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Planning Appointments Around Winter Weather

By Jason Barnes | Appointment | No Comments

The weather outside is frightful, and while your waiting room might be delightful, it’ll take some extra effort to get customers there this time of year. Cold weather, slick roads, and dark afternoons make it more difficult to book and keep appointments.

You don’t need to let the winter blues affect your business. With a few tweaks, you can make sure your customers feel welcome and comfortable:

Revamp Your Waiting Room

Few customers will brave winter storms to trek to your business if your waiting room is cold and dismal. Up the festivity by making your waiting area more comfortable and warm for your guests.

Start, of course, with social distancing measures that protect customers from COVID-19. Next, look for ways you can make the area more homey. Space heaters, Christmas decorations, or a COVID-safe hot chocolate bar are all solutions you can implement.

Amend Your Late Policy

Icy roads and snowy weather make driving difficult. They also make travel times unpredictable.

You shouldn’t punish customers for travelling safely. Consider amending your late policy for the rest of the winter.

Show some leniency to late customers. For example, you might make it a rule that they must call to advise you of their tardiness in order to receive amnesty. You can also tack on a few minutes to your policy before late charges and cancellations kick in.

Your no-show and cancellation policies might also need a glance over if you live in an area that experiences heavy snowfall. A blizzard can put even regularly paved roads out of commission. You can’t blame your customers for not showing up if they can’t use the roads.

Increase Buffer Periods

Another step that can help careful drivers feel comfortable making appointments is by increasing your buffer times. This way, you have some wiggle room if a customer shows up late.

Buffer periods are particularly useful in winter. A break between appointments can be used to shovel snowy sidewalks, switch out wet floor mats, or stoke the fire if your waiting room has a fireplace.

Add Incentives

If you’re struggling to convince customers to venture out, it might be time to break out some incentives. Rewards can motivate even customers in deep hibernation to make the trip out, helping you flesh out your appointment calendar.

Holiday deals are an easy — even expected — marketing strategy to boost winter appointments. Discounted prices are always motivating, especially when holiday parties and presents take a big chunk out of consumer budgets. If you can’t afford to offer a discount, consider a goodie bag or gift card.

Mind Your Exterior

When snow and ice come, prioritize taking care of the outside area of your property. Promptly clearing parking lots and sidewalks of snow and ice will prevent injuries. Plus, it increases your curb appeal, which can encourage walk-ins.

Check with your city counsel to see if they take care of snow removal in your area. If not, hire someone to plow your parking lots for you. If all else fails, send an employee out with a shovel.

Make House Calls

Here’s your chance to experiment with a new business model. If you’re having a hard time getting customers to come to you, bring your business to them. If your business allows it, this can be an effective way of maximizing your bookings.

For example, hair stylists can bring their scissors, comb, and hair dryer to a client’s home. Mechanics can perform an oil change in someone’s driveway. As long as you can keep your employees safe and follow COVID-19 guidelines, give it a shot.

Do Some Cold Calling

Winter is made for cold calling. All jokes aside, reaching out to potential customers may be enough to get them to give your business a shot in the winter months.

With each call, be sure to point out the efforts you’re making to provide an excellent appointment experience. Cover your COVID-19 precautions, your waiting room’s features, and your speedy service. The better it sounds, the more likely your sales pitch is to work.

Adjust Your Hours

If all else fails, you can adjust your business hours to accommodate your appointment list. Reducing store hours, for example, can cut down on your heating and electric bills. If you can’t get customers in the door, don’t waste your money.

When in doubt, ask customers about their preferences. You may simply need to shift your business hours up or back a few hours.

Winter can be a tough time for both businesses and consumers. Put in the effort to lift their spirits, and they’ll put a little something extra in your stocking, too.

Why You Should Always Verify Appointments (And 5 Ways to Do So)

By Jason Barnes | Appointment | No Comments

Getting customers to book appointments is one thing. Getting them to keep those appointments is another. In the never ending tug-of-war to get customers through your doors, take the time to verify each and every appointment.

Verifying appointments ensures they run more successfully. Customers are more likely to adhere to their appointment times, and you can keep operations running smoothly day after day.

Sounds great, right? Let’s dig in.

Why Verifying Appointments is Important

Verifying appointments has a number of external and internal benefits. This simple action can:

Reduce Cancellations

Cancellations do nothing but waste time. When you plan your schedule around appointments, you don’t have flexibility for anything else. The trade off is that you get guaranteed customers — until they decide to cancel.

Verifying appointments urges customers to honor their commitments. The more who actually do so, the more consistent your company’s revenue, and the better you can stick to your schedule.

Encourage Timeliness

People are forgetful. Customers can lose track of time or forget they’d booked in the first place, resulting in late arrivals. These push back other appointments, which stresses out employees and can frustrate other customers.

By sending out verification messages, customers will be reminded of their commitments and be more inclined to arrive when they should. Timely appointments allow operations to run flawlessly.

Improves Brand Image

Show each customer that they mean something to your business. By reaching out to them in between the time they set the appointment and the time they arrive, you show how much you appreciate them.

Be careful not to be too clingy. Too much contact can be off putting. Consistent contact at the right frequency, however, can be reassuring and motivating for customers, especially those on the fence about their appointments.

Solidifies Your Schedule

A well-organized day is a productive day. By verifying customer appointments, you make it easier to stick to your plan each day. When customers don’t show up, your mental bandwidth is spent trying to put together a new plan.

