continuous refinement ensures the AI improves over time.

If the AI makes a mistake, there are several ways to address it and prevent it from happening again:

Review Conversations: You can review all AI conversations in the dashboard (Conversations → View All). Review conversations regularly to identify incorrect responses, understand why mistakes occurred, and track improvement over time.

Update Knowledge Base: If the AI provided incorrect information, update your Q&A pairs with the correct information and re-embed so the AI uses them in future conversations. Add missing information, correct errors, or clarify ambiguous content.

Adjust Instructions: Refine agent instructions to guide the AI's behavior differently. If the AI handled a situation incorrectly, update instructions to specify the correct approach. Clear, specific instructions help prevent similar mistakes.

Monitoring: You can view all conversations in the Chats view. For critical issues or when the AI can't handle a situation, you can manage the booking (reschedule, cancel, add notes) from the dashboard. Customers can also be contacted through your normal channels. This ensures customers always get help when needed.

Feedback Loop: The AI learns and improves from your feedback. When you update the knowledge base or adjust instructions based on mistakes, the AI incorporates these changes into future responses. Regular updates and refinements maintain and improve accuracy.

Testing: After making corrections, test the AI with similar scenarios to verify the issue is resolved. Regular testing helps catch problems early and ensures improvements are effective.

Best Practice: Review AI conversations weekly, update knowledge base monthly, and refine instructions as needed. Continuous improvement is key to maintaining high AI accuracy and customer satisfaction.

Updating your knowledge base is simple and can be done anytime:

Q&A Pairs: Go to Q&A Pairs in your dashboard. Add, edit, or remove question-answer pairs. The system embeds them so the AI can use them to answer customer questions. After editing a pair, use the embed action so the AI has the latest content.

What to add: You can add Q&A pairs for:

• FAQs: Common questions and answers about your business, services, or policies
• Service info: Details about each service you offer
• Policies: Cancellation, refunds, terms of service, etc.
• Business Information: About your business, history, team, location details
• Pricing Information: Service prices, packages, promotions, special offers
• Any Other Information: Anything customers might ask about

Best practices: Use clear questions and accurate answers. Keep pairs up-to-date. After editing a pair, run the embed action so the AI has the latest content.

Testing: After adding or updating Q&A pairs, test the AI in the playground or via messaging to verify it uses the new information correctly.

Pitstop AI supports three major messaging platforms that your customers already use daily:

• WhatsApp: The most popular messaging platform globally, perfect for direct customer communication. WhatsApp Business API integration allows you to send and receive messages, confirmations, and reminders. Most customers prefer WhatsApp for booking appointments.
• Instagram Direct Messages: Ideal for businesses with strong Instagram presence. Customers can book directly through Instagram DMs without leaving the app. Perfect for reaching younger demographics and visual service businesses.
• Facebook Messenger: Great for businesses with active Facebook Pages. Customers can book through Messenger, and you can leverage Facebook's social features for customer engagement and marketing.

Unified Experience: Your AI agent handles conversations seamlessly across all three platforms. Customers can book through any platform they prefer, and all bookings are managed in one unified dashboard. The AI maintains conversation context and provides consistent service regardless of which platform customers use.

Platform Benefits: Each platform has unique advantages - WhatsApp for broad reach, Instagram for visual engagement, Facebook for social integration. Supporting all three maximizes your booking opportunities and meets customers where they're most comfortable.

No, you can connect all three platforms (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) to a single Pitstop AI account. This unified approach simplifies management and provides a seamless experience for both you and your customers.

Single Dashboard: All platforms are managed from one Pitstop AI dashboard. You can view conversations, bookings, and analytics from all platforms in one place. No need to switch between different systems or accounts.

Platform Credentials: While you manage everything in Pitstop AI, each platform requires its own API credentials:

• WhatsApp: Requires WhatsApp Business API credentials from Meta (Access Token, Phone Number ID, Business Account ID)
• Instagram: Requires Instagram Business account linked to a Facebook Page
• Facebook: Requires Facebook Page and App credentials

Setup Process: You'll configure each platform's credentials in Pitstop AI's settings. Once connected, all platforms work together seamlessly. You can connect all three at once or add them gradually as needed.

