Run a group walk

Set up a group walk service

1. Open the More tab, tap Settings, then Bookable services.
2. Tap Add service, or Edit on a walking service.
3. Under Walk type, tap Group. In Max group size, type the most dogs you'll walk at once (2 to 20; leave it blank for 8). Tap Save.

Put the walk together

1. On the Schedule tab, tap Add appointment and book the first household with your group walk service.
2. Open that booking, tap Manage this walk, then Add a household to this walk. The line under the button shows the room left, for example "3 spots left (5 of 8 dogs)".
3. Tap the household, tick the dogs that are coming, and tap Add to walk.

You can also fill a walk by accepting requests. When a pet owner asks for the same group service at the same start time as a walk that has a walker and room, tapping Accept puts them on that walk. If you can assign work to your team, the sheet that opens says so, for example "Automatic: Joins Sam's 2:00 PM group (3 of 5)".

Have a regular crew saved as a pack? Open More, tap Packs, open the pack, and in Schedule this pack pick the Group walk service and the Date & time, then tap Schedule pack. For a standing walk, turn on Repeat weekly first; the button then reads Schedule recurring group.

Run the walk

1. On the Schedule tab, tap the group walk. Its card shows how many dogs are on it.
2. Tap Start Group Walk. Every household starts at once, and your route starts recording if route tracking is on.
3. On the walk, tap Add group photo (or Library, or Video on Pro and Team plans).
4. Tap End Group Walk. Chester ends every household and opens Report the group.

Send the report

1. Write the Group note that every owner sees, and check Distance walked (km).
2. Tap a photo to choose Who sees this photo: Everyone, just one dog (for example Only Max), or Don't send.
3. Tap each dog to add its mood, energy, appetite, potty breaks, a highlight and a note to its owner.
4. Tap Send 3 reports (the number is how many owners get one).

Closed the report by mistake? Open any household's booking and tap Report the whole group.

Change or cancel the walk

Open the walk and tap Manage this walk. From there, Reschedule Whole Group moves every household to a new time, and Reassign Whole Walk hands it to a teammate. Under Households on this walk, each household has its own Mark complete, Mark no-show and Cancel, plus a Waive button when that household owes a fee. To call off the whole walk, tap Cancel options, then Cancel Whole Group.

There's no Start button on the web. Start and end the walk on your phone, or mark it complete on the web afterwards.

1. To set up the service, open Settings, then Bookable Services. In Add Service (or when editing a walk), set Walk type to Group and fill in Max group size.
2. On Schedule, click the group walk. A sheet opens with every household and how many dogs are on the walk.
3. To add a household, click Add a household to this walk, choose the client under Household, tick the dogs, and click Add to walk. A walk with only one household so far shows the same button on its own booking sheet.
4. When the walk is done, click Complete whole walk, then Confirm complete walk.
5. Click Write the group report, fill in the shared note and each dog, and click Send 3 reports. You can't add photos here: open that owner's booking and use the normal report card for those.

Coming back to it later? Click View full details on any household, then Report the Group.

Requests work the same way: click Requests, open the request, and it shows "Joins Sam's 2:00 PM group (3 of 5)" above Accept Request.

In the sheet, each household has its own Mark complete, Mark no-show and View full details, plus Waive fee when that household owes one. Open Manage this walk for Reassign whole walk and Reschedule whole walk. To cancel everyone, click View full details on any household, then Cancel options and Cancel Whole Group.