Category Archives: Appointment

5 Potential Barriers to Automated Appointment-Making

By | Appointment | No Comments
5 Potential Barriers to Automated Appointment-Making

Automated scheduling makes life for appointment-based businesses so much easier. However, that may not be the case for all your clients. There are some potential accessibility barriers that every business must be aware of, especially when moving most of their operations to an online platform.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990 to help eliminate everyday discrimination against people with disabilities. This includes barriers to employment, schooling, and working with businesses. The internet has helped a lot of people with disabilities accomplish great things, but there are still struggles to overcome. Businesses should take the following factors into account as a strong first step toward making online scheduling available to all:

1. Visibility

The most common disability you’ll come across when operating online is visual impairments. There a variety of different issues that may affect your customers, each with its own required solutions:

Low Vision

There are lots of factors that can contribute to low vision, from cataracts and astigmatism to simple aging of the body. Individuals with low vision will struggle with small bodies of text, complex fonts, and poor spacing between words. Minor tweaks to your website and online appointment software, as well as enabling text enlargement as a feature, will accommodate their needs.

Some of your customers may be legally blind, rendering all the text and images on your website inaccessible to them. These individuals typically rely on screen readers to navigate the internet, getting all their information from sound. Read through your appointment process and see how each heading and set of instructions sounds in your head. If everything flows smoothly, you should be in the clear. 

Color Blindness

The average person can clearly distinguish different colors. Those who suffer from color blindness, though, lack such perception. This can be a challenge for them in many aspects of life, including working through websites that rely on color signals for navigation.

For example, red is a common color used to indicate an error in a form field that’s needed to finalize an appointment. Red can be a tricky color for many color blind people to identify, causing them to miss the details that require their attention. Using textures or symbols alongside colors will help direct them just as well as any other customer. 

Light Sensitivity

Some people are really sensitive to light, which can make it difficult for them to navigate your website if it includes bright colors. Many apps include a “dark mode” setting for this very purpose. Replacing white with black is a simple tactic that can make all the difference for those with high light sensitivity. 

You might think that adjusting the brightness on a device is enough, but don’t count on it. When looking to comply with ADA regulations, go above and beyond to meet the needs of every customer you serve. 

2. Hearing Impairments

While the internet is considered to be a primarily visual medium, there are certain aspects that only function with an auditory component. You might not realize that you’re alienating those with hearing impairments until you revisit your website with a fresh perspective. 

Does your website have a video that’s used to explain how your appointment software works? If you do, make sure that those with hearing impairments receive equal direction. Enable closed captioning or provide a transcript of the video so that all the information can be read as well as heard.

3. Dyslexia

Contrary to popular belief, dyslexia is not a visual problem. It’s considered a language-based learning disability that makes reading and writing a challenge. People with dyslexia are just as smart as anyone else. However, their brains have a harder time connecting letters and words together when reading things like your appointment booking portal.

Simple fonts such as Ariel are easier to process. Avoid using italics if possible, as this can cause letters to run together or seem foreign. In addition, videos and images can guide those with dyslexia through your appointment booking software if you make them an option. 

4. Motor Function

Motor skill disabilities pose another potential obstacle to online appointment booking. Trying to operate a sensitive mouse or trackpad can be frustrating for customers with even minor struggles with motor functions. Your job as a business is to make website navigation and appointment booking as easy as possible for everyone.

This demographic normally gets by through keyboard commands rather than a trackpad or touchy mouse. Make sure customers can navigate through your appointment booking software by using arrow keys and shortcuts. Even customers with perfect motor skills will appreciate having several options for website navigation. 

5. Sensory and Memory Issues

Ever experienced a sensory overload? When there’s too much going on in your vicinity, it’s practically impossible to focus. People with sensory processing issues can experience such sensory overload all too easily. If your online booking software is too loud and busy, it can be too overwhelming for these individuals to schedule appointments online.

There are also those with short-term memory problems who will struggle with a long and complicated booking process. Take time to evaluate how your online booking software can be simplified to cater to both of these types of customers, as well as anyone else who might simply be in a hurry. 

There are many unique disabilities and hardships that each of your customers push through on a daily basis. Get to know them so that you can serve them better, both through your online appointment software and your in-house service. You’ll feel a greater sense of satisfaction knowing that no customer will be turned away or feel discouraged when interacting with your business.

12 Stress Busters to Put You at Ease

By | Appointment | No Comments
12 Stress Busters to Put You at Ease

Congratulations America. We’re the most stressed nation in the world. In fact, 55% of adults in the U.S. reported that they experienced stress during “a lot of the day” — compared to 35% globally.

And, stress has become even more overwhelming in the midst of COVD-19.

To be fair, stress is inevitable. While eating healthy, physical activity, getting enough sleep, and self-care are proven strategies to reduce stress, sometimes you need to call the Stress Busters. If not, you may be putting your mental health and wellbeing in dire straits.

1. Join the A’s.

“When we feel the effects of stress weighing us down, it’s like lugging a backpack that’s becoming heavier by the minute,” writes the Mayo Clinic Staff. “Too much stress can make our journey through life difficult.

And, it’s not just obligations that we dread that can cause stress. Even things that we look forward to — think weddings — can also cause be stressful. “When your stress level exceeds your ability to cope, you need to restore the balance by reducing the stressors or increasing your ability to cope or both.”

As such, if you need stress relief, you try using;

  • Avoid. Yes. It is possible to bypass stress. For example, if traffic gets your blood boiling, plan your commute when it’s not as hectic. If you’re working at full capacity, then learn how to say “no.”
  • Alter. You can also change your situation to alleviate stress. Some suggestions would be establishing boundaries, managing your energy, and communicating your feelings.
  • Accept. Sometimes, you need to realize that things are just the way they are. Learning from your mistakes, positive self-talk, and venting productively can help.
  • Adapt. Change your expectations and standards. Mantras, reframing, and focusing on the big picture can also help you adapt.