Unified AI Agent: Your AI assistant works across all platforms using the same knowledge base, instructions, and configuration. This ensures consistent service and branding regardless of which platform customers use.

Setting up WhatsApp involves several steps, but we've made it as straightforward as possible:

1. Create a Meta Developer Account: Go to developers.facebook.com and create a free developer account. This gives you access to Meta's developer tools and APIs.
2. Set Up WhatsApp Business API: In Meta Developer Console, create a new app and add WhatsApp product. Follow Meta's setup wizard to configure your WhatsApp Business API account. You'll need a verified phone number for WhatsApp Business.
3. Get API Credentials: Collect your Access Token, Phone Number ID, Business Account ID (WABA ID), App Secret, and create a Webhook Verify Token. These credentials are needed to connect WhatsApp to Pitstop AI.
4. Configure Webhook in Meta: In Meta Developer Console, set up the webhook URL provided by Pitstop AI. This allows WhatsApp to send messages to Pitstop AI. You'll need to verify the webhook using the verify token.
5. Add WhatsApp in Pitstop AI: Go to Settings → WhatsApp in your Pitstop AI dashboard and enter your API credentials. Pitstop AI will test the connection automatically.
6. Verify Connection: Test by sending a message to your WhatsApp Business number. You should receive it in Pitstop AI, and the AI should respond. Check the connection status indicator in dashboard (should show "Connected" in green).

Important Notes: WhatsApp Business API requires business verification for production use (free tier allows testing). The setup process typically takes 1-2 hours, including Meta's approval processes. You may need to wait for phone number verification and business approval.

See our comprehensive WhatsApp Configuration guide for detailed step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting tips, and best practices.

Setting up Instagram and Facebook Messenger involves connecting your social media accounts to Pitstop AI:

Prerequisites:

• You need a Facebook Business Page (not a personal profile)
• Your Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account (not personal)
• Instagram Business account must be linked to your Facebook Page
• You need a Facebook Developer account (free)

Setup Steps:

1. Create Facebook App: In Meta Developer Console, create a new app and add "Messenger" and "Instagram" products. This gives you access to messaging APIs.
2. Link Instagram to Facebook Page: Ensure your Instagram Business account is connected to your Facebook Page in Facebook Business Manager. This connection is required for Instagram messaging.
3. Get Page Access Token: Generate a Page Access Token in Meta Developer Console. This token allows Pitstop AI to send and receive messages on behalf of your Page.
4. Configure Webhooks: Set up webhook URLs in Meta Developer Console for both Messenger and Instagram. Subscribe to messaging events (messages, message_reads, etc.). Verify webhooks using the verify token provided by Pitstop AI.
5. Add Platforms in Pitstop AI: Go to Settings → Instagram/Facebook in your Pitstop AI dashboard and enter your Page Access Token and Page ID. Pitstop AI will test the connection.
6. Verify Connection: Test by sending a message to your Facebook Page or Instagram account. Messages should appear in Pitstop AI, and the AI should respond.

Important Notes: Instagram messaging requires your account to be a Business account linked to a Facebook Page. Both platforms use the same Facebook Page credentials, so setup is similar. The process typically takes 30-60 minutes.

See our Getting Started guide for detailed platform-specific setup instructions, troubleshooting, and best practices.

Yes! You can add multiple WhatsApp numbers, Instagram accounts, or Facebook Pages to your business account. This is perfect for multi-location businesses, different departments, or separate service lines.

Multiple Numbers/Accounts: Each platform supports multiple connections:

• WhatsApp: Add multiple WhatsApp Business numbers, each with its own API credentials. Useful for different locations, departments, or service types.
• Instagram: Connect multiple Instagram Business accounts, each linked to its own Facebook Page. Great for different brands or locations.
• Facebook: Connect multiple Facebook Pages, each with its own messaging setup. Perfect for separate business units or locations.

