How to choose the best appointment scheduling software

Appointment scheduling software streamlines booking processes, reduces no-shows, improves customer convenience and saves time by automating reminders and confirmations for businesses.

However, choosing an appointment scheduling software can be overwhelming as there are so many options on the market. How do you know which system is right for your business?

In this article, you’ll learn which features to look for when choosing appointment-setting software. As a result, you can narrow your search and choose the best system for your needs.

What is appointment scheduling software?

Appointment scheduling software allows businesses to manage meetings. It works in two ways:

• Handling external appointments with prospects, leads and customers

• Booking internal meetings with team members and colleagues

The system syncs with your calendar to show availability, allowing people to book open time slots and secure appointments.

The software then automatically confirms the information with all parties. The date appears in your calendar, and the system sends a reminder before the meeting to ensure you (and the other parties) don’t miss it.

Why is appointment scheduling software necessary?

Appointment scheduling systems offer a range of benefits that streamline operations, enhance customer satisfaction and improve productivity.

Here’s how the software achieves these benefits:

• It reduces your administrative load. Spend less time managing appointments manually and let the software handle the logistics. It can schedule calls, update calendars and track cancellations.

• It boosts meeting attendance rates. Customers are more likely to attend when they can choose their ideal meeting time. Automatic updates and notifications also minimize no-shows through timely reminders.

• It improves the customer experience. Online booking options allow customers to schedule, reschedule and cancel meetings on their terms. Convenience helps increase customer satisfaction.

6 features to look for in the best appointment scheduling software

Here are the features to look for when choosing an appointment scheduling system. Use this list to refine your search and find the best solution for your business.

1. Integration with calendars and other business tools

Appointment reservation software that’s integrated with your work calendar can review your real-time capacity and allow customers to book free slots. Look for integrations with Google Calendar, Outlook or whatever work calendar you use. This process:

• Ensures seamless scheduling

• Prevents overbooking

• Keeps your calendar up to date

Other integrations also help create a smooth and efficient scheduling process. For example, integrating your appointment scheduling software with a customer relationship management (CRM) system can improve lead nurturing.

Imagine a customer submitting a contact form on your website. The CRM tracks this lead and sends an automated email offering a consultation. The customer books the appointment via the scheduling system, which triggers actions in the CRM.

For example, the CRM automatically updates the opportunity stage to reflect progress, moving it from “new lead” to “consultation booked”. As a result, sales reps can nurture leads more effectively, ensuring they receive communications at critical points in the customer journey.

2. Availability management

Availability management involves tracking, updating and displaying the availability of:

• Calendars

• Time slots

• Resources

• Staff

Effective availability management helps the sales team operate more efficiently, ultimately driving more successful client interactions and conversions.

For example, if a prospect requests an unscheduled call, effective availability management allows the team to identify who can take it.

Availability management also improves the customer experience by preventing double bookings.

Imagine two leads accidentally book a meeting with the same sales rep simultaneously. The sales rep cancels one of those meetings, creating a negative first impression and impacting the customer experience.

With availability management, the scheduling system updates the rep’s calendar automatically. A lead books a meeting with the sales rep for Tuesday at 11 AM, and that slot is immediately unavailable for anyone else to book.

Here are some availability management features to look for when choosing an appointment management system:

• Real-time calendar syncing to ensure your calendar is always up to date for bookings

• Customizable availability settings so you can set working hours, breaks and time off for accurate availability

• Resource allocation management to track and reserve necessary resources, such as meeting rooms or equipment for in-person gatherings

• Buffer time between appointments to prevent back-to-back scheduling issues

How to manage availability in Pipedrive

Use Pipedrive’s intuitive meeting scheduler to manage availability. Start by adding your general availability to show when you’re available for appointments:

After adding your general availability, choose:

• Your preferred meeting duration

• The date range in which your availability is active

• The days and times you’re available

• Your buffer time between meetings

• The shortest and longest notice for leads to book meetings

Add a note, links or any extra fields for the recipient to fill out. Save your availability as a template with a shareable link. Add this link to your email signature and other documents to provide contacts with more ways to schedule meetings.

People who receive your invite can choose an open timeslot.

3. Self-service scheduling

Self-service scheduling allows customers and colleagues to book, reschedule or cancel meetings independently. They can do everything online without speaking to a sales rep, making it quick and easy to manage appointments.

A self-service option also helps you secure more bookings. A customer can book a meeting anytime instead of waiting to speak to someone during regular business hours.

