Calendly: The Simplified Scheduler
Calendly ↗ stands out for its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with various calendar services, making it a popular choice among attorneys who prioritize simplicity and efficiency.
Pros:
- Ease of Use: Its intuitive design and hyper-focus on letting other people grab time from your calendar allows for quick setup and minimal training - both for the Calendly customer as well as the clients scheduling calls.
- Flexible Integration: Calendly works effortlessly with Google Calendar, Outlook, Office 365, and iCloud, ensuring appointments are synced across all devices.
- Customizable Features: It offers personalized booking pages, enabling attorneys to set availability preferences, appointment types, and buffer times between meetings.
Cons:
- Limited Free Version: The free tier offers basic features, but advanced functionalities require a paid subscription. I have survived with the free tier and its one meeting type (e.g., a 30 minute call), but you have to pay more if you want to be able to schedule different types of meetings (e.g., also include a 60 minute call, or have a special video conference meeting vs. a call meeting). That being said, the "Standard ↗" edition with multiple meeting types is only $10/user/month-not a bad deal if it is saving you even 15 minutes a month in scheduling calls.
Google's Appointment Scheduling Innovations
Google has introduced two notable features for scheduling: Segments in Google Calendar and Google's Appointment Scheduling. These tools leverage Google's robust ecosystem to facilitate appointment management directly within the calendar interface.
Pros:
- Seamless Integration: Both features are deeply integrated with Google Calendar, making it easy for attorneys to manage appointments alongside their existing schedules.
- No Additional Cost: For users already subscribed to Google Workspace, these features come at no extra charge, providing a cost-effective solution.
Cons:
- Complex Setup: Some users find the setup process for Google's Appointment Scheduling less intuitive, especially when configuring available time slots and services.
- Limited Customization: Compared to dedicated scheduling apps, Google's tools offer fewer customization options for booking pages and notifications.
- Availability (or more specifically - Unavailability): Google Appointment Scheduling is not available to all Google Workspace accounts. It seems that this is a problem with older Google accounts - but if you happen to have one (like @dyor.com ↗) it is a show stopper - I just cannot use Appointment Scheduling, and Segments are going away - so Calendly it is!
Microsoft's Bookings: A Comprehensive Appointment Solution
Microsoft's Bookings is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, designed to offer businesses, including law firms, a high degree of control over appointment scheduling.
Pros:
- Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Perfect for firms already using Microsoft 365, as it syncs with Outlook calendars and allows for easy access from other Microsoft apps.
- Client-Facing Web Page: Clients can view availability and book appointments through a customizable web page, reducing the need for direct email or phone communication.
Cons:
- Learning Curve: The initial setup and customization of Bookings can be more complex than simpler platforms like Calendly.
- Subscription Requirement: Access to Microsoft Bookings is limited to users with specific Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which might increase costs for some firms.
The Empowerment of Client-Driven Scheduling
Allowing clients to schedule their own appointments saves time for the attorney AND the client. Some attorneys are concerned that this is an impersonal capability - and for some clients that may be true. Most clients, however, appreciate the control of being able to select a time that works for them without a bunch of back-and-forth. Plus, you can always use the "please send me a couple of times that work for you next week, or you can grab time from my calendar at meet.dyor.com. ↗"
meet.dyor.com ↗ is a redirect to a Calendly URL of https://calendly.com/mattdyor/30min ↗ - if you are interested in learning how to set up these easy-to-remember and domain-branded redirects, let me know - I can shoot you an email or write a follow-up post on how to do that.
Benefits include:
- Increased Accessibility: Clients can schedule appointments outside of regular business hours, offering greater flexibility.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: Automating the scheduling process frees up valuable time for attorneys and their staff, allowing them to focus on more pressing legal matters.
- Improved Efficiency: Reducing scheduling conflicts and cancellations ensures a smoother operation and maximizes billable hours.
Conclusion
Overall, I think that Calendly is the way to go. It has one job and it has been doing it super-well for a decade. Granted, you may need to pay for it to get the experience you need, but the prices are reasonable.
If you have a different opinion, particularly if you have another service that I have not discussed, join the conversation on LinkedIn ↗.
