If you've ever dealt with the endless back-and-forth of scheduling meetings, you're probably wondering "what is Calendly and how does it work?" Let's dive into everything you need to know about this popular scheduling tool and how it can help streamline your appointment booking process. We'll also introduce Zeeg, a privacy-focused alternative that's gaining popularity among businesses prioritizing data protection and cost-effectiveness.
What is Calendly?
Calendly is an online scheduling tool that eliminates the hassle of coordinating meetings through email chains. Think of it as your digital assistant that handles all your appointment scheduling needs. When someone wants to meet with you, instead of the usual email ping-pong trying to find a suitable time, you simply share your Calendly link, and they can pick a time that works for both of you.
The platform works by connecting with your existing calendar systems and creating a user-friendly interface where others can book time with you based on your actual availability. This removes the typical friction points in scheduling, making it easier for both parties to find and confirm meeting times.
What is Calendly used for?
From managing client consultations to coordinating team meetings, Calendly adapts to various scheduling needs across industries and roles. Let's explore the main ways professionals use this tool to simplify their scheduling process and save valuable time.
Client meetings and consultations
Whether you're a consultant, freelancer, or service provider, Calendly helps manage client bookings efficiently. You can set specific durations for different types of consultations and let clients choose the time that works best for them.
Job interviews and recruitment
HR professionals use Calendly to coordinate interviews with candidates. The system can be set up to automatically send follow-up emails and calendar invites, making the recruitment process smoother for both hiring managers and applicants.
Team check-ins and group meetings
For internal team coordination, Calendly allows multiple participants to find common available times. This is particularly useful for recurring team meetings or when coordinating across different time zones.
Customer support sessions
Support teams can use Calendly to schedule troubleshooting calls or product demos. The system integrates with video conferencing tools, automatically generating meeting links for virtual sessions.
Sales calls and demos
Sales teams rely on Calendly to schedule product demonstrations and follow-up calls. The platform can be integrated with CRM systems to track and manage customer interactions effectively.
Academic advising and office hours
Educators and advisors use Calendly to manage student appointments and office hours, allowing students to book time slots without the need for back-and-forth communication.
Calendly's integration ecosystem
Here's a comprehensive look at Calendly's integration capabilities:
*Note: iCloud integration is limited and not available for new integrations.
How does Calendly work?
Still wondering what Calendly is and how it works? The platform transforms the way you schedule appointments, replacing endless email chains with a simple booking system. Whether you're organizing client meetings, job interviews, or team sessions, Calendly handles the scheduling details so you can focus on the actual meetings. Many professionals find that once they learn how to use Calendly, they never go back to manual scheduling. Here's how it works:
- You set your availability preferences by defining your working hours, buffer times, and meeting durations.
- Share your personalized scheduling link through email, your website, or social media.
- Recipients click the link and see your real-time availability, choosing from available time slots that work for their schedule.
- Once a time is selected, the meeting is automatically added to both calendars, and confirmation emails are sent.
Implementation best practices
- Start with a clear availability schedule
- Set up buffer times between meetings
- Create different event types for various meeting purposes
- Customize your booking page to match your brand
- Use routing forms for complex scheduling needs
What are Calendly's solutions to common scheduling problems?
Understanding how Calendly works means looking at the everyday scheduling challenges it solves. Whether you're wondering what Calendly is used for or how to use Calendly effectively, these solutions showcase why the platform has become essential for professional scheduling:
Challenge 1: Time zone confusion
Solution: Calendly automatically detects and adjusts for different time zones, preventing scheduling mishaps. When someone books a meeting, they see available times in their local time zone, eliminating the need for manual calculations.
Challenge 2: Double nooking
Solution: Learning how Calendly works starts with its real-time calendar syncing, which ensures no overlapping appointments. The platform checks your connected calendars continuously and only shows truly available time slots to potential meeting participants.
Challenge 3: Last-minute changes
Solution: Automated rescheduling options and notification systems keep all parties informed. Attendees can easily reschedule meetings through their confirmation email, and everyone receives instant updates about any changes.
Challenge 4: No-shows
Solution: What makes Calendly effective is its customizable reminder sequences that help reduce missed appointments. The platform sends automated email and SMS reminders at set intervals before the meeting, with options to confirm or reschedule if needed.
Challenge 5: Meeting preparation
Solution: Understanding what Calendly is used for includes its ability to gather information through custom intake forms during booking. Attendees can provide context, answer questions, or submit documents before the meeting, ensuring productive sessions.
Understanding Calendly event types
One-on-one events
One-on-one events form the backbone of Calendly's scheduling system. These are perfect for personal consultations, interviews, or client meetings where you need focused time with a single person. You can customize the duration to match your needs - whether it's a quick 15-minute check-in or an in-depth 60-minute consultation. The system also lets you add buffer times before and after meetings, ensuring you have time to prepare or wrap up between appointments.
Group events
Group events take scheduling to the next level by allowing multiple participants to join the same meeting slot. This format works exceptionally well for webinars, training sessions, or team meetings. You can set maximum participant limits to keep sessions manageable and ensure everyone gets value from the meeting. The system handles all confirmations and reminders automatically, making it easier to coordinate larger groups.