By sending verification reminders, you’ll also receive cancellations and postponed appointments. While these are never good news, be glad you’re learning about them sooner rather than later. The fewer last-minute surprises you can avoid, the better.

Easy Ways to Verify Appointments

Appointments can be verified in multiple ways. Choose the one that works best for your business. Reach out through more than one channel only if you’re not getting a response.

1. Email

Send a confirmation email with the customer’s appointment information. Make sure to include the appointment date and time in large, bold lettering that’s easy to see. Below, include your cancellation policy, contact information, and anything else that might be useful.

With this route, you can also send promotions and coupons that can convince customers to book return appointments. Be judicious, as too many messages in their inbox will earn you a one-way ticket to the spam folder.

2. Text Message

Sending a text restricts the amount of information you can send, but it’s a more direct form of communication. In fact, customers are 35 times more likely to view a text from a company than an email.

Be sure to get a phone number from customers when they book online. Give them control over whether they receive verification texts. Some cell phone plans charge by the message, so don’t assume everyone wants to receive them.

3. Phone Call

Verifying appointments over the phone requires the most effort from employees. Assuming customers do answer the phone instead of letting it go to voicemail, employees need to be ready for any questions or concerns that may arise.

Despite your urging to the contrary, some customers will hold off on said questions until the last minute. You might have to recite your cancellation policy on command, or change around appointment dates for customers who failed to plan ahead.

While less efficient than other means, phone calls do offer a great opportunity to reschedule appointments that customers can’t make. Give your team members a customer service refresher if you’re going to issue appointment reminders through this channel.

4. Social Media

You might have customers who prefer to contact you on social media. If so, sending them verification messages through the same channel makes sense.

Beware that other customers may consider business outreach on these platforms inappropriate. Unless customers have previously reached out to you on these sites, sending appointment reminders through them should be a last resort.

5. Snail Mail

The slowest and most expensive delivery option, good old fashioned mail can work in some instances. For example, if your business caters to an older demographic, they may prefer to receive their reminders in the mail.

With that said, sending promotions and coupons through the mail isn’t a bad idea. Customers tend to take them more seriously than marketing emails. Consider starting a referral program in which a customer can get a discount for bringing in a coupon and a friend.

Keep in mind that you can stagger your verification messages, in case the first one doesn’t get a response. Two weeks in advance you can send out an email, and then one week later send a reminder text. The day of, make a quick phone call or send a message through social media if you still haven’t received confirmation from the customer.

Get to Verifying

The sooner you start verifying your appointments, the better for your business. You’ll realize more consistent revenue, and your customers will appreciate having a slot saved for them. Start locking in your appointments today.

Why Some Customers Are Hesitant to Book Appointments

By Jon Bradshaw | Appointment, Scheduling | No Comments

As you fill up your bookings each day, you might be puzzled that some customers are reluctant to commit to appointments. Why, given that scheduling appointments benefits both sides, won’t they play along?

It’s a perplexing, frustrating problem. But understanding why these customers hesitate to book appointments will help you serve them better. By providing clarity and comfort, you’ll be able to address the eight reasons customers balk at booking appointments with you:

1. Their schedules are unpredictable.

Some customers shy away from set-in-stone appointments because they simply can’t commit to a day or time. The nature of either their job or their lifestyle makes every day unpredictable. They’re afraid to book an appointment on the off chance that something will come up, causing them to cancel (and potentially incur a cancellation fee).

A busy schedule can be just as problematic as an unpredictable one. Customers who aren’t sure they can find time for an appointment in their schedule won’t even bother. They might stop by if they happen to free up the time, but nothing is guaranteed.

Consider leaving some cushion in your schedule for walk-ins so you can accommodate these free spirits. They will be grateful for your flexibility and feel more inclined to schedule appointments when they know they’re able.

2. Your scheduling system is confusing.

Businesses that rely on an online scheduling system should make it as user-friendly as possible. Otherwise, potential customers might bail when the going gets tough.

Streamlining your scheduling process as much as you can. How many steps does your scheduling process take from beginning to end? Just the sight of numerous hoops to jump through would cause anyone to hesitate.

Do bookers need to create a user account? Think up — and remember — yet another password? Look at your online appointment software through the eyes of a visitor and make note of anything that might cause them to turn away.

3. They’re wary of your cancellation policy.

What if you were to book an appointment only to have something urgent come up and need to cancel? This is a very real fear for many customers, especially when a service provider has a daunting cancellation policy. If they book an appointment, that cancellation fee will be hanging over their heads until the appointment is completed.

Take a moment to review your cancellation policy. Is it perhaps a little too harsh? Consider lowering your cancellation fee or being more flexible about advance notice (e.g., 12 hours versus 24 hours).

Excusing a client’s first violation — but only the first — will demonstrate that you’re accommodating but not a pushover. While a cancellation policy is important for keeping customers accountable, being too strict can stop people from committing at all.

4. You haven’t convinced them to commit to your business.

If you haven’t completely sold your services to the customer, they might not feel inclined to book an appointment. They may think there are better or more affordable options elsewhere. Consequently, they won’t want to lock into an appointment with you before searching for superior options.

What about your business is causing this hesitation? Perhaps your prices are too steep, or the quality of your service is no better than your competitors’. Look for ways to stand out, and customers will be more likely to commit to appointments with you.

