Introduction
The Microsoft Bookings app is a tool available for faculty by request. Bookings is a scheduling tool that lets students to book an appointment with you based on your set availability. To request access and training to setup a Bookings service, go to https://help.sunyempire.edu/ and submit a service desk incident.
Bookings Training --> https://sunyesc.sharepoint.com/sites/EmpireTrainingHub/SitePages/BookingsTraining.aspx
This article provides instructions on how to configure and maintain an existing Bookings service using the app’s Configuration page. All changes made there will make the necessary adjustments on the Published page that students and other users navigate to schedule appointments.
Please note that Bookings is a business solution, and their terminology reflects that. When it refers to "Staff," that is in reference to you, the person who can be booked for an appointment. "Customers" refers to students, colleagues, or any user who is making an appointment to meet with you on the app.
To learn how to set up a Bookings page and receive a license to the app, please submit a request.
Table of Contents:
Schedule an appointment for someone to your Calendar:
- Select the “Calendar” category of the Navigation bar on the left-side of your Configuration page.
- Click “+ New booking”
- Enter Customer Information:
- Name (Required)
- Email Address (Required)
- Phone Number
- Mailing Address
- Check the Staff member you want scheduled to meet with the customer.
- Under “Service Details”
- Enter the date and time of the meeting (Required).
- Respond to any questions you’ve asked customers to answer (Optional).
- Click the “Save” button.
- Both you and the person booking will receive a notification and invitation for the new appointment.
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Edit the Business Information and/or Business Hours
- Select the “Business Information” category from the navigation bar on the left-side of your Configuration page.
- Edit the information that needs to be adjusted.
- Click the “Save” button.
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Manually edit or cancel an appointment
- Select the “Calendar” category from the Navigation bar on the left-side of your Configuration Page.
- Click on the appointment in the calendar that you want to edit or cancel.
- Select the “Edit” or “Cancel” buttons. No action further is needed to cancel. A new dialog box will open if you have selected the editing option.
- Edit the information in the fields that need to be adjusted.
- Click the “Save” button.
- Both you and the student will receive a notification.
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Block time on your Bookings page that you need available in Outlook
- Select the “Calendar” category from the Navigation bar on the left-side of your Configuration Page.
- Click the “Time Off” button.
- Enter the start and end day(s)/time(s) that you need off or select the “All day” checkbox for the date.
- Click on the name of the staff who need(s) time off; their name should now be highlighted with a checkmark next to it.
- Click the “Save” button.
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Add a staff member
- Select the “Staff” category from the Navigation bar on the left-side of the Configuration page.
- Click the “+ Add staff” button.
- Enter the staff member’s
- Initials,
- Name,
- Email,
- Phone Number.
- Select a color to index their appointments.
- Check next to the “Email Notifications” area option.
- Check next to the “Use business hours” or uncheck to enter any special availability requests for this individual.
- Click the “Save” button.
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Add a customer
- Select the “Customers” category from the Navigation bar on the left-side of the Configuration page.
- Click the “+ New” button.
- Enter the customer’s contact information in the textbox fields.
- Click the “Save” button.
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Edit a customer
- Select the “Customers” category from the Navigation bar on the left-side of the Configuration page.
- Select the Customer that needs their information edited.
- Click the “Edit” button.
- Edit the customer’s contact information that’s needed.
- Click the “Save” button.
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Preparing and Maintaining Your Outlook Calendar for Bookings
Before you set up your Bookings page, you do need to check that your Outlook calendar is up to date. This calendar is what prevent students from booking appointments during an already scheduled meeting or events during the day (eg. lunch).
- To block out a space/time in your Outlook calendar, create a “New Event:”
- Add a name, set the day/time, and if it’s recurring (daily, weekly, monthly, custom options available).
- Set your “Status” to Busy, Away, Tentative, or Out of Office to block Bookings from showing you as “Available” to schedule an appointment.
- Please note: all day events by default are set to “Free,” this needs to be manually set to block Bookings.
- If you need an availability different in Bookings than in your Outlook calendar (e.g. you need your Calendar to be available for meetings at All College or Fall Acadmic Conference, but unavailable in Bookings), these events can be set in the “Bookings Calendar” as “Time Off.”
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Unpublish a Bookings page
If you need to temporarily take down a Booking page for an extended leave:
- Go to “Booking Page” category in the Navigation bar on the left-side of the Configuration page.
- Click the “Unpublish” button at the top of the menu.
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Republish an existing Bookings page
If you need to republish an existing Booking page after an extended leave:
- Go to “Booking Page” category in the Navigation bar on the left-side of the Configuration page.
- Click the “Save and publish” button at the top of the menu.
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Permanently delete a Bookings service
Submit an Incident ticket to the IT Service Desk to notify the administrator for this tool.
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