Plan Limits: Professional and Enterprise plans support unlimited agents (messaging platform connections). Basic plans may have limits - check your plan details or contact us to discuss your needs.

Management: All numbers/accounts are managed from one Pitstop AI dashboard. You can view conversations, bookings, and analytics for all platforms in one place. Each connection can have its own AI configuration, business hours, or staff assignments if needed.

Use Cases: Multiple connections are ideal for:

• Multi-location businesses (each location has its own number/account)
• Different departments (sales, support, bookings)
• Separate service lines or brands
• Testing new platforms or numbers

If a messaging platform (WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook) experiences downtime, Pitstop AI has built-in resilience to handle the situation:

Message Queuing: When a platform is down, Pitstop AI automatically queues outgoing messages. Once the platform service is restored, queued messages are sent automatically. This ensures no messages are lost during outages.

Multi-Platform Redundancy: If one platform is down, customers can still book through your other connected platforms. For example, if WhatsApp is down, customers can use Instagram or Facebook Messenger. This redundancy ensures your booking system remains available even during platform outages.

AI Agent Continuity: Your AI agent continues to work and process incoming messages from available platforms. The AI maintains conversation context and can handle bookings through any available platform.

Status Monitoring: Pitstop AI monitors platform status and notifies you if a platform connection is lost. You can check connection status in your dashboard and see when platforms are restored.

Automatic Recovery: When a platform comes back online, Pitstop AI automatically reconnects and resumes normal operation. No manual intervention is typically required.

Best Practice: Connect multiple platforms (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) to ensure redundancy. This way, if one platform experiences issues, customers can still reach you through other channels. Platform outages are rare but having multiple channels provides peace of mind.

The booking system works seamlessly through natural conversation with your AI assistant:

Customer Initiates: Customers send a message via WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger asking to book an appointment. They can phrase it naturally like "I'd like to book a haircut" or "Do you have availability next week?"

AI Responds: Your AI agent understands the request, asks clarifying questions if needed (which service, preferred date/time, staff preference), and checks real-time availability from your calendar.

Availability Check: The AI checks your calendar in real-time, considering business hours, staff availability, existing bookings, holidays, and time blocks. It only shows truly available time slots.

Service Selection: If multiple services are available, the AI helps customers choose by describing services, showing pricing, or asking about preferences. Customers can select services naturally through conversation.

Booking Creation: Once the customer confirms a service and time slot, the AI creates the booking automatically. The system checks for conflicts one final time before creating the booking to prevent double-booking.

Immediate Confirmation: Confirmation is sent immediately through the same messaging channel, including all booking details (date, time, service, staff, location, pricing, cancellation policy). Customers receive confirmation while the conversation is fresh.

Dashboard Update: The booking appears instantly in your dashboard, and you receive notifications (if configured). You can view, edit, or manage the booking just like any other appointment.

No Forms Required: Unlike traditional booking systems, customers don't fill out forms. The AI collects necessary information through natural conversation, making booking feel like chatting with a helpful assistant rather than filling out paperwork.

You have full control over how far in advance customers can book appointments:

Maximum Advance Booking: Configure the maximum advance booking window (e.g., 2-4 weeks, 1-3 months) in your service settings. This prevents customers from booking too far in advance when your schedule might change. Common settings are 2-4 weeks for most services, or up to 3 months for special events or popular services.

Minimum Advance Booking: Set minimum advance booking time (e.g., 2 hours, 24 hours) to prevent last-minute bookings that you can't accommodate. This gives you time to prepare and ensures quality service. Minimum notice requirements vary by service type - some services need more preparation time than others.

Service-Specific Settings: Different services can have different booking windows. For example, you might allow same-day bookings for simple services but require 24-hour notice for complex treatments. Configure booking windows per service in service settings.

Flexible Configuration: You can adjust booking windows anytime based on your business needs, seasonal demand, or operational capacity. Changes take effect immediately and apply to new booking requests.

