When we think of E-Commerce, we tend to think of products that get delivered to our doorstep with a quick order placed online. The basic elements of the same would be an E-Commerce store that would have a payment gateway and then allow you to track your package as well.
Yet, E-Commerce has grown in significance in the last decade in order to bring in a number of other elements including services, and not just products. With the advent of E-Commerce, there is not a single area of our life that is not touched by the online gamut of activities. This also extends to the area of scheduling appointments using appointment scheduling software.
Let us first understand the various inflection points that have led to this moment in the digital scheme of things. Even the best appointment scheduling software has come about due to a series of many evolutions. The very first inflection point would be the rise of the PC or the personal computer which has helped us schedule our appointments in an online calendar with automated reminders.
The second inflection point would be the advent and the origin of the Internet which helps us share those calendars with others and even automate the reminders across various devices that do not necessarily need to be in the exact same geographical location.
It is a well-known fact that the final inflection point as of now is the smartphone that has an app for everything including your favorite shopping portal as well as salons, restaurants and so much more.
All these establishments and businesses now rely on free online appointment scheduling software so that the staff is not left grappling with a mountain of appointments that would take an entire day of phone calls and emails. Further, there is no guarantee that one would always get through to the phone or that the customer would check the email either.
So, the appointment scheduling software is one of the most important things that businesses need to add to their portals, apps, or any other platform that they may be using. Accordingly, here are some of the top features of an appointment scheduling software:
#1. Ease of Bookings
The very first thing that you would gain with the use of the best appointment scheduling software is the ease and convenience with which you can book an appointment. Gone are the days when you would have to check if the slot is ready and waiting before you call back and try to book the appointment for sure.
Now, in a matter of seconds, a free online appointment scheduling software would allow you make a booking even the available slots and timings are flashed in front of your eyes on the screen of your device, along with other details like the cost of a session for that slot, in case there are any differences in the pricing slab. The ease of booking is one that benefits the customers as well as the business owners.
#2. Personalized and Customized
The above point might make you think that the calendar and the schedule will be exactly the same for everyone. But you can take heart in the fact that the best appointment scheduling software is a highly evolved structure based on technology that allows you to customize and make the calendar flexible so that there is scope for personal notes and the exact needs of the customers.
This can easily be connected to the CRM or the customer relationship management software so that you are able to get all the details in one place and it can be personalized as per the information provided by the customer. This could include notes like birthdays, anniversaries, special requests for food, or beauty treatments, among a number of other examples.
#3. Timely and Time-Saving
Not only would you be able to book an appointment on time, but you would also be able to book one without wasting time. When a business uses an appointment scheduling software, you can be sure that the business and its team would gain plenty of time so as to focus on core skills the would help in engaging and furthering the business goals rather than merely having to handle the administrative tasks that take up a lot of time.
Also, there are many times that manual appointment booking may miss the mark and there can be unfortunate mix-ups and duplicate booking of the same appointment or the slot. This can be avoided so that the slots are given to the right person without any kind of chaos or confusion in the communication. This would be highly beneficial especially for a small business that is looking to make the most of a small-time and the limited time which has to be efficiently used.
#4. Myriad Options for Payments
In the days gone by, one would have to rely on a few modes of payment. This would make it quite inconvenient for people who would not have the cash or cheques from that particular bank to pay for the appointment. This would also lead to a delay of the funds reaching the account in case the cheques would be encashed.
Now, with the modern-day appointment scheduling software, the payment methods are incorporated and one can choose to pay at any time before or after the service rendered for the said appointment. This would also include many kinds of payment options including net banking, debit or credit cards as well as other forms like Google Pay and much more.
#5. Better Team Effort
There are many appointments that need to be booked with an entire team in the backend or even for a whole group of customers at one time. Now, with the best appointment scheduling software, it becomes easier to coordinate the dates and slots of all the team members so that the appointment may happen in a smooth and easy manner. Further, the groups of customers can all handle their bookings from the same location or page thanks to this kind of software.
