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    Scheduling automation reads live availability, applies resource rules, confirms the booking and sends reminders. This post covers how each step works, the evidence on reminders, and the WhatsApp rule that decides how a reminder is sent.

    Availability checks

    A booking flow reads availability before it offers a slot, so the customer sees only slots that can be booked. Google Calendar's freeBusy query returns free and busy information for a set of calendars. The Calendar API also sends push notifications when a watched resource changes, which removes the need to poll for changes.

    After confirmation, the system writes the booking to the calendar and the CRM record and sends the customer a confirmation.

    Resource rules

    For businesses with several staff or sites, availability depends on more than an empty calendar. The system applies these rules before it confirms a slot.

    • Staff working hours and leave.
    • The skill the service requires.
    • The location of the resource, such as a service bay or a room.
    • Travel time between jobs.
    • Job duration, which differs by service type.

    Reminder evidence

    Cochrane review of mobile phone messaging reminders for healthcare appointments.
    MeasureResult
    Text reminders against no reminder7 studies, 5,841 participants, risk ratio 1.14 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.26)
    Overall attendance, no reminder67.8%
    Overall attendance, messaging reminder78.6%
    Overall attendance, phone call reminder80.3%
    Text reminders against phone call reminders3 studies, 2,509 participants, risk ratio 0.99 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.02)

    The trials took place in healthcare settings, not service businesses. The review's authors state that studies should report message content and timing in relation to the appointment. The review gives no tested reminder schedule, so the interval is a business decision.

    Reminders on WhatsApp

    The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy allows a free-form message only inside the 24-hour customer service window, which opens and resets each time the customer sends a message. A reminder sent after the window closes uses an approved template. The customer must also have opted in to receive messages from the business.

    A booking with no reply to a reminder can be flagged for a staff call.

    Cancellations

    When a booking cancels, the system identifies the gap, checks a waitlist and bookings that can move, and sends an offer to the matching customers.

    CRM link

    The booking appears in the customer record at confirmation, so staff see the job history when they look up the customer. Availability kept in a separate tool that does not sync with the booking system produces conflicting bookings, so staff update their own availability in the booking system.

    What OtomoAI builds

    OtomoAI connects scheduling to lead capture and the CRM. A customer who books through WhatsApp appears in the calendar and in the customer record at the same time.

    Get in touch and we quote for your case.

    Sources

    Ritchie Boon Win Yew ·