In today’s fast-paced business world, time is of the essence. Whether running a small business or a large enterprise, scheduling appointments, meetings and events can be cumbersome. Fortunately, Microsoft has developed a solution that can help streamline the process – Microsoft Bookings-and it’s likely already included in your licensing.

What is Microsoft Bookings?

Microsoft Bookings is an online scheduling tool that allows businesses to schedule appointments, meetings, and events more efficiently. Bookings is designed for small businesses, but larger companies with multiple employees can also take advantage of it.

Bookings allows businesses to create customized booking pages that are easy to use and accessible from any device. Customers can schedule appointments or make reservations directly from the booking page, which helps to reduce administrative overhead and saves time for both businesses and customers.

Once an organization has enabled Microsoft Bookings, users can set up a Bookings page and share a simple link for creating new meetings while keeping their calendars private.

Why Microsoft Bookings is Useful

A valuable tool for your users and small teams for several reasons. Here are just a few:

• Streamlines Appointment Scheduling– With Bookings, users and small teams can simplify scheduling appointments, saving time and making people happy. Customers like it too – they can schedule appointments online, see your available time slots based on parameters you control, keeping your calendar private without having to spend time on the phone or exchanging emails to set up appointments.
• Improves Customer Experience– Allows businesses to customize appointment types, duration and availability, ensuring customers can easily find a time that works for them. Automatic reminders and appointment confirmations are sent, keeping the customer engaged throughout the process while reducing no-shows.
• Integration with Other Microsoft Products– Bookings integrates seamlessly with Exchange Online and other Microsoft products, such as Outlook and Microsoft Teams. For example, you still view all appointments in your Outlook calendar – requiring no change or additional steps from what you already do today.
• No Time Delays – One of the most significant benefits of using Bookings is the ability to schedule appointments 24/7. Making an appointment can be done anytime, even outside regular business hours. This ability makes sense when you work with partners or clients in different time zones or those with busy schedules who often need to make appointments outside of regular business hours.
• Customization– A customizable tool that tailors itself to what you need to do. You can modify a booking page with branding, service offerings, and basic availability. You can also set up appointment types, duration, and pricing, meaning businesses offer customers a personalized experience that increases satisfaction and loyalty.

Getting Started with Bookings

Microsoft Bookings is part of Microsoft 365 and accessed through a web link. Once your organization turns on Bookings, it doesn’t take long to get a new page set up:

1. Setup a Main Page
2. Create a Calendar
3. Setup Your Service
4. Staff Your Service
5. Customize and Publish Your Booking Page

Congratulations! You now have a personalized page to handle your scheduling needs.

Use Cases for Microsoft Bookings

End users in virtually any industry can find value in Microsoft Bookings by utilizing it to streamline appointment scheduling processes and improve their customer experience. Here are just a few examples:

• Healthcare Providers– Providers can customize their booking page with availability, service offerings and pricing, allowing patients to easily schedule appointments or consultations while reducing wait times. Patients can select a date and time that works best for them and receive a confirmation email with all the necessary details. This customization helps boosts efficiency and allows the provider to keep their focus on providing quality care and creating stronger patient connections.
• Consulting & Sales– Businesses can easily set up and manage client meetings, customizing appointment types, duration, and pricing to suit their needs. Features like automatic reminders and appointment confirmations help to reduce no-shows and increase efficiency, allowing sales professionals to focus on building relationships and closing deals.
• Education and Training– A useful tool for educational institutions and training centers, permitting them to schedule appointments for visitors, students, or trainees effortlessly. Teachers can present office hours in a format that is easily accessible and understood. At the same time, students can conveniently set up appointments with tutors and classmates or coordinate group meetings.

Ready to Simplify Your Scheduling?

Microsoft Bookings is a helpful tool that can help businesses streamline appointment scheduling, improve customer experience, and increase efficiency. The tool is easy to use and can be accessed from any device, making it convenient for employees and customers.

An experienced Microsoft CSP OneNeck can guide you on how to best utilize Microsoft Bookings and other M365 tools to improve your business’s productivity and efficiency. Whether you are trying to find hidden gems in your existing M365 licensing, need to adjust a current licensing subscription or are considering adopting M365 as your productivity tool of choice, contact us today.

Or you can always Book some time with me.