Class and Event Management: Streamline Square Online + Appointment Experiences

[wheelhousebzn]

I co-run a community art studio. We manage retail, private event bookings (services), ticketed classes, and ticketed community events. We actually switched away from Square a few years ago because class bookings weren't available, and it was very challenging to manage our classes and events using "physical" items alone.

We switched back recently for our retail and invoicing, since Square also connects with Wix for class bookings. Wix actually has a great class booking system in place, but we've been frustrated by managing our business in two places. More recently, I've looked back into Square for managing classes, but there are a few features we just can't live without, that Square does not have. I don't see them on the roadmap, either, and would love to advocate for them.

High priority features that Square doesn't have that are dealbreakers for us:

• Better management from the "appointments overview" tab of our Square dashboard (desktop and mobile). Right now, only appointments show up in the "upcoming appointments" view. For us to use the class booking feature effectively, we'd need scheduled appointments and classes to appear here together. Especially since that list view is the primary way to see what's coming up on the mobile app.
• The ability to add images to classes.
• The ability to add class repetition on specific dates. Right now, I could create a class that happens weekly, but not a class that happens on a Monday and Wednesday, for instance.
• Site integration with (or replacement of) the "events" section of Square websites, so we could offer a grid, list, or calendar view of upcoming classes within multiple site pages. The appointments integration with the website is decent, but the "events" pre-built section is even better, so that would be our preferred experience. Events and classes feel like they need the same framework, but being able to change the customer-facing language to accommodate both would be helpful

Some other high priority features that aren't dealbreakers:

• The ability to create multi-day classes, where customers are automatically included and reminded of all dates. We often have two to six-week workshops, where customers register to attend all days in advance. We can add participants manually to all other dates and make them free, so customers get reminders...but we're always short on time and that's a pain.
• The ability to create separate payment and cancellation policies for classes and appointments.
• The ability to customize notifications separately for classes and appointments, or even just to automatically change the language so it doesn't always default to "appointments" for class bookings

All of the above are features Wix booking offers, which is why we're still using them, but I would much prefer using Square if the class bookings feature evolved to accommodate my business' needs. That said, there are some features you already have that are great.

Features I love about Square class bookings:

• The ability to choose from existing classes, instead of creating a new class each time
• Being able to easily see "spots available" in the calendar month view
• The ability to associate and send forms when anyone books an appointment. This feature is GREAT.
• Seeing class bookings and appointments together in the calendar view (desktop)
• Look, feel, and ease of reminder texts and emails

Features I love about Square Events (items):

• Adding multiple images and longer, rich text descriptions
• Choosing between in-person and online for each event
• The way events integrate with Square websites

[Alley23]

I am having the same problem. I have used Wix in the past but it does cost per ticket which Square doesn't do (apart from the card fee). I keep asking and they stiill won't update and improve the system. It is very very frustrating having customers complain because they can't book multiple classes at once, multiple tickets for one class so they have to call us and we have to then manually enter it all for them which add more work on us and also the card fees are more for card entry