Fix Microsoft Bookings Showing Time Slots When Staff Are Unavailable
Question details
Users need to resolve an issue where Microsoft Bookings displays time slots as available even when not all assigned staff members are free.
- Product
- Microsoft Bookings
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Scheduling appointments that require the simultaneous availability of multiple assigned staff members.
- Observed behavior
- The system shows open appointment slots based on individual availability rather than ensuring all assigned staff are completely free at the same time.
Ensure you have administrative access to the Microsoft Bookings calendar and that all staff members have their Office 365 calendars synced correctly.
Review Staff Availability and Calendar Permissions
Ensure that individual working hours and Microsoft 365 calendar permissions are correctly configured to reflect real-time availability.
Microsoft Bookings relies on the synchronization of individual Outlook calendars and the specific working hours set within the Bookings app. If these settings are misaligned, the system may show inaccurate time slots.
Open Microsoft Bookings and navigate to the 'Staff' page from the left-hand menu.
Select a staff member and review the 'Working hours' section to ensure it matches their actual schedule.
Ensure the 'Events on Office calendar affect availability' checkbox is enabled for each staff member.
Go to the 'Services' page, select the specific service, and verify the staff assigned to it. Make sure only the required staff are checked.
Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft
Since Bookings does not natively guarantee strict simultaneous all-staff availability for a single service in all scenarios, submitting feedback is necessary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Bookings let clients book when I have a personal appointment?
If the 'Events on Office calendar affect availability' option is unchecked in your staff profile, Bookings will ignore your personal Outlook calendar events and only consider your general working hours.
Can I force Bookings to require all assigned staff to be available?
Microsoft Bookings generally checks if any one assigned staff member is available for the service. For strict simultaneous availability of multiple staff, you may need to use a shared mailbox calendar or submit a feature request to Microsoft.
How do I block off time for all staff in Microsoft Bookings?
You can add a 'Time off' event directly in the Bookings calendar and select all staff members. This will instantly block that specific time slot from being booked by any clients.
