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Maximum Number of Bookings Per Host (Round Robin)

  • 28 January 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 387 views

We are using a round robin event that is live on our website and landing pages for consultation bookings.

Each host has sets their own availability and the event has a cap on the total number of bookings per day however some hosts are being over scheduled.

Please ad a feature so that each host can set their own individual daily limits.

Thank you.

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3 replies

Userlevel 7

Hey there @Taina24045 - thanks so much for your post!

Currently, the “max per day” setting within an event type will apply to all bookings for that event type each day, not individual hosts (on a Round Robin event type). This means that if you set the max to “6” for example, a total of 6 can be booked per day. The number of meetings each individual host can be booked for will depend on a few things: 

  1. The host’s individual availability (you can tell each host to set up their available hours so that they are not able to be booked outside of specific parameters) 
  2. The Round Robin settings (equal distribution vs. availability)
  3. The event type’s “date range” settings and so on

Calendly’s round robin event type offers 2 different ways to distribute meetings between hosts:

Optimize for availability - allows invitees to book meetings whenever a host is available. Use this to maximize the number of potential meetings booked and when the even distribution of meetings across hosts is less important.

Optimize for equal distribution - allows for the most even distribution of meetings across hosts. This can lead to fewer booked meetings overall as equal distribution is given priority over host availability.


How does "optimize for availability" work?

When optimizing a round robin event for availability, Calendly will show times on the calendar when 1 person or more is available. If multiple people are available, this is where the priority star setting will come in. Here are a few key things to know:

  • If there is a tie, then the person that has not been scheduled recently is chosen.
  • If a tie remains, then someone will be randomly chosen.
  • The priority of each team member can be easily adjusted using the priority stars on the event type.

    RR_Priority_Stars.png

  1. Calendly will only assign the meeting to an available teammate.
    • Availability is determined by checking both Calendly and the connected calendar(s) of each teammate for conflicts. Check out this article for help troubleshooting availability and remember that round robin event types can leverage shifts.

  2. Calendly will assign the meeting to the team member with the highest Calendly priority relative to other available teammates first.
  3. If team members have equal priority, Calendly will assign the meeting to the least recently scheduled person for this event type.

  4. If team members tie on priority and least recently scheduled, the meeting is assigned at random.

How does "optimize for equal distribution" work?

With this setting, Calendly will monitor how many meetings for a round robin event are booked with each individual. Calendly will then compare the teammates' meeting counts.

If someone on your team is at least three meetings ahead of other teammates, their availability will be turned off until other team members catch up.

When optimizing a round robin event for equal distribution:

  • No team member can be more than three meetings ahead.

  • If you add or remove people from a round robin event, this will reset the distribution algorithm and start every member at 0.

  • If a team member is three meetings ahead, that team member cannot be booked until other teammates are scheduled.

Example: If Jim has 3 meetings and Karen has 0 meetings, Calendly will remove Jim's availability until Karen has 1 meeting. Now Jim's available time slots will again show on the booking page. If Jim is scheduled again and the relative count returns to +3 (4 to 1), Jim's availability will again be removed.

Calendly compares meeting counts for the period of time that all current hosts are on the event type together. This means that if a team member is added or deleted from an equal distribution event, the algorithm will treat the team member as if no meetings have been booked with them. If you have an event type where hosts are regularly being added or removed, this might cause inconsistencies with distribution.

Use the Admin View at anytime to troubleshoot why you or your team member is unavailable. The error “UNFAIR” shown below is due to unequal distribution:

UNFAIR_alert.png

What if I switch from "optimize for availability" to "equal distribution" (or vice versa)?

Changing the setting will take effect immediately. The next booking will interpret the round robin availability based on that new setting. Calendly won't consider previous settings or scheduled meetings counts.

Reporting on meeting distribution

For more information on how to download an activity report for a round robin event, please check out the article on how to export a list of team event type activity.

I hope this helps! Check out all this info and the linked resources, and let us know if you have questions! =) 

Hi Kelsi,

 

Thank you for your response.

 

Hopefully Calendly can take on the feedback and implement one of the following:

 

  • Allow each team member to set their own individual maximum event bookings in their availability settings; or
     
  • Add a feature to round robin events that allow a maximum number of events per person (not total).

We want to continue to "optimize for availability" as consultation bookings are important but currently some team members are being overbooked as they have different schedules.

 

Thank you.

 

Userlevel 7

Hi Kelsi,

 

Thank you for your response.

 

Hopefully Calendly can take on the feedback and implement one of the following:

 

  • Allow each team member to set their own individual maximum event bookings in their availability settings; or
     
  • Add a feature to round robin events that allow a maximum number of events per person (not total).

We want to continue to "optimize for availability" as consultation bookings are important but currently some team members are being overbooked as they have different schedules.

 

Thank you.

 

Thanks so much for your feedback and explanation! I will make sure this is included in our monthly round-up of feature requests for our product team. While I cannot make promises about if/when new features will be implemented, the team does seriously consider user feedback when improving the product and making updates! I hope you have a great day!