Two People, One Time Slot

Thursday, 10:05 AM — Tbilisi

The sound of the phone ringing broke the silence of the NetCity office.

Mari had barely set her bag aside when she answered the call.

– NetCity, good morning.

A woman's voice was heard on the other end.

– Hello. I am Nino Abashidze. The owner of a beauty salon in Tbilisi.

– Go ahead, Ms. Nino.

– Actually, I called about your booking system. We've been having real issues with salon reservations lately.

Mari sat down at the computer.

– What kind of issues?

– Some customers book appointments over the phone, some send messages on Instagram, and some come in person. Sometimes we register two people for the same hour, and only when they arrive at the salon do we realize what has happened!

Mari asked:

Do you have a specific schedule for managing appointments now?

No. We have a notebook and a few people answering customer messages.

The woman paused slightly.

Yesterday we had two customers who both said they had an appointment at three. It almost turned into a fight!

Mari smiled.

I understand. Let me have my colleague coordinate with you to check the conditions and introduce the appointment scheduling features.

A few minutes later, Giorgi entered the office. Mari explained the situation.

Giorgi spoke with Nino on the phone and arranged to visit the salon that day to check the status.

Then he turned to Nika.

Are you ready?

Nika asked:

Ready for what?

- Visit to the beauty salon.

Nika raised his eyebrows.

- Beauty salon?!

- Yes.

- Giorgi, I still don't need help with my appearance!

Mari laughed.

Giorgi said:

- Don't worry. We're not going to fix your hair. We're going to fix the appointments!

Nika ran his fingers through his hair.

- Well, thank God!

11:10 AM — Nino's beauty salon

The salon was located on a busy street.

The large display, warm lights, neatly arranged chairs, and full-length mirrors created a chic atmosphere.

Nika and Giorgi entered.

Nino came to greet them; a woman about forty-five years old, friendly and energetic.

Welcome. Thank you for coming early.

Giorgi said:

You're welcome. First, we want to understand your current process.

Nino took them to the reception area.

On the table was a large notebook. Next to it were a phone, a tablet, and some sticky notes.

Nika asked:

Are all appointments registered here?

Nino replied:

They were supposed to be registered here!

Nika laughed.

So they don't always hear it?

Nino sighed.

Sometimes a customer messages the reception manager, sometimes they contact the stylist directly. Some even call me.

Giorgi asked:

And then all the information goes into this office?

Nino said:

If someone doesn't forget, yes!

At that moment, the receptionist lifted her head from behind the monitor.

Ms. Nino, the customer for eleven-thirty has arrived.

Nino looked at the clock.

It's not even a quarter past eleven yet!

The receptionist said:

– She said she arrived earlier.

Nino smiled at Giorgi.

– Look, it's exactly in the middle of this chaos that problems arise.

But she still didn't know that a few minutes later she was going to see a fresh example of that very problem.

11:30 AM — Two customers, one stylist

The salon opened.

A young girl in a light dress and a large handbag entered. Her name was Anna, and her wedding ceremony was scheduled for that afternoon.

She hurriedly said:

– Hello! I had an appointment for eleven thirty.

The receptionist opened the office.

– Yes, Ms. Anna. For makeup and hairstyle.

At that moment, an elderly lady entered the salon. She had neatly arranged silver hair and was holding a delicate cane.

Hello, dear. I also have an appointment with Tea at eleven thirty.

The receptionist glanced at the office for a moment.

Excuse me, your name?

Maya.

The receptionist searched for her name. There was also a message on her mobile from a few days ago: 'Ms. Maya, your appointment for Thursday at 11:30 has been confirmed.'

The receptionist turned pale.

Anna asked:

Is there a problem?

Maya said:

I hope not. Today is my seventieth birthday!

Anna smiled.

Happy birthday.

Thank you, dear. Why did you come?

Today is my wedding ceremony.

Maya said happily:

Oh! Then I congratulate you too!

The two women smiled. But when they realized they both had appointments with the same stylist at the same time, their smiles faded.

Anna said:

I made my appointment three weeks ago.

Maya replied:

I arranged mine two weeks ago.

The receptionist said:

Let me have Ms. Nino come out.

Nino rushed over.

Where did the issue start?

At first, Nino thought one of the customers had made a mistake.

But when they checked the messages, it turned out that neither was at fault.

Anna had coordinated with Nino through Instagram. Maya had spoken with the receptionist over the phone.

Both appointments had been confirmed.

But no one had realized that one stylist had promised to serve two customers at the same time.

Nika said quietly to Giorgi:

Well, the issue is clear.

Giorgi asked:

What issue?

Two people have appointments, but only one person can do their work.

So what's your solution?

Nika said seriously:

I think the stylist can first do half of the bride's face, then go to Mrs. Maya, and then come back to finish the other half of the bride's face!

Giorgi looked at him. He paused for a few seconds.

Nika...

