In MS Bookings, how can I get the buffer around appointments without getting a longer slot booked in my calendar?

Question

In MS Bookings, how can I get the buffer around appointments without getting a longer slot booked in my calendar?

I would like to set up buffer time so people cannot book back-to-back appointments. However, I only want the options available to be booked to consider such a buffer, but I don't want MS Bookings to send me a calendar appointment covering that buffer time!

Say the service is "30' with X" and has 15' buffer before and after. Now the guest gets a 30' slot, but I get a 1h slot covered (15'+30'+15'). The issue is that I never remember what time the appointment actually starts at. I would like to see only the calendar invite for the 30' slot (same as the guest) and nothing in the buffer time.

Indeed, the way I am asking for is the one used by Calendly, and it makes a lot of sense.

Answer 1

Hello Borja Breña,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

We sincerely apologize for the delay in bringing your topic to this forum. Regarding your problem, unfortunately MS Bookings currently does not support the exact functionality you're looking for, where buffer times are considered for availability but do not appear as blocked time on your calendar.

Here's how buffer times work in MS Bookings:

• Buffer times are set on the Service details page in Bookings. You can enable buffer times before and/or after appointments to ensure you have enough time to prepare or transition between appointments1.
• When buffer times are set, they are included in the overall service duration. This means that if you set a 30-minute appointment with a 15-minute buffer before and after, the system will block a 1-hour slot on your calendar1.
• Customers will see availability based on the total duration, including buffer times, but they will not see the buffer times themselves1.

While this setup ensures that you have the necessary buffer time between appointments, it does result in the entire duration being blocked on your calendar. This is different from how Calendly handles buffer times, where only the actual appointment time is blocked on the calendar.

If you need to manage your calendar more flexibly, you might consider manually adjusting your calendar entries or using a different scheduling tool that offers the specific functionality you need. In case you need the information used as a reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/bookings/set-buffer-time?view=o365-worldwide

I hope the information provided was useful. If you have any questions about the information provided or any additional information you might want to provide, please feel free to let me know.

Best regards,

Gao.

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Answer 2

I want buffer time between meetings but don't want the buffer time blocked in my calendar. Please allow the option to include or exclude buffer time. We stopped using MS Bookings due to this.

Answer 3

Hello again Borja Breña,

Thank you so much for your feedback! I understand your frustration with the buffer time feature in MS Bookings. Currently, MS Bookings does include buffer time between appointments, but it does block that time in your calendar, which can be inconvenient if you want to keep your schedule flexible.

While there isn’t a built-in option to exclude buffer time from being blocked in your calendar, you might find useful setting your appointments without buffer time and manually manage your schedule to allow for breaks. This way, you can keep your calendar clear while still giving yourself time between meetings.

However, since this is a feature that could benefit many users, I recommend providing feedback directly to Microsoft: https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/e9c7c7d1-011c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472(Please click on the "Send Feedback" blue box on the upper right and sign in)

Best Regards,

Gao.