The number one BURNING question for anyone who is considering online appointment booking for their business is the fear that they have to choose one or the other. Does using online appointment booking to schedule appointments mean that clients can’t call to schedule appointments?
The answer is a resounding “You can have your online appointment scheduling CAKE and allow clients to schedule appointments traditionally!”
Many businesses that offer online appointment scheduling are able to accept appointment bookings over the phone as well.
You are still able to accept bookings by any means you do currently. Such bookings must be entered into your online appointment scheduling system.
By using most online appointment scheduling systems, you or your receptionist merely enters the appointment into the online system – much in the same manner as you used to do with your traditional paper based appointment system. However, by using the online appointment scheduling, clients can be sent email reminders of upcoming appointments. Some systems even allow you to collect your fees for the services at the time of scheduling the appointment.
Think of online appointment booking as a VALUE ADDED service instead of a competitor for your traditional paper based appointment booking system. By shifting online appointment scheduling online, you offer the ability for your clients to schedule their own time AND most online appointment scheduling services increase the client compliance by sending follow up emails, reminding them of your scheduled appointment.