Weather Cancellation: Notify, Reschedule, Refund
Quick path: Agenda → Session menu (⋮) → Send SMS → Notify participants → Cancel or reschedule
What this helps you do
Section titled “What this helps you do”Bad weather hits fast — especially for watersports schools. When conditions force you to cancel or move a session, you need to act quickly: let participants know what’s happening, update the Agenda, and sort out payments. This article walks you through the full end-to-end workflow so nothing falls through the cracks.
Before you start
Section titled “Before you start”- A session exists on the Agenda with at least one participant
- Participants have phone numbers on their client profiles (if you plan to notify by SMS)
- Your school has SMS credits available (PRO and GOLD plans — check the balance in the SMS panel)
- You have Manager or Owner permissions
Phase 1: Notify participants first
Section titled “Phase 1: Notify participants first”Always notify before you cancel or reschedule. Participants may already be on their way.
1. Open the session context menu
Section titled “1. Open the session context menu”On the Agenda (Activity Agenda view), find the session you need to cancel or move. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the session block.
2. Click “Send SMS”
Section titled “2. Click “Send SMS””Select Send SMS from the dropdown. The Send Message panel opens on the right side, showing the session date, time, and product name.
3. Write a cancellation or rescheduling message
Section titled “3. Write a cancellation or rescheduling message”Choose Free text mode and write a clear, concise message. Keep it short — SMS has a 160-character limit before it counts as two messages.
Example — cancellation:
Hi, today’s session has been cancelled due to weather conditions. We’ll be in touch to reschedule. — [School Name]
Example — rescheduling:
Hi, today’s session has been moved to tomorrow at the same time due to weather. Reply to this message if you can’t make it. — [School Name]
Watch out: SMS credits are consumed per message per recipient. A message to 10 participants uses 10 credits. Keep messages under 160 characters to avoid double charges.
4. Select recipients and send
Section titled “4. Select recipients and send”In the PAX TABLE, check the box next to each participant (or use the header checkbox to select all). Choose Send now for urgent same-day cancellations, or Send at a specific time if you’re notifying about a next-day rescheduling.
Click Send to dispatch the messages.
Phase 2: Cancel or reschedule the session
Section titled “Phase 2: Cancel or reschedule the session”5a. To cancel the session
Section titled “5a. To cancel the session”Go back to the Agenda, click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the session, and select Delete Session. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
The session disappears from the Agenda. Affected bookings still exist and will need to be handled in Phase 3.
5b. To reschedule the session
Section titled “5b. To reschedule the session”Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the session and select Open Session. The Edit Session modal opens.
| Field | What to change |
|---|---|
| Date | Select the new date from the calendar |
| Time | Adjust the start time if needed |
Click Edit to save. The session moves to its new date/time on the Agenda, and all assigned participants move with it.
Watch out: Before rescheduling, check the Agenda for the target date to make sure the new time doesn’t overlap with another session. Also verify that the assigned instructor is available on the new date.
Phase 3: Handle bookings and refunds (if cancelling)
Section titled “Phase 3: Handle bookings and refunds (if cancelling)”If you deleted the session rather than rescheduling, the affected bookings still exist. You need to either rebook customers into a different session or cancel the bookings with an optional refund.
6. Find affected bookings
Section titled “6. Find affected bookings”Go to Sales > Bookings. Use the filters to narrow down:
| Filter | Value |
|---|---|
| Session Dates | The date of the cancelled session |
| Products | The product linked to the session |
| Status | Confirmed or Pending |
7a. Rebook into a different session
Section titled “7a. Rebook into a different session”If you created a replacement session or want to move participants to an existing one:
- Click the client name to open the Booking Details
- Click the session date/time to reassign to a different session
- Select the new session from the list and confirm
The participant is removed from the cancelled session and added to the new one.
7b. Cancel the booking with a refund
Section titled “7b. Cancel the booking with a refund”If the customer doesn’t want to rebook:
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the booking row and select Cancel Booking
- In the cancellation dialog, choose your refund approach:
| Option | When to use |
|---|---|
| Cancel without refund | The customer wants a credit toward a future booking |
| Cancel with refund | The customer wants their money back — enter the refund amount |
- Click Confirm to finalize
Watch out: Cancelling a booking is permanent. If you cancel by mistake, you’ll need to create a new booking from scratch. Consider using Client credit instead of a cash refund if the customer plans to rebook later.
8. Generate a credit note (if needed)
Section titled “8. Generate a credit note (if needed)”If the cancelled booking had an invoice, go to Sales > Credit Notes and generate a Credit Note to keep your accounting clean. This creates a negative invoice that offsets the original charge.
What should happen next
Section titled “What should happen next”- Participants received an SMS notification about the cancellation or schedule change
- The session is either deleted from the Agenda or moved to its new date/time
- If cancelled: bookings are either rebooked into a new session or cancelled with refund/credit
- If a refund was issued, it appears in Sales > Payments as a negative amount
- If rescheduled: all participants remain assigned to the session at its new date/time — no booking changes needed
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ”I cancelled the session before notifying” | Rushing under time pressure | Always send the SMS first — once the session is deleted, the SMS panel is gone |
| ”Some participants didn’t get the SMS” | They don’t have a phone number on file | Call them directly or send an email from their client profile |
| ”I rescheduled but participants weren’t notified” | Rescheduling doesn’t send automatic notifications | You must manually send the SMS before or after rescheduling |
| ”Bookings still show as Confirmed after deleting” | Deleting a session doesn’t auto-cancel its bookings | Go to Sales > Bookings and cancel or rebook each affected booking |
| ”I need to undo a cancellation” | Booking cancellations are permanent | Create a new booking for the customer with the same product and new session |
If it still doesn’t work
Section titled “If it still doesn’t work”- Verify SMS credits are available at the bottom of the SMS panel
- Check that participants have valid phone numbers with country codes in their client profiles
- If the refund fails, verify the payment gateway connection in Settings
- Contact Bloowatch Support via the chat widget if you’re stuck