Best Practices: Balance customer convenience with operational needs. Too short windows reduce booking opportunities; too long windows create scheduling uncertainty. Consider your preparation time, cancellation patterns, and customer preferences when setting booking windows.

Yes! Customers can cancel or reschedule appointments easily through any messaging platform (WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger). The AI assistant handles these requests automatically, making it convenient for customers and reducing your administrative workload.

Cancellation Process: Customers simply message saying they want to cancel (e.g., "I need to cancel my appointment" or "Can I cancel my booking?"). The AI identifies the cancellation request, confirms which booking to cancel, processes the cancellation, and sends confirmation. The time slot becomes available immediately for other customers.

Rescheduling Process: Customers can request to reschedule (e.g., "Can I change my appointment to next week?"). The AI checks availability for the new requested time, confirms the change, updates the booking, and sends updated confirmation. If the requested time isn't available, the AI suggests alternatives.

Cancellation Policies: You can configure cancellation policies in your settings:

• Minimum Notice: Require customers to cancel a certain amount of time in advance (e.g., 24 hours, 48 hours)
• Cancellation Fees: Set fees for late cancellations or no-shows (if applicable)
• Refund Policies: Define refund rules for cancellations
• Rescheduling Rules: Set rules for how far in advance rescheduling must be requested

Automatic Enforcement: The AI enforces your cancellation policies automatically. If a customer tries to cancel too late, the AI explains the policy and any applicable fees. This ensures consistent policy enforcement without manual intervention.

Notifications: You receive notifications when bookings are cancelled or rescheduled, so you're always aware of schedule changes. Cancelled time slots are immediately available for new bookings.

Customer Experience: Easy cancellation and rescheduling improve customer satisfaction. Customers appreciate the flexibility and are more likely to rebook if they can easily adjust their appointments.

Automated reminders are one of Pitstop AI's most effective features for reducing no-shows:

Automatic Timing: Pitstop AI automatically sends reminder notifications before each appointment (1, 2, or 3 hours before, based on your settings). Reminders are sent at the configured time based on the appointment time, ensuring customers receive them when they're most useful.

Multi-Channel Delivery: Reminders are sent via the same messaging channel the booking was created through (WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook). This ensures reminders reach customers on the platform they're already using, increasing the likelihood they'll see and act on reminders.

Reminder Content: Each reminder includes all booking details (date, time, service, staff, location, duration) and any preparation instructions. Reminders also include easy options to reschedule or cancel if needed, making it convenient for customers to adjust if plans change.

Confirmed Bookings Only: Reminders are only sent for confirmed bookings. Pending, cancelled, or completed bookings don't receive reminders. This ensures reminders are relevant and accurate.

Customization: You can customize reminder messages to match your brand voice and include specific information. Reminders can include preparation instructions, what to bring, parking information, or any other relevant details.

Per-Service Settings: Different services can have different reminder settings. For example, you might send reminders for all services, or only for services that require preparation. Configure reminder settings per service in service settings.

No-Show Reduction: Automated reminders significantly reduce no-shows by keeping appointments top-of-mind. Studies show reminders can reduce no-shows by 30-50%, improving your booking reliability and revenue.

Delivery Status: You can see reminder delivery status in your dashboard, including which reminders were sent, delivered, and read. This helps you track reminder effectiveness and identify any delivery issues.

Yes! Pitstop AI provides flexible options for blocking time slots and managing your schedule:

Time Blocks: Create time blocks to mark unavailable periods for staff, resources, or your entire business. Time blocks are perfect for:

• Staff breaks, lunches, or personal time
• Maintenance, cleaning, or setup periods
• Private events or special appointments
• Training sessions or meetings
• Any period when you're unavailable

Recurring Closures: Set recurring closures for regular unavailability (e.g., closed every Sunday, closed first Monday of each month). Recurring closures automatically block time slots on a schedule, saving you from manually blocking the same periods repeatedly.

