Outlook calendar integration

What it does

When a caller wants an appointment, your agent asks which appointment type they need, checks your Outlook calendar for open times, then books the time the caller picks. Callers can also call again to reschedule or cancel an appointment your agent booked.

• Open times follow your agent's business hours and your booking rules, and leave out times that are already busy in the calendars you choose.
• Each booking becomes an event in the calendar you choose, with the caller's name, phone number and answers to your questions in its description. If the caller gives an email address, Outlook sends them the invitation.
• Your dashboard shows each booking under Calendar, with the caller, the appointment type and how it was booked.

Connect Outlook

1. In your dashboard, open Calendar and choose Connect calendar. This opens Calendar settings.

2. Under Connection, choose Connect next to Outlook.

   

3. Choose your Microsoft account, sign in and accept the permissions Kesru asks for. Your agent needs them to see your calendars, check busy times and add bookings.

4. Back in your dashboard, Outlook shows as Connected with your Microsoft account.

   

Choose calendars and booking rules

Under Calendars and booking rules you decide where your agent looks for open times and where it books. Open times follow your agent's business hours and these rules.

• Check availability from: the calendars your agent checks for busy times, such as your own and your team's. It always checks the calendar it adds bookings to as well.
• Add new bookings to: the calendar that gets new appointments.
• Slot length: the steps in which open times start, such as every 15 minutes.
• Book up to: how far ahead callers can book, from 7 days to a year.
• Minimum notice: how soon before an appointment callers can still book it.
• Reschedule or cancel notice: how soon before an appointment callers can still move or cancel it.

Choose Save to apply your changes.

Add appointment types

Your agent only books the appointment types you add, so add at least one. Under Appointment types, choose Add appointment type.

• Name and Duration (minutes): what callers book and how long it lasts. A price is optional.
• Buffer before (min) and Buffer after (min): time kept free around each appointment. For home and mobile services, Travel time blocks time for the trip.
• Questions to ask before booking: one per line, up to 10. Your agent asks each one on the call.
• Location: In person, at your location or the caller's, or Video meeting, where each appointment gets its own link.

Example

A plumbing business offers its bathroom consultation by video. A caller who gives an email address books one for Thursday afternoon. The agent books it in the owner's Outlook calendar, Outlook adds a Microsoft Teams link, and the caller finds the link in the invitation.

Good to know

Outlook shows Needs reconnecting

Microsoft no longer accepts the connection, for example because access was removed in your Microsoft account. Choose Reconnect and sign in again. Until you reconnect, your agent doesn't book in Outlook.

Disconnecting Outlook

Disconnect stops your agent from checking and booking in Outlook and clears the calendars you chose. Appointments already booked stay in your calendar. Your appointment types and booking rules stay in Kesru, also when you connect another calendar.

Your calendar data

What Kesru stores and reads from your calendar is described in the Privacy Policy.