Avoid Overbooking Chaos with Gingr’s Capacity Management Tools

Every pet-care pro knows this moment: the lobby is quiet, everything's on schedule—and then the 9:00 a.m. crowd hits like a tidal wave of paws, leashes, and pet-parent questions.

That 45th golden retriever on a maxed-out 40-dog day arrives as sweet as pie. But once he trots through the door, your staff scrambles for space—and patience.

Days like these remind us why capacity limits matter. Gingr's capacity tools are part of our approach to help pet-care businesses optimize operations, plan smarter, and book more confidently.

Avoiding overbooking doesn't always have to mean turning pets away. With Gingr's automated capacity management, you can set limits that protect your team, clients, and business without sacrificing flexibility.

This beginner guide is perfect for Admins ready to prevent overwhelm and design a workflow that works. Because the best care happens when your team has room to breathe and time to devote to each pet's needs.

Why Capacity Management Matters

Prevent overbooking and burnout: Setting realistic capacity limits reduces the risk of overwhelming your team or putting pets in uncomfortable, crowded spaces.

Support pet safety and wellness: Overcrowded playgroups or lodgings are stressful — and they can be dangerous. Smart capacity tools help ensure every animal gets the attention and space they need.

Optimize staffing and resources: Planning means you can staff appropriately, schedule breaks, and maintain top-tier service, even on your busiest days.

Boost pet-parent confidence: Clients love transparency. When they know you're managing their bookings professionally, they're more likely to return — and refer friends!

Protect revenue and upsell opportunities: Capacity management lets you book to your true maximum potential. With Gingr's tools, you can safely increase your limit to allow for no-shows and same-day adds without risking overcrowding.

Plan Ahead, Stay Ahead: Capacity Control Made Easy with Gingr

If you're getting started with Gingr's pet-care business software, this guide is your go-to for setting up capacity correctly—from daily limits to smart overrides. Gingr's tools help you stay in that sweet spot: maximized bookings without maxed-out stress.

Before you begin: You'll need to be in the Admin user group to access capacity management tools. We also recommend setting limits slightly above your actual physical max to allow flexibility for cancellations or last-minute adds.

1. Set Location Capacity Limit

Think of this as your facility's overall "headcount" for pets. It's the max number of animals you allow on-site at one time. Once you hit this number, Gingr automatically stops allowing reservations from the customer portal.

How-To:

• Go to Admin » Capacity
• Locate Location Settings
• Enter your Max Capacity
• Save changes

Pro Tip: If your real maximum is 100 pets, consider setting your limit to 110 to allow for flexibility.

2. Set Lodging Capacity Limit

Not all lodgings are created equal. Your small-dog room probably shouldn't hold the same number of guests as your large-dog suites. Lodging capacity settings let you define how many animals (or how much weight) each lodging can accommodate.

How-To:

• Navigate to Admin » Manage Areas/Lodgings
• Choose a lodging and click the Edit icon
• Scroll to the Max Number of Animals and/or Max Weight fields
• Save your settings

Heads-Up! Staff can override Lodging limits, so they act more like guidelines than hard stops.

3. Set Capacity Limit by Date

Sometimes, holidays, school breaks, and seasonal surges require more wiggle room than your default settings allow. With Gingr, you can temporarily override your location's standard capacity for a specific day.

How-To:

• Go to Admin » Capacity
• Click +Add
• Select your Location
• Enter a custom Capacity
• Choose the Date
• (Optional) Assign a Capacity Group
• Click Save

After the date passes, Gingr resets to your usual limits. No cleanup required.

4. Edit Capacity Limit by Date

Need to adjust a previously set capacity for an upcoming busy day? No problem.

How-To:

• Navigate to Admin » Capacity
• Find the specific date entry
• Use the Edit option to update capacity or change the assigned group
• Save your changes

Easy peasy! No rebooking or canceling required.

5. Create Capacity Groups

Capacity Groups give you granular control by setting shared limits across multiple reservation types or services. For example, if you offer daycare as a standalone reservation and add-on, you can group them together to prevent overbooking.

How-To:

• Go to Admin » Capacity
• Click +Add under Capacity Groups
• Name your group
• Assign a Capacity
• Select applicable Reservation Types and Services
• Save

Note: Avoid using Capacity Groups for reservation types that already use lodging-based capacity.

6. Set Animal Icon Capacity

Do you need to limit the number of dogs with behavioral flags or special needs booked each day? You can assign capacity limits to specific Animal Icons, giving you even more control.

How-To:

• Go to Admin » Animal Icons
• Click the Edit icon next to the relevant icon
• Enter the Capacity Limit
• Save changes

This feature is a favorite for teams who want to manage reactive pets or tailor staffing levels.

7. Enable the Availability Calendar

Seeing is believing—and managing capacity is easier when you can see your availability at a glance. The Availability Calendar shows daily reservation capacity, with visual indicators for open and full dates.

How-To:

• Go to Admin » Reservation Types and Services Configuration
• Select a Reservation Type and click the Edit (pencil) icon
• Under Booking Options, toggle Show Availability Calendar to Employees
• (Optional) Under Customer Portal Options, toggle visibility for customers
• Click Update to save

Whether you show it to your team or your customers (or both), the calendar helps everyone stay informed.

8. Capacity Limit Permissions & Settings

Permissions give you control over who can override limits and how overbook requests are handled.

Key Permissions:

• Can Override Capacity: Allows staff to book over the limit if necessary
  • Location: Reports & More » Groups

System-Wide Setting:

• Allow Requests Over Capacity: Lets customers request over-capacity reservations, leaving final approval to staff
  • Location: Admin » Reservation and Appointment Requests

Use these settings to tailor your team's workflow while protecting your limits.

Next Steps: Implement Capacity Tools with Confidence

Ready to take action? Gingr makes configuring your capacity settings easy and getting your whole team on the same page.

Here's how to start:

• Explore Gingr U inside your Gingr dashboard for step-by-step courses on capacity tools.
• Train your team on what capacity limits mean and how they're enforced.
• Use reports to monitor capacity utilization and plan for peak periods.
• Communicate with customers by enabling the Availability Calendar in your portal.

With the right settings in place, you'll boost operational efficiency, prevent overbooking chaos, and provide better care—one reservation at a time.

Smart Scheduling Starts Here

Capacity management in Gingr isn't just about saying no. It's about saying YES to better planning, safer pet care, and smoother operations. Whether you're managing one busy facility or several, these tools help you:

• Maximize occupancy without risking overbooking
• Make real-time decisions with visual calendars
• Reduce staff stress and keep customer satisfaction high

Your pet-care management software should make your day easier. That's why our capacity tools are intuitive, customizable, and built to grow with your business. Ready to optimize operations? Book your demo today!