Bring In Business 24/7 With Microsoft Bookings

104
7496

As a business owner, you know that scheduling appointments with customers can take a lot of your time. Sending emails back and forth, playing phone tag and reminding people to show up can clutter your day and keep you from the more important work of growing your business. To help make appointment scheduling simpler and more efficient for you, your staff and your customers, we’re introducing a new Office 365 service called Microsoft Bookings.

Microsoft BookingsCustomers can schedule your business directly online

Microsoft Bookings provides your business a unique web page that your customers can use to schedule appointments, even when you’re not around to pick up the phone or respond to an email. The web page is simple to use: the customer first selects the service they want and, based on availability you provide, chooses a day and time when you or one of your staff is available, enters their contact information and books the appointment.

The web page looks great on both larger screens and mobile devices. It’s easy to link to your scheduling page from an email that you send to customers or from your business’s website or Facebook page.

Reduce missed appointments with confirmations and reminders

When a customer doesn’t show up for an appointment, it can mean wasted time and money for you. To reduce no- shows, Microsoft Bookings sends your customer an email confirmation right after they book, with an option to quickly add the appointment to their calendar. But we all know how busy people can get. So to help customers remember to show up, Microsoft Bookings allows you to set up a reminder email, which is sent based on how much notice you want to give before the appointment.

Microsoft BookingsMake it easy for your customers to reschedule or cancel bookings

Sometimes your customers need to reschedule or cancel a booking they’ve made. With Microsoft Bookings, it’s easy for them to make a self-service change. They simply click the link in the confirmation email or the appointment in their calendar, which then takes them back to the scheduling web page where they can pick a different day and time or cancel the appointment. Want to avoid last minute cancellations? No problem. You can control how much advance notice is required, whether it’s one hour or one week.

Microsoft BookingsManage bookings and customer information from anywhere

All customer bookings are visible in a centralized booking calendar, giving you a complete view of upcoming appointments. You can reschedule, cancel or re-assign an existing booking to another available staff member. You can also quickly create a new booking if you’re talking with a customer in-person or on the phone and use the day “split view” to quickly see which staff is available at a given time. Bookings provides a clear view of your staff’s daily schedule on the web and mobile.

Bookings also provides you with a customer list to help stay in touch with your customers. Each time a customer creates a booking using your scheduling page (or you create one for them in your booking calendar), Bookings automatically creates a contact for them in your Customers list inside Bookings.

Microsoft BookingsYou can manage all of these capabilities on the web, with easy access from the Office 365 navigation bar. For those times when you’re out of the office, in the coming months Bookings will have a mobile app that lets you manage your bookings or contact your customers with a few taps. Get appointment details and customer information in the Bookings app.

Automatically add bookings on staff calendars

Your customers aren’t the only ones who can forget appointments, so Bookings automatically adds new or updated customer appointments on your calendar or your staff’s calendars. Bookings works great with your Outlook calendar in Office 365. If you or your staff use an Outlook.com or Google calendar, no problem—it integrates with those calendars as well.

You work to grow your business; we want to grow with you

You work hard to build your business, and as your company expands, Bookings grows with you. You can create different booking pages and easily add new staff members as your workforce grows. There is no additional cost for creating multiple booking pages, and additional staff members aren’t required to have Office 365 subscriptions.

How to get Bookings

Bookings is now rolling out in First Release to customers who subscribe to the Office 365 Business Premium plan and will roll out to all Business Premium customers worldwide in the coming months. Once it rolls out, anyone with an Office 365 Business Premium subscription can access Bookings in the app launcher within the Office 365 web experience. Bookings doesn’t require your business email to be routed through Office 365, so you can keep using your current business email service with no changes.

Microsoft BookingsTo get started, sign in to Office 365, open Bookings from the app launcher and then click the Get it now button. You’ll need to provide a bit of information about your business and the services you want your customers to book. After that, just click the Save and publish button in the booking page tab to publish your scheduling web page. Your customers will now be able to start booking appointments with your business. It’s that easy!

We hope Bookings will free up time for you to grow your business, help you reduce missed appointments and no-shows and keep you on top of your business wherever you are. As you use Bookings, please tell us what you think by providing feedback in the Bookings home page.