Just practice using the right technique until you notice that that once-hefty backpack is now your private bag of tricks.

2. Take a vacation — in your mind.

While actually getting out of Dodge, or even a staycation, can help put distance between you and your stress triggers, this isn’t always feasible. Maybe you don’t have the time or money. Or, there are still travel restrictions because of this ongoing pandemic.

Even if you have a vacation planned in a couple of months, that’s not going to help you get back to homeostasis right now. Guided imagery, however, can.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed, imagine that you’re in you’re “happy place.” All you need to do is close your eyes and let your senses take over. If this is the beach, imagine the sun warming your skin, the sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean, and the sand between your toes.

Don’t stay there too long, though — you don’t want to get sunburnt. Just visit for a couple of minutes so that you’re ready to face the present once again.

3. Become a NAVY Seal.

You don’t have to do this literally — unless that’s your provocative. But, you can actually use the “4 x 4 breathing” technique that SEALS use to lower their physical stress response and regain control.

Also known as the “box breathing” method, it’s been used by former Navy SEAL commander Mark Divine since 1987. And, it works like this;

  • Close your eyes. Next, slowly count to four while breathing in through your nose.
  • Hold your breath and count slowly to four. Make sure that you don’t clamp your mouth or nose shut.
  • Slowly being exhaling for 4 seconds.
  • Repeat the above at least three times. Ideally, you’ll do this for 4 minutes or until calm returns.

4. Go on a negative fast.

Are you stuck in a negative loop? You’re not alone. Neuroscientists have found that our thoughts have momentum.

What does that mean? Well, the more negative thoughts you have, the more likely you’ll end up in a rut. On the flip side, positivity begets positivity.

The good news is that you can rewire your brain to be more positive by going negatively fast. The first suggestion would be to go on a tech detox — primarily getting off social media. Practicing gratitude and exchanging negative thoughts for positive ones can help be of assistance.

5. Assert yourself.

I’ll keep this one short and sweet. If both personal and professional demands are putting too much stress on you, then it’s okay to say “no.” Remember, your priorities come first.

Just be honest and upfront with them. You might also be willing to compromise. For example, if you can’t meet with a client or friend this Friday, share your calendar with them so that they can pick a date when you’re available.

6. Practice PMR.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a method designed to help manage tension caused by stress and anxiety. To get started, the University of Michigan Health System suggests the following procedure;

  • Breathe in and tense the first muscle group (hard but not to the point of pain or cramping) for 4 to 10 seconds.
  • Breathe out, and suddenly and completely relax the muscle group (do not relax it gradually).
  • Relax for 10 to 20 seconds before you work on the next muscle group. Notice the difference between how the muscles feel when they are tense and how they feel when they are relaxed.
  • When you are finished with all muscle groups, count backward from 5 to 1 to bring your focus back to the present.

With some practice, you’ll be able to relax more easily and quickly.

7. Consider stress your friend.

While uncomfortable, stress can actually be good for you in small doses. In fact, according to health psychologist Kelly McGonigal one study found that when participants viewed stress as helpful, they had a healthier cardiovascular profile. “It actually looks a lot like what happens in moments of joy and courage,” she explained during a TED Talk.

So, instead of completely eliminating stress, McGonigal suggests that we get better at stress. To achieve this, she recommends that we view stress in more constructive ways. For example, when you notice a change in your heart rate or other physical symptoms induced by stress, tell yourself, “This is my body helping me rise to this challenge.”

8. LOL.

As the adage goes, “laughter is the best medicine.” And, science has proven that there’s some truth to this.

Laughter can relieve stress by;

  • Stimulating your organs
  • Relaxing your muscles
  • Improving cardiac health
  • Boosting your immune system
  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Aiding in weight loss
  • Being a healthy distraction
  • Improving your mood
  • Reducing stress hormones
  • Increasing endorphins
  • Strengthening relationships

That’s all well and good. But, how can you add more laughter into your daily life?

Well, that can vary. However, you can try calling someone who always makes you chuckle. Looking at funny picture or videos are also a tried and true way to tickle your funny bone. Spending time with your pet, not taking yourself so seriously, and trying laughter yoga are also recommended.

9. Be imperfect.

“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life,” says researcher and author Brené Brown. “Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.” Gotta love Brené — she’s my go-to for many questions.

I always say, “perfectionism prevents you from improving and discovering new opportunities.” Worse (to me) stress and thinking about it — ruins your productivity. You think about everything that is wrong. Stew, think some more — wish you had done that differently (more wasted time). Rinse and repeat the second-guessing another twenty times.

Truly — needling yourself with perfectionism can pretty much ruin every part of your life. I use to think if I cut myself down far enough “it would finally make me shape up and fly right.” Perfectionism is not worth the body toll, not the damage to your health, business, and of course, relationships.

The good news? You can stop perfectionism in its tracks by;

  • Let go and surrender to the moment.
  • Set SMART goals that you’ll actually achieve.
  • Welcome feedback from others.
  • Stop comparing yourself to others.
  • Use “hypothesis testing” to push you out of your comfort zone.
  • Stop ruminating.
  • Find the balance between good and perfect.
  • Focus on the process and enjoy it.

10. Create a masterpiece.

A Drexel University study found that making art can significantly reduce stress-related hormones in your body. The best part? The skill level doesn’t matter.

So, the next time you’re stressed, go ahead and doodle, collage, model clay, or tap into your inner Van Gogh.

11. Connect with others.

“One of the most under-appreciated aspects of the stress response,” said McGonigal, is that, “Stress makes you social.”

“To understand this side of stress, we need to talk about a hormone, oxytocin,” she added.

“Oxytocin is a neuro-hormone,” McGonigal stated. “It fine-tunes your brain’s social instincts. It primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships.” It even makes you crave physical contact with your friends and family,” enhances empathy, and “makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about.”