5. They don’t see the need.

If there’s no need to book an appointment, why bother? Customers who don’t see a clear requirement to reserve a time slot will likely skip it altogether. In their mind, an appointment is more of an inconvenience than a necessity.

Explain to your customers why booking an appointment is important. Your time is limited, so they need to make an appointment to guarantee their place in line. You can get this point across on well-worded signs, your business card, and your social media feeds. The clearer you make this argument, the more likely customers will get it and act accordingly.

Besides not seeing a need, customers might also lack incentives for booking an appointment — so it’s up to you to provide them. Point out that making an appointment will result in shorter wait times. You might even offer discounted rates for scheduling appointments or incentives for booking several of them in advance. This is a great way to secure a steady flow of customers.

6. They don’t want to — or can’t — prepay.

If you require a deposit or full payment in order to book an appointment, some customers will start looking for other businesses that offer walk-ins or make fewer demands. The inability to prepay is a more common problem than you might think.

Some customers simply prefer to pay in cash, making it impossible for them to prepay online. Others may need their next paycheck to arrive before they can fit an appointment with you into their budget. The need to prepay will cause them to hesitate before pulling the trigger.

7. They decided to drop in at the last minute.

An unexpected walk-in might be just as surprising to the customer as it is to you. Some people aren’t planning to stop by your business until the last minute. They had extra time in their lunch hour and decided to drop in, or a situation arose that prompted them to stop by that day.

Understanding that some customers show up without planning to beforehand should help you be more patient with them. After all, if you make a good impression when they walk in, you could convert them to repeat customers who set their appointments in advance.

8. They have safety concerns.

In normal times, safety concerns wouldn’t be a reason to forgo appointments. But these aren’t normal times. The risk of exposure to COVID-19 is a real one, and businesses should take this concern seriously.

Start by providing masks and rearranging your waiting room to enable social distancing. Then inform customers of these changes via your website, through social media, and at the front door.

Making customers aware of the safety precautions you’ve implemented will put them at ease and encourage them to book appointments in your facility.

When you understand why some customers are hesitant to make appointments, you can work to overcome those objections and serve your customers better. By displaying empathy and addressing their concerns, you can encourage them to show up on schedule and develop a lasting relationship with your business.

Is WFH Making You Miserable?

By John Rampton | Appointment, Time Management | No Comments

For years those who were fortunate enough to work remotely praised its benefits from the rooftops. In fact, numerous research backed-up these claims. For example, Owl Labs found in its 2019 State of Remote Work Reportthe following:

83% of survey respondents agree that the ability to work remotely would make them happier.
82% of respondents agree with the statement that working remotely would make them feel more trusted at work.
81% of respondents agree that working remotely would make them better able to manage work-life conflict.
81% of survey respondents agreed that working remotely would make them more likely to recommend their company to a friend.
80% of all survey respondents agreed that the ability to work remotely would make them less stressed.
80% of respondents agree that working remotely would make them feel like their employer cares.
74% of survey respondents agree that working remotely would make them less likely to leave their employer.

In short, remorse workers are happier, productive, and loyal. Reasons include autonomy, flexibility, and fewer workplace distractions. In turn, this is beneficial for their careers and well-being, as well as the bottom line.

Then the global pandemic yet. Suddenly people who had always dreamed of working from home who thrust into this new way of life. Some thrived, others didn’t.

You can’t fault them. A lot of folks just aren’t cut out for the WFH-life. Furthermore, there’s a dark side that’s making people downright miserable.

Why working from home is making people miserable?

“Working from home entails some degree of isolation,” explains business consultant Larry Alton. “If you live by yourself, you may go an entire day without seeing or talking to anybody.” But, even if this isn’t so, “you might customarily shut yourself away in a separate office.”

Why’s this such a big deal? Various research shows that social contact is paramount when it comes to our mental and physical health. Interacting with others can also calm and soothe us.

“Across multiple studies, controlling for factors like income, geographic regions, and even genetics, the single most important ingredient for long-term happiness appears to be how and how often we connect with other people,” adds Alton. “Loneliness, especially on a chronic basis, can subject you to depression, frustration, and career burnout.”

As if that weren’t bad enough, it’s tempting to fall into unhealthy habits. For instance, during your routine, you might tell yourself that you’re only going to catch-up with the local news. Next thing you know, you’re playing along with The Price Is Right.

It may also be easier to sleep-in, make frequent trips to the fridge, and get less physical activity. If you have children, it’s a struggle trying to homeschool them while trying to get your work done. It’s more challenging to leave work at work — I mean, you are essentially living at work.

When you’re working by yourself, there isn’t an opportunity to take advantage of Equity Theory. According to Alton, “This is a sociological phenomenon in which individuals gauge their own performance and sense of belonging against the habits and actions of others. When there are no coworkers around to help you measure your own performance, you might develop a constant, nagging feeling that something is not right.”

The good news? If working remotely has gotten you down, there are ways to turn that frown upside down. And you can start by trying out the following.

Overcome detachment.

In a pre-COVID world, this really wasn’t much of a problem. You could set-up a shop at your favorite cafe. You could join a shared workspace or actually go into work a couple of days per week.

Outside of work, you could socialize with friends or family. I’ve even taken breaks from work to chat with my neighbor. And you could attend local networking events.

While you might be able to do some of the above, it’s definitely more difficult living in a pandemic. If you’re uncomfortable being around others or can’t safely practice social distancing, you can still connect with others.