Frequently asked questions

Q. When will Bookings be available?

A. It is currently rolling out to Office 365 Business Premium subscribers who are in the First Release program and will roll out to all Business Premium subscribers worldwide in the coming months.

Q. Which Office 365 subscriptions have access to Bookings?

A. Bookings will be available with an Office 365 Business Premium subscription.

Q. As a business owner, do all my staff need to be Office 365 subscribers?

A. No. You only need one Office 365 Business Premium account to set up and manage Bookings. Your staff can use any email service.

Q. How do I manage the appointments while I am away from the office?

A. In the next few weeks, Microsoft Bookings will deliver a companion app that will allow designated users with an Office 365 subscription to manage and see all appointments as well as all customers’ information.

Q. Will my customers see my personal or business calendar?

A. No. Your customers will only see the Bookings calendar that you publish online. You specify the services, times and staff that are visible on that calendar.

Q. Do my customers need a Microsoft account or an Office 365 subscription to be able to book with me?

A. No. Your Bookings page is publicly available. To book an appointment, your customers only need to provide their name and email so that Bookings can send the confirmation email and reminder.

Q. Do my customers need to download an app to book an appointment?

A. No. Your customers access your web-based booking page from any browser in a mobile device, tablet or laptop. The upcoming Bookings mobile app is only for the business owner to manage their Bookings calendar.

Watch how Microsoft Bookings works:

Source: Microsoft Blogs

Image source: All images

104 COMMENTS

  1. I just want to tell you that I’m newbie to blogging and definitely loved this web-site. More than likely I’m going to bookmark your site . You absolutely come with perfect articles and reviews. Regards for sharing your web-site.

  2. I have to express some thanks to you for bailing me out of this challenge. After scouting throughout the internet and coming across concepts which were not powerful, I was thinking my entire life was done. Living devoid of the answers to the issues you have sorted out as a result of your article content is a crucial case, as well as the kind that would have badly damaged my entire career if I hadn’t encountered your blog. Your primary knowledge and kindness in controlling almost everything was precious. I am not sure what I would have done if I had not encountered such a subject like this. I can at this point look forward to my future. Thanks for your time so much for your expert and result oriented help. I will not think twice to recommend your site to any individual who desires guidance about this subject.

  3. You’re so interesting! I do not think I have read a single thing like that before. So nice to find somebody with some genuine thoughts on this subject. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This site is something that is required on the internet, someone with a bit of originality.

  4. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It’s always useful to read through articles from other writers and practice a little something from their web sites.

  5. I really love your site.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you build this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m trying to create my own personal site and would love to learn where you got this from or what the theme is named. Thanks!

  6. I really love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you develop this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my own blog and would like to learn where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Many thanks!

  7. I’m extremely pleased to uncover this page. I wanted to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every little bit of it and I have you saved to fav to check out new things on your web site.

  8. Next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me just as much as this one. After all, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely thought you would have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something you could fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.

  9. One more issue is really that video gaming has become one of the all-time most important forms of fun for people of every age group. Kids enjoy video games, and adults do, too. Your XBox 360 is just about the favorite video games systems for people who love to have hundreds of games available to them, plus who like to experiment with live with people all over the world. Many thanks for sharing your opinions.

  10. Sapid Agency is a Search Engine Optimization company in New York City that provides SEO Services. Their proprietary SEO strategies help struggling websites and aspiring business owners to rank their websites higher in multiple search engines like Google , Yahoo and Bing. They provide local and gmb map ranking for businesses in NYC and many other local areas. Find more at https://www.sapidagency.com/ @ 145 E 57TH NEW YORK, NY 10022, USA, +1 971 341 5608 USA

  11. It certainly is nearly not possible to encounter well-qualified men and women on this issue, nevertheless you come across as like you fully understand those things you’re indicating! With Thanks

  12. It really is almost not possible to find well-aware individuals on this issue, fortunately you come across as like you know those things you’re covering! Appreciate It

  13. MetroClick specializes in building completely interactive products like Photo Booth for rental or sale, Touch Screen Kiosks, Large Touch Screen Displays , Monitors, Digital Signages and experiences. With our own hardware production facility and in-house software development teams, we are able to achieve the highest level of customization and versatility for Photo Booths, Touch Screen Kiosks, Touch Screen Monitors and Digital Signage. Visit MetroClick in NYC at http://www.metroclick.com/ or , 121 Varick St, New York, NY 10013, +1 646-843-0888.

