AI Scheduling Assistant

Use natural language to schedule, reschedule, and manage tutoring sessions automatically.

Last updated this week

Sentuent's AI scheduling assistant makes booking sessions as easy as having a conversation. Just say when you want to meet, and the AI handles the rest.

How It Works

The AI assistant:

  1. Understands natural language - Type like you're texting a friend
  2. Checks both calendars - Finds times that work for everyone
  3. Suggests alternatives - If your time doesn't work, offers options
  4. Creates sessions - Automatically books and sends confirmations
  5. Syncs calendars - Updates Google Calendar and sends reminders

Basic Scheduling

Simple Session Request

Just type what you want:

Student: "Can we meet Tuesday at 3pm for calculus?"

AI: "I've checked both calendars. Tuesday at 3:00 PM works! Would you like me to schedule a 1-hour session?"

Student: "Yes"

AI: "✓ Session booked! Calculus tutoring with [Tutor Name] on Tuesday, December 12 at 3:00 PM (1 hour). Calendar invites sent to both of you."

The AI automatically:

  • Verified both people are available
  • Set default session length (1 hour)
  • Created the calendar event
  • Generated Zoom meeting link
  • Sent email confirmations

Natural Language Examples

The AI understands various phrasings:

✅ "Let's meet this Thursday at 4" ✅ "Can we schedule a session for tomorrow afternoon?" ✅ "I'd like to book 2 hours on Saturday morning" ✅ "Are you free next Monday around 5pm?" ✅ "Can we do our session at 3:30 instead?"

It handles dates flexibly:

  • "Tomorrow" - Next day
  • "This Friday" - Upcoming Friday
  • "Next week Tuesday" - Tuesday of next week
  • "December 15" - Specific date
  • "In 3 days" - Relative date

Be conversational: The AI is designed to understand how humans naturally talk about time.

Advanced Scheduling

Recurring Sessions

Schedule weekly sessions with one message:

Student: "Can we meet every Wednesday at 4pm for the next 8 weeks?"

AI: "I've checked your calendars. All 8 Wednesdays at 4:00 PM are available. Would you like me to schedule all 8 sessions?"

Student: "Yes please"

AI: "✓ Created 8 recurring sessions every Wednesday at 4:00 PM, starting December 13 through February 7."

Recurring patterns supported:

  • Weekly (same day/time each week)
  • Bi-weekly (every other week)
  • Custom frequency (every 3 days, etc.)

Multiple Session Booking

Book several sessions at once:

Student: "I need 3 sessions before my exam on the 20th. When are you available?"

AI: "I found these available times before December 20:

  • Monday 12/11 at 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday 12/13 at 5:00 PM
  • Friday 12/15 at 3:00 PM
  • Saturday 12/16 at 10:00 AM

Which 3 would you like?"

Student: "Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday"

AI: "✓ Booked all 3 sessions!"

Different Session Lengths

Specify duration when needed:

  • "Can we do a 30-minute intro session?"
  • "I need a 2-hour intensive session for exam prep"
  • "Let's meet for 90 minutes this time"

Rescheduling

Simple Reschedule

Student: "I need to move our Thursday session to Friday at the same time"

AI: "Checking Friday at 4:00 PM... Available! Would you like me to reschedule?"

Student: "Yes"

AI: "✓ Session moved to Friday, December 15 at 4:00 PM. [Tutor] has been notified."

Finding Alternative Times

If your suggestion doesn't work:

Student: "Can we move Tuesday's session to Wednesday afternoon?"

AI: "[Tutor] has a conflict Wednesday afternoon. Here are nearby alternatives:

  • Wednesday at 6:00 PM
  • Thursday at 3:00 PM
  • Friday at 2:00 PM

Which works for you?"

Student: "Thursday at 3"

AI: "✓ Rescheduled to Thursday, December 14 at 3:00 PM"

Cancellations

Canceling a Session

Student: "I need to cancel my session tomorrow"

AI: "You have a session tomorrow (Tuesday, December 12) at 4:00 PM. Our cancellation policy requires 24-hour notice for a full refund. This cancellation qualifies. Confirm cancellation?"

Student: "Yes, cancel it"

AI: "✓ Session cancelled. Full refund issued. [Tutor] has been notified."

The AI automatically:

  • Checks cancellation policy
  • Calculates refund amount
  • Processes refund if applicable
  • Notifies the other person
  • Removes from both calendars

Finding Available Times

Open-Ended Availability Check

When you're flexible:

Student: "When are you available this week?"

AI: "Based on [Tutor]'s calendar and yours, here are available times this week:

Monday:

  • 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Tuesday:

  • 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Wednesday:

  • 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Friday:

  • 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Which day and time would you prefer?"

Student: "Wednesday at 3"

AI: "✓ Booked! Wednesday at 3:00 PM."

Filtering by Preferences

Student: "When are you free in the mornings this week?" AI shows only morning slots (before 12 PM)

Student: "Do you have any weekend availability?" AI shows only Saturday/Sunday options

Student: "What about after 6pm on weekdays?" AI filters to evenings only

Smart Suggestions

Based on History

The AI learns patterns:

Student: "Let's schedule our next session"

AI: "Based on your usual schedule (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm), here are the next available slots:

  • Tuesday, December 19 at 4:00 PM
  • Thursday, December 21 at 4:00 PM

Pick one or suggest a different time."

