Approve or decline a client's change request

Goal

Answer a request that a client filed from the client portal or a booking link, and make sure the change they asked for ends up on the booking.

Prerequisites

• Your role can edit bookings. A role that can only view bookings can read the queue but cannot answer.
• Clients can file a request until 12 hours before pickup, measured in your workspace time zone. This cutoff is the same for every workspace and you cannot change it. Later changes are arranged by phone.
• Approving a request never edits the booking. You make the change yourself.

Steps

1. Open Bookings and select the Client requests tab. The number on the tab counts open requests, oldest first.
2. In Decision queue, use Request kind to show All, Change or Cancellation requests. Select a request to open its details.
3. Read What the client asked for, such as a new pickup time, pickup, dropoff or passenger count, and the client's reason. Booking context shows the booking as it is now, and it says "The booking is still unchanged" until you change it.
4. If you need more information, write in Conversation. Choose Client can see to send a message the client reads and gets by email, or Internal note for your team only. Select Ask for more info to question the client, or Send for a plain message. The request then reads Waiting for the client's reply.
5. When you are ready, select Approve or Decline. A dialog asks Approve this request? or Decline this request?.
6. Add a Note to the client (optional). It is sent with your answer. Declining is final, and the client cannot appeal it in the portal.
7. Confirm. A Request approved or Request declined message follows, and the client is told the outcome by email.
8. After an approval, go to the booking with Open booking in the request details, or find it in the Bookings list. Make the change there: Edit job for an address or passenger count, Reschedule for a pickup time, or Cancel Booking for a cancellation request.

Expected result

The request leaves the open queue with its answer and note on record, the client has been told, and the booking shows the change once you have made it.

Troubleshooting

• If the queue is empty, no client has an open request. Requests come only from the portal and booking links, and only for bookings that are pending or confirmed.
• If a message says the request is no longer open, the client withdrew it or someone else answered it. The queue refreshes by itself.
• If a message says someone else updated the request, select Reload and read the new messages before you answer.
• If you see no permission to view change requests, ask an owner to change your role.
• If the request is a cancellation, check the refund before you answer. Read the cancel and refund steps first.
• If the client says they were not told, open the request and read its status. A declined or approved request shows the answer and your note.