Appointment scheduling is an indispensable activity in every business. Until recently, most appointments were scheduled manually.
This was time-consuming and prone to errors too.
There was another problem of last-minute cancellations that impacted businesses heavily on the revenue front.
Automated appointment schedulers are the solution for this. It is found that businesses that use scheduling software see an average revenue increase of 27%.
In this blog, we have listed the features and benefits of appointment schedulers.
Some essential features of an appointment scheduling software
User friendly
The app should be easy to use with an intuitive interface. It should be self-explanatory so that not much time is spent in training to use the app.
Should be integrated with the payments app
Integration of the appointment scheduler with your payments app makes the process of payments a breeze. Most appointments require pre-payment, and this can reduce no-shows.
Mobile-friendly
The scheduling app should be mobile-friendly. Appointments may be scheduled using a laptop or mobile. This necessitates providing a seamless experience by designing the app to be compatible with mobiles.
Flexibility
The scheduler app should offer flexibility to make changes multiple times. Given the uncertain nature of businesses, the client must attend the meeting on a different date. It should allow rescheduling for the benefit of the customers.
Sharing of meeting links
With meetings going online, the appointment scheduler should deliver the meeting link by integrating it with the video communication software.
Sync with the calendar
The scheduling software should allow syncing with your calendar. Any double bookings will be noticed with this feature, and you can immediately change the schedules.
Should notify dates not available
You should be able to block the days you won’t be available on the scheduling app. This makes it easy for the clients as they know the dates available for booking.
Benefits of appointment scheduler
Here is the list of 5 incredible benefits of scheduler software.
Improves operational efficiency
Scheduling, rescheduling, sending reminders, canceling, following up, etc., consume a considerable part of your staff’s productive time if all these are done manually.
With instant scheduling software, the appointment scheduling process has become much easier. Clients can fix the time slot they feel comfortable with. Reminders and any other changes are taken care of by the software.
This way, it saves a lot of time that your employees could put to more productive use. This ultimately improves operational efficiency.
Reduces the chance of cancellations and no-shows
You often keep waiting for your client, but they miss the appointment due to the absence of proper reminders. The time wasted here impacts your revenue. Imagine if this is the case with many clients.
With online scheduling, this is no longer an issue. An appointment scheduler is linked to the calendar and sends periodic reminders to the client. They can also reschedule for another date instead of not showing up on the specified date.
This proves to assist both the clients and your business greatly.
Enhances customer satisfaction
Satisfied customers become your loyal customers. Through automatic appointment schedulers, you make scheduling convenient and easy for the clients.
Since everything is automated, they are free from the trouble of reaching out to you through emails and phone calls.
The appointment scheduler allows them to access the tool to choose dates, reschedule, cancel, etc. This gives them a personalized experience and improves their satisfaction. With their pleasant experience with your business, they are happy to continue as customers for a long time.
Eliminates manual errors
Manual scheduling is a tedious process. There are chances for a lot of errors to creep in. Your employees are involved in multiple activities, and there are chances of losing track of an appointment.
Missing an appointment due to the employee’s fault may cost your reputation. There could also be errors due to wrong dates, missing out on reminders, wrong client information, etc.
All these errors are eliminated with appointment scheduling software. Once you fix the date and time, it takes care of the reminders. It also sends online meeting links by integrating with your meeting app.
Booking can be made 24X7
Manual scheduling allows you to interact with customers only during business hours. But research says that 40% of appointments are booked after office hours.
An appointment scheduling app allows access around the clock since everything is online and automated. This feature is a great benefit to people in different time zones.
The customers fix meeting dates at their convenience. Once they fix a schedule, the business gets the intimation about the same, so you can be prepared.
It saves a lot of time and offers clients a better experience. Once the date is set, it is integrated with the client’s calendar to send reminders.
Conclusion
Appointment schedulers are important to maintain healthy relationships with your customers. There are several online apps available, each with unique features. Assess the pros and cons of each of them to choose the best one for your business.