Also, oxytocin is a natural anti-inflammatory. “It also helps your blood vessels stay relaxed during stress.” And it “helps heart cells regenerate and heal from any stress-induced damage.”

What does this all mean? Helping your family, friend, neighbors, community, or coworkers can reduce the negative effects of stress.

12. Practice emotional first aid.

“You put a bandage on a cut or take antibiotics to treat an infection, right?” asks psychologist Guy Winch. “No questions asked. In fact, questions would be asked if you didn’t apply first aid when necessary.”

“So why isn’t the same true of our mental health?”

“We are expected to just ‘get over’ psychological wounds — when as anyone who’s ever ruminated over rejection or agonized over a failure knows only too well, emotional injuries can be just as crippling as physical ones,” he adds. But, we need to learn how to practice emotional first aid by doing the following;

  • Don’t ignore your emotional pain. When you’re aware of it, treat it before it gets worse.
  • When you fail, redirect your gut reaction so that this won’t happen again.
  • If you’re treating yourself unkindly, be compassionate and talk yourself up.
  • Disrupt negative thoughts with positive distractions.
  • Find meaning in loss.
  • Don’t let excessive guilt linger.
  • Learn which treatments work best for you.

“Yes, practicing emotional hygiene takes a little time and effort, but it will seriously elevate your entire quality of life,” guarantees Winch.

Avoiding the ‘Black Hole’ of Customer Engagement

By | Appointment | No Comments
Avoiding the ‘Black Hole’ of Customer Engagement

Automated appointment systems make life so much easier for both businesses and their customers. Booking and executing an appointment have never been more efficient. However, you need to be careful about falling into the “black hole” of customer engagement that can form around automation. 

Too many automated appointment systems facilitate client interaction during the booking process but end there. There are no response mechanisms or continuing interaction throughout the rest of the customer journey. Make sure you don’t lose people after they click the “Submit” button by following these tips:

Keep an Agent Within Reach

While online appointment software and other digitized features have nearly endless benefits, sometimes customers just need to talk to someone. It gets frustrating when you’re stuck with a chatbot and need to ask a more complicated question that only a human can answer. 

One of your employees doesn’t have to be available to help customers 24/7, as chatbots are able to do. Still, make sure your customers know they can speak with a customer service agent during business hours for more complex problems and concerns. 

When solving customer problems, your CS representatives have an excellent opportunity to further engage with customers. They can ask leading questions to get customers to provide feedback that, in ordinary situations, they might just keep to themselves. Have your reps record any comments customers make so you can take action on the issues they think need to be addressed. 

Send Out Customer Surveys

Customer engagement after the appointment is just as important as engagement before and throughout. The feedback you receive from customers provides valuable information on ways you can improve or practices you should continue using. 

After an appointment, send out a short email thanking customers for their business. Include a survey link in each email and ask customers to respond to questions about their experience. Make sure the survey link is easy to locate within your message. 

Use Social Media Regularly

If you want to engage with your customers when they’re not at your business, turn to social media. Roughly 70% of Americans have a social media account, most of which are used regularly. There are plenty of opportunities for customer engagement here.

Social media can spur customer engagement in several ways. An ad campaign will gather clicks that can lead to more appointment bookings. Inviting comments on posts provides another platform for customers to voice their comments and mention concerns the company can address.

Track Key Data Metrics

When customer engagement gets placed on the back burner, you have to find new ways to bring it back to the forefront. Set goals to track key metrics using customer data. In order to accomplish these goals, you’ll have to monitor customer engagement via online interactions. 

Set up your website to track customer engagement online. You’ll be able to see how long customers spend on your website, what pages they visit, and your landing page bounce rate. This information will help you adjust the layout to place forms and resources where they’ll best be seen. 

Data metrics can be drawn from your in-house team as well. Tracking the percentage of customers who accept an upsell will show you how customers are responding to this sales tactic. If percentages are low, you’ll know you need to change your strategy.

Incentivize Engagement

Some customers will purposely place themselves in the black hole of customer engagement because they simply don’t want additional interaction. If something goes wrong, they’ll either grin and bear it or take their business elsewhere without a word. 

Customers have the right to keep their thoughts to themselves, but your business benefits from their feedback and engagement. To draw them out of the woodwork, incentivize engagement to get the highest engagement rates possible.

A common business strategy is to take survey responses and use them as raffle tickets. Customers who leave feedback are entered into a drawing to win free services or other perks that are valuable to them. Using this tactic, you’ll receive more feedback than just the occasional review from those with strong opinions. 

Be Transparent

Nowadays, customers might associate surveys and unprovoked emails with marketing schemes intended to make a sale. Be transparent about the real reason you’re looking to boost customer engagement so they don’t shy away from your overtures.

For example, you might be reaching out to customers to inquire about a service package your company provides. Make it known from the get-go that you’re sending the survey to gauge whether you should continue to offer the package (or whatever your reason is). Customers won’t feel like you’re only trying to sell them something and will be more likely to provide honest feedback. 

Make Engagement Count

Finally, when you gather feedback, do something about it! Customers will fail to see the need for interaction and engagement if your company isn’t listening or reciprocating. 

Let’s say customers consistently mention the long wait times they experience before each appointment with your business. Instead of just nodding in sad agreement, come up with a solution. Do you need to install self-check-in kiosks in the lobby or take measures to stop appointments from running long? Your actions will inspire customers to continue to provide feedback, as they’ll know it is being used to improve their experience. 

Learn to spot the signs of a customer engagement black hole so you can steer clear of it. As soon as you feel your business being drawn in, take the necessary steps to adjust your course. By doing so, you will retain more customers and keep your operations running smoothly.

7 Simple Ways to Make Team Meetings Count

By | Appointment | No Comments
7 Simple Ways to Make Team Meetings Count

Team meetings play a traditional and sometimes obligatory role in office culture, but that doesn’t mean they’re appreciated.

On the contrary, a recent Harris poll revealed that 46 percent of employees would prefer to do anything else other than sit in a status meeting. Seventeen percent said they would rather watch paint dry. Yikes.

