appointment-based business Archives - Appointment - Online Appointment Scheduling Software

5 Ways Appointment-Based Businesses Can Delight Their Customers

By Gunjan Saini | Business Tips, Time Management | No Comments

Customers put a fair amount of thought into booking an appointment. They likely have several businesses to choose from, and each entails various parameters to weigh against each other. How far out is availability? What is the pricing like? What kinds of policies do they need to be aware of?

Each appointment-based business will operate in a slightly different way. While it’s important to stand out, there are a few things that most customers will always love. If your business can accomplish them, you’ll be in a good place.

1. Reduce wait times.

One of the biggest complaints people have regarding appointment-based businesses is the wait times. Showing up on schedule to your appointment only to be told to wait is admittedly disappointing. While sometimes this occurs due to unforeseen circumstances, customers love and notice when a business is making an effort to keep wait times short.

Think of strategies for reducing wait times for your appointments. Maybe you need to go as far as hiring more employees so you can help more customers. Perhaps booking fewer appointments in a single day will make schedules more manageable.

A lot of the changes you make might take place behind the scenes. Customers won’t immediately know what you’re accomplishing, but they will begin to notice when wait times are regularly reduced. They will then tell their friends they can breeze right in to appointments at your business, and you’ll have to expand your capacity once again!

2. Use reminders effectively.

Any good appointment-based business will implement a reminder system for their customers. No-show appointments are costly, and late arrivals are difficult to work with. As a result, sending reminders helps keep both situations to a minimum.

However, businesses need to be careful about how they use reminders. Too many notifications can feel overbearing or just plain annoying. Reminders sent either too early or at the last minute aren’t very helpful. You need to find a happy medium.

You’ll see a lot of success by letting customers set their own appointment reminders through your scheduling system. Let them choose the frequency at which they receive reminder messages, as well as the means by which those reminders are sent. They will create the most effective reminder system for themselves, and your appointment software will do the rest.

3. Enable self-service.

Even if you have the nicest employees in town, some customers just want to stay in their own lane. They want to book an appointment, get in, and get out with as little human interaction as possible. These customers love when appointment-based businesses enable self-service solutions.

An example of customer self-service is simply being able to book your own appointment online. You don’t have to speak with a representative, and you can take as much time as you need when choosing a time slot. You can even schedule an appointment outside of normal business hours with no employees on the clock.

Self-service isn’t just limited to the introverts. Being able to take matters into one’s own hands appeals to those who like to feel in control of their environment. They can customize their appointment experience by choosing the self-service features that fit their needs best.

4. Create a comfortable environment.

The more comfortable a person feels at an appointment, the better their experience tends to be. Think of a medical clinic as an example. If patients feel relaxed in waiting areas and in exam rooms, their doctor’s appointments will go a lot more smoothly.

This is an important aspect for every type of appointment-based business. Patients who feel comfortable are more likely to open up to their therapist. Likewise, kids will be more cooperative with the dentist if the waiting room helps them to feel welcome. Customers waiting for their oil change won’t mind longer wait times if they have snacks and reading material at their disposal.

There are a lot of different ways you can make your business space more comfortable. Update your furniture, play some light music, use bright colors when decorating. Anything from a hot chocolate machine to a TV in the waiting room can help make the entire appointment experience more enjoyable.

5. Show flexibility.

Appointments won’t always go as smoothly as you would like each day. Consequently, it’s important to remember that bumps in the road affect your customers just as much as they affect your business. If you work on being flexible and empathetic when handling unplanned situations, you’ll draw your customers in rather than push them away.

Let’s say you have a cancellation policy that prevents customers from canceling an appointment fee-free without 24 hours’ worth of notice. A customer calls you in the morning stating that their car isn’t starting, so they are unable to make it to their appointment that day. You could choose to stick to your policy and charge them, or you can be understanding of their plight.

Now, not every customer will be truthful when calling to cancel an appointment. However, by being flexible and willing to work with your clients, you’ll develop a greater trust with everyone. Loyal customers will continue to come back even if they once had to cancel a booking at the last minute.