  14. Leading Online Pharmacy – Contact us at +1 (917) 259-3352 for unbelievable rates, discount and offers on any medicine. Get it delivered free of cost at your door steps, call us today. Phone : +1 (917) 259-3352

  15. An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me breakfast due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending the time to discuss this issue here on your website.

  16. Hi, I do think this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back yet again since I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

  17. I’m the co-founder of JustCBD Store company (justcbdstore.com) and I am currently trying to broaden my wholesale side of company. I really hope that anybody at targetdomain share some guidance 🙂 I considered that the most ideal way to do this would be to talk to vape stores and cbd retail stores. I was really hoping if anybody could suggest a trustworthy web-site where I can purchase Vape Shop Business Marketing Data I am already checking out creativebeartech.com, theeliquidboutique.co.uk and wowitloveithaveit.com. On the fence which one would be the very best option and would appreciate any support on this. Or would it be easier for me to scrape my own leads? Suggestions?

  18. I must thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this site. I am hoping to view the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own, personal site now 😉

  19. I blog often and I genuinely appreciate your content. This article has really peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once per week. I opted in for your RSS feed as well.

  20. The next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me as much as this particular one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read through, however I genuinely thought you would probably have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something that you could fix if you were not too busy searching for attention.

  21. The next time I check out a blog site, I wish that it doesn’t dissatisfy me as much as this set. I indicate, I understand it was my choice to read, yet I really thought youd have something interesting to say. All I listen to is a number of yawping concerning something that you can deal with if you werent as well busy seeking focus.

  22. I got this web page from my pal who shared with me on the topic of this web page and at the moment this time I am visiting this website and reading very informative articles here.|

  23. This is the ideal blog site for anyone that intends to find out about this subject. You understand so much its virtually difficult to argue with you (not that I really would want?HaHa). You most definitely put a brand-new spin on a subject thats been written about for many years. Great stuff, just wonderful!

  24. Youre so trendy! I do not mean Ive review anything like this prior to. So wonderful to discover someone with some initial ideas on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this web site is something that is needed on the web, somebody with a little originality. valuable work for bringing something new to the net!

  25. of course like your web-site but you have to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very troublesome to inform the reality however I will certainly come again again.|

  26. Hello there! This article couldn’t be written much better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I most certainly will send this post to him. Fairly certain he’s going to have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  27. Wonderful article. I find out something extra tough on different blog sites daily. It will certainly constantly be promoting to read web content from various other authors and practice a little something from their shop. I?d like to use some with the web content on my blog site whether you don?t mind. Natually I?ll provide you a web link on your web blog site. Thanks for sharing.

  28. You made some really good points there. I looked on the internet for more information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this site.

  29. I merely hope to tell you that I am new to putting up a blog and totally loved your article. Quite possibly I am inclined to bookmark your blog post . You seriously have excellent article information. Like it for expressing with us your very own site report

  30. Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog before but after looking at some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I came across it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back frequently!

  31. I truly love your blog.. Great colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my very own site and would love to learn where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Thanks!

  32. Oh my goodness! a remarkable post guy. Thanks Nonetheless I am experiencing problem with ur rss. Don?t know why Unable to register for it. Exists anyone getting identical rss issue? Anybody who understands kindly react. Thnkx

  33. Hi folks there, just turned out to be mindful of your webpage through Bing and yahoo, and realized that it’s seriously useful. I’ll take pleasure in in the event you maintain this informative article.

  34. Right here is the perfect website for anybody who wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic that has been discussed for years. Great stuff, just excellent!

  35. Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you, However I am going through problems with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t join it. Is there anyone else having similar RSS issues? Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!

  36. Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to produce a really good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never seem to get anything done.

  37. Youre so great! I do not mean Ive review anything like this before. So great to locate someone with some initial thoughts on this subject. realy thanks for starting this up. this web site is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little creativity. helpful task for bringing something new to the net!

  38. I have been surfing on-line greater than three hours as of late, but I by no means found any interesting article like yours. It’s beautiful price enough for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made excellent content material as you probably did, the internet can be a lot more useful than ever before.|

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here