Transforming those counter-productive meetings into meaningful ones is no mean feat, but in this post, I’ll share seven simple tips ways to make team meetings count.

1. Keep it Casual

Instead of being an extension of office life, attending a team meeting should feel like you’re taking a breather from your work.

To make that feeling a reality for your workforce, try setting a more casual tone in your team meetings by starting with an interactive game, a quick story, or even a joke. However, be wary of being overly relaxed, lest your important team meetings become nothing more than social gatherings.

2. Ditch The Chairs

To further set your team meetings apart from the daily grind, empty out the chairs from your meeting room and have stand-up meetings instead.

Not only does standing up encourage engagement, but it also reduces meeting times by up to 34%, so your team can spend less time in meetings and more time producing results.

3. Refresh the Agenda

If your agenda rarely changes, you can’t expect anything other than stale meetings.

To keep your employees engaged, refresh your agendas with relevant issues, industry news, and new strategies that can help the company on micro and macro levels.

But whatever you do, don’t invent talking points in order to “fill up” your agenda. If nothing needs to be discussed, then so be it.

4. Rotate The Leader

Each meeting should be led by one person for the sake of efficiency. Rotating that leader will give your team meetings the variety they desperately need.

You’ll want to write up a short guideline for different leaders to follow, but ultimately, you should let your employees volunteer and enjoy the experience of leading a meeting.

However, if the meeting is being held in order to make an urgent decision, be sure that the leader is also a high-ranking decision-maker.

4. Celebrate Successes

If your company wins a new contract or an employee reaches a personal milestone — celebrate it.

Team meetings help make up the culture and personality of your brand, and if you aren’t marking the big occasions with some celebratory cake, you’re sowing the seeds for a disjointed workforce.

This also applies to project post-mortem meetings, where it’s best to end on a congratulatory note.

5. Get Feedback

Surveying your employees is perhaps the most efficient way to optimize your team meetings.

  • Ask them about what they want to discuss
  • How they want to discuss it
  • What suggestions they would make in order to make team meetings more enjoyable and useful

6. End With a Summary

Even when they’re kept short and sweet, your employees will typically forget the key points of a meeting by the time they return to their workstations.

To ensure that your employees are going back to work with the meeting’s most valuable advice in mind, spend thirty seconds at the end of each meeting summarizing the key takeaways.

7. Make Meetings Rare

Although team meetings can be made fun, productive, and inspiring; nobody can dispute that it is not real work.

I suggest you take a leaf out of 37Signals’ book and keep team meetings to a minimum. They prefer to make use of email and IM to communicate. As they say, “every minute spent outside of the meeting room is a minute you can get real work done instead.”

Make Team Meetings Count for Your Team

The disdain for team meetings is almost universal among employees.

But if your company can make team meetings enjoyable and meaningful, you’ll be set apart from your competitors. This can only be a good thing when your workforce inevitably shares stories about your company on platforms like GlassDoor.

How does your company approach team meetings?

How to Get Yourself Outside More

By | Appointment | No Comments
How to Get Yourself Outside More

After a full year of off-and-on lockdowns and remote work stints, getting outside is more important than ever. Research from the University of Alabama suggests that spending just 20 minutes outside in a park will make you feel happier. Sunshine, fresh air, and exercise will do wonders for your physical and mental health as you rebound from these tough times.

How to Get Yourself Outside More

Don’t sweat it if you’re still struggling to get outside. These suggestions will help you take the first couple of steps so you can make outdoor living an integral part of your life once again:

Utilize Work Breaks

Unless you have a job with strange hours and responsibilities, you’ll have a couple of 15-minute breaks and time for lunch every day. If the rest of your schedule is so jam-packed that you can’t fit in time to go outside, this will be your best shot.

If you plan on going out to eat for lunch, look for a restaurant within walking distance. To fill a 15-minute gap, invite a co-worker to go on a short walk with you for some team bonding. This could even turn into a team tradition that’s included in everyone’s online calendar.

Exercise in the Morning

By prioritizing morning exercise, you’re certain to get some outdoor time into your schedule. The benefits of exercise are well-known, attributing to better physical and mental health and increased productivity.

Morning exercise ensures you make time in your day to get outside. Trying to work out after a long day in the office can be tough, making exercise easy to procrastinate. Exercising first thing each day will also set up a great morning routine for you to get accustomed to.

Of course, you should exercise when it suits you best. Morning happens to be one of the easiest times to get started, even if you snooze your alarm the first few mornings you try. Try going on a morning jog or taking a yoga mat to your back porch.

Move Activities Outdoors

What daily activities can you complete outside? See what you can get done outdoors to make sure you’re getting some sun and fresh air. You might even find that you enjoy these activities more outside than you did inside.

If you spend a lot of time on the phone, take your calls outside. If you’re a person that feels the need to pace while they’re on the phone, you’ll have plenty of room to walk about. If WiFi reaches a shady spot outside, you can catch up on emails or do some typing on a laptop outdoors.

Even some recreational activities can be moved outside. Reading a book, watching TV, or playing a handheld video game can all be done outside your house. You’ll be able to enjoy the same relaxation and feel healthier while doing it.

Schedule Outdoor Events

You can attend so many outdoor events if you make room for them in your Calendar. A set plan is much more effective at getting you outside than wishful thinking.

Look around your community for events you can add to your schedule. A local 5k fun run might be supporting a noble cause and motivate you to get out and run more. Swap meets, concerts, and parades will all make fine additions to your Calendar and become fond outdoor memories.

Pick Up a New Hobby

Need a new hobby to fill the blank spaces in your Calendar? Look for something you can do outside. Pursuing this new hobby will draw you outdoors and help you develop a new skill while you’re at it.

