Pre-Check Forms
Pre-Check Forms are digital questionnaires sent to pet owners before a scheduled stay. They collect important drop-off logistics and emergency information.
What the Form Collects
- Emergency Contact — Name and phone number (in case the owner is unreachable)
- Desired Drop-Off Time — Early morning, Morning, Late morning, etc.
- Desired Pick-Up Time
- Belongings Being Sent — Checkboxes for Bed, Blanket, Toy, Leash, Food, Treats, Bowls, Crate, Medication, etc.
- Additional Notes — Anything else the owner wants staff to know
- Required Documents — Upload any facility-required documents
Service-Type-Aware Forms
The Pre-Check form tailors itself to the reservation's service type rather than showing one boarding form to everyone. The email subject and the "what you'll provide" checklist are tailored to the service type as well, so owners only see questions that are relevant to their visit.
| Section | Boarding | Daycare | Grooming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling (drop-off / pick-up times) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Feeding | Yes (full) | Yes (single entry) | No |
| Medications | Yes | Yes | No |
| Belongings checklist | Yes | No | No |
| Socialization | Yes | Yes | No |
| Behavior | Yes | Yes | Labeled "Behavior & Handling" |
| Coat & Cut Preferences | No | No | Yes |
| Handling Sensitivities | No | No | Yes |
In short: boarding gets the full form; daycare drops the belongings checklist and uses a single feeding entry; grooming focuses on grooming-specific needs (Coat & Cut Preferences and Handling Sensitivities) instead of scheduling, feeding, medications, belongings, and socialization.
Auto-Send Settings
Pre-Check auto-send is controlled by a master on/off switch plus three per-service-type toggles — Boarding, Daycare, and Grooming — found in Settings → Email Automations. This lets you, for example, auto-send Pre-Checks for boarding stays but not for grooming appointments. (By default, all toggles are on.)
The manual Send Link button always works regardless of these toggles, so you can send a Pre-Check to any owner on demand even when auto-send is turned off for that service type.
Sending a Pre-Check Form
- Open a reservation's detail page.
- Click Create Pre-Check (first time) or Send Pre-Check (if already created).
- The owner receives an email with a secure, unique link to their pre-check form.
The form link is public — it does not require the owner to log in — making it easy for anyone to complete.
Pre-fill from previous stay: When a Pre-Check is created for a returning client, Goodstay automatically pre-fills stable fields (emergency contact, vet info, feeding instructions, medications, pickup authorizations, behavioral preferences) from their most recent submitted Pre-Check. Pre-filled fields can still be edited — they are never overwritten if the owner has already entered new information.
Profile-first prefill & write-back: Pre-Check forms prefill from the owner's profile first, falling back to their previous Pre-Check. When the owner submits, their answers also update the owner profile (emergency contact, vet info, and similar details) — so the profile stays current without any extra data entry.
Filling In the Form (for Staff)
If an owner calls in instead of filling out the form online, staff can click Fill In Pre-Check from the reservation detail page to complete it on their behalf.
Pre-Check Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Form sent but not yet submitted by the owner |
| Submitted | Owner has completed and submitted the form |
Submitted pre-check information appears on the reservation detail page and can be referenced at drop-off.
Facility Documents
Facilities can upload document templates (e.g., vet authorization forms, health requirements) that get included in the Pre-Check form:
- Go to Facility Settings → Documents.
- Upload a document.
- Set which species and service types it applies to, and whether it's required.
Messaging & Conversations
Goodstay includes a two-way messaging system between staff and pet owners.
Starting a Conversation
- Go to Messages in the navigation.
- Click New Conversation.
- Select a Pet Owner from your client list.
- Write your opening message.
- Click Send.
Replying to a Message
Open a conversation to see the full message thread. Type your reply in the message box at the bottom and press Send.
Owner-Initiated Messages
Pet owners can contact you directly through the Customer Portal. When they send a message, it appears in your Messages inbox with a notification.
Archiving & Reopening Conversations
- Click Archive to move a resolved conversation out of your active inbox.
- Click Reopen on an archived conversation to bring it back to active.
Real-Time Updates
Messages use WebSockets for real-time delivery. You and your clients see new messages appear instantly without needing to refresh the page.