How Online Appointment Managers Help Businesses Save Time and Money
Finding the time to tackle daily tasks often translates to money:
- Money spent on employees to carry out those tasks and ensure customers are happy
- Money spent by your customers for your products and services
Maintaining a balance between ensuring customers receive the attention they deserve and your employees have time to complete their assigned functions is vital for the success of your business.
Business owners have many different tools, software applications, and other solutions at their disposal to help manage their time more efficiently. One such tool many businesses tend to overlook is that of online appointment managers. Utilizing this tool effectively has several benefits for your business.
- Does More with Your Limited Time
There are just so many business hours in each day and only so much you can accomplish in this time period. If you are finding you are spending most of your time on the phone setting appointments for customers, vendors, or your sales reps, and little time to do your other job tasks, then an online answering service could be exactly what you need to take over scheduling appointments and free up your time for more important business functions.
- Increases Productivity with Fewer Distractions
When you are able to devote your full attention to your tasks, not the phone, you will find you can accomplish more each day because there are fewer distractions. Before you know it, you will start to work through tasks more efficiently and quickly.
- Keeps Everyone on the Same Page
Online appointment schedules are easily accessible over the internet, so all of your employees will know exactly how much of the day has been booked and who is coming into your business and why. In addition, if you have employees who work from home or are traveling, they can keep up with what is going on while they are away from the office.
- Prevents and Reduces Errors in Scheduling
Double bookings and overbookings are quite common without an appointment management solution. Someone might forget to record they scheduled someone at a certain time, or you may have scheduled an appointment while on your cell phone with no appointment book handy.
- Reduces “No-Shows” and Cancellations
Part of the reason for “no-shows” and last-minute cancellations is because people forget about their appointments. With a scheduling tool in place, you can have our virtual receptionist service scheduling agents send reminders to your clients and customers using different methods, such as text messages, emails, or telephone reminders.
- Provides 24/7/365 Scheduling
Your clients and customers can call anytime of the day or night, including holidays and weekends, to schedule an appointment. Plus, with our online web-based calendar, you can easily see any new additions to your schedule anytime from just about anywhere.
- Modernizes Your Business
People rely on technology and their smartphones for numerous functions besides making and receiving phone calls. Tapping into smartphone-enabled features is just part of what our online appointment management services do and makes it simple and easy for your clients and customers to schedule an appointment whether they are at home or on the go.
Not to mention, it converts paper-based appointment books into electronic formats, which is an eco-friendly choice for your business. You can promote going paperless as a marketing point with your clients and customers, too!
- Extends Professionalism
You can create truly professional and customer-centric experiences for your callers when they need to schedule an appointment or be reminded of an upcoming an appointment. In today’s highly competitive markets and industries, it is vital to set yourself apart with exceptional customer service.
How Different Types of Businesses Use Online Appointment Managers
Now that you see how using online appointment virtual managers can benefit your business, we want to take a look at how this service benefits specific types of business operations.
Small Business Owners
Small businesses often lack the deep pockets and resources of their medium to large competitors. To help even out the playing field, it requires thinking outside the box by using cost-effective solutions to extend your customer support options while still being easily accessible.
Online appointment scheduling allows you to utilize your staff more effectively based on what coverage you require. This way, you are not over-scheduling employees for anticipated appointments that are not on the books, helping you save money. In addition, you are not distracted by phone calls or missing out on other appointment opportunities while you are spending time with other customers.
Some of the more common small businesses that find using an appointment management solution helps them immensely include:
- Pool Cleaning Services – It ensures clients get the one-on-one attention they deserve while making it easy for you and your staff to access daily and weekly appointments, even from your smartphone or tablet.
- Lawn and Landscaping Services – You will never miss a call while mowing a yard or performing other landscaping services. You can even utilize our service to send reminders to your clients to let them know approximate arrival times.
- Auto Repair/Tire Service Shops – No one likes to wait to get their car repaired or have new tires put on it. By offering online appointment scheduling, you can help reduce wait times and not over extend yourself.
- HVAC Services – You can have us send friendly reminders to your clients when it is time for their monthly, quarterly, or annual maintenance services, which can help increase bookings.
- Music Lesson Services – You can easily manage your contracts, students, and lesson appointments in one place online.
- Salon and Beauty Shops – One of the biggest challenges for salon and beauty shop owners is scheduling. The last thing you want is one of your stylists stuck on the phone setting appointments or making reminder phone calls when they could be providing salon services for customers instead.
- Private Driving Instruction Services – If you teach teenagers and adults how to drive or improve their driving, you need to be able to devote your full attention to their needs, not be distracted by your phone during driving lessons.
Aside from small businesses, there are also industry specific professionals who can benefit from online appointment managers to help manage their schedules:
- Real Estate Agents – Keep track of meetings with new clients, open houses, home showings/viewings, and more, all in one location.
- Insurance Agents – Know whether you need to meet prospective customers in their homes or in your office and what types of insurance products they are interested in, quickly and easily online.
- Doctors’ Offices and Dentist Offices – Make sure your employees are reminded of their annual wellness checkups, bi-annual teeth cleanings, and other such services, as well as enable them to make emergency appointments easily on their time. Furthermore, our solutions help reduce “no-shows” and cancellations to keep your schedule full.
- Psychologist/Psychiatric/Counseling Services – Avoid double booking or over booking clients with help from our appointment managers. You can even make changes to your schedule, and we can notify clients of any changes that affect
- Car Dealerships – Make it possible for people to schedule test drives, sales staff support assistance, and vehicle service through our appointment managers to know your exact staffing needs.
- Attorneys/Law Firms – Scheduling consultation appointments can be a full-time job in a busy law practice, which can take away from the level of customer service your front desk staff provides for clients in the office.
- Hotels and Hospitality Services – Increase booking rates and keep rooms full by offering your guests the option to book their travel with help from our appointment scheduling managers. We can even send out reminders to your guests when their travel dates get closer. Plus, your front desk agents can quickly see bookings and prepare for arriving guests.
No matter what type of business you own and operate, whether it is providing residential services or professional services, our appointment scheduling solutions are designed to be customized to fit your exact business needs and requirements. We offer a wide array of answering services for businesses with affordable, budget-friendly plans and flexible options.
Best of all, each of our solutions and services are scalable as your business grows and your requirements change. For more information about our solutions and to discover how we can help save you time and money using our online appointment managers, please feel free to contact AnswerMTI at 1-800-673-2000 to speak with a representative today!