--- title: "Your 24/7 Diary: Automating Bookings to Improve Customer Service" description: Discover the power of Microsoft Bookings and how it will take the pain out of arranging meetings with clients image: https://claranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com/hubfs/CLS%20-%20Article%20image%20-%2024_7%20Diary.jpg --- [![](https://claranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SOHO/SOHO_Images/Newsletter/SOHO%20logo.png?width=150&name=SOHO%20logo.png)](http://www.claranetsoho.co.uk/) Share this page: [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fclaranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com%2Fyour-247-diary-automating-bookings-to-improve-customer-service%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclaranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com%2Fyour-247-diary-automating-bookings-to-improve-customer-service%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fclaranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com%2Fyour-247-diary-automating-bookings-to-improve-customer-service%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclaranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com%2Fyour-247-diary-automating-bookings-to-improve-customer-service%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Your%2024%2F7%20Diary%3A%20Automating%20Bookings%20to%20Improve%20Customer%20Service) [Ordinary to Amazing Home](https://office365.claranetsoho.co.uk/) - ## The Productivity Game: Enhancing small business performance through technology Do you have what it takes to be amazing? Find out what it takes to go from ordinary to amazing and how technology is helping small businesses to make the transition. [![Read more](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/296916/ba47df5a-394d-4413-8a6d-ec28bf42fc29.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/296916/ba47df5a-394d-4413-8a6d-ec28bf42fc29) ![](https://claranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com/hubfs/SOHO/SOHO_TP_365/Templates/Blog/TheProductivityGameScroll.png) - ## On the Money: Scaling new heights in small business financial management Do you have what it takes to be amazing? Find out what it takes to go from the ordinary to the amazing and how technology is helping small businesses to make the transition. [![Read more](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/296916/8fe79507-990d-49a8-a94d-0921fdbb77e5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/296916/8fe79507-990d-49a8-a94d-0921fdbb77e5) ![](https://claranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com/hubfs/SOHO/SOHO_TP_365/Templates/Blog/OnTheMoneyScroll.png) - ## Client-centricity: doing more to gain and retain your customers Discover how your business can become more customer-centric with the help of technology. [![Read more](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/296916/090d0db6-29c1-4342-9df9-4477fd99cd59.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/296916/090d0db6-29c1-4342-9df9-4477fd99cd59) ![](https://claranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com/hubfs/SOHO/SOHO_TP_365/Templates/Blog/ClientCentricityScroll.png) # Your 24/7 Diary: Automating Bookings to Improve Customer Service Meetings are the lifeblood of every sales deal. Whether you are visiting customers on site, or hosting them at head office, someone has to schedule a meeting. ![CLS - Article image - 24_7 Diary.jpg](https://claranet-co-uk-296916.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CLS%20-%20Article%20image%20-%2024_7%20Diary.jpg?width=700&height=314&name=CLS%20-%20Article%20image%20-%2024_7%20Diary.jpg) Which would be fine if finding gaps in everyone’s schedule didn’t take as long as the actual meeting. We’ve all emailed a list of potential dates and times to a customer, only for your diary to fill up in the time it takes them to respond. Embarrassing and extremely annoying for everyone involved. For small and medium-sized companies this can be  a real issue, with capacity already stretched and the focus on new business opportunities such an important priority. Even if you’re lucky enough to have an official “keeper of the diary”, they will waste hours every month going through the same process in an endless series of soul-destroying phone calls. But what if there is a better way?  ## Introducing Microsoft Bookings Designed to take the to-and-fro out of the appointment booking process, [Microsoft Bookings](https://blogs.office.com/2016/07/20/bring-in-business-247-with-microsoft-bookings/) could be the solution you’ve been waiting for. The brilliance of this tool (soon to be included with Office 365 subscriptions in the UK), is that it empowers customers to book appointments at your convenience. ## So how does it actually work? Take the example of an existing customer who needs to book an account review meeting. Their account manager emails over a link which takes your client to the Microsoft Bookings page. There they are able to see when you are available, and to reserve a time slot of their choosing. The system is available 24x7x365 too, so clients can book a timeslot whenever suits them.  The really clever part is that the Bookings website hooks directly into your Outlook diary, which means your customers can see exactly when you are available. And when they do make a booking, the details are saved directly into your calendar – and you receive a notification to alert you to the upcoming meeting. Everything is done in real time to prevent overlaps, gaps and double-bookings – the sort of “basic” mistakes that can compromise the professionalism of your business.  ## Perfect for businesses based on bookings Bookings is even more useful for those businesses whose entire business model is built around appointments – such as a clinic, a hairdressers, or any other business that needs to schedule customers into their diaries. The system is able to access several calendars simultaneously allowing your customers to choose the person or resource that is best suited to their needs. By allowing customers to make their own bookings, you gain several advantages: - Customers are able to make appointments when they want - Your time cannot be double-booked - ever - Managing calendars becomes so much easier - You are freed up to run your business Giving customers what they want, and doing it in a way that saves you time means that everyone wins. And when your customers win, they are more likely to choose to do business with you again and again. ## Takeaways: - Save time and effort managing your business diaries. - Give customers total flexibility when booking appointments. - Cut down on the time-wasting process of arranging meetings. - Web-based system can be accessed whenever and however your customer chooses. - Meetings are saved directly to your diary – so you’ll never be double-booked again. ## See how small businesses are transforming customer communication with Office 365. 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