Appointment Scheduler: All The Stats, Facts, and Data You’ll Ever Need To Know

The need to reduce no shows from customers has given rise to the appointment scheduling system market especially when a global pandemic and remote work are thrown into the mix. A reliable appointment scheduler tool will enable companies to customize meetings, secure more appointments, and provide better online calendar experience for customers.   

Here’s everything you need to know about online appointment scheduling apps.   

What is an appointment scheduler? 

Appointment schedulers are online business tools that allow clients to self-book, reschedule, or cancel appointments. As a comprehensive digital solution for centralizing appointment management and staff availability, this prevents double booking and client interruption, minimizes no-shows, and maximizes task efficiency for teams.   

Why Break Away From Phone-Based Appointment Scheduling  

• Waste of time: “The average phone call to schedule an appointment takes over eight minutes,” noted a recent study in the healthcare industry.   
• The dreaded game of phone tag: Over 60% of calls aren’t answered during business hours which is extremely frustrating for clients.   
• Clients cancel at the last minute: With an online appointment scheduler, you can include a no-show policy to prevent last minute cancellations – something that can be difficult to manage for conventional phone-based bookings.   

• Poor customer experience: You won’t win any customer over when they find it a hassle to schedule appointments with your business.  
• Preference for self-service, digital approach: Customers nowadays demand to connect with your business 24/7 on their preferred channels – mobile, social, or web. 
  

How does appointment scheduling technology work?  

1. Customer schedules an appointment. They state the required service, preferred staff and/or branch, and other pertinent details. Customer receives a booking confirmation. 
2. As the appointment date approaches, the customer gets a reminder via text or email with a check-in link. This link is used to check in themselves or they can request for a company representative to assist them. 
3. After check-in, the customer monitors their place in the appointment sequence until it’s their turn to be called. 

Choosing The Right Appointment Scheduling Solution 

Ask the following questions before investing in an online appointment scheduling system:  

1. Does it provide calendar syncing for cross-referencing of your availability and for advanced notification scheduled appointments?  
2. Does it include an automatic confirmation and reminders to customers to minimize/prevent no-shows? 
3. Does it offer payment processing options for taking a deposit or upfront fees for services? 
4. Does it provide the option for virtual or self-check-in? 
5. Does it have standalone functionality to support the flexibility and multiple access points? 
6. Is it fully integrated into the customer journey management system? 
7. Does it have business intelligence capabilities to combine advanced appointments and walk-in meetings?  

Benefits Of An Appointment Scheduling Tool  

For customers: 

• Reduced waiting time 

• Self-scheduling enables 24-hour convenience 
• More flexibility and peace of mind 
• Seamless customer journey
• Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty

For businesses and service providers:

• Matching service requests to staff competency  
• Improved operational and staff efficiency 
• Control customer footfall and over arrival on premises 
• No more no shows 
• Better business insights and growth potential
  
  

How does TikiBar Appointment Scheduling work? 

1. With a click of a button, create an event to suit your business needs and personal preference. 
2. Invite collaborators so everyone on your team can handle booking requests or logistics-related information on their own.
3. Adjust settings for availability transparency and equal distribution of bookings between you and other team members. 
4. Customize your event link for quick and easy sharing among prospects and clients. 
5. Your prospects and clients can now access the best times to reach you while your team focus on things that matter – turning leads into paying customers.  

There is a brilliant way to secure appointments and to satisfy customer during every stage of the buying cycle. If you’d like to know more about all-in-one booking solution that match your business needs, schedule a conversation with SwayEast. Or, get started for FREE with TikiBar today.