Holiday Hours: Configure special hours or closures for holidays, special events, or one-time occasions. Holiday hours override regular business hours for specific dates, allowing you to set different schedules for holidays without changing your regular hours.

Date Range Blocks: Block entire date ranges for extended closures (vacations, renovations, etc.). Date range blocks are useful for planned closures that span multiple days or weeks.

Staff-Specific Blocks: Create time blocks for specific staff members while keeping the business open. This is useful when individual staff members are unavailable but others can still take bookings.

Resource Blocks: Block resources (rooms, equipment) for maintenance or special use while keeping other resources available. This ensures resources aren't double-booked during maintenance periods.

AI Respects Blocks: The AI agent automatically respects all time blocks, closures, and special hours when checking availability. Customers won't see blocked time slots as available, preventing booking conflicts and ensuring accurate availability.

Easy Management: All blocks and closures are managed from your dashboard. You can create, edit, or delete blocks anytime, and changes take effect immediately. Visual calendar views make it easy to see all blocks at a glance.

There's no hard limit on the number of staff members you can add. You can add as many staff members as needed for your business, whether you're a solo practitioner or a large team with dozens of employees.

Unlimited Staff: All Pitstop AI plans support unlimited staff members. Add as many team members as you need without worrying about limits or additional fees per staff member.

Individual Profiles: Each staff member gets their own profile with:

• Contact information and photo
• Service assignments (which services they can perform)
• Individual schedule and availability
• Personal holidays and time off
• Time blocks for breaks or unavailability
• Permission levels and access settings

Service Assignments: Assign staff members to specific services based on their skills, certifications, or training. Only assigned staff will appear as options for those services when customers book. This ensures customers only book with qualified staff.

Flexible Scheduling: Each staff member can have their own schedule, different from business hours. Some staff might work part-time, have different shifts, or work only certain days. Individual schedules ensure accurate availability for each team member.

Staff Management: Manage all staff from one dashboard. Add new staff, update profiles, adjust schedules, or manage permissions easily. Staff can also access their own calendars and bookings if you grant them access.

Scalability: As your business grows, simply add more staff members. There's no limit, so you can scale from a small team to a large organization without platform constraints.

Yes! Pitstop AI provides flexible permission levels so you can control what each team member can access and do:

Owner/Admin: Full access to all features and settings. Owners can:

• Manage all bookings, customers, and staff
• Configure business settings, services, and AI assistant
• Access billing, account settings, and subscription management
• View all analytics and reports
• Manage team members and permissions
• Configure integrations and platform connections

Manager: Most features except sensitive account settings. Managers can:

• View and manage all bookings and customers
• Access analytics and reports
• Configure services, staff, and business hours
• Manage AI assistant settings and knowledge base
• View conversations and communication logs
• Cannot access billing, account settings, or subscription management

Staff: Limited access focused on their own work. Staff can:

• View and manage their own bookings and calendar
• Access their assigned customers
• Update booking statuses for their appointments
• Add notes to their bookings
• View their own performance metrics
• Cannot access other staff's bookings, business settings, or sensitive data

Custom Permissions: You can customize permissions further by enabling or disabling specific features for each role. This allows fine-grained control over what each team member can do.

Security: Permission levels ensure sensitive information (billing, account settings) is only accessible to authorized users. This protects your business data while allowing team members to do their jobs effectively.

Easy Management: Assign permission levels when adding staff members or change them anytime from the team management section. Changes take effect immediately.

Resources are physical items or spaces that can be booked alongside or instead of staff members. Resources help you manage limited assets and prevent double-booking of shared facilities.

