At a Glance • Key Takeaways
- Automated Efficiency: Streamline online bookings, live availability scheduling, and customer communication without manual intervention.
- Live Capacity & Conflict Prevention: Prevent double-booking across staff, rooms, activity sessions, or rental fleet assets in real time.
- 0% Platform Booking Fees: SmartBookings does not charge transaction fees or take percentage cuts of your ticket sales or customer payments.
Overview: Flexible Hire Pricing Architecture
Equipment hire requires sophisticated pricing models. A tool hire depot may rent rotavators for 4 hours, 1 day, or a full week; a bouncy castle operator typically charges a 1-day rate with optional overnight add-ons; while marquee and plant hire companies offer multi-day, weekend, or 7-day trade rates.
SmartBookings allows you to configure exact tier rates for every rental scenario in AddResources.aspx.
Configuring Standard Rate Tiers
| Field in Admin |
Typical Hire Application |
Example Setup |
| Price Per Hour |
Van hire, audio recording gear, studio space |
£25.00 per hour (min 2 hours) |
| Price Per Day |
Bouncy castle day hire, 1-day tool rental |
£95.00 (standard 1-day garden hire) |
| Cost Per 2-14 Days |
Mini diggers, drying equipment, multi-day parties |
Graduated discounts (e.g. Day 1: £95, 2 Days: £150, 3 Days: £195) |
| Price Per Weekend |
Friday drop-off to Monday morning collection |
£160.00 (discounted weekend package) |
| Price Per Week |
Commercial building trade, long-term plant hire |
£350.00 (5-7 day hire rate) |
Setting Duration Constraints: Min & Max Hire
To prevent customers from booking equipment for unviable timeframes:
- Min Days / Min Hours: Set the minimum hire duration (e.g. Min Days = 1 for bouncy castles, or Min Hours = 4 for mini diggers).
- Max Days / Max Hours: Limit the maximum duration a customer can select online (e.g. Max Days = 14). For longer hires, direct them to call for commercial trade accounts.
Changeover & Maintenance Days
Complex equipment (such as wedding marquees, hot tubs, or large plant machinery) requires turnaround time between customers for cleaning, drying, and safety inspections:
- ChangeOverDays: Enter the number of buffer days required after a hire ends.
- SmartBookings automatically blocks out the equipment on the calendar for that duration, preventing back-to-back delivery conflicts!
Hot Tub & Marquee Example: Setting ChangeOverDays = 1 ensures that when a weekend marquee hire ends on Sunday evening, Monday is automatically blocked out for dismantling, drying, and cleaning before the next weekend delivery!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do hourly, daily, weekend, and weekly rental rates work in SmartBookings?
SmartBookings includes a graduated pricing matrix. Configure 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, weekend special, and 7-day weekly rates. As customers extend their hire duration on the calendar, the system automatically applies graduated multi-day discounts.
How do ChangeOverDays buffer days prevent booking dirty or wet equipment?
The ChangeOverDays setting reserves automatic turnaround padding after a hire (e.g. 1 buffer day). This gives drivers and depot staff time to collect, inspect, wash, dry, and sanitize equipment before it can be re-hired.
Can I charge different rates for private garden parties versus corporate festivals?
Yes. You can configure corporate or commercial hire tiers that include public liability insurance waivers, PAT test certification, and operator supervision.
How do weekend package rates work from Friday delivery to Monday collection?
Configure a 'Weekend Special' rate tier in hire pricing. Customers who select Friday drop-off and Monday morning collection receive a discounted package rate compared to three single-day charges.
Can prices be overridden for extended long-term plant tool hire?
Yes. Front-desk staff can manually override daily or weekly rental rates on custom commercial invoices in Book via Admin.
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