Critical self-scheduling features include:

• 24/7 booking access so customers can book appointments at any time

• Easy rescheduling and cancellation to reduce the administrative burden on sales reps and enhance the customer experience

• Appointment type selection (like initial consultations, sales demos or follow-ups) so customers can tailor the meeting to their specific needs

• Staff selection options so customers can choose a meeting with someone they already know

• Time zone detection to ensure seamless booking for remote or international customers

• Mobile app usability (for both iOS and Android) so people can book meetings on the go

How self-service scheduling works in Pipedrive

Once you’ve shared a booking link with your contacts, here’s what happens next:

• Customers pick a time slot on the booking page

• They book the meeting, which adds it to your calendar automatically

• Each party receives a meeting confirmation

Pipedrive’s calendar removes booked slots in real time for anyone else who receives your invite link

The image above shows how appointments appear in your Pipedrive calendar. Gray time slots represent confirmed meetings, while blue activities are still available.

4. Automatic updates and notifications

Automatic notifications inform customers and sales reps of upcoming appointments, schedule changes and other valuable meeting information. These instant updates ensure everyone is on the same page, reducing the likelihood of no-shows or scheduling errors.

In Pipedrive, for example, you can automate meeting confirmations so customers get all the information instantly when booking an appointment. They also receive notifications close to the meeting time, ensuring they know it’s happening. These features streamline communication.

For example, a sales rep schedules multiple product demos daily with potential clients. Without automated confirmations, the rep has to email each lead after booking, confirm the meeting time and provide access details.

However, with automated protocols, the scheduling software sends a confirmation email immediately, including the meeting link and relevant information.

As a result, the sales rep can focus on critical tasks like preparing for the demo or following up on qualified leads.

Here are some notification features to look for in an appointment scheduling system:

• Automatic confirmations sent via email or SMS message to customers and staff

• Automated SMS and email reminders to reduce last-minute cancellations and no-shows

• Rescheduling and cancellation updates that ensure everyone is up to date on changes without manual follow-ups

• Waitlist notifications to update customers when an earlier appointment becomes available, filling gaps and optimizing the booking schedule

• Follow-up emails to thank customers for their time and move them along the buying journey

Connect Pipedrive with Calendly via the Pipedrive Marketplace to gain access to more of these great features within your CMS.

5. Efficient customer management

Find a system that allows you to track, manage and store critical customer data to enhance appointment scheduling. Customer data includes personal, demographic and behavioral information.

Safely storing relevant customer data allows you to:

• Personalize appointments

• Avoid inconvenient times

• Provide a tailored experience for each client

For example, knowing where a customer is in the buying journey and having access to previous communications helps you prepare for a meeting. Give customers the information they need, nurturing them to the next stage.

One of the top features for improving customer management is customizable booking forms. Creating custom intake forms allows you to gather valuable customer information. For example, you can ask customers to choose their ideal method of communication.

Another critical feature to look for is CRM integration. CRMs often have extensive contact management features, allowing you to store and manage information so you can better understand who your leads are and what they want from your business.

In Pipedrive, for example, you can track preferences and personalize communications based on a contact’s history with your organization. Track the contacts timeline to visualize when and how often you interact with prospects, leads and customers.

These insights help you personalize calls and meetings. Review previous history or preferences to ensure you tailor the meeting to their needs.

Say a lead receives a product demo and books a follow-up meeting. In this meeting, you can focus on the specific needs at that stage, such as discussing the product’s scalability and pricing options, to move them closer to a sale.

6. Payment processing

Sometimes, you may want people to pay for appointments upfront or place deposits when a lead or prospect books a meeting. For example:

• Providing consultancy or advisory services

• Giving legal advice

• Offering medical or health and wellness services

Requiring payment or a deposit when booking can also benefit sales teams, reducing no-show rates and securing revenue if leads cancel at the last minute. The deposit ensures you receive compensation for the preparation time and the meeting itself.

To install payment processing, look for appointment systems that work with reliable payment solutions like Stripe to secure transactions.

FAQs

Final thoughts

Appointment scheduling software streamlines meeting and call management with prospects, leads and customers. Business owners and managers spend less time arranging meetings manually, and consumers have more control over when and how they book appointments.

Use this list as your starting point to narrow the best scheduling system for your needs. To save time, use a system with all these features, like Pipedrive.

Sign up for a 14-day free trial to see how our all-in-one CRM can improve your appointment scheduling.