Customers of appointment-based businesses want what they want. However, if you’re able to meet such expectations, you’ll see a lot of appointment bookings and a lot of success in your near future.

Featured Image Credit: by Max Vakhtbovych; Pexels; Thanks!

5 Ways to Ensure Customer Comfort in Your Waiting Room

By Jason Barnes | Appointment, Business Tips | No Comments

If you run an appointment-based business, you have to give your waiting room proper attention. This is where new customers get their first impression of your business. If an appointment is delayed, customer comfort becomes paramount as your patrons will be hanging out there until they can be seen.

When your waiting room is dirty or uncomfortable, the customer experience is already off to a rocky start. You should keep one word in mind when creating and updating your waiting room: comfort.

You want every visitor to feel comfortable while waiting for their appointment, whether that wait is five minutes or 15. Wait times don’t feel nearly as long when an individual is sitting in relaxing surroundings. If you’re looking to give your waiting room a makeover, customer comfort should be the highest priority. Here are a few ways you can make that happen.

1. Support customers’ electronic devices.

Few people will enter your waiting room without some sort of personal device these days.

This should keep them well entertained until their appointment begins, but today’s gadgets can entail a few stressors. Luckily, these can be easily eliminated with simple additions to your waiting room.

The two biggest issues with personal electronics are battery charge and mobile internet service. A dying battery can be stressful, especially if a customer needs their smartphone after the appointment. Providing access to a charging station allows customers to charge up their devices while they wait, completely worry-free.

As for connecting to the internet, not everyone has an unlimited data plan. Even those who do might only get a certain amount of high-speed data to work with. When you set up Wi-Fi for your business, add an open guest network for your customers to use. That way they can scroll in peace without worrying about drastically increasing their phone bill.

2. Improve your seating.

The more comfortable customers are in the waiting room, the better mood they’ll be in for their appointment.

Take a moment to scan the furniture you already have, maybe even giving it a try for yourself. Are the chairs and sofas comfortable? Are they ergonomic? Since you don’t usually sit in your own waiting room, you may have no idea whether your seating arrangement is still up to par.

Another thing to look for is wear and tear on furniture items. Your seats might be as comfortable as can be, but the upholstery might be faded or frayed after years of use. Worn furnishings will leave customers with a bad impression of your business.

Admittedly, chairs and sofas are expensive. You may have to bite the bullet and upgrade them, but sometimes you can get by with adding other items to the mix. For example, some easily cleaned pillows can make a couch more comfortable while providing a pop of color. A bean bag chair will be great for any kids who come in with a parent.

3. Introduce soothing sounds.

A little music in your waiting room can make a surprisingly large impact on customer comfort. Research on music in waiting rooms for patients in healthcare settings showed results in its favor. Researchers found that soothing music was effective in calming patient anxiety leading up to an appointment.

There are plenty of appointment-based businesses outside of the realm of healthcare. These, too, can benefit from background music. It helps to fill the empty space and makes waiting for an appointment less awkward. It can even boost the mood of receptionists and other workers who spend all day in or adjacent to the waiting room.

Another sound source could be a television. A TV provides some visual stimulation for kids accompanying their parents or customers who might appreciate the distraction. Just avoid programs with polarizing political content to avoid offending or discomfiting any of your patrons.

4. Pay attention to climate control.

Your business likely operates year-round, which means you’ll have a variety of seasons and weather conditions to contend with. Varying temperatures can affect how your patients feel in your waiting room. Well-regulated climate control can help them feel comfortable no matter the weather.

A smart thermostat is an ideal solution. It will automatically adapt the temperature in your waiting room even when the weather outside is rapidly changing. It will kick on the heat when temperatures drop and cool things off when the sun is extra strong.

Speaking of the sun’s glare, consider tinted windows or thermal blinds to keep solar gain to a minimum in the summertime. Thermal blinds will do double duty in the winter, keeping drafts at bay. Even customers seated closest to the windows will remain comfortable, whatever the season.

5. Make helpful information easily accessible.

Customers will feel more at ease when they have all of the information they need for an appointment.

