Time Slots & Working Hours
Time slots control when customers can schedule deliveries and pickups. Properly configured time slots prevent over-scheduling and set realistic expectations.
Setting working hoursโ
- Go to Scheduling > Working Hours
- For each day of the week, set your operating window:
- Start time โ When you begin accepting deliveries (e.g., 9:00 AM)
- End time โ When your last delivery slot ends (e.g., 6:00 PM)
- Toggle days off (e.g., disable Sunday)
Creating time slotsโ
Within your working hours, define specific delivery windows:
- Go to Scheduling > Time Slots
- Click Add Time Slot
- Configure:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Start time | Beginning of the slot (e.g., 9:00 AM) |
| End time | End of the slot (e.g., 12:00 PM) |
| Delivery method | Which method this slot applies to (delivery, pickup, or both) |
| Max orders | Maximum number of orders accepted in this slot |
| Days | Which days of the week this slot is active |
Example time slot configurationโ
| Slot | Time | Max Orders | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 9:00 AM โ 12:00 PM | 15 | Delivery, Pickup |
| Afternoon | 12:00 PM โ 3:00 PM | 20 | Delivery, Pickup |
| Evening | 3:00 PM โ 6:00 PM | 15 | Delivery only |
Per-method time slotsโ
You can create different schedules for each delivery method:
- Local delivery โ Wider windows with higher capacity
- Pickup โ Tighter slots with lower capacity (limited counter space)
- Shipping โ Daily cutoff rather than time slots
Slot capacityโ
When a time slot reaches its maximum order count, it's automatically hidden from customers. This prevents:
- Over-promising and under-delivering
- Kitchen or warehouse bottlenecks
- Driver overload
Customer viewโ
Customers see only available, unfilled time slots for their selected date. Slots that are full, past the cutoff time, or outside operating hours are not shown.
Tipsโ
- Start with fewer, wider slots โ It's easier to add granularity later than to consolidate
- Monitor slot utilization โ If slots consistently fill up, consider adding capacity or splitting into more slots
- Account for travel time โ Don't make delivery slots too tight; drivers need time between stops