Google Calendar

What connecting Google Calendar does

Once your Google Calendar is connected, Eli works from it as well as from its own bookings:

• Before offering a caller a time, it checks the calendar. Each event that shows you as busy takes up one of your appointments at the same time (Cars at the same time at an auto shop) while it runs, the same as an appointment Eli booked. Events marked Free in Google, all-day events left as Free, and invitations you declined don't count.
• After booking, it adds the appointment to the calendar, with the service and the caller's name in the title and their number, the detail your business keeps such as the car, notes, and a link to the call in the description. A booking from a Test call starts with "Test:".
• The calendar has the last word on Eli's bookings. Move one of its events in Google and the appointment moves too; delete it and the appointment is cancelled. Dialhop picks the change up the next time it checks the calendar for a caller.

If Google doesn't answer during a call, the receptionist doesn't guess: it takes a message so you can call back and book.

Your business books into one calendar. If an Outlook calendar is connected, connecting Google Calendar takes its place; the card says so before you press the button.

Connect Google Calendar

1. Press Integrations in the sidebar.
2. Under Calendars, on the Google Calendar card, press Connect Google Calendar.
3. Sign in to Google with the account whose calendar you book in, and allow Dialhop to see your calendars and add events. Leave both boxes ticked; without them Dialhop can't connect.

You come back to Integrations, where the Google Calendar card, under Calendars, says Connected and shows the Google account. Eli books into that account's Main calendar, the one every Google account comes with.

Which calendar to book into

Eli counts only the events on the calendar you pick, and adds its bookings only there.

• Book into the Main calendar when everything on it is shop time, or when you are the whole shop: your dentist appointment then keeps callers from booking you while you're out.
• Book into a calendar just for the shop when your Main calendar also holds personal plans. Those plans then don't use up your bays, your personal events stay out of the shop's, and you can share the shop calendar with your team without sharing your own. To make one, open Google Calendar, press + next to Other calendars, choose Create new calendar, and name it after the shop.

Choose which calendar Eli books into

1. Press Integrations in the sidebar.
2. On the Google Calendar card, open Books into and pick a calendar.

Only calendars the account owns are listed: its Main calendar, and any you made yourself in Google Calendar, such as one just for the shop. The family calendar Google makes for a family group isn't listed. Eli checks and books into the one you pick from then on; the events it already added stay where they are, and moving or deleting them no longer changes those appointments.

Disconnect Google Calendar

1. Press Integrations in the sidebar.
2. On the Google Calendar card, press More (the three dots), then Disconnect.
3. Press Disconnect again to confirm.

Eli stops checking the calendar and stops adding bookings to it, and Dialhop gives up its access to your Google account. Events it already added stay on your calendar.

Connect Google Calendar again

When Google stops letting Dialhop in, for example because you removed its access in your Google account, the Google Calendar card says Needs connecting again. Until you fix it, the receptionist takes a message instead of booking, so nothing gets double-booked.

1. Press Integrations in the sidebar.
2. On the Google Calendar card, press Connect again and sign in to Google.