Common Resource Types:

• Treatment Rooms: Massage rooms, therapy rooms, consultation rooms
• Equipment: Specialized equipment, machines, tools required for services
• Vehicles: Company vehicles, delivery vehicles, mobile service vehicles
• Meeting Spaces: Conference rooms, event spaces, training rooms
• Other Assets: Any limited resource that needs to be scheduled

How Resources Work:

• Assign resources to services that require them (e.g., "Deep Tissue Massage" requires "Massage Room 1")
• When customers book services, the system checks both staff and resource availability
• Resources are blocked during bookings, preventing double-booking
• Resources become available again when bookings end
• You can set resource capacity (e.g., room capacity, number of equipment units)

Resource Management: Create resources in your dashboard, assign them to services, and set availability schedules. Resources can have their own maintenance windows, holidays, or time blocks just like staff members.

Preventing Conflicts: The system automatically prevents double-booking of resources. If a resource is already booked, it won't appear as available for other bookings during that time. This ensures resources are used efficiently and conflicts are avoided.

Use Cases: Resources are essential for businesses with limited facilities (one massage room, specialized equipment) or shared assets (company vehicles, meeting spaces). They ensure these limited resources are scheduled properly and prevent booking conflicts.

Optional Feature: Resources are optional - if your business doesn't have limited facilities or shared assets, you don't need to configure resources. The system works perfectly with just staff scheduling.

Yes! Service-staff assignments are a powerful feature for managing specialized services and ensuring customers book with qualified staff.

How It Works: When you create or edit a service, you can assign it to specific staff members. Only assigned staff will appear as booking options for that service. Customers can choose from available assigned staff when booking.

Perfect For:

• Specialized Services: Services that require specific skills, certifications, or training (e.g., only licensed therapists can perform certain treatments)
• Staff Expertise: When certain staff members are experts in specific services (e.g., one stylist specializes in color treatments)
• Equipment Access: Services that require specific equipment only certain staff can use
• Service Quality: Ensuring only qualified staff perform certain services to maintain quality standards
• Regulatory Compliance: Meeting legal or regulatory requirements for service providers

Flexible Assignments: You can assign:

• One service to multiple staff (all assigned staff can perform the service)
• Multiple services to one staff (staff can perform all assigned services)
• Any combination based on your business needs

Customer Experience: When customers book a service, they only see staff members who are qualified and available for that service. This prevents booking errors and ensures customers get the right provider for their needs.

Availability Checking: The system checks both service-staff assignments and individual staff availability. Even if a staff member is assigned to a service, they won't appear as available if they're already booked, on holiday, or have time blocks.

Easy Management: Update service-staff assignments anytime from service settings. Changes take effect immediately and apply to new bookings. Existing bookings are not affected by assignment changes.

Pitstop AI provides comprehensive analytics to help you understand your business performance and make data-driven decisions:

Booking Metrics:

• Total bookings, booking trends, and growth rates
• Conversion rates (inquiry to booking)
• Booking status breakdown (confirmed, cancelled, no-show, completed)
• Peak times and booking patterns by day, week, or month
• Booking velocity and demand trends

Customer Analytics:

• New vs. returning customers
• Customer lifetime value (CLV)
• Customer retention rates
• Customer growth trends
• Top customers by bookings or revenue
• Customer segmentation and behavior analysis

Service Performance:

• Most popular services by bookings
• Service revenue and profitability
• Service utilization rates
• Service trends and seasonal patterns
• Service comparison and performance analysis

Revenue Reports:

• Total revenue and revenue trends
• Revenue by service, staff, location, or time period
• Average booking value
• Payment method breakdown

Staff Performance:

• Booking volume and revenue per staff member
• Staff utilization rates
• Customer satisfaction by staff
• Performance comparisons

Channel Performance:

• Bookings and revenue by platform (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook)
• Conversion rates by channel
• Channel effectiveness analysis

Interactive Dashboards: All analytics are presented in interactive dashboards with charts, graphs, and visualizations. You can filter by date range, compare periods, and drill down into specific metrics for detailed analysis.

Real-Time Updates: Analytics update in real-time as new data comes in, so you always have current insights for decision-making.

Yes! Pitstop AI lets you export data to Excel for analysis and reporting:

Excel Export: From the Bookings, Customers, and Payments pages you can export data to Excel. Exports can use date ranges and filters so you can pull the data you need for accounting, planning, or external analysis.