Obviously, the most popular way is via video calls using a platform like Zoom. Whether it’s meeting with your team or catching up with a friend, this has been a lifesaver. Just be cautious not to overdo it so that you miss a case of Zoom-fatigue.

Also, there’s nothing wrong with just picking up the phone and making a call. If you feel isolated, give your best friend or mentor a ring.

Set rituals, routines, and boundaries.

When you went to the office daily, you had a routine. That structure made it easier to schedule your time. More importantly, it helped you establish boundaries between work and home.

Does this mean you have to follow the exact same routine? Not exactly. The beauty of working from home is that you can set your schedule to fit your productivity peaks and personal obligations.

For example, if you’re a morning bird, you could wake-up before everyone else in your house. While it’s quiet and you have the energy, you can work on your most important task for the day. During your breaks, you could spend time with your family and get some exercise in.

Regardless of how you schedule your day, be consistent. And find ways to transition between your personal and professional lives. It could be something as simple as turning off your computer to changing your clothes.

Create a home “office” space.

I know it’s tempting to work from the comfort of your bed or couch. But, remember, you need separation between where you get things done and chillax. As such, you need a dedicated space that you associate with work.

Ideally, it should be somewhere quiet. A spare bedroom, basement, garage, or even closet would suffice. Additionally, it should also have the right tools and equipment — think desk, high-speed internet, and whatever else you need to work.

But, those are just the basics. Brighten your workspace with natural light, plants, and colors that match your work. For instance, if your job requires a ton of focus, surround yourself with the color blue.

And, go ahead and personalize your workspace by throwing in personal items like photos or memento from a past trip. Most importantly, keep this area clean and organized.

Use your breaks to get a dose of joy.

It’s no secret that frequent breaks throughout the day can boost productivity. The key is to use these breaks to rest and recharge and do something fun.

For me, that’s taking my dog for a walk after lunch — san phone. It’s been found multiple times that spending time outside can reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. But, you could try anything that makes you happy, such as phoning a friend, drawing, or dancing.

Take advantage of working from home.

While there are disadvantages of remote work, look on the bright side. You don’t have to put up with a daily commute. As a result, you’re saving more time and money — which can be spent on something more fulfilling.

Also, you might be able to have your dog be by your side all day. Or, you get to spend more quality time with your kids. And, unless you have a video meeting, every day is casual Friday.

Accept your negative feelings.

Finally, embrace any negative feelings that you’re experiencing. It’s a proven way to help you work them. Besides, constantly seeking happiness can backfire.

“Any time you’re setting a standard for your mood when you don’t meet that standard, it’s painful,” said Brett Ford, a psychologist who studies emotions at the University of Toronto. “You’re basically adding pain on top of a lack of happiness.”

“We can’t be happy all the time, but we can be OK with whatever emotions we are having,” says Dr. Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist who studies behavioral change. “And in that sense, there’s a level of contentment that comes with that.”

“I’m content that I’m happy,” says Brewer. “I’m content that I’m not happy. Whatever emotion is here is here.”

10 Simple Ways to Make Appointments Memorable

By Jason Barnes | Appointment | No Comments

Offices across the country are slowly opening up again, and clients are making appointments that the Covid-19 pandemic had long delayed. Getting your customers to book return appointments will be easy if you make their visits memorable for the right reasons.

The better the customer experience, the more likely they are to become regulars. How you take care of your customers is just as important as the service you offer.

There are a number of different ways you can make each appointment unforgettable. Doing so will improve customer retention, garner positive reviews, and increase your company’s revenue. Time to get started!

1. Make Appointment Booking Easy

If booking an appointment with you is unnecessarily difficult, your customers will definitely remember it—and not in a good way. Endless back-and-forths or unanswered phone calls will turn into a consumer horror story that your patrons will share with their friends.

Make your appointment-booking process as simple and painless as possible. When you do, the thing your customers will remember is its user-friendly nature. Customers will tell their friends how getting in to see you was a breeze, instead of warning others to stay away.

2. Greet Customers at the Door

Start off each appointment on the right foot. Expressing appreciation for each customer as soon as they cross the threshold of your business lets them know how important they are. If, on the other hand, you ignore them or treat them curtly, that rocky start will be difficult to recover from.

Even if you’re busy with something or someone else, make sure that you or an associate acknowledges every guest who walks through the door. Let them know you’ll take care of them as soon as possible.

3. Deliver on Promises

You’re doubtless using some sort of marketing to reel in customers. Now you need to make sure you back up all your claims come appointment time. Are you boasting the best haircut in town or the fastest service in the area? Prove it.

A memorable appointment must include delivering on these promises. Customers who come in hoping these claims are true will be pleased to see that they are—and they’ll remember that satisfaction when they book their next appointment.

4. Give Little Gifts

You can thank customers who make appointments by giving them a gift. You might recall the excitement you experienced as a kid when you received a lollipop at the doctor’s office. That small present turned an otherwise dreaded appointment into a joyful experience.

If a candy isn’t your style, you can offer discount coupons or referral cards to customers. This will encourage them to return and bring a friend. While the individual proceeds of each appointment will be reduced, the increased business will make it worth the effort.

5. Make Your Waiting Room an Inviting Place to Be

Reducing wait times is important for all businesses that rely on appointments, especially during the pandemic. However, there will always be variables out of your control that will cause waiting times to increase now and then.

