If you are using Google Calendar correctly, there is no need for additional third-party scheduling apps, although they can be useful if everyone in your organization can’t be counted on to be a Google Calendar guru or if you are using multiple Google Calendars. We’ll walk you through appointment slots, offer tips for hybrid installations of G Suite and Microsoft Office where calendars are being used in both solutions, and give you the rundown on scheduling apps if it all feels too complicated.
Getting Started With Appointment Slots
You can use Google Calendar to create Appointment Slots, which allow you to indicate when you are free for meetings by sharing your appointment page both internally and with the public through a link. Appointment Slots are useful because you can block off a certain amount of time in your day for appointments, and the rest for work. This allows for better time management, particularly if you are in a position where more time could be taken up by meetings than you would like.
To get started, click on the time block on Google Calendar that you would like to make an Appointment Slot (don’t worry, you can change it later). You will then see this box:
Click on “Appointment Slots”. You will then be invited to get started with appointment slots, and be taken to a page with your public appointment slot link and other information.
Then, when someone wants to schedule a meeting with you, you can send them this link to schedule time with you. You should use a URL shortener, such as Bit.ly, to shorten the link. You can even include it in your email signature and invite people to use it to schedule your time.
This solution will not work if you are using multiple Google Calendars; you would have to create an individual link for each calendar. In that case, you would want to explore a solution such as Calendly.
Calendar Interop Syncs Microsoft and Google Calendars
While hybrid use of G Suite and Microsoft Office 365 is generally discouraged as inefficient, realistically many businesses work this way. G Suite’s latest update includes an app called Calendar Interop which allows you to view free/busy information on Microsoft calendars using Microsoft Exchange. This makes scheduling for a call much easier and cuts down on emails to the Microsoft users in your organization. Full details are available here from Google.
Calendly: Easy Scheduling With One App
While Google Calendar does offer easy scheduling with appointment slots, you may want to look into scheduling apps such as Calendly for a couple of reasons - either you want a neat package you can send to clients for scheduling, or you are using multiple calendars. You can also embed Calendly into your website. Calendly supports iCloud, Office 365, Outlook and Google calendars. It is inexpensive, and worth the price if you regularly schedule meetings with clients. For more information, contact us today!
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