# Let customers book site visits into your Google Calendar

> Let customers pick a free time for a quote visit, synced with Google Calendar or Outlook so nobody books over a job. How it works and how to set it up.

Source: https://roughfigure.com/blog/let-customers-book-site-visits-online (updated 2026-11-11)

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](https://roughfigure.com/help/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](https://roughfigure.com/blog/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](https://roughfigure.com/help/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.