Meeting Scheduler User Guide
Introduction
Who Uses the Meeting Scheduler?
The Meeting Scheduler supports two main workflows:
Individuals: Create a personal meeting link to let others book time on your calendar without back-and-forth emails
Teams: Coordinate group meetings by checking multiple team members' availability at once and finding times that work for everyone
Key Benefits
Reduces scheduling friction: Attendees select from your available times instead of proposing options
Prevents double-booking: The scheduler checks availability across your calendar to avoid conflicts
Saves time: Eliminates the email chain of "Does Tuesday at 2pm work?" and counter-proposals
Works across devices: Responsive design means attendees can book meetings on mobile, tablet, or desktop
Respects your timezone: The scheduler handles timezone differences if your team is distributed
Individual Scheduling Workflow
Creating a Personal Meeting Link
Follow these steps to set up a meeting slot that others can book:
Navigate to the Meeting Scheduler (Sales & Marketing > Meeting Schedulers)
Select Create New Meeting Link (or similar option in your interface)
Enter a meeting title — something clear like "Sales Call" or "Product Demo"
Add an optional description to give attendees context about the meeting
Set your available time slots — specify the days and times when you're free to meet
Choose a meeting duration (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour)
Configure any meeting details such as:
Meeting location (in-person address, Zoom link, or phone number)
Any preparation notes or agenda items for attendees
Save and activate your meeting link
Share the link with attendees via email, chat, or your website
How Attendees Book Your Meeting
Once you've created and shared your meeting link:
Attendees click the link you've sent them
They see your available time slots displayed in a calendar or list view
They select a time that works for them
They enter their name, email, and any other required information
They confirm their booking
Both you and the attendee receive a confirmation with the meeting details
Managing Your Availability
To keep your meeting link current:
Update available times regularly so attendees see accurate slots
Block off busy times to prevent bookings during meetings, lunch, or focus time
Set a booking window (e.g., only allow bookings 2 weeks in advance) to avoid scheduling too far ahead
Review confirmed bookings in your calendar to stay on top of upcoming meetings
Team Scheduling Workflow
Setting Up a Team Meeting
When you need to coordinate a meeting with multiple team members:
Navigate to the Meeting Scheduler
Select Create Team Meeting or Coordinate Group Meeting
Enter the meeting title and description
Add team members whose availability you want to check
Specify your preferred date range for the meeting
Set the meeting duration
Save your coordination request
Checking Team Availability
The scheduler will:
Check each team member's calendar for conflicts and available time slots
Display availability as a grid or timeline showing which times work for everyone
Highlight optimal times where all attendees are free
Show partial availability (e.g., "3 of 4 people available") if no time works for everyone
Selecting a Meeting Time
Once you see the availability view:
Review the times when all (or most) team members are available
Select a time slot that works best for your needs
Add any meeting location or call details
Send meeting invitations to all attendees
Attendees receive confirmation with the scheduled time
After the Meeting Is Scheduled
All team members receive a confirmation email with the meeting details
The meeting is automatically added to their calendars (if integrated with external calendar systems)
You can reschedule or cancel the meeting, and all attendees are notified of changes
Frequently Asked Questions
Timezone Handling
Q: How does the scheduler handle different timezones?
A: The Meeting Scheduler is timezone-aware. When you set your available times, the scheduler converts them to each attendee's local timezone. Attendees see available slots in their own timezone, and confirmations display the meeting time in both your timezone and theirs. This prevents confusion when team members are in different regions.
Q: What if my team is distributed across multiple timezones?
A: The scheduler shows availability for each team member in their local timezone and helps you find overlap times. When you select a meeting time, the confirmation clearly displays the time in each attendee's timezone so no one shows up at the wrong time.
Recurring Meetings
Q: Can I set up recurring meetings?
A: The Meeting Scheduler focuses on individual meeting bookings. For recurring meetings (e.g., weekly standup, monthly all-hands), you may want to use your calendar system's recurring event feature or set up a new meeting link each time. Check with your ellocharlie administrator for guidance on recurring meeting workflows.
Cancellation and Rescheduling
Q: How do I cancel a scheduled meeting?
A: Navigate to the meeting in your scheduler, select Cancel, and choose whether to notify attendees. A cancellation notification will be sent to all attendees with the updated information.
Q: Can attendees reschedule a meeting after booking?
A: Attendees can typically request a reschedule by contacting you directly or, if available, using a reschedule link in their confirmation email. You can then offer alternative times or use the scheduler to coordinate a new slot.
Q: What happens if I need to reschedule a team meeting?
A: You can reschedule a confirmed team meeting by selecting it in your scheduler, choosing Reschedule, and repeating the availability check process. All attendees will be notified of the new time.
