Bookings is an app included with Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium subscriptions as well as the Enterprise plans. This is a great time-saver and adds a professional touch with your customers. By visiting a web page, your customers can find open time in your Outlook calendar and book appointments. This eliminates those back and forth emails to determine a mutually agreeable date and time.
How it Works
Meetings can be in-person or virtual, using Skype for business or Microsoft Teams. An appointment booked as a virtual meeting will create a unique meeting link. This allows attendees to join via a web browser, phone dial-in, or the Skype or Teams app. Note that Bookings can even be used as an app within Teams, without ever leaving Teams. You can create Bookings calendars, assign staff, schedule new and manage existing appointments.
Customization
Bookings is quite flexible with various customization options. Multiple Bookings calendars can be managed, each set up according to their unique requirements. There are a variety of editable fields and settings, including the structure of each Bookings page, staff details and communication including confirmation emails and calendar invitations. Note that Bookings can also be turned on or off for the entire organization or for specific employees.
Summary
We have found this app to be very useful and convenient both for us and our clients. It provides them with the flexibility to book time and perhaps a specific service, followed by receipt of a confirmation email and calendar invitation. You and they also have the ability to reschedule or cancel an appointment if necessary. Booking appointments on behalf of your customers is likewise possible. Confirmations emails and reminders will be sent to them accordingly.
Here’s a link to a short Microsoft video describing how Bookings can be used.
If your organization could use some guidance on how to use Bookings, or other Microsoft 365 applications such as OneDrive or Teams, please give us a call. We’d be happy to help.