Use cases: Export is useful for:

• Accounting and financial analysis
• Tax preparation and record-keeping
• Business planning and forecasting
• Stakeholder presentations
• External analysis in Excel or other tools
• Compliance and audit requirements

Data Privacy: All exports respect your data privacy settings and only include data you have permission to access. Exported data is secure and can be used for external analysis or record-keeping.

Yes! Professional and Enterprise plans support multiple business locations, perfect for businesses with multiple branches, franchises, or service locations.

Multi-Location Support: Add as many locations as needed to your account. Each location operates independently with its own configuration while being managed from one centralized dashboard.

Location-Specific Settings: Each location can have:

• Unique business name and branding
• Different services and service offerings
• Location-specific staff members
• Individual business hours and schedules
• Own timezone (important for multi-region businesses)
• Location-specific resources (rooms, equipment)
• Different pricing or service variations

Centralized Management: Manage all locations from one dashboard. View bookings, customers, and analytics across all locations or filter by specific location. Centralized management simplifies operations while allowing location-specific customization.

Cross-Location Analytics: View analytics for individual locations or aggregate data across all locations. Compare performance between locations, identify best practices, and optimize operations across your business network.

Customer Experience: Customers booking through messaging platforms see availability for the specific location they're interacting with. The AI assistant can help customers choose locations or find the nearest branch.

Staff Management: Staff can be assigned to specific locations or work across multiple locations. Location-specific staff ensures accurate availability and prevents cross-location booking conflicts.

Use Cases: Multi-location support is ideal for:

• Franchise businesses
• Multi-branch operations
• Businesses with multiple service locations
• Mobile services with different service areas
• Any business operating from multiple physical locations

Plan Requirements: Multi-location support is available on Professional and Enterprise plans. Contact us if you need multi-location support on a Basic plan or have questions about your specific needs.

Location-specific settings allow each location to operate independently while being managed centrally:

Timezone Configuration: Each location can have its own timezone, essential for businesses operating in different regions or time zones. Accurate timezone settings ensure availability is displayed correctly for each location and prevent scheduling errors.

Business Hours: Each location can have different business hours. For example, one location might be open 9-5 weekdays, while another is open 10-8 including weekends. Location-specific hours ensure accurate availability for each branch.

Services: Different locations can offer different services. A downtown location might offer premium services, while a suburban location focuses on standard services. Service variations allow you to tailor offerings to each location's market.

Staff Members: Each location can have its own staff members, or staff can work across multiple locations. Location-specific staff ensures customers only see available staff for their chosen location.

Resources: Each location can have its own resources (rooms, equipment). Location-specific resources prevent cross-location booking conflicts and ensure accurate availability.

Customer Booking Experience: When customers book, they interact with a specific location (based on the messaging platform or location selection). They see availability, services, and staff only for that location. This ensures accurate bookings and prevents confusion.

Cross-Location Analytics: View analytics for individual locations or aggregate data across all locations. Compare performance, identify trends, and optimize operations. Cross-location analytics help you understand which locations perform best and why.

Centralized Control: While each location has independent settings, you manage everything from one dashboard. This provides centralized control while allowing location-specific customization. Changes to one location don't affect others.

Flexibility: Location-specific settings provide flexibility to adapt each location to its market, operational needs, and business model while maintaining centralized management and consistency where needed.

Pitstop AI takes data security seriously and uses industry-standard security practices to protect your business and customer data:

Data Encryption:

• In Transit: All data transmission is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS (Transport Layer Security), the same encryption used by banks and financial institutions. This ensures data is protected while traveling between your device and our servers.
• At Rest: All stored data is encrypted at rest using industry-standard encryption algorithms. This protects your data even if physical storage is compromised.

