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Locations - Difficulty Rating

Booking difficulty ratings help you understand how challenging it is to secure appointments at each location, allowing you to make strategic monitoring decisions based on availability patterns and competition levels.

How Difficulty Ratings Work​

What They Measure​

Difficulty ratings combine multiple factors to give you a clear picture of appointment availability:

  • Appointment frequency: How often new slots become available
  • Time to next opening: How long of a wait until appointments are available
  • Future appointment volume: How many appointment are available in the next 4 weeks or 5-12 weeks
  • Historical trends: Recent appointment activity at each location

Rating Levels​

Difficulty Indicators
  • Easy [Green]: Excellent availability; book appointments any time with minimal wait
  • Moderate [Blue]: Good availability; some limited dates but generally accessible
  • Hard [Yellow]: Limited availability; expect longer wait times between openings
  • Difficult [Red]: Very limited availability; rare appointments with long wait times
  • Inactive [Purple]: No recent or future availability detected

Strategic Application​

For Different User Types​

Trial Users (1 location)

  • Focus on Easy or Moderate locations near you for reliable notifications
  • Consider your ability to book quickly when choosing between difficulty levels
  • Use difficulty rating to set realistic expectations

Standard Users (3 locations)

  • Mix Easy/Moderate locations for frequent opportunities
  • Add one Hard location as a strategic backup option
  • Consider difficulty alongside geographic convenience

With Location Boost (6 locations)

  • Include multiple Easy locations for maximum notification volume
  • Add Moderate and Hard locations for comprehensive coverage
  • Strategic Difficult locations can provide less competitive opportunities

Understanding the Trade-offs​

  • Booking an appiontment at Easy or Moderate locations can likely be done immediately unless you have specific day / time restrictions that don't match up with the facility. Moderate difficulty locations may have some gaps in availability.

  • Hard locations have more limited openings in the near term. You may not be able to find an appointment that works for you.

  • Some locations have a lot of availability months into the future. But if you're looking for an earlier appointment, your preferred location could be booked. Some locations stay booked 4-6 weeks in the future.

  • The most Difficult locations rarely have openings. There are spots but they fill up quickly once released. SpotPatrol can help you know immediately when cancellations or new appointments are available.

  • There may be other facilities within driving distance that have openings. But if you'd like to save time and gas, give SpotPatrol a try and book closer to home!

Need Help with more difficult locations?

A monitoring tool like SpotPatrol can help you secure an appointment at your preferred location, date, and time. Sign up today to book in days, not weeks.

Maximizing Your Strategy​

Monitoring Effectiveness​

High-notification strategy: Focus on Easy/Moderate locations

  • May not need a monitor service
  • Expect frequent notifications
  • Use time filters and date filters for just the right fit
  • Ideal when you can respond to notifications immediately

Low-availability strategy: Includes Hard/Difficult locations

  • Fewer openings requiring quick responses due to competition
  • Appointments may only be available for a few minutes once released
  • Might be worth waiting to avoid a long trip and gas costs to a location farther away

Location Information Details​

Where to Find Ratings​

  • Location picker: Difficulty badge displayed next to each location name
  • Info window: Click the info button (ℹ️) to see additional details including average daily slots
  • Map view: Color-coded markers reflect difficulty ratings

Additional Metrics​

When viewing location details, you'll also see:

  • Average daily slots: Indicates time slot frequency (distinct from appointment difficulty)
  • Next appointment: When the earliest known appointment is available
  • Services offered: Programs available at that location
Understanding Slots vs. Difficulty

"Average daily slots" shows how many time slots become available, while difficulty rating reflects how easy those appointments are to actually book. A location might have many slots but high difficulty if competition is intense.

Adjusting Your Strategy​

When to Reconsider Locations​

Too many notifications:

  • Shift toward Hard/Difficult locations for fewer but more actionable alerts
  • Use filters to limit Easy location notifications to your available times only
  • Consider using notification cooldowns to reduce volume while maintaining coverage

Not enough opportunities:

  • Add more Easy/Moderate locations to your monitoring list
  • Consider expanding your geographic range for better difficulty mix
  • Balance opportunity vs. competition based on your booking speed preferences

Difficulty changes: Ratings update regularly based on current patterns

  • Monitor performance and adjust selections based on results
  • Seasonal patterns may affect difficulty temporarily

Seasonal Considerations​

  • Airport locations may show different patterns during peak travel times
  • Border locations might vary based on regional factors
  • Use difficulty as a guide while remaining flexible to changes

The difficulty rating system takes the guesswork out of location selection, helping you build a strategic monitoring approach that matches your scheduling needs and booking capabilities.

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