How you handle long wait times says a lot about your business. Make your waiting room experience the best it can possibly be. Consider providing reading material, a television, a frequently sanitized place for kids to play, or individually packaged snacks (at least until your coffee bar can make a return). Customers will remember and be grateful to businesses that make them feel comfortable during inconvenient situations.

6. Look for Ways to Educate

Customers make appointments in order to receive services. While you most certainly will deliver, you can make appointments memorable by adding a teaching element on top of that.

For example, let’s say you run a chiropractic office. Instead of just aligning your patient’s back, you can explain your methods and the benefits they provide. Customers will leave feeling better physically while being soothed by their increased understanding.

7. Focus on Convenience

The less your customer has to do at the time of their appointment, the better. Streamlining their appointment experience and doing any necessary work for them allows them to sit back and relax instead of stressing about details.

Look for ways to make appointments convenient for customers. You might allow them to complete any necessary paperwork online or let them check in through an app to reduce wait times. An easy appointment is a memorable one.

8. Get to Know Each Guest

Developing relationships helps businesses retain customers, but it also makes appointments memorable. When customers can feel a bond growing between them and their service providers, the experience will stay with them longer.

Think of ways you can develop relationships with customers while they’re within the walls of your business. Focus on communicating well and getting to know their backstory. These efforts to reach out will make a long-term impact from day one.

9. Ask for Feedback

In your efforts to improve your business experience, ask your customers for feedback after their appointments. This will prompt them to focus on the details of their appointment, helping them remember it more fully.

Feedback helps you fine-tune your business approach so you can make appointments more memorable for returning and prospective customers. Proactive improvement will enable you to provide the best services and edge out the competition.

10. Go the Extra Mile

Ultimately, you should strive to go above and beyond with everything you do. Customers will note the attention to detail, and the extra effort you put into your business will resonate with them.

Be careful, however, not to overdo things. Attention that borders on officiousness can be off-putting, creating a negative experience for customers despite your best intentions. Strike a comfortable balance.

Making your customers’ appointments worthwhile will increase your client base and draw new patrons to you with ease. With these 10 tips, you can make your appointment experience memorable—in a good way.

9 Ideas for Reducing Overtime Appointments

By Jon Bradshaw | Appointment | No Comments

What to Do if Appointments Keep Running Long

If your business can fill up its schedule with appointments day after day, congratulations: In a pandemic, that’s impressive.

When you’re busy, however, you can’t afford for appointments to run long. Those that go longer than they should can disrupt the entire schedule and ruin a customer’s day.

The question for leaders is how to keep sessions to their scheduled length. A little experimentation can keep things running smoothly. Here’s what to try:

1. Add Buffer Time Between Appointments

If you’re consistently having trouble with appointments running long, consider adding a buffer between them. This small window of time will give you just enough leeway to finish up a longer appointment without it eating into the next one.

If you don’t use the buffer time, you can go straight into the next appointment if the customer is already waiting. They’ll be pleased with the quick service, so it’s a win-win. If they haven’t arrived yet, take this time to tidy up and prepare for the guest to arrive.

2. Increase Appointment Durations

Instead of, or in addition to, adding buffer time, consider extending appointment times. The fact that appointments keep running long might indicate your customers or employees are struggling to squeeze everything in.

Gather data on how long the average appointment lasts. If the average is higher than the time slot designated for an individual appointment, expand it. You might not be able to take as many customers in a day, but you’ll be able to take better care of them.

3. Try a New Scheduling Method

Using a different scheduling method might provide better results. For example, you can try modified wave scheduling instead of the traditional time-blocking model.

Wave scheduling is a common appointment-setting practice in the medical field. Basically, it involves scheduling multiple appointments at the same time with buffer time at the end of each hour.

Periodic downtime allows longer and shorter appointments to coexist, but it may mean asking some customers to wait. If you implement this, keep an eye on your waiting times.

4. Cross-Train Employees

One reason appointments might be running long is because your employees are only trained in specific tasks. If only one worker on shift can complete a certain task, the customer might have to wait for them to be available, creating a bottleneck.

Whenever possible, cross-train your employees. Make sure everyone is capable of answering the phone and working the register. The more capable the team, the quicker appointments become.

5. Improve Workflows

Whether your employees are cross-trained or not, look for ways to improve their workflow. If employees are unsure about which tasks to handle in what order, things can get chaotic rather quickly.

Make sure each employee understands their role. Prioritize tasks in a visual system, such as a whiteboard or task management tool, so they understand what needs to be dealt with first. Uncertainty on your team slows everyone down.

6. Establish a Late-Arrival Policy

If a customer arrives late to their appointment, it will likely go over time. A late-arrival policy will discourage customers from dawdling in.

Your late policy should be strict enough that customers will want to avoid it, but not too harsh as to drive customers away. Remember, sometimes people are late for reasons out of their control.

Consider moving customers back in the queue if they haven’t arrived by the time their appointment is set. For those who have to wait, make sure your office is comfortable.

In addition to a late policy, make sure appointments start on time for customers who are punctual. Realize that this might mean pulling employees away from other tasks.

7. Implement Automation

Using technology, you can cut down on busywork by automating some tasks. You already let customers book online: Why not offload other parts of the process as well?

For example, you can automate your check-in process so that it doesn’t require an employee’s time. Perhaps you can implement a chatbot to answer some questions they have prior to arrival.

