As technology continues to evolve, we are seeing big players in the industry like Google quietly taking steps to eliminate competition unfairly. One area where we are seeing this is in third-party appointment booking services like CatchApp, which Google is trying to quietly eliminate.
This move is anti-competitive and goes against the ethos of the technology industry, which is underpinned by revolutionizing workflows, optimizing efficiencies, and improving lives. It's time for regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to step in and protect consumers from such tactics.
What does this mean?
It's worth noting that anti-trust cases have been made against Google before. The latest case, in January, showed that Google is doing things to benefit themselves and harm competitors, rather than benefit consumers. In response, we at CatchApp strongly believe in innovation to benefit all users. It's time for Google to stop playing dirty and focus on benefitting its users.
However, as Google continues to make it more difficult for users to utilize third-party booking services, we want to provide a solution to this problem. Our built-in reminder system through SMS and email will help mitigate this problem.
How to Resolve this
Recently, Google Calendar added a new policy to help combat spam. This new policy impacts all third-party scheduling tools, including CatchApp. Events set up for calendar invitations will only be added automatically if you have had previous interactions with your invitee. For a first-time invitee, the calendar event will not be automatically added. First-time invitees will need to confirm their booking by clicking on a confirmation link within their email inbox.
However, Google Calendar users can change this setting at any time from within their account by clicking Settings on the top right-hand side of their Google Calendar, selecting Event Settings under General, and then selecting From Everyone under Add Invitations to my calendar. Additionally, users can click on the "I know the sender" button when presented, which will add that email address to their Google Calendar safe senders list for future events to be added automatically. Once this is done, users will need to click Yes on the event invitation to ensure it is added to their Google calendar.
Our take on this...
At CatchApp, we understand how important it is to make the booking process as easy and seamless as possible for both users and their invitees. That's why we have built-in reminders through SMS and email to ensure that everyone is on the same page and appointments are not missed.
Innovation through competition is the cornerstone of progress in the technology industry. When companies are able to compete fairly and without barriers to entry, the market is able to evolve and improve. This leads to better products and services, increased efficiency, and ultimately, improved experiences for users. The ability of smaller businesses to compete with larger ones is essential for this innovation to occur. It allows for new ideas to be brought to the table and for companies to continually evolve and improve their products and services to meet the needs of their customers.
However, big tech companies like Google often have a significant advantage over smaller competitors, as they have the resources and influence to dominate the market. This can stifle innovation and create a less competitive landscape, which ultimately harms consumers. Small businesses are often left with fewer opportunities to innovate and create new products, and may even be forced out of the market altogether.
In the case of third-party scheduling tools like CatchApp, Google's anti-competitive actions pose a significant threat to the success of these smaller businesses. By pushing its own scheduling tool and making it more difficult for users to use third-party options, Google is essentially limiting consumer choice and stifling innovation. This has a knock-on effect on the entire industry, as other businesses may be less likely to enter the market due to the dominance of big tech companies.
In conclusion, while Google may be making it more difficult for users to use third-party booking services like CatchApp, there are solutions available. By changing the settings on their Google Calendar and utilizing our built-in reminder system, users can ensure that their booking process remains as efficient and hassle-free as possible.
Stay tuned for more updates, as CatchApp Bookings continues to make appointment scheduling a breeze!
