Integration with calendar applications for staff and customers

Purpose

1. Automate seamless integration between pet café reservation systems and major calendar applications for both staff and customers.

2. Ensure all bookings, changes, or cancellations instantly appear in relevant calendars, reducing double bookings and enhancing customer satisfaction.

3. Synchronize schedules for staff shifts, special pet-friendly events, and reservations, maintaining real-time accuracy.

4. Allow customers to receive calendar invites, reminders, and updates about their visits or automatic cancellations/reschedules.

5. Enable two-way communication—changes in calendar reflect in the booking system and vice versa.

6. Support group bookings, recurring events, public holiday blackout dates, and no-pet-schedule slots dynamically.

Trigger Conditions

1. New reservation created by a customer or staff.

2. Reservation updated (time, date, party size).

3. Reservation canceled by either party.

4. Staff shift updated or reassigned.

5. Special events or blockout periods posted.

6. Customer confirms or declines an invitation.

Platform variants

1. Google Calendar

• Feature/Setting: Use Calendar API v3, configure "Events: insert," "Events: patch," and "Events: delete" endpoints, set OAuth2 credentials for write access.
  
• Sample: Map reservation data fields to event fields (title, time, location, attendee email).
  

2. Microsoft Outlook (Office 365 Calendar)

• Feature/Setting: Office 365 REST API—/me/events for creating/updating; set MS Graph API permissions.
  
• Sample: Configure webhook to update events on reservation status change.
  

3. Apple Calendar (iCloud)

• Feature/Setting: Apple Calendar CalDAV protocol, set up service account, use "VEVENT" for event creation.
  
• Sample: Authenticate with user credentials, synchronize .ics files or direct CalDAV calls.
  

4. Zoho Calendar

• Feature/Setting: Zoho Calendar API v2, "Create Event" endpoint, OAuth tokens for each staff.
  
• Sample: Trigger event post-reservation and send link to customer.
  

5. Teamup Calendar

• Feature/Setting: Teamup REST API "/events" endpoint; key-based authentication.
  
• Sample: Each reservation posts a new event per assigned staff calendar.
  

6. Calendly

• Feature/Setting: Calendly API, "Scheduled Events" create/update via POST; webhook for reminders.
  
• Sample: Sync booking slot to customer's linked calendar.
  

7. Acuity Scheduling

• Feature/Setting: Acuity Scheduling API, "appointments" endpoints, Basic Auth API Key.
  
• Sample: Send appointment time directly to Google/Office 365/Apple via Acuity's integrations.
  

8. Booksy

• Feature/Setting: Booksy API/Webhooks—push new bookings to calendar via "create appointment" event.
  
• Sample: Capture updates and cancellations, map to staff’s calendar.
  

9. Square Appointments

• Feature/Setting: Square API v2 "Bookings" and "Team Member" objects, setup OAuth2 app.
  
• Sample: Post confirmed slot to staff Outlook or Google account.
  

10. Setmore

• Feature/Setting: Setmore API, "Appointment Created" trigger, fetch customer info, route to calendar.
  
• Sample: On new booking, automate iCal/Google event invitation.
  

11. Timekit

• Feature/Setting: Timekit API v2, "bookings" and "resources" endpoint for slot management.
  
• Sample: Sync bookings to user-chosen calendar provider.
  

12. 10to8

• Feature/Setting: 10to8 API, "appointments" endpoint, event webhooks.
  
• Sample: Push staff/customer events; automate cancellation updates.
  

13. Outlook.com Calendar

• Feature/Setting: Outlook REST API v2, "calendar/events" endpoint.
  
• Sample: Insert reservation data as an event for staff.
  

14. iCal (generic)

• Feature/Setting: Generate and email .ics invite file on reservation created/updated.
  
• Sample: Customer imports .ics into any calendar app.
  

15. Salesforce Calendar

• Feature/Setting: Salesforce REST API, "Event" object under sObject.
  
• Sample: Insert pet café reservation as new event related to staff/customer records.
  

16. Freshdesk

• Feature/Setting: Freshdesk Event API, sync appointment tickets to calendar using Freshdesk app integrations.
  
• Sample: Map calendar event to ticket changes.
  

17. HubSpot Meetings

• Feature/Setting: HubSpot Meetings API, "engagements" endpoint for scheduling.
  
• Sample: Auto-create/reschedule calendar invites on HubSpot contact activity.
  

18. Slack (Calendar Integration)

• Feature/Setting: Slack API, "Reminders" and Google Calendar/Outlook bot add-ons, webhook for updates.
  
• Sample: Post event reminders in staff channels.
  

19. Trello (Card Due Dates)

• Feature/Setting: Trello API, create cards for bookings, set due dates to reservation time.
  
• Sample: Use Power-Up to sync due dates with Google Calendar.
  

20. Asana (Tasks & Calendar)

• Feature/Setting: Asana API, create tasks for each reservation, assign staff, set task due as reservation time.
  
• Sample: Sync Asana calendar view to Outlook or Google Calendar via Asana’s integration.
  

21. monday.com

• Feature/Setting: monday.com API, create item on reservations board with date column, calendar integration enabled.
  
• Sample: Sends events to external connected calendar platforms.
  

Benefits

1. Reduces no-shows and improves punctuality through automated reminders.

2. Minimizes risk of double-booking for customers and overlapping staff assignments.

3. Enables real-time, multi-device access to up-to-date schedules.

4. Enhances guest experience with instant booking confirmations and calendar invites.

5. Streamlines staff communication around shifts, reservations, and special events.

6. Supports customer self-management and modification of bookings directly from their calendar app.

7. Easily scalable to accommodate more staff, customers, or special events with minimal manual management.