8. Check in With Your Team

No one understands why appointments are running long better than your employees. They’re right in the thick of it and see inefficiencies that you may not. Going to them for advice is a great start.

Hold a meeting to discuss how to improve appointment management. Ask for their ideas on making appointments more efficient, getting customers to arrive on time, improving workflows, and rooting out other time-sucks.

9. Upgrade Your Equipment

Are the tools your employees use old and run down? Purchasing some new equipment could enable them to do better work faster.

While tools are expensive, remember that they’re an investment. They should cut down on appointment time, along with many other benefits.

For example, a more efficient hair dryer can reduce the time hairdressers spend at the end of each appointment. Better software or a faster internet connection enables personal assistants to book the same appointments with fewer clicks.

Find out why appointments are running long, and use this list to come up with a solution. Handling appointments efficiently will keep customers happy, help employees feel less stressed, and increase revenue for your business.

How to Handle Internet Outages When You Schedule Appointments Online

By Jason Barnes | Scheduling | No Comments

Online Appointment Software Says a Lot About Your Business

Appointments make customer service so much easier. Not only do they cut down on wait times, but they reduce staff members’ stress levels.

Online scheduling apps let you manage bookings in real time. But what happens when your internet crashes? Without a connection, you can’t see what appointments are coming up — much less adjust them.

Don’t panic — you’ve got this. Here’s what to do:

1. Call Your Internet Provider Immediately

First things first: Reach out to your internet service provider. They’ll be able to provide information on the outage and give an estimated time when your connection will be restored. If the outage is unique to your location, they can send a specialist to come fix it.

With any luck, you won’t have to go the rest of the day without the internet. Until then, use the remaining tips below to continue serving your customers.

2. Change Your Voicemail

When your system goes down due to an internet outage, you’re likely to get a bunch of concerned calls. While serving customers already at your store, it can be tough to field these calls.

To limit the flow, change your voicemail message. In your new message, explain the situation. If possible, include an estimated time the system will be back up. Include any other details customers might need, such as a special number to call for bookings.

3. Take Appointments Over the Phone

As a temporary alternative, take appointments over the phone. Record these carefully to avoid overlap with existing bookings.

If you don’t typically take appointments over the phone, remind callers of this. Otherwise, those who didn’t hear your voicemail may assume it’s the norm.

4. Open Walk-In Hours

One advantage of appointment-based scheduling is that it lets you prohibit or restrict walk-ins. Consider allowing walk-ins until the internet outage is over.

Beware that this can get chaotic. Ask your staff to be patient and to engage upset customers in calming conversations.

This option works best when combined with phone- and paper-based scheduling. Encourage customers who don’t want to wait to make an appointment.

5. Keep Paper Copies

Digital scheduling cuts down on paper waste. But if you experience internet outages once a month or more, printing out the next day’s appointment schedule is a smart idea.

Make sure your printout doesn’t just show your schedule. To confirm or adjust appointments, you’ll also need customers’ names and phone numbers. If you offer multiple service lines, include which one each appointment entails.

6. Ask Customers for Verification

When they book an appointment online, customers will receive a message confirming their upcoming visit. If they walk in claiming to have an appointment while your internet is down, ask them to show it to you.

While you want customers to feel trusted, you can’t risk someone stealing another customer’s time slot. Even if it’s an honest mistake, the customer who’d booked it is sure to be upset.

7. Call in Backup

If the combination of walk-ins and anxious callers is more than you can handle, call in some extra hands. Another employee or two in the office can make a world of difference when your system is down.

Keep at least one employee on call for emergency situations like this. On most teams, at least one person is always looking for extra hours.

8. Send Some Referrals

You never want to lose out on business, but you also want to maintain your reputation. If the internet outage is more than you can handle, send referrals to similar local businesses.

Trying to balance appointments made without software with a rush of walk-ins is challenging. Long wait times can frustrate and drive away customers. This short-term solution will help you out in the long run.

9. Use a Personal Device

Chances are, you carry a smartphone. Keep your appointment platform’s login details handy so you can pull it up on your phone in a pinch.

What if your booking system isn’t mobile-friendly? Use your device as a hotspot for your internet computer. Beware that you may incur extra charges from your phone provider for doing this.

An internet outage is nothing you can’t handle. Follow these steps, and you won’t just make it through; you’ll be even more prepared if it ever happens again.

9 Easy Ways to Encourage More Appointments

By Jon Bradshaw | Appointment | No Comments

Entrepreneurship has never been easy. But during Covid-19, small business owners have struggled more than ever to drum up appointments. Even as shops open again, consumers are hesitant to take the risk.

While you can’t make the pandemic go away, you can implement some creative methods to encourage consumers to stop by. Use these 9 easy ways to encourage more customers to make appointments and venture out:

1. Enable Online Booking

The easier it is to make appointments, the more likely it is that customers will make them. Making an appointment online is much easier than making one over the phone or in person. In fact, some customers might actively avoid those interactions and prefer to do everything digitally.

It’s one thing to have online booking available; it’s another to make it user-friendly. Start with a functional, visually appealing website. Choose a booking platform that lets customers change appointment times, cancel appointments, and reach out with any questions. The easier it is to use, the better.

2. Start a Rewards Program

Customers might not immediately see a need to make appointments, so give them a reason to. A rewards program provides an incentive that can get customers on the fence to book.

Research backs up the success of rewards programs. One study showed that businesses that used successful loyalty programs enjoyed two and a half times more growth than their competitors. Not only does it help retain customers, but it can draw in new ones.

