Overview
Microsoft Bookings makes scheduling and managing appointments a breeze. Bookings includes a web-based booking calendar and integrates with Outlook to optimize your staff’s calendar and give your customers the flexibility to book a time that works best for them.
Extra functionality is available in the Bookings web app
While the Bookings app in Teams provides a streamlined workflow for scheduling and conducting virtual appointments, the Bookings web app lets you take additional actions, such as:
Publish a self-service scheduling page
Set a logo for your business
Set business hours
To use these additional features, select (...) More options in the upper right of your screen, then Open Bookings web app.
We highly recommend using the Bookings web app to sign in. Follow the steps below.
Create New Calendar
Log into https://signon.stjohns.edu
Go to Office 365 Portal > Click the App Launcher > All Apps > Bookings
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Click + Create New Calendar button
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Click + Create from Scratch
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Name your Calendar and choose Business type and click Next
(Note: The business name you enter here will be used to create the email address for sending booking invites)
You can also add a logo here by clicking +Add a logo
6. Invite staff to make changes to the calendar. You can select from Administrator, Team Member, Scheduler, Viewer, or Guest.
7. Set up a Service and click Next. Change the Office hours if necessary.
8. Choose No Self Service and then click Create Calendar button.
Services
Add new service
Once your Calendar is created, click on the Calendar to open it.
Go to Services and click +Add new service.
Basic Details
Enter the Service name and set the duration time.
Add online meeting: This setting enables or disables online meetings for each appointment via Teams.
Maximum attendees per event:
Keep maximum attendees to 1 so the appointments are 1:1.
Availability Options
Toggle Off Default scheduling policy and change the time increments to your desired time.
There are 3 types of General availability: Bookable when staff are free, Not bookable, and Custom hours (recurring weekly).
Change General availability to Bookable when staff are free. Click Save changes.
Assign Staff
Go to the Staff menu on the left. To add more staff click +Add New Staff.
For each additional staff member, select a role: Administrator, Team member, Scheduler, Viewer, or Guest.
Select Events on Office calendar affect availability
- Team member - can manage bookings on their own calendar and their availability in the booking mailbox.
- Scheduler - can manage bookings on the calendar and customer details. They have read-only access to settings, staff, and services.
- Viewer - can see all the bookings on the calendar, but they can’t modify or delete them. They have read-only access to settings.
- Guest - can be assigned to bookings, but they can’t open the booking mailbox.
Edit Staff
To enable the ability so Customers can select a specific staff for the appointment, Go to Service > Edit Service > Assign Staff
Toggle on to Allow customers to choose a particular staff for booking.
Custom Fields
Custom fields can be useful when collecting information that is needed every time a specific appointment is booked. Examples include major of study for academic advising or Student ID.
Un-select phone number, customer address, and customer notes if you do not want to collect this information.
To add a custom field such as a Xnumber, click + Add a custom field.
Select Text question from the drop-down list and input the question to collect this information.
Notifications
Email reminders can be sent automatically for upcoming appointments.
To add another email reminder, click + Add an email reminder. Click the Edit icon to change
the default timing and message.
Calendar
In the Calendar, you can schedule business closures or time off for specific staff.
In the top right navigation pane, select Add time off.
Schedule Time off
Select all staff members or select staff who are taking time off. Choose start and end dates and click Create time off.
Customers will not be able to make appointments for the staff who are scheduled to be off.
Export
There is also an option to export the scheduled appointments.
Go to your calendar, open the top right navigation pane and click the Export button. This will export to a text file.
Booking Page
To enable the booking link, go to Configure booking page and change the option to Available to people in your organization. You can manage other booking page options here such as time zone settings.
Click the Email button on the Configure Booking Page to send an email with the appointment link.
Business Information
You can edit the Basic details, add a Business logo and adjust Business hours here.
Booking Link
The appointment link can also be found within Services > Overview or Service details tab
When the customer opens the link, they will see the calendar to book an appointment.
