A service window is the period during which work can be performed at a customer's site, set by the customer's availability, site access hours or the terms of a contract. It defines when the job can happen, from start to finish.
The term is used loosely, and sometimes means the same as arrival window. The useful distinction: an arrival window is when the technician will show up. A service window is when the work is allowed to take place.
How a service window works in the schedule
A job fits a service window only if it can start and finish inside it:
Latest feasible arrival = Service window close − Job duration estimate
Feasible if: Arrival ≥ Service window open, and Arrival ≤ Latest feasible arrival
Say a commercial site allows work from 7:00 to 11:00 and the job takes 90 minutes. The technician must arrive between 7:00 and 9:30. An arrival window promised as 9:00 to 11:00 would break it: a 10:30 arrival leaves only 30 minutes for a 90-minute job.
Why it matters for scheduling
Service windows are hard constraints. A residential arrival window can slip by a few minutes with an apology. A commercial site that locks its gate at 11:00 cannot. When a job has a service window, the arrival has to be planned back from the closing time, using an honest job duration estimate.
That puts more weight on the drive. If the truck's previous job is across town, the real question is whether it can get there early enough to finish inside the window, not only whether the slot is empty. CrewLink checks this kind of feasibility before a slot is offered, computing travel from the previous job and building live travel time into availability. Why uncertain duration and travel make windows wide is covered in Why arrival windows are so long.
A common mistake
Booking the arrival without checking the finish. A job that starts inside the service window but cannot finish inside it means a return trip. That is a truck roll you could have avoided.
Related terms
- Arrival window is the promise about when the technician shows up.
- Job duration estimate decides the latest feasible arrival.
- Travel-feasible scheduling checks whether the truck can get there in time.
Common questions
What is the difference between a service window and an arrival window?
An arrival window covers when the technician arrives. A service window covers when work can happen at all, including when it must be finished.
Where do service windows come from?
Customer availability, building access hours, tenant rules, business opening times and maintenance contract terms.
How do I schedule a job with a tight service window?
Book it early in the window, put it first in the truck's day where possible, and use a duration estimate based on your own job history.