Let customers book site visits into your Google Calendar

Letting customers book site visits online means they choose a time for you to come and see the job, from slots you’ve said you’re free. Connect the booking tool to Google Calendar or Outlook, and it hides times you’re already busy and adds each visit to your calendar, so there’s no back-and-forth and no double booking.

Why trades are switching to online booking

“When suits you?” “Thursday?” “I’m out Thursday, Friday morning?” Each round of messages is a chance for the customer to go with someone else. A booking link turns it into one step, at any hour, including evenings when customers do their planning and you’re off the phone.

How a calendar connection works

When you connect Google Calendar, the booking tool asks for two permissions:

• Free/busy: it can see when you’re busy, not what the appointment is.
• Events: it can add the visits it books, with the customer’s details and address.

When a customer looks for a slot, the tool checks your working hours, your visit length and your calendar, and only offers times that are really free.

Set it up so it works for you

• Visit windows, not exact times, if your days are unpredictable: “Tuesday morning” instead of “Tuesday 10:15”.
• Travel time. Add a buffer before and after visits.
• Notice. Don’t allow same-day bookings unless you can do them.
• Area. Only offer visits in postcodes you cover. A service area check stops long drives for small jobs.
• Reminders the day before cut no-shows.

Book after the price, not before

The best moment to offer a visit is right after the customer has seen a ballpark price and is still happy. If you book visits before they know roughly what it costs, you’ll drive to jobs that were never going to happen. Stop wasting time on quotes explains why.

Doing it in RoughFigure

In RoughFigure we’ve built bookings and calendar sync in on the Pro plan. Set your visit days, times and length under Bookings, then connect Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook with one click: you sign in, approve access, and that’s it. Customers who see a price can book a free site visit, times you’re busy are hidden, the visit goes into your calendar, and both of you get a confirmation and a reminder. Each team member can connect their own calendar. Read about bookings.

Questions

Can the booking tool see my private appointments?

With free/busy access it sees only that you’re busy, not the appointment’s title or details.

What if I use Apple Calendar?

Subscribe to a calendar link (an iCal feed) to see booked visits in Apple Calendar. Busy times are read from Google or Outlook.

Will customers book jobs I don’t do?

Not if bookings are only offered after they’ve chosen a service and seen a price, and only in the area you cover.