Requesting Your First Booking
Requesting your first booking can be intimidating. In this article, we’ll walk you through what to expect, how it works, and why it works that way.
There are two things you need before requesting a booking:
A caregiver in mind
If you don’t already have someone in mind, use the filters or read our article here for tips on choosing a caregiver. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out and we’ll try to help.
A Care Profile
If you don’t already have a Care Profile, learn how to make one here.
Once you’ve filled out a Care Profile and have chosen a caregiver, click Request Booking on their profile. From there you’ll select the dates and times, add any additional information the caregiver may need to know, and attach your Care Profile. This is to help give the caregiver enough information to provide great care for your loved one.
After you’ve filled in the details, you’ll attach your credit card and submit your request. Don’t worry - your card won’t be charged until the caregiver accepts the booking, and we use secure payment processor Stripe to keep your card safe. Neither us or the caregiver will ever see your card details.
Why do we require payment before the booking happens? Once a caregiver has accepted your booking, they’ve set aside time out of their day and planned around your booking. Payment beforehand protects everyone involved. Read about our cancellation policy here.
Once your booking request has been submitted, you just need to wait for the caregiver to accept. Don’t worry if they reject - sometimes it can take a few tries to find your fit. Feel free to message the caregiver to see why they rejected - sometimes it’s just short notice, or it could be out of scope for their qualifications. The best thing to do is communicate.
Why can’t you just message them and make the booking that way? Every booking on alto is covered by our liability insurance. If you don’t submit a booking request, we’ll have no way of knowing for sure when, where, or with whom, the booking took place, and so no insurance will apply. To be safe, always submit a booking request.
