Groupon has announced the launch of their new product: Scheduler.  The online platform allows customers to book, cancel and reschedule appointments through a calendar and businesses to track those appointments, review previous appointments and monitor how much each customer has spent.

Still in its beta state, the tool is available to adopt for free by small businesses in the US and Canada (but not in Quebec).  Originally created to streamline the process for businesses that are using Groupon’s daily deals as a marketing tool, the technology has been opened up to use without those coupons as well.

Whether you are a spa, hair salon, yoga instructor or car valet, this simple platform allows you to add a simple JavaScript button to your site which directs to its online booking site.  Groupon's Scheduler aims to help you book more customers with less work, freeing you from spending time on the phone booking appointments and helping reduce the number of non-attended appointments.  The only businesses currently excluded from the tool are restaurants and hotels, with Groupon commenting that these businesses commonly have their own systems in place or use tools like OpenTable.

Based on the technology of the Vancouver company it bought last fall, OpenCal, the move is part of Groupon's long-term push to offer services and tools that encourage small businesses to run more deals through their site.

To sign up for the new tool visit http://www.groupon.com/scheduler