Exam Preparation Planning

Student: "I have an exam on January 15. Can you help me schedule prep sessions?"

AI: "You have 4 weeks until your exam. I recommend 2 sessions per week (8 total). Here's a suggested schedule:

Week 1-2: Foundation review

  • Tues 12/19 at 4pm, Thurs 12/21 at 4pm
  • Tues 12/26 at 4pm, Thurs 12/28 at 4pm

Week 3: Practice problems

  • Tues 1/2 at 4pm, Thurs 1/4 at 4pm

Week 4: Final review

  • Tues 1/9 at 4pm, Thurs 1/11 at 4pm

Book all 8 sessions?"

Student: "Yes!"

AI: "✓ All 8 exam prep sessions scheduled!"

AI Capabilities

What the AI Can Do

✅ Schedule sessions - Book single or recurring ✅ Reschedule - Move sessions to new times ✅ Cancel - Remove sessions with refund calculation ✅ Find availability - Check open time slots ✅ Suggest times - Based on both calendars ✅ Handle conflicts - Alert if time isn't available ✅ Apply policies - Enforce cancellation rules ✅ Send notifications - Confirm all changes ✅ Sync calendars - Update Google Calendar ✅ Generate meeting links - Create Zoom rooms

What the AI Cannot Do (Yet)

❌ Change rates - Pricing changes need manual update ❌ Process custom payments - Standard session rates only ❌ Modify past sessions - Can only affect future ❌ Override policies - Must follow cancellation rules ❌ Book different tutors - Works within one conversation

Tips for Best Results

Be Specific When Needed

Vague: "Can we meet soon?" Better: "Can we meet this week?" Best: "Can we meet Thursday or Friday afternoon?"

Specify Session Type

Default: "Can we meet Tuesday at 3?" → Standard session Specific: "Can we do a 30-min trial Tuesday at 3?" → Trial session

Include Subject for Multi-Subject Tutors

If the tutor teaches multiple subjects: "Can we schedule a calculus session for Thursday at 4?"

Confirm Details

The AI will show a summary before finalizing:

  • Date and time
  • Session length
  • Subject (if applicable)
  • Meeting link
  • Cost in credits

Always verify before confirming.

Understanding AI Responses

Availability Check

✓ Available: "That time works for both of you!" ✗ Conflict: "[Person] has a conflict at that time" ↻ Alternatives: "That time doesn't work, but here are alternatives..."

Booking Confirmation

Success: "✓ Session booked! [Details]" Need more info: "Which day did you mean - this Tuesday or next Tuesday?" Policy issue: "⚠️ That time is less than 24 hours away. [Tutor] requires 24-hour notice. Would you like to schedule for a later time?"

Handling Edge Cases

Timezone Differences

Student (PST): "Can we meet at 3pm?"

AI: "Just to confirm - you're in Pacific Time and [Tutor] is in Eastern Time. Your 3:00 PM = their 6:00 PM. Is that correct?"

Student: "Yes"

AI: "✓ Booked for 3:00 PM PT / 6:00 PM ET"

Holiday Conflicts

Student: "Let's meet December 25 at 10am"

AI: "⚠️ December 25 is Christmas Day. Are you sure you want to schedule then? [Tutor] may not be available due to the holiday."

Last-Minute Bookings

Student: "Can we meet in 2 hours?"

AI: "⚠️ This is within [Tutor]'s 24-hour minimum notice window. They may charge a rush fee of +50%. Proceed?"

Feedback & Corrections

If the AI misunderstands:

Student: "Can we meet next Friday"

AI: "Booking for Friday, December 22. Confirm?"

Student: "No, I meant the Friday after that"

AI: "Ah, got it! Friday, December 29. Checking availability..."

The AI learns from corrections and asks for clarification when unsure.

Privacy & Data

What the AI accesses:

  • Both participants' calendars
  • Session history together
  • Availability settings
  • Scheduling preferences

What the AI doesn't access:

  • Other conversations
  • Payment details (except credit balance)
  • Personal information beyond scheduling

Data usage:

  • AI suggestions improve over time based on patterns
  • Data never shared with third parties
  • Can opt out: Settings > Privacy > AI Features

Troubleshooting

"AI isn't responding"

Possible causes:

  • AI feature disabled in settings
  • You're in a support conversation (AI only in tutor/student chats)
  • Service temporarily down

Fix: Refresh page or check status.sentuent.com

"AI booked wrong time"

If the AI makes a mistake:

  1. Message "This isn't right, please cancel"
  2. AI will cancel the session
  3. Try again with more specific details
  4. Contact support if issue persists

"AI can't find availability"

Reasons:

  • No overlapping free time
  • Availability not set in calendar
  • Google Calendar not synced

Fix:

  • Manually add availability
  • Sync Google Calendar
  • Suggest specific times you know work

Advanced Features

Bulk Operations

"Cancel all my sessions next week" - AI cancels entire week "Reschedule all December sessions to January" - Batch reschedule

Conditional Scheduling

"If [Tutor] can't do Tuesday, try Wednesday or Thursday at the same time"

Multi-Session Plans

"I need help with 3 chapters. Can we schedule 3 sessions, one for each chapter, before the end of the month?"

Future AI Features (Coming Soon)

On the roadmap:

  • Voice commands for scheduling
  • Automatic session summaries
  • Smart reminder timing
  • Session prep suggestions
  • Learning progress tracking

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