There are plenty of outdoor activities you can pick up, including:

  • Biking
  • Fishing
  • Photography
  • Gardening
  • Skateboarding
  • Golf
  • Geocaching

All of these activities you can do by yourself but are even more enjoyable with others. If you ever want to spend some time outdoors with family and friends, coordinate with them using your Calendar. Share events and scheduling links to get on the same page and enjoy some outdoor activities together.

Become a Kid Again

Remember when you were a kid and you’d play outside until dark? It was so easy back then. Perhaps the best strategy for getting you back outside again is to revert to your child-like ways just for a moment.

What was it that brought you outside so much as a kid? Perhaps it was adventuring the woods near your house or finding cool rocks by the side of the road. Look for those little bits of joy that come from the outdoors and you’ll feel decades younger.

Plan a Project

If you own property, there’s always work to be done. Add projects to your Calendar and you’ll always have something to do outside. While it may be hard work, the result will always be rewarding.

Lawn care will always need attention in the spring and summer months. Create a lawn mowing schedule in your Calendar and make reminders to check on any flowers or plants you have growing on your property. You can also make time for other projects such as painting the fence, trimming bushes, or spraying weed killer on the driveway.

You won’t become Meriwether Lewis overnight, but by using your Calendar, you’ll be able to make outdoor activities a habit rather than a sacrifice. Take note of the benefits you get from making time to get outside and use that as motivation to keep venturing out.

Your Appointment System Works for You. Does It Work for Your Clients?

By | Appointment | No Comments
Your Appointment System Works for You. Does It Work for Your Clients?

If you use online appointment software, you’ll almost certainly love it. It’s amazing how the right piece of software can transform your entire business for the better. However, even if you’re happy with your appointment system, you need to know how your customers feel about it.

Every customer interaction you have provides an opportunity for feedback. The more opinions you get about your appointment system, the better service you can provide. Here are some ways you can get feedback from your clients at every step of their customer journey:

Send Email Blasts

While email is no longer everyone’s primary form of communication, it’s still a good way to seek feedback on your appointment system. Customers are likely used to receiving emails from you, so they’re the perfect spot to place some strategic survey links. 

Standalone survey emails are often deleted instantly, so incorporate your survey links into the emails your customers are already expecting. For example, add a survey link to the bottom of the confirmation emails you send when a customer books an appointment. Attaching a survey about your appointment system to an email thanking customers for their business could also do the trick. You can send them after each appointment or purchase.

Leverage Social Media

The average social media user spends nearly two and a half hours on digital platforms each day. That’s 150 minutes of opportunity for client interaction. You can use that time to target customers scrolling through their news feed. 

Surveys distributed through social media are visible and can be easily shared. They can also be packaged in a more attractive way than most other surveys.

Many businesses use social media to announce deals, events, and promotions to their followers. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Make customers who submit survey responses eligible for a giveaway. This will incentivize them to stop and answer questions about your appointment system rather than scroll right by. 

Use Built-In Wait Time

Keeping wait times for clients to a minimum is important. But customers will inevitably spend some time in your waiting room on occasion. This provides an excellent opportunity to pass along a small survey for them to take before their appointment begins.

Utilize the check-in procedure to get the process started. Once a customer signs in, ask them if they’d be willing to answer a few questions about your appointment system while they wait. Of course, you needn’t stop there. Your survey might also address the layout of the lobby or ask customers to rate their interaction with the front desk staff.

Update Customer Records

Not every survey about your appointment system has to be formal. Questions asked during an appointment will give you great, candid responses you’ll want to remember. To keep track of the information, record individuals’ responses on the relevant customer records. 

The patient portals doctors use are a great example of this. They allow doctors to keep track of patient responses during check-ups. Then they have all patient information in one place and can refer to the file as needed. 

Other industries can try a similar method. Online appointment software solutions that let you take note of any comments customers make could prove very useful. 

Run a Case Study

Is your company just now considering implementing online appointment software? There are things you can do to make the transition easier. Before you make the switch, run a case study with some volunteer customers. 

Identify customers who are willing to be your guinea pigs. Explain the new system and tell them that they’ll be asked for feedback about the experience. After a case study, you’ll know exactly how customers feel about your new appointment system before a full launch. 

Remember that when you run a case study, you should assemble a diverse group of volunteers. Older customers may have different questions and concerns about online appointment software than younger ones. Getting many perspectives will help you provide the best service to every customer who walks through your door. 

Add a Feedback Box

Making it easy for clients to share opinions can get you more respondents. So add a feedback box to your website. This will encourage customers to share their thoughts about your appointment system even when they’re on the website for a different purpose. 

A website feedback box acts just like a physical suggestion box you might have seen at a store or in your workplace. Online, the box may be a small chat bubble or even use a chatbot. Visitors can quickly jot down a thought and submit it in seconds. Plus, these feedback boxes catch customers at a moment when they’re naturally interacting with your website. This will make their responses more authentic and valuable. 

A customer might be using your online appointment software and make an immediate judgment. Maybe they think the layout is a bit cluttered, or they’re struggling to find a vital piece of information. Putting a feedback box right on the website will give customers a chance to share their insights. If it’s not there, they might forget the thought — and you might lose an opportunity to improve your business. 

As you gather feedback from your customers, be sure to put it in use. Businesses that strive to improve themselves in order to please their customers are the ones that stick around the longest. An appointment system that’s efficient and helpful is an important part of the client experience. Keep your customers happy by using the right system and taking their comments and concerns seriously. 

Plan the Best Honeymoon With an Online Calendar

By | Appointment | No Comments
Plan the Best Honeymoon With an Online Calendar

The peak wedding month is June — and we’re almost there.  A lot of time and effort goes into planning the perfect wedding. Occasionally the wedding is so intense that honeymoon plans are left on the back burner. Yet your first trip as a married couple is a wonderful bonding experience that deserves just as much attention as your other wedding arrangements.

Plan the Best Honeymoon With an Online Calendar

Just like with any other trip, an online calendar can help you iron out the details for an unbelievable experience. When it comes to your honeymoon — remember it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that deserves some time and attention to planning.

