> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anny.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Booking via anny AI
> Let your customers book appointments by phone or chat, with automatic availability checks, pricing, and confirmation.
anny AI can do more than answer questions. It can complete full bookings by phone and chat. Your AI assistant knows your resources, booking options, subscriptions, and booking packages. It checks availability and calculates prices exactly as on your booking page, and guides customers through the entire booking process.
## Who is this feature for?
Booking by phone via anny AI is ideal for providers who:
* frequently receive booking requests by phone or chat and want to automate them
* want to reach customers who prefer to call or chat rather than book online themselves
* want to accept bookings outside business hours as well
* want to offer phone and chat as additional channels alongside the online booking page
## What changes with this feature?
**For customers:**
* They can book by phone or chat and receive instant confirmation by SMS (phone) or directly in the chat.
* They don't need to provide an email address. The mobile number is enough.
* Existing customers are recognized automatically and greeted personally.
* They can access their existing allowances, community resources, and booking packages.
**For admins:**
* Bookings via anny AI appear like regular bookings in the system.
* A "wrong" booking that wouldn't have been possible via the booking page can never happen. anny AI checks the same rules.
* Multiple bookings can be added to the cart within one conversation.
The email address is optional for phone bookings. What matters is the caller's mobile number. The booking confirmation is sent to this number by SMS free of charge.
## How the booking process works
1. The caller states their request (e.g. "I'd like to book an appointment tomorrow at 2 PM").
2. anny AI knows your resources and booking options and checks availability, exactly as on the booking page.
3. anny AI calculates the price and tells it to the caller.
4. If a form with additional details is stored (custom fields), anny AI asks for all of them.
5. The booking is completed depending on the payment configuration:
6. **For on-site payment or a free booking:** The booking is completed directly and confirmed by SMS.
7. **For online payment or legal documents (e.g. confirming terms and conditions):** anny AI sends a checkout link by SMS. The caller completes the payment or confirmation via this link.
If you have configured online payment, we recommend also enabling the "on-site payment" option. That way the booking can be completed fully over the phone, without needing a checkout link.
## Person recognition and customer account
Customers are recognized automatically via their mobile number and/or when they sign in to the chat, provided the number is stored for them as a customer in anny. Recognized customers benefit from:
* A personal greeting by name
* Access to existing allowances and booking packages
* Visibility of community resources (protected booking options)
* The ability to cancel existing bookings
* Retrieving calendar appointments
For recognition to work, the mobile number must be stored in the customer profile in anny
### **anny AI Chat: visibility and access rights**
The chat follows strictly the access rules you have set for your organization and booking page:
* **Community requirement:** If your organization requires a community membership and is blocked for guests, the chat is also not visible to external guests.
* **Members-only bookings:** If resources are bookable only for members, a guest sees the chat and can filter resources or ask questions, but they cannot complete the booking.
* **Platform visibility:** Community members see the chat everywhere: on the home page, on the planner page (on the web and in Microsoft Teams (optional)), and on the Discover page.
* **Multiple organizations:** If a user is a member of multiple organizations that use anny, the chat first asks, on opening, which organization to chat with. *The AI only ever handles the bookings of the currently selected organization.*
The AI's features adapt automatically to the user's login status:
* *Guest users:* The AI answers knowledge questions, checks the availability of public resources, and completes bookings for public resources.
* *Logged-in users:* The AI can additionally book community resources, view their own booking history, edit or cancel existing bookings, search for people in the community, and send invitations.
## More booking features
* Redeem vouchers – Callers can name voucher codes that anny AI applies directly.
* Subscriptions and booking packages – anny AI recognizes existing packages and can use their allowances. New subscriptions and packages can be purchased via a link.
* Multiple bookings – Several appointments can be added to the cart within one conversation.
* Cancellation – Recognized customers can cancel existing bookings.
Changing an existing booking (e.g. shifting the time) is not yet possible via anny AI. For that, the booking must be canceled and created anew.
## Error tolerance and safety
anny AI can make mistakes during a conversation, for example misunderstanding a date. In such cases, the assistant corrects itself. Regardless, the rule holds: a booking can never happen that couldn't have been made via the regular booking page. All availability, prices, and rules are checked in real time against your anny system.
### Example in practice
**Caller: "I'd like a consultation appointment with Ms. Schmidt tomorrow."**
anny AI checks Ms. Schmidt's availability for tomorrow, states free times and prices, asks for the details stored in the form (e.g. request, name), and completes the booking. The caller receives an SMS confirmation with the booking details.
**Caller: "I'd like to book the yoga class on Saturday."**
anny AI confirms availability and price (e.g. €25). Since online payment is configured, anny AI sends a checkout link by SMS. The caller opens the link, pays, and receives the confirmation.
## FAQ
Yes, anny AI can create bookings for any available time, just like on the booking page.
Yes, all custom fields are asked for in the conversation. Required fields must be answered before the booking is completed.
anny AI suggests alternative times based on the actual availability of your resources.
Yes, the email address is optional for anny AI bookings. Confirmation is sent by SMS to the mobile number.
Yes, several bookings can be added to the cart and completed together.