External Calendar Integration
Q: Does the Meeting Scheduler sync with my external calendar (Google Calendar, Outlook, etc.)?
A: The Meeting Scheduler is designed to work within ellocharlie. Integration with external calendar systems depends on your ellocharlie setup and configuration. Contact your administrator to confirm whether your calendar system is connected.
Q: Will meetings booked through the scheduler appear on my calendar?
A: Confirmed meetings should appear in your ellocharlie calendar. If you have external calendar integration enabled, they may also sync to your external calendar system — check with your administrator for details.
Booking Limits and Restrictions
Q: Can I limit how many meetings someone can book with me?
A: You can control availability by setting specific time slots and a booking window (e.g., only allow bookings 2 weeks in advance). This naturally limits the number of meetings scheduled. For more granular limits, contact your administrator.
Q: Can I require attendees to provide additional information before booking?
A: Yes. When you create a meeting link, you can add custom fields (such as company name, meeting topic, or phone number) that attendees must fill out before confirming their booking.
Notifications and Reminders
Q: Will I receive a reminder before a scheduled meeting?
A: Yes. You and attendees typically receive a confirmation email when a meeting is booked. Reminder emails are usually sent before the meeting time (e.g., 24 hours or 1 hour before). Check your notification settings in ellocharlie to customize reminder timing.
Q: Can I customize the confirmation email sent to attendees?
A: This depends on your ellocharlie configuration. Contact your administrator to learn whether you can customize confirmation email templates.
Best Practices
Setting Up Your Availability
Be realistic about your schedule: Only mark times as available when you can genuinely meet. Overcommitting leads to cancellations and frustration.
Block buffer time: Add 15–30 minutes between meetings for notes, breaks, and travel. Don't fill every available slot.
Set a booking window: Limit how far in advance people can book (e.g., "bookings open 2 weeks from today"). This prevents scheduling too far ahead and keeps your calendar flexible.
Update regularly: Review and adjust your available times weekly or as your schedule changes. Remove slots you know you'll be busy.
Consider time zones: If attendees are in different zones, offer times that are reasonable for both parties — avoid very early morning or very late evening slots.
Creating Clear Meeting Titles and Descriptions
Use specific titles: Instead of "Meeting," use "Product Demo" or "Sales Call" so attendees know what to expect.
Add a brief description: Explain the purpose of the meeting in 1–2 sentences. Example: "Let's discuss your Q2 goals and how we can support your team."
Include preparation notes: If attendees should review something beforehand, mention it in the description.
Specify the format: Clarify whether the meeting is a phone call, video call, or in-person. Include the link or location.
Managing Team Meetings Effectively
Invite the right people: Only include team members whose availability truly matters. Too many attendees makes scheduling harder.
Communicate the purpose: In your coordination request, explain why you need this meeting and what you'll discuss. This helps attendees prioritize.
Choose a reasonable timeframe: Don't ask for availability 3 months in advance. A 1–4 week window is usually ideal.
Respect timezone constraints: If your team spans timezones, acknowledge that no time will be perfect for everyone. Rotate meeting times occasionally so the burden isn't always on the same people.
Send a clear agenda: Once the meeting is scheduled, send a follow-up email with the agenda and any pre-read materials.
Following Up After Meetings
Send meeting notes: After the meeting, share a summary of what was discussed and any action items.
Confirm next steps: Clarify who is responsible for what and when follow-up actions are due.
Schedule follow-up meetings early: If you know you'll need another meeting, use the scheduler to book it while everyone is aligned.
Gather feedback: If the meeting format or timing didn't work well, ask attendees for suggestions and adjust future meetings.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Don't over-schedule: Leaving some unscheduled time in your calendar helps you stay focused and handle unexpected issues.
Avoid back-to-back meetings: Build in transition time between meetings to avoid burnout and give yourself space to prepare.
Don't ignore cancellations: If you need to cancel, notify attendees as soon as possible and offer to reschedule.
Don't assume timezone knowledge: Always confirm the timezone in meeting confirmations, especially for distributed teams.
Don't neglect your calendar: Keep your ellocharlie calendar and any external calendars in sync so the scheduler has accurate availability information.
Optimizing for Attendee Experience
Make booking easy: Keep your meeting link accessible and share it in multiple places (email signature, website, chat).
Offer multiple time options: If possible, provide several available slots across different days and times to increase the chance attendees can book.
Confirm details clearly: In confirmation emails, include the meeting time in the attendee's timezone, the location or call link, and any preparation they should do.
Be responsive to reschedule requests: If an attendee needs to reschedule, try to accommodate them quickly using the scheduler.
Thank attendees: A simple thank-you after the meeting strengthens relationships and encourages future engagement.