The Bulk Custom Client Rates Tool allows you to set or remove custom rates for clients in bulk. Common uses for this tool are when you want to keep your existing clients at their current prices when raising rates for new clients or when you want to do a small rate increase for existing clients when doing a larger rate increase for new clients.
You can also use this tool to download a complete list of your company's services and the rates you are currently charging each of your clients. You can do so by clicking the "Download Full Service Rate List" button. A CSV file will then be downloaded to your device.
In this example, the current rate for both Dog Walking and Pet Sitting is $20, and we’ll be raising both to $25 for new clients, while for existing clients, the Dog Walking rate will not increase, and the Pet Sitting rate will increase by only $2.
To make it easy to see which accounts belong to new or existing clients, we have a sample client named “Existing Client," and later, we’ll be creating another sample client named “New Client”.
As you can see, Existing Client’s rates are currently at the $20 default rates for each service.
If you were to change the default rates in the Main Services List to the rates for new clients right now, it would also change Existing Client’s rates to the new rates. So before making those rate changes for new clients, you need to set custom rates for all existing clients using the Bulk Rate tool in Advanced Settings -> Bulk Custom Client Rates. To keep the Dog Walking rate the same, click the “Set” button without making any changes to the “New Cost”, and to increase the Pet Sitting rate by $2, enter $22 as the “New Cost” and then click the “Set” button.
Now when you look at Existing Client’s rates, the rate for Dog Walking has stayed at $20, the rate for Pet Sitting has increased to $22, and there’s a “Use Default” option next to both rates which means that Existing Client’s rates are custom rates and will no longer be affected by changes to the default rates of the services in the Main Services List.
Do you have Frequency Discounts enabled? If you have frequency discounts enabled for services with custom rates, it's important to note that, by default, frequency discounts override those custom rates. If you would like custom rates to be unaffected by frequency discounts, reach out to our team at support@timetopet.com for further assistance!
Next, to set the new rates for new clients, go to the Main Services List and update the default rate for each service to the new rate.
If you go back to Existing Client’s account now, you'll see their rates are unchanged.
Now you can create a new client account.
And as you can see, New Client’s rates are at the new $25 default service rates.
Most pet sitters don’t keep their existing clients’ legacy rates forever. If later on, you want to end the legacy rates for existing clients and have them start paying the same rates as new clients, you can go back to Advanced Settings -> Bulk Custom Client Rates, and click the “Remove All Customizations” button for each service.
Now, when you look at Existing Client’s rates, they’re at the new $25 default service rates.
FAQs
Q: I am planning on increasing my rates, but it would only affect new bookings that come in after the increase goes into effect. How do I ensure that services that are currently booked stay at their current rate and don't receive the new rate? Do I need to set custom client rates for them?
If you just want the new rates to apply to bookings made after the rate increase goes into effect, and you have updated your service rates in Time To Pet, you don't need to set custom client rates. The rates at the time an event is scheduled will remain unless rates are refreshed for that event, so changing the default rate is all you need to do in this case.