3. Offer Recurring Appointments

Once you get a customer to book an appointment, ask them if they’d like to make another appointment as they’re checking out. In this short window they’ll remember their experience and, assuming it was positive, they are more likely to commit to another one.

You can also add incentives for booking multiple appointments up front. For example, you can offer a 10% discount to customers who book two or more appointments at a time. They’ll save a bit of cash, and you’ll get more certainty around your future revenue. As a bonus, customers who pay for their appointments upfront are less likely to become no-shows.

4. Send a Newsletter

All you need to send a digital newsletter to your clients is their email address and a bit of creativity. Newsletters can contain coupons and seasonal deals, and encourage them to make a visit if they haven’t for some time.

In your digital newsletter, make sure to include a link that takes customers directly to your booking platform. Make sure this link is prominent enough for them to see in every newsletter.

Be tasteful with your email newsletters. Obnoxiously frequent ones will be deleted before they’re read. Send them rarely, and customers may be confused as to their purpose. If newsletters are too wordy, customers likely won’t bother reading them. Too short, and what’s the point?

5. Leverage Social Media

People spend a lot of time on social media these days. By posting regular updates and fun seasonal tidbits, you’ll keep your business top of mind.

Some social media platforms let businesses add booking information directly on their pages. Get the right message out at the right time, and your bookings will fill up fast.

6. Update Your Voicemail

What do customers hear when they call your business? If the information is old, or the recording poor-quality, consumers may think twice about booking an appointment.

Update your voicemail frequently. Make sure it includes instructions for online booking, your hours of operation, and the physical address of your business. These details help callers solve their own problems, while you focus on serving customers.

7. Minimize Wait Times

One of the main reasons people opt for appointments over walk-ins is to make their wait time as short as possible. If customers still have to wait a half an hour even with an appointment, then they aren’t likely to bother booking an appointment next time.

Some days will inevitably be busier than others, but there are still variables you can control. Perhaps you need to schedule an extra hand on days that are packed with appointments. Or perhaps giving consumers the option to book further out can smooth out the up-and-down nature of appointments.

8. Nurture Relationships

Nothing keeps a customer coming back more than feeling like they belong. When business leaders take the time to connect with their clients, they build relationships that keep customers around.

Find ways to interact with each customer who walks through your doors. Get to know them beyond their business needs. Ask how their day is going. Small, caring questions and comments can make all the difference.

9. Plan Special Events

Want to really get people out of the house? Plan a special event they just can’t miss. Offer prizes and discounts, and you’re sure to draw a crowd. Use this opportunity to schedule future and recurring bookings.

With that said, special events shouldn’t be common. They’ll lose their power if they become a weekly or even monthly occurrence.

Select a date and time carefully: When is the biggest subset of your customers likely to be free? After 5 p.m. on weekdays? On weekends?

Encouraging appointments requires effort, but don’t be discouraged. Your customers want your business to succeed just as much as you do.

How Far Is Too Far Out to Schedule Appointments?

By Jon Bradshaw | Scheduling | No Comments

Imagine if someone wanted to schedule an appointment with your company 10 years into the future. You’d probably laugh it off. A lot can change in a decade.

That may seem like a wild scenario, but the underlying question is an important one: How far is too far into the future to schedule client appointments?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Just because your scheduling software lets you book years in advance doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

So how can you decide on a cutoff? Maximize your scheduling software by asking yourself the following questions:

1. What are the limits of my tools?

Before you can even think about customer preferences, know the limitations of your scheduling tools.

How do you attract clients? What about booking their appointments? And how do you send out reminders and handle change requests?

Although some platforms can do it all, many can’t. In each program, click as far as you can into the future. When you can’t go any further, you know how far into the future you can schedule appointments.

What if it’s not as far as you’d like? Start searching for a program that can meet your needs.

2. Is there customer demand?

Everything you do — including how you schedule appointments — should be based on what your clients want. If customers like things as they are, there’s no reason to switch things up. But if they want the ability to schedule sessions further out, then give them what they want.

When it comes to scheduling, beware that customers won’t always tell you their issues. They may not even know that they have a say in your scheduling practices.

In order to figure out what they might want, check out your appointment management platform. How far in advance does the average customer book their appointment? What about the fifth and ninety-fifth percentiles? Try to accommodate even your pickiest customers.

Just as importantly, ask them directly for feedback. Soliciting feedback can come in the form of an email, a text message, a survey, or a conversation.

However you do it, check back in after you set new booking parameters: Do your customers appreciate the changes?

3. Does it make sense with my business model?

Scheduling appointments far in advance makes more sense for some businesses than others. Consider where you fall in the range of companies that typically use appointment scheduling software:

Call centers would likely want to confine appointments to a shorter time frame.
Event planners and caterers would likely prefer to schedule far in advance.
Academic advising appointments make sense to schedule within the semester.
Dentists and doctor’s offices may prefer to schedule checkups 12-16 months in advance.

When in doubt, learn what’s typical for your industry. Ask partners how far in advance they book appointments.

You don’t necessarily have to do what your competitors are doing, though. If you discover nobody is booking appointments a year out, maybe it could be your competitive advantage. Do what will set your brand apart without hamstringing your team.

4. What does my customer volume look like?

The limits you place on far-ahead scheduling depend on how many people are booking appointments. If there’s always an opening on a given day, then there may be no reason to schedule something a year or two in advance.

