If you’re running a business where your team offers different services—haircuts, personal training, consulting, therapy sessions, you name it—you need a scheduling tool that can actually handle real-world chaos. This guide is for anyone wrangling a mix of services and staff in Setmore, and wants things to just work without constant handholding.
Setmore (more about it here) is a decent choice: it’s straightforward, not overloaded with features you’ll never use, and you don’t need a computer science degree to get started. Still, some stuff isn’t obvious, and there are a few potholes. Here’s how to set up multiple services and staff schedules without losing your mind.
1. The Basics: How Setmore Organizes Services and Staff
Before you start adding things, you need to get how Setmore thinks about your business:
- Services are what you offer: “30-Minute Massage”, “Intro Consultation”, “Dog Grooming”.
- Staff are the people who provide those services.
- Each staff member can be assigned to one or more services. Their availability is set separately.
- Customers book a service, pick a time, and Setmore matches it to a staff member who does that thing.
If you try to shoehorn everything into “one service fits all,” you’ll hit walls fast. Take the time to break things down now and you’ll thank yourself later.
2. Step-by-Step: Adding Multiple Services
Step 1: Head to Services
- Log in to Setmore.
- In the left menu, look for Settings (gear icon). Click it.
- Click Services.
Step 2: Add a New Service
- Hit Add Service.
- Fill out the basics:
- Name: Keep it clear for customers (“Men’s Haircut – 45 min” beats “Standard Service”).
- Description: Optional, but helps avoid confusion.
- Duration: How long does it actually take? Don’t fudge it—you’ll regret it when you’re double-booked.
- Price: Set it if you want it to show online (not required).
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Color: Only for calendar visuals—pick anything that makes sense for you.
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Click Save.
Step 3: Assign Staff to Services
- After saving, you’ll see an option to assign staff.
- Select everyone who can perform this service.
- Staff can be assigned to as many services as you want.
Pro tip: Don’t assign every service to every staffer unless you truly want that chaos. Be specific; it keeps mistakes down.
Step 4: Repeat for All Services
- Rinse and repeat for each unique service you offer.
- Don’t try to squeeze “add-ons” (like “Hot Towel” for a shave) into main services. If it’s something customers book separately, it’s a service. If not, skip it.
3. Step-by-Step: Adding and Managing Staff Schedules
Step 1: Go to Staff
- Back in Settings, choose Staff.
- You’ll see a list of everyone you’ve added.
Step 2: Add a New Staff Member
- Click Add Staff.
- Enter their name, email, and optionally a photo (it helps customers pick, but not essential).
- Assign login permissions ONLY if you want them to access the calendar directly. Otherwise, leave it off.
Step 3: Set Staff Working Hours
- Click on a staff member’s name.
- Find the Working Hours or Availability section.
- Set their schedule, day by day. This is crucial—Setmore only books them when they’re marked as available.
Things to watch out for: - If you leave a day blank, Setmore assumes they’re off. - No support for split shifts (e.g., 9–12 and 2–6) unless you use “breaks” creatively. It’s not elegant, but it works. - You can set custom holidays or days off in the same spot.
Pro tip: Some staff have changing hours week to week? Setmore doesn’t do rotating schedules natively. You’ll have to adjust manually or use “Time Off” for exceptions.
Step 4: Assign Services to Staff
- Still on the staff member’s profile, scroll to Services and tick what they actually do.
- This limits what shows up when customers pick a staff member.
4. Linking Services, Staff, and Schedules (So It Actually Works)
Here’s where people mess up: if you don’t assign services and set working hours, customers will see weird options—like booking a facial with someone who’s never done one, or appointments at 10pm.
- Double-check service assignments for each staffer.
- Test your booking link as a customer. See if you can book a massage with your accountant. If so, go back and fix your assignments.
If you offer group classes (e.g., yoga), that’s a different setup in Setmore and beyond this guide. This is for services booked one-on-one.
5. Managing and Editing as You Grow
Adding things is easy. Managing changes is where most systems fall down.
Editing Services
- Go back to Settings > Services.
- Click any service to edit details, price, or duration.
- Be careful changing duration—existing bookings won’t change, so you might get overlaps.
Editing Staff
- In Settings > Staff, click a name.
- You can change their hours, services, or contact info.
- If someone leaves, you can deactivate or delete them, but check for future bookings first.
Bulk Changes? Not Really
Setmore doesn’t have a “bulk edit” mode for staff or services. If you’re making sweeping changes, you’ll need to go one by one. Annoying, but that’s the deal with most entry-level schedulers.
6. Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t
What Works Well
- Assigning multiple services to staff: Easy and clear, as long as you’re specific.
- Individual staff schedules: Simple, visual, not buried in menus.
- Customer experience: Clients only see what’s actually bookable. No more guessing.
What’s Clunky
- Split shifts and irregular hours: Setmore is built for regular schedules. If your team has wild hours, you’ll be tweaking a lot.
- Bulk updates: No quick way to change staff or service settings in batches.
- Service “add-ons”: No native feature for add-ons or upsells. You’ll have to fudge it with separate services (which gets messy).
What to Ignore
- Don’t bother with “Categories” unless you have dozens of services. It’s extra clicks for little payoff for most small teams.
- Don’t try to use “Resources” (like rooms or equipment) unless you truly need to avoid double-booking those things. For most, it’s overkill.
7. Keeping Sane: Tips for Managing as Things Change
- Review your services and staff assignments every quarter. People come and go, services change, and your calendar can get messy.
- Test your booking flow as a customer now and then. You’ll spot weirdness before your clients do.
- Don’t overcomplicate it. If you’re spending more time tweaking Setmore than running your business, simplify.
That’s it. Set up your services and staff carefully, test it out, and only add complexity when you truly need it. Most businesses don’t need every bell and whistle—just a setup that’s clear and works for your team. Start small, adjust as you go, and don’t let your scheduling software boss you around.