Save the Date

Your wedding date will likely be chosen far in advance. You should give your honeymoon sufficient heads up as well. This allows you to make sure everything is in order before you set sail.

The sooner you set your honeymoon dates in your online calendar, the quicker you can ask off work if needed and organize your future schedule. This will prevent last minute any last-minute tie-ups from throwing a wrench in your plans.

Planning in advance also helps you purchase plane tickets if needed and make reservations with plenty of time. There wouldn’t be much of a honeymoon if you forgot this. Note; you don’t have to leave for your honeymoon immediately after the wedding, you can add a day or two to prepare for your trip if you’d like.

Set a Budget

Even if you plan on going all out with your honeymoon plans, a budget is nice to have. A budget will help you plan out how many activities you can afford and stop you from too much overspending. Otherwise, you might go a little too crazy and regret it later.

You can start budgeting now with your online calendar. You can set your parameters and even start saving up for the trip. Not having to worry about finances during your honeymoon enables you to enjoy all the good things.

Do Your Research

Head into your honeymoon with proper preparation. Scope out vacation sites based on location, price, and available excursions. Your initial idea might be overshadowed by new findings you didn’t think about before.

After some digging, you might realize that original honeymoon plans don’t fit your proposed budget. Look for similar options and ask for advice from others based on their own honeymoon experiences.

Above all, be sure to schedule research time in your online calendar with plenty of time to make decisions about the location, flights, days you’ll stay and hotel bookings.

Pack Early

The less you have to worry about when your honeymoon dates arrive, the better. A simple task to take care of in advance is packing. While it might seem tempting to leave tossing stuff in your suitcase until the last minute — you’re asking for more stress than you need — and you’ll likely forget important items.

While some packing tips will help you fit everything you need, what’s most important is getting your packing done in advance. Schedule packing time in your online calendar on a day where you can handle it without a problem. Even getting the majority of your packing done before the wedding is a viable option.

Create an Itinerary

Honeymoons should be equal parts relaxing and exciting. While most of the time you might want to relax on a beach somewhere — it’s important to add some activities that make for fun memories as well. By creating an itinerary you can make sure there’s room for both.

A strict schedule isn’t everyone’s idea of a great honeymoon. If you prefer, keep a more relaxed itinerary. Flexible times take out the stress of vacationing, but still make sure you’re planning some day trips and activities throughout your honeymoon. However, some more specific details benefit from rigidness, such as flight times and hotel check-ins.

As part of your honeymoon itinerary, consider adding a few surprises that your spouse doesn’t know about. A romantic dinner or other surprise special event can really add to the honeymoon feel for them.

Make the Most of Travel

Now that the days of your vacation are all straightened out, don’t forget to give some attention to your travel time. Especially if you’re travelling far, there’s a lot of time you can fill and make more enjoyable.

For long flights, prepare some movies, books, or games to keep you connected as you reach your destination. Long drives can benefit from music and audio books as well. Prepare for travel and there will never be a dull moment.

While talking about travel, be sure to space out your flights if that’s your method of transportation. Nothing will ruin a honeymoon faster than a missed flight or an unexpected delay throwing everything off balance.

Talk to Locations in Advance — and Ask Someone Whose Been There

This might be the only honeymoon you ever take in your life, so you should take advantage of it as much as possible. Being newlyweds unlocks a lot of perks at hotels, restaurants, and even airports, but you won’t get any of them unless you ask.

Call hotels, restaurants, and other locations of interest a day or two before arrival. Bring up the fact that it’s your honeymoon to them. Even if you get nothing more than a small room upgrade and a free dessert, it’s worth the even smaller effort.

Plan a Day at Home

Returning from your honeymoon back to work and reality is a sad time. You’ll quickly miss the carefree feeling of vacationing after tying the knot with your significant other. To mitigate the post-vacation blues, plan a day at home to end your honeymoon.

Having at least one day in between your vacation and when you have to return to responsibilities makes for an easier transition. That day at home can be used to transition and prepare for a successful return to society. A little staycation never hurt anybody anyway.

At the end of it all, be sure to enjoy the quality time with your spouse. This trip set the tone for your marriage and future trips to come. Using your online calendar can get it done right.

Follow the Calendar Editorial Process

By | Appointment | No Comments
Follow the Calendar Editorial Process

The aim of Calendar is to present you with the possibility of owning your own life and destiny through scheduling.

With your online Calendar, everything comes together. Your work goals align, your plans fall into place, and you gain a vision of the whole of life. You have clearly defined objectives and intentions.

No more scrambling to get your plans down on your Calendar or find an empty space for others. Trying to bring these together can sometimes take longer than the appointment itself.

Follow the Calendar Editorial Process

You can now skip the hassle, embarrassment, and exasperation of missed appointments, lost opportunities, inconvenient meeting times, and plans that are never made.

We want to make scheduling faster, focused, and more productive — for you. We want to ensure that you have the time to meet and get together with those you choose.

You’ll also learn exactly how to raise your productivity level bit by bit until your success meets your aspirations.

When you meet with someone — you’ll accomplish more than you ever have before. We teach you how to apply productivity as a principle of power. You won’t waste your efforts.

Who Are We?

The team at Calendar includes technological support, staff writers, scientists, educators, Doctors, and freelancers who keep track of the newest and most consistent help and tools in the productivity arena. These writers and authors read and research the latest academic studies, and additional authorship on calendaring and productivity, and we even ask that they dip into the psychological whys and how-tos.

Additionally, the team of writers searches for studies into workplace practices that have proven worth, and reliable information that gives procedural input into how to get more out of work hours.

What does it take to build an effective team? How do you get things done?

We discover — and present to our readership — what it takes to build an effective team and get things done. We’re passionate about sharing all of our hard-earned findings with you because we truly feel that your success is our success.

