Admin-Only Users Without Booking Features

[angus0817]

Is your proposal related to a problem?

Yes, the current user management system in Cal.com requires that all users be paid seats, regardless of their role or necessity to receive bookings. This presents a significant cost issue for businesses where certain team members need access to the platform solely for administrative tasks, reporting, or managing existing bookings without needing to receive appointments themselves. For example, accounting or finance teams may need access to billing information, and management teams might require access to activity logs and high-level reports to monitor performance. Currently, Cal.com’s pricing model forces these users to occupy paid seats, leading teams to resort to inefficient and insecure workarounds like shared accounts to minimize expenses.

Describe the solution you'd like

I propose implementing an "admin-only" user role within Cal.com. This role would allow certain users to manage various aspects of the system—such as handling bookings, accessing reports, viewing financial data, and performing administrative tasks—without granting them the ability to receive new bookings or manage a personal calendar. Admin-only users would not require a paid seat, thereby reducing costs for organizations. This feature would include:

• Role-Based Access Control: Define permissions that restrict admin-only users from receiving bookings while allowing them to perform administrative functions.
• User Management Interface: An interface for administrators to assign and manage user roles, distinguishing between regular booking users and admin-only users.
• Access to Specific Features: Provide admin-only users access to features like managing bookings, viewing reports, handling cancellations, reassigning appointments, and accessing billing information.
• Security Enhancements: Ensure that admin-only accounts have appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Currently, the only workaround is to assign paid seats to all users who need access to administrative functions, regardless of whether they receive bookings. This approach is costly and inefficient, especially for larger teams where only a subset of members require such access. Another alternative teams have tried is using shared accounts for administrative tasks, which poses security risks and lacks accountability, as multiple users access the same credentials. Additionally, some have explored external tools or integrations to manage administrative tasks, but these solutions are often fragmented and do not provide a seamless experience within Cal.com.

Additional context

Implementing admin-only users would align Cal.com with industry standards seen in other scheduling and CRM platforms, which typically offer tiered user roles with varying levels of access and permissions. This enhancement would not only reduce costs for businesses by eliminating the need to purchase unnecessary seats but also improve security and accountability by allowing organizations to assign specific roles to team members based on their responsibilities. Furthermore, it would streamline workflows by enabling administrative tasks to be handled within Cal.com without the need for external tools or insecure workarounds.

Platforms like OnceHub have successfully implemented similar features, allowing users to perform administrative and support functions without occupying paid seats. By adopting a comparable approach, Cal.com can enhance its appeal to a broader range of businesses, particularly those with complex team structures and varied user roles.

Requirement/Document

User Management System From OnceHub: https://help.oncehub.com/help/your-account-user-management

This document highlights how the system would work ideally based on paid user-seats, as well as common use cases for users without seats.

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