Chatbots

5 Best Appointment Scheduling and Booking Chatbot Tools in 2024

7 min read
Jan 17, 2024
Clock and calendar on the pink desk

Checking the calendar whenever a client asks for a free date is unwieldy. Searching for the correct date and time to suit two people can take a few minutes. This makes making appointments quite an adventure.

The appointment booking process should be simple for both parties so that you can see the specific dates and times you are available for clients. The simpler, the better.

Chatbots are an excellent solution to the problem of making appointments. There are many types of bots, including reservation bots. I have compiled an overview of the most interesting appointment booking tools for you. 

What is an appointment scheduler?

Customers want to be able to book, reschedule, and cancel appointments easily and quickly, preferably without talking to other people. This is what appointment schedulers do.

When customers want to book an appointment, they go to the company's website, Facebook page, or anywhere else where the booking software is supported and select an available date and time. Chatbots are also a great solution in this case, as they can enter additional parameters for the booking and make appointments.

With these, people can book specific services based on pre-set working hours, times, and dates when staff or other resources are available. They also prevent double and over-booking and allow blocking out hours when specific services are unavailable. For example, real estate chatbots are extensively used, greatly facilitating the work of agents with multiple tasks.

What are the benefits of an online booking chatbot?

Chatbots for booking appointments have many advantages that can positively impact the customer experience.

Connect with your clients all around the world

Numerous companies have various branches situated in different countries. They also work with clients from diverse time zones and operate globally. This is a familiar case for sales representatives, who also often make a lot of appointments.  

With the help of appointment scheduling chatbots for sales, booking meetings or calls becomes effortless, even if you're in a different time zone. 

Companies with multiple locations can benefit from the centralized management tools. They allow bookings to be made at any time and from anywhere, which provides convenience to both you and your customers. This accessibility feature improves the user experience and results in more bookings.

Sync with all your favorite calendars

Most scheduling chatbots allow you to synchronize with a calendar. A few even make it mandatory.

This way, you can view your business's booked appointments alongside other vital details, such as days when you'll be closed for holidays or upgrades. Furthermore, the chatbot can compare your availability with the activities on your primary calendar.

Keep your appointment scheduling process flexible

Different organizations have different needs when it comes to appointment scheduling. The best scheduling apps understand this and offer deep customization options.

For example, a chatbot for the healthcare industry may require a different way of booking than a chatbot for a bakery. 

Chatbots adapt to create distinct booking experiences. It accommodates service menus, location preferences (like at-home services), and various other customizable aspects to meet diverse organizational requirements effectively.

Integrate your chatbot with third-party tools

Many chatbots can integrate with popular tools like Slack, Mailchimp, Zoom, or Zapier. This increases their functionality and versatility. For example, you can integrate ChatBot with LiveChat, which will give your clients access to make appointments through the bot, but in more complex cases, they can speak to a human agent. 

Integration streamlines workflows automates tasks, and provides a more comprehensive solution, allowing companies to operate more efficiently within existing technology ecosystems.

Easy payment processing

Some chatbots offer a convenient and secure payment process when booking. This feature allows you to take deposits or total payments in advance.

This protects against no-shows, ensuring your company will not suffer significant losses even if a customer cancels at the last minute.

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Best appointment scheduling chatbots for easy use

Now that you know the benefits of having a chatbot with an appointment function, it's time to review the best tools for 2024.

ChatBot

ChatBot is an advanced tool designed to enrich your customer experience. Its purpose is not limited to customer support agents but also to marketers and sales representatives. The updated version of this chatbot software boasts several features that will enhance customer interactions and simplify the process of delivering exceptional service. 

ChatBot provides a Call Scheduling Template that simplifies the booking process for estate agents. This template automates the scheduling process, reduces response times, and eliminates scheduling conflicts, making it easy for clients and agents to schedule appointments.

Call Scheduling Template
Source: https://www.chatbot.com/chatbot-templates/call-scheduling-template/

The template has features such as:

To access this template, create a ChatBot account. New users can enjoy a free 14-day trial.

ChatBot widget
Source: https://www.chatbot.com/

Zoho

Zoho Bookings offers multiple unique booking pages for locations, types, and staff. It automates assigning bookings to the least busy staff member, simplifying scheduling. However, its extensive features might overwhelm some seeking a more straightforward calendar.

Zoho Bookings website
Source: https://www.zoho.com/bookings/

Zoho’s strength lies in its integration with other apps, forming a comprehensive business management suite. Within Zoho Bookings, users enjoy customizable settings for buffer times, breaks, and workspaces with separate calendars. The user-friendly dashboard allows quick schedule checks and easy access to the customer-facing booking page for customization.

Pricing starts free for one user, with a $6/user/month Basic plan offering mobile app access, two calendar syncs, and Zapier integration.

Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a specialized CRM and sales pipeline tool designed for small to medium-sized sales teams, developed by sales experts and former Skypers. It offers a clear overview of sales, prioritizing important deals while organizing leads efficiently. The platform provides a streamlined view of the booking process, automates tracking, and ensures team alignment.

Pipedrive website
Source: https://www.pipedrive.com/

Key benefits include customizable features, robust reporting for real-time results, and secure hosting with backups. It saves time by eliminating CRM inefficiencies and syncs seamlessly with Google apps. Its standout feature lies in its flexibility to connect with various software, making it versatile for businesses.

Price starts at $14.90 per user per month subscription.

Drift

Drift is a cloud-based solution for sales and marketing teams, offering live chat, in-app messaging, and email management. It provides customizable chat widgets, automated email follow-ups, and an AI-powered chatbot.

Drift website
Source: https://www.drift.com/

Drift grants insights into visitor details and enables seamless conversation transfers. It allows targeted messaging based on user behavior and supports Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys. It facilitates automated email campaigns and includes an Appointment Scheduling feature, enhancing its utility for sales and marketing.

OnceHub

OnceHub promotes "scheduling plus," highlighting the importance of using digital assistant appointment scheduling chatbots. These appointment software bots help save time and enhance convenience by efficiently handling scheduling tasks, providing 24/7 availability, ensuring accuracy, sending reminders, and scaling effortlessly.

OnceHub website
Source: https://oncehub.com/

Although OnceHub recognizes the significance of human intervention in more nuanced scenarios, they emphasize the role of automation in freeing up time for more meaningful work. They generally advocate using digital scheduling chatbots to streamline processes, boost efficiency, and improve productivity by automating routine scheduling tasks.

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Do you need an appointment-scheduling chatbot?

Scheduling appointments can be a time-consuming task. It can take up much of your team's valuable time, leading to errors and missed appointments.

Thanks to ChatBot, you can simplify your work organization, improve the customer experience, and save your team’s valuable time. ChatBot can assist your customers in scheduling appointments by providing them with available time slots, confirming their appointments, and sending reminders.

It is an excellent option that you can easily integrate into your business. With its user-friendly interface and convenient appointment scheduling template, your customers can quickly schedule appointments without hassle.

Take advantage of ChatBot's benefits and sign up for a free 14-day trial to learn all its features.