With many businesses re-opening using appointments only, the time to use appointment scheduling software has never been more important. Appointment scheduling software allows customers to view a calendar of your business’s available meeting times and self-book an appointment, or allows any member of staff to make an appointment without worry about double booking.
It also lets business owners manage appointments, send automatic reminders, and accept deposits online. Free appointment scheduling software can be hard to find, as many programs are simply limited versions of larger, paid services.
Other then Social Distancing, why is appointment scheduling software so important. Your customer wants to make an appointment to come in and get fitted for a suite, they go to make an appointment online, and then realize that you don’t have that option available.
What next? They have to pick up the phone, and call the store. When speaking with you, they have to scramble to view their calendar on their phone, to find the best day and time to book an appointment. After some back and forth on availability, you confirm their appointment for Saturday, June 29, at 10 a.m.
Saturday, June 29th rolls around and the customer doesn’t show up, when you ring them up it turns out they had forgotten about the appointment as they didn’t put in their phone and you didn’t send a reminder SMS
What is online appointment scheduling software?
Appointment booking software easily allows customers to schedule and update appointments via web-based systems. The technology is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, and can integrate with various customer relationship management tools. It also offers the ability to capture scheduling statistics, accept online payments, and send automated notifications like SMS and email reminders.
Customers can book appointments with the right people at the right time, saving staff a tremendous amount of time trying to arrange appointment logistics via phone and shuffle through various calendars. The collective data that retailers can glean from booking software allows them to gather deeper customer insights, and provide exceptional customer experiences. As a result, businesses can strengthen their customer relationships, which creates more revenue and loyalty.
What Makes a Great Appointment Scheduling Software?
Flexibility. Your business is one of a kind. The best appointment scheduling software know that different kinds of organizations have different needs. Therefore, they let you deeply customize how your bookings work. A small gym offering one-on-one training sessions should have a different booking experience than a community workshop that rents gardening equipment.
Calendar syncing. Nearly all appointment scheduling software let you sync with a calendar. That way, you can see your business’s scheduled appointments alongside other important information, such as days when you’ll be closed for holidays or renovations.
Payment processing. The best appointment scheduling software let you collect a payment at the time of booking. That way, you can take a deposit before for an appointment or have customers pay for their services upfront. If a customer doesn’t show up, your business isn’t at a total loss. Plus, in some industries, having customers pay before their appointment keeps the business running more smoothly and results in a happier customer experience.