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Appointments & Scheduling · How-to guide

Configure service buffers

Pixie CRM guidance. Follow the route for your workspace, check your role and enabled modules, and verify the result before moving on.

Reserve preparation and follow-up time around appointments so adjacent bookings do not overlap operational work.

Audience: Staff who manage appointmentsFeature: Service buffersModule v1.3.6
Jump to steps
Where to goAppointments > Services > Edit
Before you startThis guide follows the supplied Pixie CRM Appointments & Scheduling module version 1.3.6. The relevant access is Appointments: View. A menu, button, provider, time slot or client action can remain hidden when the signed-in user lacks the required permission, the module setting is disabled, the related record is in an ineligible state, or availability validation rejects the request.

What you’ll accomplish

Reserve preparation and follow-up time around appointments so adjacent bookings do not overlap operational work. It uses Pixie CRM's permission-aware appointment, availability, status and integration flow rather than an unconnected diary entry.

How it works

Buffer before and buffer after are added to the service duration when the availability engine checks busy periods.

The customer-facing appointment duration remains separate from preparation and clean-up time.

Slot generation rejects proposed times whose buffered interval overlaps existing busy data.

Follow these steps

  1. Go to the service.
  2. Enter the preparation time in Buffer before.
  3. Enter the follow-up or clean-up time in Buffer after.
  4. Save the service.
  5. Test adjacent slots and confirm the reserved gap is enforced.

Settings to check

Buffer beforeMinutes reserved before the displayed start.
Service durationCustomer-facing active appointment time.
Buffer afterMinutes reserved after the displayed end.
Busy intervalCombined period used for conflict checks.

Check it worked

After this workflow completes, Pixie CRM keeps the appointment and its supported relationships connected. Reopen the appointment and verify the saved status, date, timezone, customer or lead, service, provider, attendees, reminder state, calendar or meeting reference, invoice reference and history that apply to this feature. External email, SMS, Google, Microsoft or payment outcomes must be checked separately from the Pixie CRM database save.

  • Open the saved appointment and confirm the final status and source.
  • Check the participant, provider, timing and timezone from the full detail page.
  • Review the relevant table filter, calendar, history, report or linked invoice instead of relying only on a success message.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Do not include the same preparation time in both duration and buffer.
  • Large buffers reduce available slots by design.
  • Retest all providers after changing a shared service.
  • Use the least destructive correction and retain the appointment history when the booking existed operationally.
  • Never bypass a permission, availability, approval, client-access or verification control by changing an unrelated route or setting.
Scheduling and data safetyAppointment changes can notify customers, reserve provider time, update remote calendars, create meeting links or invoices and alter reports. Confirm the exact record, timezone, status and recipients before saving.
Browse connected topics:serviceavailabilityschedulingproviderinvoicepaymentcheckreportapprovalappointmentremindersfeedbacktimezonesemail
Understand appointment time-slot generationUnderstand busy-time conflict checksEdit service duration, price and colourTroubleshoot no available appointment time slotsAppointments services overviewCreate an appointment serviceAssign providers to a serviceChoose a primary service provider

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