Displaying active wait times is an example of providing information customers will find helpful. You might also post the doctors in clinic or availability for future appointments in your waiting room.

Having a staff member on hand at all times is perhaps the single best thing you can do here. There are fewer things that frustrate customers more than having questions to ask with no one to answer them. Consequently, offering easy access to key information in the form of a business representative can be huge.

Get each appointment off on the right foot by revamping the first place customers see: your waiting room. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how the entire appointment experience can be improved by subtle changes to providing customer comfort from the very start.

Featured Image: Max Vakhtbovych; Pexels.com. Thank you!

How to Make Sure Your Business Is Running As Productively As Possible

By Gunjan Saini | Time Management | No Comments

Make Sure Business Running Productively as Possible

Starting a business entails more than just having a good idea. You could have the best new product of the century, but your business can still flop if you’re not running it properly. Efficiency and productivity are nearly as important as offering high-quality products and services.

There’s also a fine line between being busy and being productive. Learning to differentiate between the two and lean into the latter will be key to growth and success in your business. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your business is running as productively as possible:

1. Define the Needs of Your Customers

Start by assessing whether your customers’ needs have changed since you started your business. Since we live in very uncertain times, consumer needs are constantly evolving. If your current business model no longer fits these needs directly, your operation won’t be able to run as productively as possible.

One way to define the needs of your customers is to simply ask them yourself. They know what they want better than anyone else. You can include a survey link to physical and digital receipts or even send an email to your most loyal customers to request their feedback. You can’t work productively if you have the wrong goals.

2. Implement Changes as Necessary

If you find out that your customers’ needs have changed, your business must change with them. In particular, you should be looking at changes to your operation that will allow you to meet those needs more efficiently. Even without direct feedback, looking for positive changes is something you should always be doing.

This might include implementing new online appointment software that makes it easy for customers to make bookings or getting a new program to aid in online transactions. You might be doing fine enough without these additions, but they’ll only make your business better as you add them to your system of operations. Complacency can be dangerous, especially as other businesses are likely making the changes that your customers are looking for.

Don’t be afraid to try something new in an effort to make your business as productive as possible. In the worst-case scenario, your investment may not yield the improvements you expected. So do away with the change and learn from your mistakes.

3. Learn How to Delegate

If you’re running a top-heavy organization, it will be nearly impossible to reach maximum productivity. Successful business owners and leaders know how to delegate certain tasks to others rather than trying to do everything on their own. More can be accomplished when the workload is dispersed more evenly.

Some task delegation may require new hires. For example, your growing startup might need a full-time marketing lead or accounting expert to take some of that responsibility off of you. With another member on your team to complete those tasks, you have more time to work on other projects and get more done.

The hardest part of delegation is learning to trust others. Not everyone will do things the same way you do, but you have to learn to trust their judgment. Trust can be built through consistent communication with your employees. In addition, providing the necessary training can give you the peace of mind that your employees are well-equipped to take on any task that you assign them.

4. Undergo a Business Audit

There are several reasons why you should consider having a business audit performed. Sometimes all you need is a second set of eyes to optimize your business operations. When it comes to productivity, a qualified auditor can look for inefficiencies in your business and provide suggestions on how to fix or mitigate them.

Other reasons to get a business audit are to review your cybersecurity, scout out potentially fraudulent activity, or obtain certifications required to take your business to the next level. A successful audit will also look good to investors if you’re planning on seeking a funding round for your small business.

5. Automate Processes and Tasks

The true secret for maximum productivity is business automation. If you’re able to automate certain business processes, the tasks they involve can be completed hands-free. Some tasks can even be accomplished outside of business hours without the need for direct supervision.

Let’s say you implement that online appointment software. This will allow customers to look up appointment times and create their own bookings. Those appointment slots will be automatically entered into your business calendar. You no longer need to have someone on the phone to confirm every single appointment your customers make.

Other forms of automation include email marketing, billing, and everything from data analytics to supply chain management. Thanks to automation, your daily to-do list will be a lot shorter, but you’ll still accomplish all of the same important tasks.

