Online Diary Management & Appointment Booking
Let our UK-based receptionists answer your calls and book, amend or cancel appointments directly in your online diary.
Instead of simply taking a message for you to deal with later, we can follow your booking rules, check availability and complete the appointment while the caller is still on the phone.
The service is available from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday and can be used for all of your incoming calls or alongside your existing team when you need additional support.
What does an online diary management service actually do?
It means the person answering your telephone can also deal with the appointment itself.
With a standard telephone answering service, a receptionist might take the caller’s details and send you a message. With diary management, the receptionist can go a step further: open your booking system, check the appropriate availability and make the agreed change there and then.
That can be particularly useful for appointment-led businesses where a large proportion of incoming calls are from people wanting to book, rearrange or cancel.
The important distinction: this is not a separate calendar app that you have to manage. Our receptionists work with an agreed online diary or booking system as part of handling your incoming calls.
From incoming call to confirmed appointment
We agree the process with you first, then our receptionists follow it when your callers get in touch.
Your customer calls
You divert the calls you want us to handle to your Connect answering number.
We answer in your name
A UK-based receptionist answers using your agreed greeting and follows your call instructions.
We check the diary
Where the caller wants an appointment, we use your booking rules to check suitable availability.
We update it immediately
The appointment is created, changed or cancelled directly in the diary while we have the caller.
Diary management can be as simple or detailed as your business needs
The key is giving our receptionists clear rules they can apply confidently while speaking to your callers.
Book available appointments
We can identify an appropriate available slot, collect the information you require and add the booking directly to the diary.
Amend or cancel appointments
If an existing customer needs to rearrange or cancel, we can update the booking according to the instructions you give us.
Different people or locations
We can work with multiple practitioners, staff members or locations where the rules and diary structure are clear enough for our team to follow.
Collect the details you need
Name, contact details and other agreed information can be collected as part of the booking process.
Answer agreed FAQs
We can provide straightforward information you have supplied, such as location details, appointment duration or what the caller should expect.
Handle more than bookings
Calls that are not appointment-related can still be dealt with under your normal answering instructions, including taking messages or transferring agreed calls.
We learn the booking rules before we answer the first call
Good diary management is less about clicking an empty time slot and more about knowing which appointment should go where.
During setup, our customer service team will work through the information our receptionists need to make booking decisions consistently.
- Appointment types and lengths
- Which staff member handles which appointment
- Which locations offer particular services
- New versus existing customers
- Information to collect during booking
- Times or appointments that must not be booked
- Rules for amendments and cancellations
- What to do when no suitable appointment is available
If your process has exceptions or unusual requirements, tell us before the service starts. We would rather agree a clear, workable process than give our receptionists instructions that leave room for guesswork.
Can we use your current booking system?
In many cases, yes. We do not require every customer to move to one particular diary platform.
We can work with a range of online diaries and appointment systems where suitable access can be provided and the booking process can be followed reliably by our receptionists.
Already using an online booking system?
We have experience working with systems including Cliniko, Calendly and other browser-based diaries.
If you use a different platform, let us know. We can look at the way it works and confirm whether it is suitable before agreeing the diary-management setup.
Designed for businesses where the diary is part of the phone call
Healthcare and appointment-led practices
Particularly useful where practitioners are with patients and cannot keep stopping to answer booking calls themselves.
Consultations and scheduled meetings
We can help businesses whose callers need to arrange a consultation, meeting or other pre-defined appointment.
Teams with shared availability
Where several people or locations accept appointments, we can follow clear rules to select the appropriate diary.
What the service does — and what it doesn’t
We want the booking process to work reliably for both your business and your callers, so we will tell you if a proposed workflow is too complicated or unsuitable for remote receptionists.
Inbound diary management
The service is designed around incoming telephone calls. We do not provide an outbound appointment-calling service.
Live service hours
Our live receptionists handle calls from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. We do not currently provide live evening or weekend diary management.
Clear booking decisions
Our receptionists can follow agreed rules, but decisions requiring specialist professional judgement need to remain with your own team.
Suitable systems and processes
We assess the diary, access requirements and booking process before agreeing to manage it. Very complex or constantly changing workflows may not be suitable.
Packages start from £80.29 + VAT per month
Our Diary packages combine live telephone answering with the additional work involved in managing your appointments.
Diary:30
Our entry-level Diary tariff includes 30 chargeable messages or diary actions per month.
As with our standard answering service, sales calls, wrong numbers and misdials are not charged as genuine messages.
Larger packages are available for businesses receiving more appointment calls.
Online diary management FAQs
Can you book appointments directly into my existing diary?
Usually, yes, provided the system is suitable for remote access and the booking process can be clearly documented. We will review your diary and requirements before the service goes live.
Can you amend and cancel appointments as well as make new bookings?
Yes. Our receptionists can create, amend and cancel appointments according to the rules you agree with us.
Can you manage diaries for several members of staff?
Yes, where there are clear rules governing which member of staff, practitioner or location should receive each type of appointment.
Which booking systems can you use?
We can work with a variety of browser-based online diaries, including systems such as Cliniko and Calendly. If you use another platform, we will review it with you before confirming the setup.
Will you make outgoing calls to confirm appointments?
No. Our service is for handling incoming calls and managing the diary during those calls. We do not provide an outbound calling service.
What hours can you manage appointment calls?
Our live telephone answering and diary management service operates from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Can I try diary management before committing?
Yes. Our free trial runs for up to 30 days or 100 messages, whichever comes first. We will first confirm that your diary and booking requirements are suitable for the service.
Try our diary management service free for 30 days
Tell us about your business, your booking system and the calls you would like us to handle. Our customer service team will work through the setup with you before your trial begins.