Integrations
Email and calendars
How the agent reads and answers your shared mailboxes, and books appointments directly into your team's calendars.
On this page
The shared inbox stops being a backlog. The agent reads incoming email in the mailboxes you choose, understands what the customer needs, and replies in the same thread, looking up the answer in your systems first. When a conversation on any channel ends with an appointment, the agent books it directly into the right calendar, so a viewing, an inspection or a meeting is arranged in the conversation rather than after it. Both work inside the mail and calendar systems your business already runs.
What connecting email and calendars lets the agent do
| Ability | What it means for you | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Read and reply to email | The agent answers email in your shared mailboxes, in the same thread, in the customer's language | A guest's question about airport transfers answered in the reservations mailbox |
| Keep a thread as one issue | Replies and forwards stay one conversation until the issue is resolved | A policyholder's three emails about one claim are handled as one issue |
| Read attachments | The agent opens common document and image formats sent with an email. Configured during implementation | A buyer emails a bank transfer receipt for a milestone payment |
| Hold replies for review | For sensitive mailboxes, the agent drafts the reply and a person approves it before it is sent. Configured during implementation | Replies in the complaints mailbox wait for a team leader |
| Book appointments | The agent checks availability and books directly into the calendar you name | A handover inspection booked into the handover team's calendar |
Integrations in this category
| Integration | What the connection covers |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Outlook | Shared mailboxes and calendars on Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 |
| Gmail | Shared mailboxes on Google Workspace |
| Google Calendar | Team and resource calendars on Google Workspace |
How the connection works
Your mail system administrators grant the agent access to the specific shared mailboxes it will answer, and nothing else. New messages are picked up from those mailboxes, and replies are sent from them, so customers see your usual address and the thread stays intact in your mail system. Your team can read everything the agent sends, in the mailbox itself.
For calendars, the agent is given access to the calendars it books into, such as a sales team's viewing calendar or a meeting room. It reads free and busy times, books the slot, and sends the customer a confirmation. Where appointment reminders are set up, the agent sends them before the appointment and handles a request to reschedule.
The technical detail
The mailbox and calendar connection is a standard connection to Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365, or to Google Workspace, configured during implementation. Access is granted through the mail system's own administration, preferably with OAuth (a standard that lets one system grant another limited access without sharing a password), and limited to named mailboxes and calendars. Every connection uses TLS (Transport Layer Security), version 1.2 or higher, and credentials are stored encrypted in your deployment with AES-256.
Permissions typical for this category
| Permission | Needed for | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Read mail in named shared mailboxes | Understanding what customers have sent | Only the mailboxes you choose |
| Send mail from named shared mailboxes | Replying in the thread | Granted, or held for approval in sensitive mailboxes |
| Read free and busy times in named calendars | Offering available slots | Only the calendars you choose |
| Create and change events in named calendars | Booking and rescheduling appointments | Only the calendars you choose |
| Access to personal mailboxes | Not needed | Not granted |
The agent can only take actions your team has granted. Anything not granted cannot be invoked. See Permissions.
In practice
Sahel Crest Properties, a Dubai developer, connects its customer care mailbox and its handover calendar on Microsoft 365.
- The IT team grants the agent access to one shared mailbox and one calendar. Staff mailboxes are not included.
- Hamza emails at 10pm asking when he can inspect his unit before handover. The agent confirms his identity with the checks the developer has set, then looks up his unit in the CRM (the system that holds the developer's customer records).
- It offers three free slots from the handover calendar. Hamza picks Sunday at 9am, and the agent books it and replies in the same thread with the details.
- On Saturday, the agent sends a reminder. Hamza asks to move to 11am, and the agent reschedules.
What your team controls
- Which mailboxes and calendars the agent can use.
- Which mailboxes send replies straight away, and which hold them for review.
- The appointment types the agent can book, and the times it can offer.
Related
- Email: mailbox connection, threading and attachmentsChannels
- Email: drafts for human reviewChannels
- How integrations workIntegrations
- PermissionsIntegrations
- What we need from your IT teamIntegrations
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