Error in Bookings Time Availability

Question

Hello,

When attempting to set a Bookings time availability within the Service we have set, we have the settings for Availability Options when editing the Service as "Bookable when staff are free" or "Custom Hours (recurring weekly)." However, whenever we press save and refresh the Bookings link, the times shown in our time zone (Pacific Time) is listed from 2:10 a.m - 9:40 a.m since we have the meetings set for 10 minute increments. We're unsure why the times listed are continuously in the early morning when our staff availability is both listed from 8 a.m - 5 p.m. Is there any support you're able to provide to us with this?

Answer 1

Dear @Stefan Kennerly,

This behavior most strongly indicates a time-zone mismatch between the Bookings self-service page, the administrator’s Outlook profile, and possibly the customer’s browser/device. The unusual :10 and :40 boundaries may also be influenced by service duration, buffer time, or an availability start time that is not aligned to the ten-minute interval.

I understand how inconvenient this issue may be. The steps suggested by the AI appear relevant to your situation, so please try them and check whether they help the issue. If the issue persists, please let me know.

The first response may not always resolve the issue right away, but with your help and more details, we can work toward a solution.

Answer 2

This pattern usually points to a time zone mismatch between the booking page and the calendar/settings used by Bookings, or a service availability rule that is being overridden.

Recommended checks:

1. Verify the Bookings page time zone.
   • In Bookings, go to Booking Page.
   • Open Region and time zone.
   • Confirm it is set to Pacific Time.
   • Enable Always show time slots in business time zone.
2. Verify Outlook time zone settings.
   • In Outlook on the web: Settings > General > Region and time zone.
   • In Outlook desktop: File > Options > Calendar > Time zones.
   • Make sure these match Pacific Time.
3. Check the service availability rule.
   • In the service, under Availability Options, use either:
     • Bookable when staff are free, or
     • Custom hours with the intended weekly schedule.
   • If custom hours are used, confirm the saved hours are actually the intended 8:00 AM–5:00 PM range.
   • If a specific date range was added, remember that date-range availability overrides the general availability.
4. Check staff settings.
   • Open Staff and select the assigned staff member.
   • Confirm Events on Microsoft 365 calendar affect availability is enabled. This is recommended to avoid double-booking.
   • Confirm Use business hours is enabled if staff should follow the business hours schedule.
   • Staff outside the tenant cannot share free/busy information with Bookings.
5. Review buffer time and duration.
   • Buffer time blocks extra time before or after an appointment and affects what customers can book.
   • Customers only see availability when there is enough time for both the appointment and its buffer time.
   • If the service uses 10-minute increments, also verify the service duration and any before/after buffer values so they are not shifting or reducing visible slots unexpectedly.
6. Test the public booking page again.
   • Save changes.
   • Open the booking page in a private/incognito browser window.
   • Confirm whether the slots now appear in the expected Pacific Time range.

Important behavior to keep in mind:

• Customers do not see the buffer setting directly, but Bookings uses it to calculate the total blocked time.
• If a service is set to Not bookable for a date range, that date-range rule overrides the general service availability.

If the page still shows 2:10 AM–9:40 AM after the time zone settings are aligned, the strongest next check is the Booking Page > Region and time zone setting together with Outlook time zone alignment, because that exact symptom matches a time zone offset issue.

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