Round Robin

Round Robin is a team-based appointment scheduling system that automatically distributes bookings across multiple team members based on availability and distribution rules. Customers see one booking page, pick a time, and the system assigns the right team member behind the scenes. This eliminates manual assignment, balances workloads, and scales scheduling as your team grows.

What Round Robin Does

Round Robin calendars distribute appointments using two primary methods:

Optimize for Availability assigns bookings to the first available team member in the rotation. Best for customer support queues, urgent care scheduling, or sales teams prioritizing speed. Ensures efficient use of open time slots and reduces wait times for customers.

Optimize for Equal Distribution rotates through team members to balance total appointments over time, regardless of who is free first. Best for sales teams and consultation services where equitable workload distribution matters. Works best when all team members have similar working hours. Distribution logic recalculates once every 24 hours, not in real time after each booking.

Priority settings control assignment when multiple team members are available simultaneously. Set High, Medium, or Low priority per team member within calendar settings. High-priority members get bookings first, useful for routing to senior team members or top performers before less experienced staff.

Staff selection lets customers choose their preferred team member from the booking page instead of automatic assignment. Enable under Customizations > Allow staff selection during booking (requires Neo Widget style). If no selection is made, the system falls back to standard Round Robin logic. Ideal for businesses where clients develop ongoing relationships with individual team members.

Key Configuration Options

Availability settings determine when time slots appear. Set weekly working hours per team member (Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM), add date-specific overrides for holidays, and configure buffer times between appointments. Each team member can have different working hours, accommodating part-time staff or different time zones.

Calendar Sync prevents double-bookings by connecting external calendars like Google Calendar or Outlook. The platform checks linked calendars for conflicts before offering time slots to customers. If a team member has a personal appointment on their Google Calendar, that slot is automatically removed from Round Robin availability.

Payment collection happens directly through the booking widget. Enable under Accept Payments, connect Stripe, set your price, and add a custom description. Supports multiple currencies for international clients. Customers pay during the booking flow before the appointment appears on the team member’s calendar.

Meeting locations can differ per team member. Configure Zoom, Google Meet, Phone, Full Address, Microsoft Teams, or Ask the Booker options. One team member could default to Zoom while another defaults to in-person meetings, and the customer sees the correct location based on who gets assigned.

Slot capacity controls how many appointments can book the same time slot when multiple appointments per slot are allowed. Each confirmed appointment reduces slot capacity by one. A slot only blocks when defined capacity is fully reached, preventing unnecessary gaps in the schedule.

Sharing and Embedding

Direct links are shareable URLs for email, SMS, or social media. Each calendar generates a customizable slug. Permanent links remain static even if you rename the calendar.

Embed codes place the booking widget inline on any website or landing page. Copy the HTML snippet and paste it into your website builder or funnel page. The widget renders responsively and adapts to container width.

Appointment Reminders integrate with Round Robin calendars. Configure SMS and email reminders at custom intervals (confirmation email immediately, SMS 24 hours before, SMS 1 hour before). Reminders go to the customer and the assigned team member, significantly reducing no-show rates.

Pro Tips

• Start with Optimize for Availability if unsure. It provides the fastest booking experience and ensures no slots go unused. Switch to Equal Distribution later if you notice workload imbalances.
• Set priorities thoughtfully. Assign Low Priority to team members still training so they receive bookings only when experienced members are unavailable. Gradually increase their priority as they ramp up.
• Keep availability settings current. Stale availability causes scheduling confusion. Update immediately when team members change hours, take vacation, or switch time zones.
• Connect external calendars for every team member. Linking Google Calendar or Outlook prevents embarrassing double-bookings where personal commitments conflict with customer appointments.
• Use 10 to 15 minute buffer times. Buffers give your team breathing room between appointments. Back-to-back meetings without breaks lead to burnout and rushed interactions.

Common Questions

How does the system decide which team member gets an appointment?

It depends on distribution method. Optimize for Availability assigns to the first available team member. Optimize for Equal Distribution rotates through team members to balance total appointments. Priority settings (High, Medium, Low) influence assignment when multiple members are available.

What happens if no team members are available at a requested time?

The system hides that time slot from the customer. Customers only see times where at least one team member can accept the booking and are prompted to select a different date or time.

Does staff selection work with the Classic booking widget?

No. Staff selection requires the Neo Widget style. Switch to Neo under Customizations to enable this feature.

Can I charge customers when they book through a Round Robin calendar?

Yes. Enable Accept Payments in calendar settings, connect your payment gateway (Stripe), and set the price. Customers pay during the booking flow.

How often does the equal distribution logic recalculate?

Once every 24 hours. It does not rebalance in real time after every individual booking, so distribution balances out over the course of a day.