A problem I was having for quite some time was ease of scheduling call times with recruiters of independent firms to qualify them for membership in NPAworldwide. On average, it took about 2 to 3 emails to nail down a call, and then there was about a 50% chance that they would cancel, forget, or just get carried off by a herd of non-purple squirrels never to be seen again. After a few trial and errors with online calendar tools that did not seem to sync appropriately, I stumbled on https://youcanbook.me/ a site from the UK that has made my life much simpler. First and foremost, this tool is FREE. Well, the version I use is, and it does the trick, so I will stick with explaining the features and benefits I have found with that version. YouCanBook.me is booking software that integrates with your Google or iCloud Calendar. When you sign up, you get a personalized scheduling page so your customers can book you online. The look is very clean and professional:
Users are able to change their time zone prior to booking as well, so for our global audience this helps me have to deal with less converting. After you decide which calendar/email you would like this tool to sync to, you are able to set your custom booking link, add a logo and customize what message and colors you would like. Once your hours and duration are set, you are pretty much ready to go in less than 5 minutes. At this point, you can really close out of the web page and in all honesty, never have to reopen it. The tool is now synced directly to your email calendar, and updates within seconds whether you are receiving new bookings, scheduling meetings, or leaving the office early. If you are more techy, the booking information form can be fully customized with whatever fields you want and can be 100% controlled by CSS to style it up to match your website.
This tool works for you rather than against you. I personally have text message reminders sent to me 2 hours prior to appointments in the event that I am out of the office in a meeting or appointment that is running late or my mind blanks on checking my email calendar. After you customize your site, you have many options as to how to share it with your customers, whether as a link in your email, embedded in your website, or shared on a social media site. Sometimes a client or job seeker may see you on the web but write down your number or email to contact you later. This tool gives them an easy opening to making sure you are available.
Another differentiating feature is that users do not have to create a login to book appointments, and you may create any fields you like for them to fill out to schedule the appointment. If you want to keep it simple, just require a name and phone number, or if you like to have more background ask for a website or a LinkedIn profile to be able to prepare.
If this tool doesn’t quite fit what you are looking for, I still urge you to consider a similar option as just good client/candidate service! I can definitely say it has saved me time and money, while automating a tedious process, and helping to stay organized.