Student Pick-up & Drop-off Management
Logistics sorted. Drivers know where to go.
Many surf schools offer pick-up and drop-off as a paid add-on. SurfSlot manages the logistics — meeting points, custom addresses, pricing, automated pick-up time calculation, and a daily driver digest so no one gets left behind.
Highlights
- Transport as a bookable add-on during checkout
- Fixed meeting points with map integration
- Custom address option for hotel/hostel pick-ups
- Automatic pick-up time calculation based on lesson time
- Daily transport digest for drivers
- Flexible pricing per transport option
How It Works
During booking, customers see a transport add-on option: - **Meeting point pick-up:** Select from predefined locations (town square, main hotel, etc.) - **Custom address:** Enter their accommodation address - **Self-transport:** No pick-up needed SurfSlot calculates pick-up times based on lesson start time and estimated travel. Drivers receive a daily digest: "Pick up Maria at Hotel Sol at 9:15, Carlos at Town Square at 9:20. Lesson at Praia Grande at 10:00."
Why transport is worth charging for
Transport is one of the few add-ons a surf school can sell with almost no extra marginal cost — the van is going to the beach anyway. Charged at €5–10 per person it also removes the single biggest cause of late starts: guests trying to find a beach they have never been to, in a hire car, on a road with no phone signal. Schools that offer pick-up tend to see it attached to a large share of bookings from hotels, hostels and camps, because the guest without a car has no realistic alternative.
The daily driver digest
Every morning the driver gets one list: who, where, what time, and which lesson they belong to. It is ordered by pick-up time and includes phone numbers, so a guest who is not outside at 9:15 can be called rather than waited for. When a lesson moves because of conditions, the digest regenerates — nobody is driving to yesterday's schedule.
Meeting points that customers can actually find
Predefined pick-up points carry a map link and a plain-language description ("outside the pharmacy on the main square, not the bus stop"). That one sentence prevents most of the confusion, especially for guests whose first language is not the local one.
Frequently asked
Can I charge different prices for different pick-up locations?
Yes. Each meeting point or zone can have its own price.
What about drop-off?
Same system in reverse. Drop-off times calculated based on lesson end time.
How many pick-up points should we offer?
Fewer than you think. Three or four well-chosen points that a driver can run in sequence beat a dozen door-to-door addresses that turn a 20-minute run into an hour.
What if a customer isn't at the pick-up point?
The driver digest includes phone numbers, so they can be called immediately rather than holding up the rest of the run. You set the wait policy; the system just makes sure the driver has the contact.
Can transport be included in the price rather than sold as an add-on?
Yes — you can either bundle it into the lesson price or sell it separately per zone. Bundling simplifies checkout; selling separately keeps your headline price competitive.