Round-robin events
Round robin scheduling distributes meetings evenly among team members, making it an invaluable tool for sales teams and customer support departments. The system can automatically assign meetings based on availability or workload, ensuring fair distribution while maintaining efficient scheduling. This prevents any team member from being overwhelmed while keeping response times quick.
Collective events
When you need to schedule meetings with multiple team members simultaneously, collective events are the answer. The system automatically checks everyone's availability to find suitable times for all participants. This is particularly useful for panel interviews, team presentations, or cross-departmental meetings. You can even set minimum required attendees to ensure key people are always present.
Recurring events
For regular meetings, recurring events save time by automatically scheduling sessions at set intervals. Whether you need daily stand-ups, weekly team meetings, or monthly reviews, the system handles all the scheduling automatically. Participants can easily reschedule individual sessions if needed, while keeping the overall recurring pattern intact.
What features does Calendly offer?
Beyond basic scheduling, Calendly provides a comprehensive suite of features to enhance your meeting management. Let's explore the key capabilities that make this platform stand out:
Core scheduling features
At the heart of Calendly lies its scheduling engine. You can set custom availability rules and connect up to six calendars per user, ensuring your schedule stays perfectly synchronized. The platform automatically handles time zones and lets you add buffer times between meetings to prevent burnout. For more structured interactions, you can set minimum scheduling notices and create custom booking forms to gather essential information before meetings.
Meeting management
Managing meetings becomes effortless with Calendly's automated workflow system. The platform sends customizable email reminders and follow-ups, while offering instant rescheduling options when needed. Each meeting comes with automatic calendar invites, complete with conference links for virtual sessions. You can specify custom meeting locations and use meeting polls when coordinating groups. To maintain productivity, you can set daily or weekly meeting caps.
Team features
Calendly helps when it comes to team coordination. The platform enables shared team availability views and intelligent meeting distribution through round-robin assignments. Team leaders can maintain control through comprehensive admin permissions, while team members can collaborate on collective scheduling pages. This makes it particularly effective for departments that need to coordinate multiple schedules simultaneously.
Customization and branding
Maintaining your professional image is easy with Calendly's customization options. You can design your booking pages to match your brand's look and feel, create personalized email notifications, and set up custom redirect pages after bookings. The platform supports multiple languages and allows you to use branded URLs, ensuring a consistent experience for your clients and team members.
Calendly pricing structure
*All paid plans include core features like unlimited meetings
*Additional features like SSO available as add-ons for Teams plan
*Enterprise plan requires annual commitment
Calendly security
If you're wondering if Calendly is safe, you should know that the tool has quite relevant security measures. They implement industry-standard practices including TLS SHA-256 encryption, OAuth authentication, and secure data handling. For payments, they use Stripe and PayPal, keeping financial data separate from their servers. And while they claim GDPR compliance efforts, European businesses should note that data is processed on U.S.-based servers. Calendly also includes link protection features and limits calendar data access to essential scheduling information only. Their security certifications include ISO 27001 and SOC 2, and they require multi-factor authentication for internal access.
Looking for a better alternative? Meet Zeeg
Looking for a scheduling tool that combines security, features, and value? Let's explore why many businesses are switching to Zeeg.
Advanced features at a better price
Zeeg matches and often exceeds Calendly's capabilities while offering more value. Starting at just $7 per month (compared to Calendly's $12), Zeeg provides two scheduling pages in its free plan – double what Calendly offers. You'll get features like custom branding and team management in standard plans, while Calendly reserves these for premium tiers.
Security you can trust
Zeeg takes data protection seriously. With end-to-end encryption and robust security protocols, your scheduling data stays safe and private. Built for companies worldwide, Zeeg ensures your customer information remains protected at every step. And for businesses operating in Europe, there's an added bonus – the platform is fully GDPR compliant.
Seamless integration
Zeeg works perfectly with the tools you already use. Connect with:
- Calendar apps (Google Calendar, Outlook, and full iCloud support)
- Video platforms (Zoom, Teams)
- Payment systems (Stripe, PayPal)
- And many more
User-friendly design
Setting up and managing your scheduling is simple with Zeeg's intuitive interface. The drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to:
- Create custom booking pages
- Set up automated workflows
- Manage team availability
- Configure reminder systems
Perfect for teams of any size
Whether you're a freelancer, small business owner, or part of a larger organization, Zeeg scales to meet your needs. The platform supports multiple languages and offers features like automated reminders, follow-ups, and routing forms to streamline your scheduling process.
Want to experience the difference? Try Zeeg's free plan and see why businesses are making the switch to smarter scheduling.
Making the right choice for your business
When deciding between Calendly and Zeeg, consider these key factors:
- Privacy Requirements: If GDPR compliance is crucial, Zeeg offers superior data protection.
- Budget Considerations: Zeeg provides more features at a lower price point.
- Integration Needs: Both platforms offer extensive integrations, but Zeeg's iCloud support may be crucial for Apple users.
- Team Size: Consider the scaling costs and team management features of each platform.
Whether you're a small business owner, freelancer, or part of a larger organization, choosing the right scheduling tool can significantly impact your daily operations. While Calendly has established itself as a well-known option, Zeeg offers a compelling alternative with enhanced privacy features and competitive pricing.
Sources: all info was last checked on Nov 21, 2024, and is subject to change:
- Calendly Features
- Calendly Pricing