As we look for the latest research and newest strategies for making the most of our time on this planet — we go over the findings and verify sources. We work with those who have better ways to explain foundational and fundamental topics — and with them, we present the best to you, our clients.

How We Do What We Do

We ask our talented writers to take a few moments before presenting their new content concepts and titles for review. Also, we ask them to check the newest updates and latest reports. We ask for any new products from technology firms that could benefit our clients. How can this product or process help our client? Have you examined the new product, or read the research from academics — what is your conclusion?

We have found our writers assessing studies by researchers and academics from the factories in southern China to the plethora of Startups in Silicon Valley. They have uncovered truths about the most efficient ways of working, and how to relieve work stress.

How do you make the most of your time at work and home?

The writers have presented information about how employees and executives are making the most of their time and producing the best products and services in the hours they have available.

Our team looks at what other experts are producing and pulls out the lessons that everyone should be learning. These lessons are then presented in a capable and compelling manner that you can easily understand.

Where to find an industry expert?

Every industry is different. Every line of work has its challenges and its difficulties. If the industry is not understood, we consult an industry expert for help with applying a concept so that you can also garner the knowledge.

The industries may vary — but how to gain an edge in that industry through the knowledge of applied productivity strategy — rarely is industry-specific. The information we take, study, and apply our productivity formula to leaves us with workable, actionable and reproducible processes.

What Our Editors Do

Before a Calendar writer begins writing, we ask for their new content concepts and titles for review with a few sentences of article intent. These are okayed before writing begins.

Naturally, with a Calendar product — we have to have articles that review dates on a Calendar — and that includes holidays and other dates that affect everyday life.

How to stick with your Calendar.

Some of the information on Calendar will alert you when you have other days that require your attention besides work. We don’t want you unprepared for your daughter’s swim relays; let alone an essential holiday that you may need to address by next week. We consider these our “fluffy or fun” pieces, but we know celebrations can cause a blip in your screen-of-life, and we hope to alert you to the big ones.

Upon receiving the okay for topic and concept, a writer proceeds to produce the article and they submit the article to the site. The site editor then begins the editing process. There are generally few typos or other such structural mistakes.

The site editor begins reviewing the article by checking the links to make sure they are linking to credible sources that augment the subject matter being presented. At this time, any broken link is found because all links are checked.

Fact-Checking at its best.

Next, the site’s editors begin fact-checking. Too many far-fetched-fanatical facts have been uncovered and analyzed in the last year to last all of us a lifetime. Our site editors do not fear to make fast, decisive, and vicious slices to information that is erroneous.

We aim to be correct and clear in our explanations and direction. We want an article that’s accurate, easy to read, and we want your time to be well-spent with us.

Time is the one resource that every person and company burns through at the same rate every day.

Lastly, at Calendar, we want to be a benefit to your life and business. We want to make sure that you’re making the most of the time you spend with us and our product.

Contact Calendar

If you have a productivity problem that you haven’t been able to solve — please contact us and explain the issue in detail. We will set our expert research department on that topic — and search for answers.

Conclusion

We believe productivity answers free the universe to perform its work. We are your resource for new answers in productivity research.

For all productivity questions, comments, or answers we’ve missed — Contact us HERE.

Calendar Analytics Tell How You Use Your Time

By | Appointment | No Comments
Calendar Analytics Tell How You Use Your Time

How are you using your time at work? How are you using your time at home? If you don’t measure these analytics on yourself — you really don’t know! Did you make your to-do list for today? Is a to-do list the way you measure your success — a checked-off list? But what if you really took ten times longer to do — or accomplish that to-do list than you really wanted to take? You won’t know the answers to these questions in your life and work unless you use Calendar Analytics to tell you the truth about yourself.

Calendar Analytics Tell How You Use Your Time

Did you know that businesses waste an estimated $37 billion on ineffective meetings annually? Yes, that’s billions, not millions, of dollars lost simply due to inefficiency. You can keep yourself and your business out of the equation by using Calendar to master your time management.

Every time you use your Calendar to plan meetings, track hours, or organize your day, it’s working behind the scenes to make time management easier for you. The secret is Calendar Analytics, part of your dashboard that calculates how you’re using your time. With this insight, you can better tell how your time should be spent to be more productive and efficient:

Meeting Distribution

Start by looking at the distribution of your meetings. When you plan a meeting in your Calendar, it gets archived into an analytics bank. With enough data, you will be able to see where you’re spending the most time and will be able to make adjustments accordingly.

For example, you might look at your time analytics and see that half of your meetings are set up with your sales team. You might not have noticed the attention you’ve been giving one department over the others and can take the steps necessary to plan more meetings with your other teams.

Your Calendar will also keep track of meeting size as well as the rate at which invitees accept or reject your meeting invitations. These numbers will help you organize more effective meetings and save time doing so.

Location Recommendations

You can waste up to 30 minutes a day simply looking for a place to hold a meeting. While picking the right location is rewarding, all that lost time will hurt you in the long run. With Calendar Analytics, you can save that time and put it to better use.

When you plan a meeting in your Calendar, include the location where it takes place.  Your Calendar will track where your meetings occur most frequently and will make recommendations to you based on when and where your next meetings are located.

After a little bit, Calendar Analytics will develop a system that will save you plenty of time when it comes to planning meetings — and executing on your plan. The time you would spend looking for the perfect restaurant to meet a client can instead be used to prepare your sales pitch or respond to the last of your emails.

People Analytics

Just as important as how you’re spending your time is who you’re spending it with. People analytics show who you’re meeting with the most by analyzing the people invited to your Calendar events. As an example, you might realize that you haven’t scheduled a one-to-one meeting with one of your employees in a while, and they’re due for a meeting with you.

People analytics, like all time management tools, extends beyond the office. How much time are you spending with your spouse and family? If you see their ranking drop on your list of people you’ve been meeting with, it’s time to plan some more family activities to improve your work-life balance.

