Scheduling and managing appointments and reservations is an integral part of a service-oriented business operation. And they can be one of the least enjoyable tasks for owners and staff, especially if the business primarily accepts appointments and bookings over the phone and manually records them in a paper appointment book, electronic calendar, or file. This method is time consuming, tedious and wastes valuable staff resources.
So it’s no surprise that a growing number of small business owners and operators are looking for an alternative to their scheduling processes. For many, this comes in the form of appointment scheduling and booking software. But with so many different types to choose from, where do you start looking? The answer is online for software-as-a-service (SaaS) appointment scheduling apps.
THE SAAS ADVANTAGE
Technology has come a long way in recent years. The days of traveling to an electronics or department store to buy “boxed” software applications are fast becoming a thing of the past, as most applications are now accessible online. Some still require the purchaser to download and install them on an individual computer. Others require no additional steps on the part of the user and are as easy to access and use as any web service, such as online banking, email and social networking sites. Known as SaaS programs, these are typically “pay as you go” services that small business owners and their staff can access from any Internet connection. They generally do not require any additional and expensive hardware, downloads, or other installations to use. Companies simply visit the provider’s website, sign up for the service (many offer free trials to test the software and see if it fits their programming needs), create an account, and start using the service.
WHAT FUNCTIONALITY DOES THE ONLINE APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE OFFER?
Although the functionality varies between providers, in general, most online appointment scheduling software offers features such as:
• Self-scheduling of customers online. This is one of the most popular features of online appointment scheduling software, as small businesses can experience an almost immediate decrease in the number of phone calls from customers looking to schedule appointments. Gives customers the ability to schedule their own service hours at their convenience from any Internet connection at any time of day. This is really appreciated by many of us who just don’t have time to book appointments during normal business hours. In essence, you keep your business open 24 hours a day.
• Automated email and text message reminders. As most small business owners can attest, “no-shows” can be the bane of your appointment-scheduling process and have a significant impact on operating income by wasting time slots that other customers could have taken. Surveys have shown that reminders of any kind can help reduce the number of absences by 50 percent. But how many small business owners have the time or resources to make reminder phone calls or send emails? Some online appointment scheduling software providers automatically send email and text reminders to clients before scheduled times. Users can simply set when they want the system to send them, for example a day before the appointment or reservation, and the software does the rest.
• Record keeping and reporting capabilities. Keeping accurate records of appointment details and customer information is important to all service-oriented businesses. But it can also be a challenge when relying on traditional methods to manage appointments. Does this scenario sound familiar to you? A customer calls to schedule an appointment, the owner or staff member checks availability on one calendar, books the appointment on another, and then adds additional information in a separate file or spreadsheet. In all, the information could be distributed in multiple places, making reporting difficult and imprecise. Because online scheduling systems centralize the client’s appointment and date in one secure and easily accessible location, collecting and viewing this information can be very easy. Some even offer standard reports that users can quickly create with just a few mouse clicks.
• Electronic marketing capabilities. Another benefit of SaaS online appointment scheduling providers is the ease with which a small business can launch an e-marketing campaign through the software. As with record keeping and reporting tasks, maintaining customer email records can be tedious and require a separate file in addition to the appointment book or calendar. It can also be a challenge to update customer emails. As mentioned in the previous point, the scheduling software centralized customer information, including emails, making it easy to access and store. They are also more likely to be up to date, as customers can update them when they manage their accounts in the scheduler. Some systems even allow users to send mass email messages directly through them.
• Online payment options. Clients may wish to pay for your services at the same time they book them. Adding an online payment module can help improve payment processing procedures, as well as reduce the number of missed appointments, since customers will almost certainly make an appointment that they have already paid for.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SAAS ONLINE APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING PROVIDER
All online dating software systems are not built the same; therefore, it is important for a small business to do their homework before choosing the software for their appointment scheduling or booking needs.
Factors to consider may include:
• Security. Since online scheduling involves the transfer and storage of customer information, it is imperative that the service provider implements the latest security measures and processes to ensure that all of their customers and customer information remain secure.
• Cost and payment options. Costs can vary as much as functionality, with some providers offering a free service and others offering it for a nominal monthly fee. As the old adage goes, “You get what you pay for,” so make sure the software is reliable and offers the necessary features to properly automate your appointment scheduling procedures. Providers can offer customers month-to-month payment options, a great option for small businesses reluctant to sign long-term contracts.
• PCI compliance. Small businesses planning to offer customers online payment options and credit card capture should check to see if the provider allows such transactions to be PCI compliant. This status gives customers and businesses the peace of mind that online transactions are secure.
• Reliability and effectiveness in similar industries. Be sure to check out how similar small businesses use the software for their appointment and booking processes. Although some dating services are versatile and fit perfectly into the dating processes of most industries, some fill more specific niches and may not be as compatible with other types of businesses.
SaaS applications are becoming more common in small business operations across the country. And for good reason: they’re affordable, reliable, easily accessible from any Internet connection, and give operations the tools they need to improve and streamline their operations. Give it a try for your appointment scheduling needs and see how it automates the process from start to finish.