Whether you’re managing client appointments for a spa or coordinating a meeting across multiple time zones, manual scheduling can be a daunting task. Not only is it time-consuming, but it’s also prone to errors. Overbooking, for instance, can lead to negative reviews and hinder your search engine optimization (SEO) performance.
In this article, we’ll delve into five compelling reasons to adopt an automated booking software. Such a tool can help mitigate scheduling errors, enhance customer experience, boost employee productivity, and improve cash flow.
1. Facilitate Round-the-Clock Bookings and Leads Generation
Did you know the most popular time to book an appointment is between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays? With conventional office hours typically running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., responding to a backlog of appointment requests received over the weekend can be challenging and potentially frustrate customers.
A study by GetApp revealed that 94% of customers are more likely to choose a service provider offering an online booking option. Automated scheduling software empowers customers to:
- Schedule appointments at their convenience
- Choose a specific service provider and view their real-time availability
- Reschedule without needing to make a call
These features can shield you from a barrage of back-and-forth messages or phone calls regarding bookings. Plus, they can help prevent the loss of potential clients who are eager to book outside regular work hours but are deterred by the lack of online scheduling functionality.
This is corroborated by research from Phorest, a salon software-as-a-service company, which found that nearly 50% of all bookings in the spa and beauty salon industry occur online when businesses are closed.
2. Win Over New Clients
Providing new clients and prospects with information about what to expect from their first appointment can create a positive impression and enhance productivity.
While sending a standard “thank you for booking” confirmation email is commonplace, when additional customer information is required, smart scheduling software allows you to:
- Add questions to meeting requests
- Collect essential attendee details
- Process payments
These capabilities can save you from the hassle and staffing time needed for routine tasks like confirmation calls and invoice follow-ups.
3. Minimize Phone Calls
With the rise of platforms like Airbnb, Uber, and OpenTable, customers increasingly anticipate seamless and digitalized booking experiences for the services they wish to avail.
Consider the following findings from various surveys:
- 59% of the general population get frustrated with waiting times and inconvenient office hours associated with phone-based appointment scheduling (GetApp, 2021)
- 75% of Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) avoid phone calls as they are “too time-consuming” (BankMyCell, 2020)
- 81% of Millennials feel anxious before making a call (BankMyCell, 2020)
These statistics clearly indicate that local businesses should be evolving their tech stack and aligning their customer journey with changing preferences. Even better, less time spent on the phone handling appointment inquiries allows business owners and employees to focus on more valuable tasks.
4. Cut Costs and Lower “No-Show” Risk
Research by software consulting giant Accenture found that the U.S. healthcare system could have saved $3.2 billion in 2019 if more people booked appointments online.
Online medical appointment scheduling takes less than a minute, compared to 8.1 minutes on the phone, with staff transferring calls 63% of the time. This leads to more booking-related paperwork and less time for patient care.
“Just as consumers use online tools to book restaurant reservations or request a cab, patients want the same experience in self-booking a doctor’s appointment,” noted the Accenture report.
Moreover, the appointment reminder feature typically integrated into scheduling software significantly reduces the risk of no-shows, as per analysis by 10to8.com.
5. Boost Employee Productivity
A 2018 Udemy report found that 60% of employees believe that poorly scheduled and disorganized meetings distract them from working efficiently.
That’s why it’s crucial not to overlook meeting scheduling, especially for fast-growing SMBs with hybrid work environments and employees spread across various states and countries.
Automated meeting scheduling can eliminate behaviors such as:
- Employees asking each other “when are you free?” to initiate a meeting
- The need to check calendars throughout the day
- Manually adding video conferencing links to meeting events
- Calculating time zone differences for meetings with colleagues in different regions
A suitable scheduling tool should handle most meeting-related logistics, including adding video conferencing links, finding a time to meet, and meeting preparation tasks.
By embracing automated booking software, businesses can streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and boost overall productivity. It’s an investment that can yield significant returns and contribute to your business’s success.
