Your AI receptionist can book appointments for you while you’re on another job, at lunch, or asleep. It checks your availability, offers times that work, confirms the booking, and sends SMS confirmations — all during a single phone call.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.closethecall.com/llms.txt
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The booking flow
During the Call
Here’s what happens when a customer wants to book:Customer asks to book
The caller says something like “Can I book a time?” or “When are you free this week?” The AI recognises this as a booking request.
AI checks your availability
The AI looks at your calendar (if connected) or your configured business hours to find open time slots. It will never double-book you.
AI offers available times
“I’ve got Tuesday at 10am or Wednesday at 2pm — which works better for you?” The AI always offers choices, not just one slot.
Customer picks a time
The caller chooses their preferred slot. The AI confirms the details back to them: “Perfect — I’ve booked you in for Tuesday the 15th at 10am for a boiler service.”
After the Call
Once the appointment is confirmed, several things happen automatically:SMS confirmation
The customer receives an SMS from your business number confirming the date, time, and service booked.
Calendar sync
If you’ve connected Google Calendar or Outlook, the appointment appears there immediately.
Owner notification
You get an SMS and/or email telling you about the new booking, so you’re never caught off guard.
Reminder set
An automatic reminder SMS is sent to the customer 1 hour before the appointment. They can confirm or cancel directly from the text.
Connecting Your Calendar
Calendar integration means the AI checks your real schedule before offering times. Without it, the AI uses your configured business hours only.Google Calendar
Sign in to Google
You’ll be redirected to Google. Sign in with the account that has your business calendar.
Outlook Calendar
The process is identical — click Connect on the Outlook Calendar card, sign in with your Microsoft account, and grant permission.You can connect both Google and Outlook calendars at the same time. The AI will check both for conflicts before offering times.
Creating Manual Appointments
Not every booking comes through a phone call. You can create appointments by hand for walk-ins, website enquiries, or jobs you’ve arranged in person.Confirming and Declining from Email/SMS
When the appointment reminder goes out 1 hour before, the customer receives a text with two links:- Confirm — Marks the appointment as confirmed. You’ll see the status update on your dashboard.
- Cancel — Cancels the appointment and frees up the slot. You’ll get a notification so you know the slot is open again.
Appointment Statuses
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Upcoming | Booked and waiting for the date to arrive. |
| Confirmed | The customer confirmed via the reminder SMS link. |
| Rescheduled | The customer or you moved it to a different time. |
| Completed | The job happened. |
| Cancelled | Called off by either side. |
| No Show | The customer didn’t turn up. |
Frequently asked questions
Can the AI reschedule an existing appointment?
Can the AI reschedule an existing appointment?
Yes. If a customer calls back and says “I need to move my appointment,” the AI will cancel the existing booking and create a new one at the time they choose. It will not create duplicates — the old appointment is cancelled before the new one is booked.
How does the AI prevent double bookings?
How does the AI prevent double bookings?
The AI checks your calendar in real time before offering any time slot. If a slot is already taken (by an AI booking, a manual booking, or a personal calendar event), the AI will not offer it. This check happens during the call, so even if two callers are on the line simultaneously, the second caller will see the first booking reflected.
Do I need Google Calendar connected for booking to work?
Do I need Google Calendar connected for booking to work?
No. Booking works without any calendar integration. Without a calendar connected, the AI uses your configured business hours to determine availability. Connecting Google Calendar or Outlook adds real-time schedule awareness so the AI also avoids times when you have personal or other appointments.
Can customers cancel via SMS?
Can customers cancel via SMS?
Yes. The reminder SMS sent 1 hour before the appointment includes a cancel link. When the customer clicks it, the appointment is automatically cancelled, the slot is freed up, and you receive a notification. Customers can also call back and ask the AI to cancel for them.
Troubleshooting
The AI offered a time when I'm busy
The AI offered a time when I'm busy
This happens when your calendar isn’t connected or the busy event is on a different calendar. Go to Integrations and check that the correct calendar is connected. The AI can only see calendars you’ve given it access to.
The customer didn't get a confirmation SMS
The customer didn't get a confirmation SMS
Check that SMS is enabled for your account (you need a phone number provisioned). Go to Phone in the sidebar — if you see your AI number displayed, SMS is working. If not, provision a number first.
Appointments aren't showing on my Google Calendar
Appointments aren't showing on my Google Calendar
Disconnect and reconnect Google Calendar from the Integrations page. Google OAuth tokens expire after a while, and reconnecting refreshes them.
View your appointments
Open the Appointments page to see upcoming bookings, create new ones, or manage existing ones.