Customer Portal: How It Works | Guidewinds

The Booking Experience

When a angler visits your booking page, here's what they experience:

Step 1: See Your Trips

Anglers land on your booking page and see:

Your business name and logo
A brief description of your charter
All your published trips with photos, descriptions, and prices
Location and contact information

They can browse and read details about each trip before deciding which to book.

Step 2: Select a Trip

When they click on a trip, they see:

Full description
Duration
Price
What's included
What to bring
Photos
Available add-ons

They click "Book Now" to proceed.

Step 3: Choose a Date & Time

A calendar shows your available dates. They:

Click a date that works for them
Select from available time slots
Enter number of guests
Select any add-ons they want

They Only See What's Available

Anglers never see blocked dates or already-booked slots. They only see options they can actually book.

Step 4: Enter Their Details

They fill in their information:

Name
Email address
Phone number
Special requests or notes (optional)

Step 5: Payment

They enter payment information via Stripe's secure form:

Credit or debit card
Billing address (if required)

They see exactly what they're paying—either full amount or deposit, depending on your settings.

Step 6: Confirmation

After payment, they see a confirmation page showing:

Confirmation number
Trip details
Date and time
What to bring
Meeting location/instructions
Your contact information

They also receive a confirmation email with the same information.

The Customer Portal

After booking, anglers can access their booking details through the Customer Portal.

How Anglers Access It

There's a link in their confirmation email that takes them to their booking page. No password required—the link itself is secure.

What They Can See

All their booking details
Date, time, and duration
Party size
Add-ons selected
Payment status (paid, deposit pending, etc.)
Your contact information
What to bring reminders
Meeting location

What They Can Do

Depending on your settings, anglers can:

View details: See all booking information
Add to calendar: Download .ics file for their calendar app
Contact you: Send a message through the portal
Request changes: Ask to reschedule (if enabled)
Cancel: Cancel the booking (if enabled, per your policy)
Pay balance: If they paid a deposit, pay the remaining amount

Control What Customers Can Do

You choose whether anglers can self-cancel or reschedule. Configure this in Settings → Booking Policies → Customer Self-Service

Automatic Emails

Guidewinds sends emails to anglers automatically:

Confirmation Email (Immediately)

Sent right after they book. Includes:

All booking details
Confirmation number
Link to Customer Portal
What to bring
Meeting location
Your contact info

Reminder Email (Before the Trip)

Sent 24-48 hours before (you choose the timing). Reminds them about:

Date and time
What to bring
Where to meet
Weather considerations

Follow-Up Email (Optional)

If enabled, sent after the trip to:

Thank them for coming
Ask for a review
Invite them to book again

Customize Your Emails

Edit email templates in Settings → Notifications → Email Templates. Add your personality, specific instructions, or branding.

Customer Self-Service Options

Allowing Self-Cancellation

If you enable self-cancellation, anglers can cancel from the Customer Portal. You set the rules:

Time limit: Only cancel X hours/days before the trip
Refund policy: Full refund, partial, or credit only

Cancellations outside your policy require them to contact you directly.

Allowing Rescheduling

If enabled, anglers can move their booking to a different date. Same rules apply:

Time limit before original date
Can only reschedule to available dates
Limit on number of reschedules (optional)

Why Enable Self-Service?

Less work for you: Anglers handle simple changes themselves
Better experience: Instant changes instead of waiting for you to respond
Fewer no-shows: Easy rescheduling means they change dates instead of just not showing

Why Restrict Self-Service?

More control: You approve all changes personally
Prevent abuse: Avoid last-minute cancellations
Personal touch: Every interaction goes through you

Your Booking Page

Find Your URL

Your public booking page URL is shown in Settings → Booking Page. It looks like:

https://guidewinds.com/book/your-business-name

Customizing Your Page

Make it yours:

Logo: Upload in Settings → General
Colors: Choose a theme in Settings → Booking Page
Description: Edit in Settings → General
Photos: Add to each trip

Embedding on Your Website

If you have a website, you can embed the booking widget. Get the embed code from Settings → Booking Page → Embed Code.

Options include:

Full page embed: Your booking page within your site
Button widget: A "Book Now" button that opens the booking flow
Calendar widget: Show available dates on your site

What Anglers Don't See

Your privacy is protected. Anglers never see:

Other bookings or anglers
Why a date is blocked
Your internal notes about them
Your dashboard or settings
Your revenue or business stats
Other people's contact information

Improving the Angler Experience

Best Practices

Use high-quality photos—they're the first thing people see
Write clear, detailed descriptions of what's included
Be specific about meeting location (dock number, landmarks)
List what to bring—it prevents day-of problems
Set realistic expectations in your description
Respond quickly when anglers reach out

What's Next?

Refunds and Cancellations — Handle angler cancellation requests
Managing Bookings — Work with your reservations
Understanding Your Dashboard — Your side of the experience