Private dining call booking for restaurants with Calendly

Private dining and party enquiries arrive by email, Instagram and phone, and agreeing a time to talk takes several messages each, while a slow reply can send the booking elsewhere. If you get 10 enquiries a month and each takes 15 minutes of back and forth to agree a call, that's 150 minutes, 2.5 hours a month.

Calendly is a scheduling tool: you share a link and people pick a free slot in your calendar. Its free plan includes one event type, one calendar connection and a customisable booking page. Create one event, such as a 20-minute private dining planning call, and reply to every enquiry with the link. On the call the owner takes the date, numbers and budget and sends the quote. The free plan has no reminders or payments; Standard adds them. Dietary needs are discussed on the call and written down by the manager, who checks them against your own allergen records before the event; the booking link never answers allergy questions.

A 32-seat restaurant in Bath with a private room for up to 16 gets about 10 private dining enquiries a month by email, Instagram and phone. The owner sends one Calendly link in reply instead of proposing times.

About 2 hours a month saved (12 minutes x 10 = 120 minutes), worth around £50 if the owner's time is worth £25 an hour. The free plan allows one event type, which is enough for this. If you add Standard for reminders it is $10 (about £8) a seat a month billed yearly, or $12 (about £9) billed monthly. Quicker replies may win more bookings, which isn't counted.

1. 1Create a free Calendly account and connect the calendar the owner or events manager actually uses.
2. 2Make one event type, 'Private dining planning call', with a length that suits you and slots only when you can talk.
3. 3Add a line to the event page asking for date, number of guests and any dietary needs, if the form lets you, and read the page as an enquirer would.
4. 4Reply to every enquiry with the link and a line about your private room, minimum spend and deposit.
5. 5After each call, confirm date, numbers, price and deposit in writing yourself, and give the dietary list to the head chef, who checks it against your allergen records.

• The free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, and no reminders or payments. Reminders and payments through Stripe or PayPal need Standard.
• A booked call is not a confirmed booking. Confirm the date, numbers, price and deposit in writing so nothing rests on the call.
• Enquirers' names, emails and phone numbers are personal data. Use them for that enquiry and don't add them to marketing lists without consent.
• If your calendar isn't kept up to date, people can book a slot you can't take. Block service times and days off first.