What is a blackout?
A blackout is an availability management tool that will block new reservations from being booked during a given time period. Existing reservations that overlap with the blackout period will remain unaffected.
When to use a blackout
The following are examples of situations when it’s important to blackout your facility in order to prevent customers from making new reservations that cannot be honored:
If your facility is closed or has special hours for holidays.
If there are road closures due to public events or weather that prevent drivers from accessing your facility.
If your facility receives an unexpected influx of demand and you can no longer accommodate SpotHero customers.
If you would not like to sell parking when there is an event at a nearby venue.
How to create a blackout
Step 1: Log in to the SpotHero Control Panel and select one or more facilities from the sidebar. Remember to deselect the facility that is automatically selected upon login if you do not want to view blackouts for that location.
Then select the Blackouts page within the Rates & Inventory drop-down menu in the top bar. | Step 2: Click 'Create.' Then select the facility you want to blackout, set the blackout start date/time and end date/time, and enter a reason for the blackout. | Step 3: Click 'Save' and review the new blackout in the table. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I edit a blackout once it has been created?
A: Not at this time. You can delete an existing blackout and create a new one with the desired updates, or contact us at sellersupport@spothero.com for help. To delete an existing blackout, click the garbage can icon located in the table column farthest to the right.
Q: How do I cancel existing reservations that overlap with a blackout?
A: Contact sellersupport@spothero.com for assistance if you cannot accept existing reservations that overlap with the blacked out time period.Please give our team as much of an advance notice as possible so we have time to help the customer find a new parking spot.
Q: How do I view past blackouts?
A: Click filters in the top right and select expired from the status drop down.
Q: Do blackouts apply to all types of reservations?
A: Blackouts apply to all types of reservations except for monthly.
Q: How long can I create a blackout for?
A: You can create a blackout for up to 7 days in the SpotHero Control Panel. If you need to blackout your facility for a longer period of time, contact us at sellersupport@spothero.com.
Questions?
Contact your SpotHero Rep or sellersupport@spothero.com