These days you can book almost everything online – from making a restaurant reservation to purchasing a plane ticket, the possibilities are endless. And it’s so much easier – with a few taps on your phone, you’re done. No need for calls or visits in person! As your customers are already online, you should definitely consider using the right tools to reach and retain them. And if your business requires scheduling appointments, having an app for booking online is just the right tool.
Read on to find out 10 best reasons why you should use an online scheduling app for your business.
More freedom and convenience
An online scheduling app allows your customers to make a booking 24/7, not only during business hours. That’s a great convenience and people would appreciate the freedom to book at their preferred time.
Less booking time
By using an online scheduling app, you can reduce the wait time for making a booking on the phone. Instead of having your customers wait to find out which the next free slots are and whether they work for them, with a booking app the customer can see all the available slots quick and easy.
More time for your staff
Think about all the time that goes into receiving phone calls, managing schedules, and finding the right time slot for a customer. All this time can be used more efficiently for other tasks, while customers choose the service and book the preferred time and date online.
Generate revenue
When you have a booking app, you can not only offer online scheduling but also online payment. While booking, the customer can see the exact cost of the services and pay them upfront. You can also offer partial payment as a deposit for no-show and minimize the lost revenue.
Calculate your revenue in advance
If you offer online payment, you can know how much your business will make for the day. This can offer more opportunities to grow and increase your revenue, as well as analyze better the results.
Prepare for the appointments in advance
If your staff members can easily know in advance all bookings, they can prepare more efficiently for the customers. This is particularly useful if your business is having a busy day or if the inventory is low.
Ensure more efficient working process
Having your appointments booked in advance, you can plan ahead more swiftly. And by freeing additional time for your staff, they can operate much more efficiently thus allowing you to open your business towards more revenue-generating activities.
Schedule your staff availability
Through an online booking app, the customers can choose the staff member that will employ the service. This might be helpful in scheduling your staff’s free time and days off and have them work more productively.
Reduce the number of no-shows
If a customer has to cancel the appointment, the time slot immediately becomes available and can be easily booked again. You can also offer free cancelation up to several days upfront and charge a fee for cancelations very close to the appointment time. That way you minimize the loss in your revenue, even if the time slot is not utilized.
Get deeper insights on your business
Through an online booking app, you can easily find out which are the busiest times in a day, what services have high demand, how many appointments have each staff member, and so on. This can be very helpful to find out what actions you could take to improve your business.
Overall, if your business relies on scheduled appointments, an online booking app can help you grow your business, automate most of the processes and increase your revenue.