Yes?

Please don't suggest this to the salon owner!

Nika laughed. But Giorgi didn't smile.

First, we need to understand what services each of them wants and how much time they will take.

Nika nodded.

A solution without software

Giorgi asked Nino to review the services of the two customers separately.

Anna had come for her makeup and hairstyle. Maya just wanted to tidy her hair for her birthday celebration.

Tea, the stylist preferred by both clients, was a hair specialist; however, the salon also had a facial makeup specialist.

Giorgi asked:

– Can't Anna's facial makeup be done by another specialist while Tea works on Mrs. Maya's hair at the same time?

Nino thought for a moment.

– Maybe it can be.

She spoke with her staff. After reviewing the time needed for each service, a schedule was arranged.

It was decided that Tea would first work on Maya while Anna prepared for her facial makeup at the same time. Then it would be Anna's turn for her hairstyle.

Of course, all these changes had to be made with the clients' consent.

Nino explained the plan.

Maya said:

– I have no problem, I just need to be ready by one o'clock.

Anna asked:

– Will I make it to my ceremony?

Nino replied:

– Yes, according to the new schedule, if there are no further delays.

Anna let out a sigh of relief.

Nika quietly said to Giorgi:

– So the problem is solved without leaving half of someone's face unattended!

This time Giorgi laughed.

12:15 — The event that changed the schedule again

Anna was sitting in the chair while the makeup artist was busy at work.

Her phone rang. It was from her sister.

She talked for a few minutes. When the call ended, she suddenly looked at her bag with concern.

Oh no!

Nino asked:

What's wrong?

Anna said:

I forgot to book an appointment for my nails!

Nino asked:

For your hands?

No, for my feet. One of my toenails is damaged and I need to fix it before the ceremony.

Maya, who was sitting in the adjacent chair, said:

Bride dear, it seems like everything has decided to bother you today!

Anna laughed.

Exactly!

Nino said:

Unfortunately, our nail specialist is not here today.

Anna asked with concern:

So I have to call a few other salons?

Nika, who was standing near the reception desk, said:

Maybe that's not necessary.

Anna looked at him.

What do you mean?

Giorgi turned to Nika.

Do you want to explain?

Nika took out his phone.

Look, on Rigi24 you can find businesses that have registered their services, and if they have active booking, you can check available times.

Anna asked:

– Even other salons?

– Yes.

– Close to here?

– We can search for options in this area.

Nika opened the beauty services section. Several businesses were visible in the list.

One of the salons offered nail services. Anna checked the available times.

A suitable hour was found.

Giorgi said:

– Before finalizing, we need to see how the reservation for that business is confirmed; some appointments are automatically confirmed and some require the salon owner's approval.

Anna submitted her request. A few minutes later, the appointment confirmation was received.

She happily said:

I can't believe it! I haven't even left this salon, and I've booked an appointment somewhere else!

Nika smiled.

Just don't forget to arrive on time. We can't afford another misunderstanding today!

An interesting question from Ms. Maya.

Maya, who had overheard the conversation, asked Tea to hold on for a moment.

My son, I have a question.

Nika stepped closer.

Go ahead.

Is this Rigi 24 only for salons?

Nika smiled.

No. It's for various businesses.

Maya asked:

- For example, can I make an appointment for a dentist?

Giorgi explained:

- If the clinic or dentist you have in mind is registered on Rigi24 and their online booking is active, then yes.

Maya said:

- That's really interesting. Every time I want to go to the dentist, I have to call several times to find a suitable time!

Nika said:

- Here you can check services, registered businesses, and available times for booking.

Maya asked:

- So I can see which clinic is closer to my house?

Giorgi said:

- You can find suitable options based on your location and the registered information.

Maya thought for a moment.

Then she said:

– I wish it were just as easy for doctors!

Nika laughed.

– If the clinic you want to join is registered, you can use this method.

Maya looked at Tea.

– My dear, you should learn too! I don't need to be on the phone for three days for everything anymore!

Tea laughed.

1:30 PM — The main issue of the salon

After things calmed down, Nino sat down with Giorgi and Nika.

– Today we were really lucky that we could change the schedule.

Giorgi replied:

– But you won't always be this lucky.

Nino sighed.

You're right.

Giorgi asked:

What would happen if the second specialist wasn't present today?

Nino didn't answer. A moment later, she said:

We would probably lose one of the customers.

Nika asked:

When you schedule an appointment, do you also specify the duration of each service?

Nino said:

Almost. I mean, the staff knows how long each task takes, but in the office, we only write down the start time.

Nika said:

So the problem isn't just that two people booked for eleven-thirty.

Giorgi asked:

– What else?

– That maybe someone will come at eleven and their appointment will take two hours, but you can register another customer for the same stylist at twelve!

Nino looked at him. Then she laughed.

– Exactly the same thing happened last week!

Giorgi smiled.