Secure Authentication:

• Strong password requirements and secure password storage (passwords are hashed, never stored in plain text)
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) support for additional account security
• Session management and automatic logout for inactive sessions
• Secure API authentication for platform integrations

Infrastructure Security:

• Hosted on secure, compliant cloud infrastructure with regular security updates
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Intrusion detection and monitoring systems
• Regular backups with encrypted storage
• Disaster recovery and business continuity plans

Compliance:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance for EU customers
• Other privacy regulations as applicable (CCPA, etc.)
• Regular compliance audits and updates
• Privacy policy and terms of service clearly documented

Access Controls:

• Role-based access control (RBAC) with permission levels
• Audit logging of all access and changes
• Secure API access with token-based authentication
• Regular access reviews and permission audits

Regular Updates: Security patches and updates are applied regularly to protect against known vulnerabilities. We monitor security advisories and respond quickly to security threats.

Your Responsibility: While we secure the platform, you're responsible for:

• Using strong, unique passwords
• Enabling two-factor authentication
• Managing team member access and permissions
• Keeping your API credentials secure
• Following security best practices

Data access is strictly controlled to ensure only authorized users can view or modify your business information:

Authorized Users Only: Only users you explicitly add to your business account can access your data. This includes:

• Account owners and administrators
• Team members you've invited and granted access
• Staff members with appropriate permission levels

Permission-Based Access: Access is controlled through permission levels:

• Owner/Admin: Full access to all data and settings
• Manager: Access to bookings, customers, and most features (no billing or account settings)
• Staff: Limited access to their own bookings and customers only

You Control Access: You have complete control over who can access your data:

• Add or remove team members anytime
• Assign permission levels based on roles
• Customize permissions for specific features
• Revoke access immediately when needed

Audit Logging: All access and changes are logged with:

• Who accessed what data and when
• What changes were made
• IP addresses and device information
• Complete audit trail for compliance and security

Pitstop AI Staff Access: Pitstop AI support staff may access your account only when:

• You explicitly request support
• Resolving technical issues you've reported
• With your permission and for specific purposes
• All support access is logged and audited

Third-Party Access: We never share your data with third parties except:

• Service providers necessary for platform operation (hosting, payment processing) - all bound by strict confidentiality agreements
• When required by law or legal process
• With your explicit consent

Data Isolation: Your data is isolated from other businesses. Each business account is separate, and there's no cross-account data access. Your data is private to your business.

Best Practices: Regularly review team member access, remove inactive users, use appropriate permission levels, and enable two-factor authentication for additional security.

Yes! You have full control over your data and can export it anytime from your dashboard:

What You Can Export:

• Bookings: All booking data including dates, times, services, customers, staff, status, notes, and history
• Customers: Customer profiles, contact information, booking history, notes, preferences, and statistics
• Analytics: Metrics, trends, performance data, and reports
• Services: Service details, pricing, descriptions, and configurations
• Staff: Staff profiles, schedules, and performance data
• Conversations: Message history and communication logs
• Other Data: Any data stored in your account

Export Formats:

• CSV: Comma-separated values format for Excel, Google Sheets, or other data analysis tools. CSV exports are perfect for detailed analysis, data manipulation, or integration with other systems.
• Excel: Export to Excel (XLSX) for analysis, record-keeping, or sharing with your team or accountant.

Export Options:

• Export all data or filter by date range, service, staff, location, or other criteria
• Select specific data fields to include in exports
• Export individual records or bulk export entire datasets
• Choose date range and filters when exporting

Data Portability: Your data belongs to you. Export capabilities ensure you can:

• Create backups of your data
• Migrate to other systems if needed
• Use data in external tools for analysis
• Maintain records for compliance or accounting
• Ensure business continuity

Large Exports: For very large datasets (thousands of records), contact support for assistance. We can help optimize exports, split large exports into manageable files, or provide alternative export methods.

Export Frequency: You can export data as often as needed. There are no limits on export frequency or volume. Regular exports are recommended for data backup and business continuity.

Data Format: Exported data is in Excel format (XLSX). You can open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet and accounting tools.

Privacy: Exported data includes only information from your account. We never include data from other businesses or sensitive system information in exports.