Above all else, making sure your business is running as productively as possible requires consistent effort. Never settle where you currently stand. Continue to strive for improvement, and your business will elevate its productivity all along the way.

Image Credit: Cottonbro; Pexels; Thank you!

How Appointment-Based Businesses Can Prioritize Convenience Today

By Gunjan Saini | Appointment | No Comments

Have you ever tested your appointment-based business’s appointment service? Even with an excellent hosting service, there are likely steps that are inconvenient for customers. Of course, it’s important to offer high-quality service. But sometimes customers want the most convenient option rather than whatever is top-of-the-line.

This article will help turn your appointment-based business into an organization that is both high-end and convenient for your customers. The ease with which they’ll be able to access your services and resources will help them to enjoy their experience so much more.

Put Everything Online

Digital advances have made life more convenient in many ways that your business can leverage. Providing as many resources as possible that your customers can access online is one surefire way to make the experience more convenient. For instance, you might enable your customers to access their records at any time and from anywhere.

When looking to provide resources, start by making sure your website is updated with all necessary information. This includes hours of operation, appointment availability, and even your late or no-show policy. Customers will be able to answer many questions on their own in an instant rather than waiting on hold to ask a representative.

Online payment methods are convenient for customers and save employees time. You can even add online prepay options. Being able to quickly prepay for upcoming appointments is a huge plus for many customers. It can speed things along at checkout and streamline the in-person appointment experience. With online payment methods, customers can complete required tasks while they’re taking the subway, eating lunch, or even while on their smartphone in bed.

Make Scheduling Fast and Easy

The scheduling process is a vital part of an appointment-based business, and it’s also the area where many customers get hung up. A frustrating booking process will turn customers away before you even get the chance to wow them with your service. Convenient and easy scheduling is what your business should strive for right out the gate.

One of the most tedious aspects of appointment scheduling is inputting all of the needed information. This might be necessary the first time a customer visits your business, but it shouldn’t be required after the initial visit. You can make return scheduling more convenient by creating customer profiles that save important information. This way, customers only need to log in to start scheduling their next appointment.

Making it possible to book appointments online, as mentioned previously, is a great start, but you’ll need to stay on top of a few things. Slow loading times on your website can be just as frustrating, if not more so, than waiting on hold. Look for ways to keep your website running smoothly and avoid outages so that customers can always easily book their appointments.

Manage Your Time to Perfection

As an appointment-based business, it is vital for you to respect your customers’ time. Otherwise, you’ll become an inconvenience to them. To avoid this, ensure that appointments start and end on time. This means you need to successfully juggle a number of variables, ranging from streamlining the check-in process to working with late arrivals.

As a leader of an appointment-based business, you need to be ready for anything. For example, you can include buffer times in between bookings. This way, late appointments don’t bleed into the next appointment slot. There is nothing more inconvenient than arriving for an appointment on time and having to wait because of a tardy fellow customer.

As another helpful aid, consider posting wait times on your website for customers to be able to view en route. Knowing that appointments are running slower than usual will inform customers that they can hit the road slightly later instead of wasting time in your lobby.

Solicit Customer Feedback

Want to know how to prioritize convenience today? Just ask your customers. They know exactly how they would like your business to improve. Give them a chance to speak their mind, and you can gain some valuable insight on how to rework your appointment experience.

Include an optional survey at the end of each appointment. This could be attached to a thank-you email or a payment confirmation. Your survey should be concise and ask a few specific questions but also allow customers to voice their opinions in a fill-in-the-blank option.

Say you take a poll of your customers and learn that it’s difficult to find your office in the business complex where you’re located. That can tip you off to the need for better signage and more thorough directions. This simple solution helps to reduce late appointments and makes the entire business function more efficiently. One suggestion has now turned into a substantial resolution.

If you’re struggling to find more ways to promote convenience in your appointment-based business, just put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What would bug you about the appointment process or experience if you were interacting with the business? This will provide additional insight into how you can continually improve your company.

Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels; Thank you!