subject: Losing Business to Inefficient Scheduling [print this page] Losing Business to Inefficient Scheduling
One of the most reliable ways to keep a customer is to schedule their next appointment at the end of their last. For a hair salon, this may mean scheduling a touch up as a client leaves from having their hair tinted. For a personal trainer, it may mean scheduling the next session as a client is on their way out the door from their latest workout. This is a great opportunity for business people, as it entails a potential upsell and, of course, encourages client retention. Setting appointments online is another option for this.
An online scheduler is a piece of software that the client and the business owner use together. From the client side, the software presents them with a selection of available times and services. The business owner is given a far more comprehensive interface that can include client information. Setting these schedulers up is largely a matter of simply setting preferences. You'll have to have a menu of your services available and, of course, the hours that clients can choose from must be listed. From the client's perspective, this is a very easy proposition.
If you were the client using the appointment software, you'd be presented with a list of services. These would be tied to the time they take, ensuring that clients don't inadvertently book too little time for a service. They choose what they want and when and click a button to set the appointment. You're instantly notified and your schedule is updated. The upsell opportunity is still there, however, as the client can basically shop for your services and has instant information on how long those services take and how much they cost. This presents them the opportunity to basically upsell themselves, even without having frequented your business first!
Online booking software is much different from the "synching" software that was used in the recent past. That software didn't allow for instant communication; a significant disadvantage. Web-enabled software has become the norm for most new developments and it's not too surprising that appointment software has followed in that trend. For time management issues in particular, having instant communication is a great way to make sure that customers and businesses are always aware of each other's needs and, for the client, that there is a full list of services available to them at all times.