If there’s a high volume, though, open up your appointment schedule. You may have heard of restaurants that have reservations years in advance. The reason is probably their popularity: People simply need to wait that long in order to get a table.

Booking appointments far in advance can create a sense of exclusivity. If that’s your strategy, however, do your best to cater to people who would prefer to be served sooner.

5. How far ahead has my business planned?

Your company calendar will be a big factor in how far ahead customers can schedule appointments. If you have a ton of new initiatives in the works for next quarter, then it may not be a good idea to book it up already.

Remember, customer expectations should be set at the time of booking. If you know your service offerings are going to change, then it’s probably best to shut off bookings past that period.

Another way to think about this is based on the season. Your company may see a surge in clients in one season and a drastic decrease in another. If that’s the case for your company, you can prepare for the busy season by getting appointments booked far ahead.

6. What are my goals for recurring clients?

Some businesses automatically schedule recurring clients after their most recent appointment. A dentist’s office, for example, typically schedules clients every 6 months. That kind of schedule can get customers into a rhythm.

Some people prefer to plan in advance, while others like to live by the seat of their pants. Some are more diligent than others about keeping appointments. Others tend to go with the flow.

Extending your scheduling horizon can help you accommodate all types of clients. Your stricter customers will like having something locked in, and you’ll still have space available for those who like to book at the last minute.

Appointments are a juggling act. There are pros and cons to scheduling things far out, just as there are for short-term scheduling. Let your customers guide you, and you’ll make the right call more often than not.

How to Honor Your Appointments in Times of Turnover

By Gunjan Saini | Business Tips | No Comments

7 Ways to Optimize Your 2021 Appointment Schedule

As hard as the COVID-19 pandemic has been on business, plenty of companies have found ways to keep going. Unfortunately for many of them, that persistence has come at the cost of employee layoffs and furloughs.

If you run an appointment-based business, staff changes may affect your ability to honor those appointments. If you’re unable to, you could lose business — potentially leading to further layoffs.

It’s a dangerous cycle, but don’t despair. With the right time management tools, you can do more with less. Technology and a little bit of creativity is all it takes to make sure that you can cover your customer bases.

It won’t be easy, but then again, neither is saying goodbye to members of your staff. Here’s how to meet your appointments while downsizing your team:

1. Accept the circumstances.

Sometimes it takes a while for new situations to set in. Realize that all you can do is live in the present, and that things will seem normal again soon enough.

You may be feeling guilty about having to lay people off. That’s a very human response. But in order for your company to execute its appointments, you need to make things work with your remaining staff.

It helps to remember that layoffs are happening across all industries. Even jobs that people once considered secure have been affected by the pandemic. Although this understanding won’t fix the problem, it can keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

2. Let employees carry out existing appointments.

If you haven’t already cut ties with affected staff members, consider keeping them on long enough to handle existing appointments. Doing this gives you time to strategize for future appointments. It also gives your employees space to figure out their finances before they are no longer employed by your company.

Making this method work, however, requires radical transparency. As a business leader, you’ll need to have difficult discussions. Employees need to know your plans as soon as possible, including:

The reason why layoffs are necessary
The timeline of what appointments they’ll be fulfilling
Your company’s plan for recovery
Their potential future with the company

Those are weighty topics, to be sure. Given the frustrations involved, it’s important to lead with respect and empathy.

3. Notify your customers.

Transparency doesn’t stop with your employees. Customers also need to know what to expect. Even if you’re confident that every appointment will be honored in its current form, layoffs reach customers’ ears.

Be proactive. Reach out to people with upcoming appointments. Discuss any changes to your operating hours or capacity. Treat affected customers with the same dignity you do members of your team who are losing their job. Leave plenty of time to field customers’ concerns.

Alternatively, you could ask the team members who’ll be fulfilling the appointments to notify their customers directly. The more personal approach may make it easier for customers to ask the hard questions. It can also help them get acquainted with an employee who may be stepping in for a laid-off staff member.

4. Reschedule appointments with flexible customers.

Realistically, you will have to reschedule some appointments. Target this adjustment toward your most flexible customers. That way, you minimize the amount of business lost as a result.

Here, good scheduling software can be a lifesaver. Look through the data from previous appointments to identify which customers are the most flexible. From there, send these customers a message to ask whether or not they’d be willing to reschedule.

The best scheduling tools allow self-service, enabling customers to change their appointment themselves. To sweeten the pot, offer discounts or gift cards to customers who willingly make changes.

5. Provide a virtual option when possible.

In order to make some appointments work, the channel may need to change. Many meetings and appointments are already happening remotely, so customers may not be surprised by this switch.

Virtual appointments are safer and save time for both sides of the equation.

Think through the nature of the appointment to determine whether or not it can be carried out digitally. A haircut, dental filling, or car repair certainly can’t be done digitally, but many consultations can be. Some tours can also be conducted digitally.

6. Combine similar appointments.

Some types of appointments must be conducted with one customer at a time. Doctor offices are required by HIPAA regulations to keep customers’ healthcare information private. Masseuses can only relax one set of muscles at once.

For other businesses, however, combining appointments is a good approach. A product demonstration can be done for many customers at once. A Q&A actually works better with more members. By knocking out multiple appointments at once, you make room for others.

Laying people off is never easy, but doing nothing only risks the damage spreading to customers. When the occasion calls for change, a leader delivers.