– Well, now we are getting to the heart of the matter.

Appointment scheduling is not just a calendar

Giorgi opened the laptop. It displayed the Rigi 24 appointment scheduling interface.

Nino asked:

– So all requests are managed from one place?

– You can manage online requests in the panel and also register appointments you receive through other channels according to your workflow so that capacities are managed correctly.

Nika asked:

– So, can we specify how much time each service requires?

Giorgi said:

– Yes, setting up services and appointment capacity is an important part of the work.

He then continued:

– If you want, the customer can also choose their preferred specialist. Of course, this depends on the business settings.

Nino asked:

– And if I want to review the request myself before the appointment is confirmed?

– You can choose the manual confirmation option. In suitable conditions, there is also automatic confirmation.

Nino said:

– For bridal services, I prefer to confirm myself.

– That's a logical choice.

Nika looked at the screen.

Then he asked:

– So if Anna and Maya both chose the same hour, would the system allow it?

Giorgi said:

– If both request the same capacity and the settings are done correctly, there shouldn't be two confirmed reservations exceeding the allowed capacity.

Nika smiled.

– So no one has to do half their makeup and wait anymore?

Nino laughed.

– I will never forget that part of your suggestion!

Later that day — NetCity

When they returned to the office, Nika was still talking about the salon.

Mari asked:

How was your day?

Nika said:

Great! Today a bride almost went to the ceremony with half her makeup done!

Mari was surprised.

What?!

Giorgi laughed.

It was Nika's suggestion. Fortunately, it didn't happen!

Nika protested:

I was just exploring different solutions!

Mari laughed.

At that moment, Morteza asked from behind his monitor:

Has the appointment issue been resolved?

Giorgi said:

– For now, they have solved today's problem. They also need to adjust their services and capacities for the appointment system.

Morteza nodded.

– It's important that they specify the service times correctly before activation.

Nika looked at him.

– Morteza, how do you know what their problem was?

Morteza replied:

– I understood from your conversations.

Nika looked at him for a moment.

Then he said:

– Do you really hear everything from back there?

Morteza smiled.

- Not everything.

Mari laughed.

Nika continued:

- One day I need to figure out exactly what you do here!

Morteza smiled briefly.

- For now, just learn your own job!

This time, Mari couldn't hold back her laughter.

Nika looked at her in surprise. He still didn't understand why some of his comments were so funny to Mari.

A few days later — a quieter salon

Nino was sitting at the reception desk. This time, the appointment requests were being processed in a more organized manner.

The salon staff had been trained on the duration of services and how to confirm appointments.

Of course, not everything was perfect yet.

One of the stylists had forgotten to register a customer's time change in the system.

Nino asked her to correct the information.

Then she smiled.

The software helps us not to make mistakes, but it's not supposed to think for us!

The employee laughed.

Yes, Ms. Nino.

At that moment, Nino's phone rang. It was Anna's number.

Hello, Ms. Nino!

Hello, dear! How was the ceremony?

Anna laughed.

Great! I just wanted to thank you.

You're welcome.

By the way, that nail salon we found on Rigi 24 was really good. I arrived at the ceremony and everything was sorted out.

Nino smiled.

I'm very happy.

Anna continued:

Next time I'll book through the same system. I just hope there won't be two people with an appointment at the same time!

Nino laughed.

We hope so too!

End of the day — Nika's questions

In the evening, as Nika was leaving the office, he said to Mari:

I learned something interesting today.

Mari asked:

What?

— Sometimes two people really can have appointments at the same time without either of them lying.

- That's right.

- And the problem isn't always with the people. Sometimes the method is wrong.

Mari smiled.

- You learned a good lesson today.

Nika picked up his backpack.

- Yeah. I just realized that with a booking system, you can find everything from hair salons to other services.

Mari said:

- Of course, when those businesses are registered in the system.

- I know, I know!

Nika took a few steps toward the door.

Then he turned back.

By the way, Mari...

Yes?

I have another question!

Mari laughed.

How many questions do you have in a day?

Nika said seriously:

I don't know! We need to set up a booking system for my questions!

Mari's laughter echoed in the office.

End of Chapter Five: Two People, One Hour

What we learned in this chapter

1. Receiving bookings from multiple channels without centralized registration can lead to appointment conflicts, even when none of the customers made a mistake.

2. The simultaneous capacity and duration of each service must be defined correctly; the start time alone is not enough for managing bookings.

3. Rigi24 scheduling allows for capacity configuration, service definition, specialist selection if active, and manual or automatic confirmation based on business configuration.

4. Finding registered businesses and requesting appointments in various sectors such as beauty services or dentistry depends on the availability of services and actual access.

5. The software does not replace accountability and human conversation; training staff and accurately recording changes is essential.

6. This chapter is about scheduling. The free 'Core' module of Rigi24 and the mini-site for businesses will be introduced independently in a future story.