Time Balance

Speaking of balance, there’s nothing time analytics do better than help you get your life on track. Anywhere you feel like your efforts need to be focused better can use the help of time analytics to tighten up. Whether that’s spending more time with family or getting more exercise, your Calendar can help you.

Keep track of when you complete certain activities and their duration. The more you’re able to track, the better. For example, tracking the hours you spend watching Netflix will give you concrete evidence that you’re spending more time on the couch than you’d like. Use the information you find from evidence to change your life by scheduling your time differently. Lower your binge-watching time by adding time to read or go on a walk in your Calendar to replace it.

Your Calendar will display your time usage in percentages at first glance, but you can look at the hours and minutes you spend in particular meetings and activities as well. Set goals on what you want to accomplish, like a certain number of hours spent at the park with your kids a week, and use your analytics to gauge your progress.

Team Analytics

Calendar analytics work so much better when your whole team is on board. Everyone’s Calendars will work together to make team meetings a breeze and office productivity increase. As a leader, you’ll be able to direct your employees so much better with personalized time analytics for each person.

Make sure you’re scheduling those one-on-one meetings with your employees with regularity. Have them come prepared with their Calendar analytics. An overview is fine if they have personal family information included in their Calendar. Talk with them about how their time is being used and how they can improve. Perhaps they need a better morning schedule or to pick a closer restaurant for their next lunch break.

In addition, you can share your Calendar as an example of how time analytics helps you use your time more effectively. For this to be an effective teaching moment, you need to be using your Calendar diligently; otherwise, you won’t make much of an impact. Strive to set the example with time management as the leader of your organization.

You’ll be amazed by everything you’re able to accomplish by using Calendar analytics to structure your everyday life. Not only will you be able to fit so much more into your schedule, but you’ll also feel less stressed as you plan things out and create the perfect balance.

Calendar Analytics Tell How You Use Your Time was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

6 Strategies for Encouraging Online Appointment-Making

By | Appointment | No Comments
6 Strategies for Encouraging Online Appointment-Making

As hard as it might be to believe, not everyone has a smartphone — or wants one. You’ll even have some customers without reliable internet service. These customers will be the most difficult ones to transition to online appointment software when it’s implemented by your business.

Customers without good home internet are unlikely to hike to the local library to make their appointments. Customers without a smartphone aren’t going to buy one just because you have fancy new software. So how can businesses upgrade their systems and retain these customers instead of cutting them off?

All these people need is a little persuasion and some tender care from your business to move them online. Try out one of these six strategies to get all of your customers hooked into online appointment software:

1. Show and Tell

Customers who stay away from technology likely do so because they don’t understand it. Since they’re so comfortable booking appointments over the phone, why would they want to change a perfectly good system? If it’s not broken, they say, don’t fix it.

What these customers need is for someone to walk them through the steps of online appointment setting. Once they see how easy and convenient it is to book online, they won’t be as hesitant to make the switch. 

Before a customer leaves, have an employee set up their next appointment with them. Show them how to log in to your company website or customer portal. Take each step methodically so customers have a chance to ask any questions they have about the process. 

2. Reach Them Where You Can

While the customers you are trying to reach might not be online, there are other ways you can reach them to get them there. Your usual strategies for getting customers to book online appointments via social media and email will need to be replaced with something more old school.

Start by addressing customers face-to-face. Talk to them on-site about switching to online booking and address their problems then and there. For some customers, this might not just be your best opportunity, but your only one. 

For your more immovable customers, you can use snail mail with printed links to your booking website to pique their curiosity. Also change up your voicemail message to include information about online booking. That way, customers who always call in might get the hint that online booking is the better choice. 

3. Favor the Techy

Now, this tip in no way suggests that you discriminate against your tech-averse clientele. However, offering small rewards to those who book online will incentivize the rest of your customers to follow suit. 

For starters, make it known that the first appointment customers book online comes with a special discount, perhaps even as much as 50%. The first online booking is the hardest one to get, so it’s worth the significant price slash in order to transition more customers in the long run.

Online bookings can also have more lenient cancellation policies, better rewards programs, or more options when selecting time slots. Choose one or multiple benefits like these, and you’ll have no problem getting customers to move to your online platform. 

4. Develop a Relationship

From personal experience, you’ll probably agree that it’s much easier to convince someone to try something new if you have a long-standing relationship with them. Wouldn’t you rather try a new electronic device recommended to you by a friend instead of being told why you should buy it by a salesman?

If you have a strong relationship with your regular customers, you’ll be able to more easily sway them to try online appointment booking. Since they trust you and your service, they’ll be more likely to oblige in order to continue doing business with you. New customers or those you can’t differentiate from the rest may well head over to a different business instead.

5. Partner With Other Businesses

You wouldn’t be a business owner if you didn’t do whatever it takes to attract and retain customers. Sometimes that means partnering with other businesses to leverage each other’s strengths. In this case, consider running a promotion with businesses that can get your customers plugged in.

Got customers who haven’t jumped on the smartphone train yet? Hook them up with a special deal with the cell phone store down the street. Use the promotion as a way to talk about how one of the many things customers can use a smartphone for is to book their appointments online.

You can also do this with internet service or any other customer need another business can fulfill. You’ll benefit by getting more customers looped into your online appointment system, and other companies will appreciate the business you send their way. 

6. Continue to Improve the Appointment Process

Customers need to be assured that your transition to online appointment software is a long-term commitment that’s worth buying into. To make certain that online booking is more than just a fad, look for ways to make continual improvements to the process.

Stay on top of your website’s loading speed so visitors don’t get discouraged. Review your site’s layout to make sure resources and booking pages are easy to find. Also ensure that your online system is compatible with every device your customers might use. You don’t want to deter Apple users because you’re only optimized for Android.

In all honesty, individuals who don’t adapt to the times are the ones who are really missing out. Make sure your customers aren’t among them by using online appointment software to create a better user experience for them inside and outside of your business. 

Register Now & Get a 30 Day Trial Register Now