14 Essential Features of Appointment Scheduling Software

Features are essential in appointment scheduling software because they provide the tools and capabilities necessary to effectively manage and optimize the scheduling process. It will make it easier to accept bookings and online payments, give you the ability to have your own mobile app or offer a loyalty program, as well as track reports, protect important data, or send automated reminders to clients and your employees. 

There are some features of online booking systems you should not compromise on, so let’s take a look at each of these 14 essential features of appointment scheduling software.

The system should be user-friendly and intuitive for both customers and the business. It shouldn’t be an expectation that the users will be tech-savvy and will be able to manage a complex software. Enable quick and intuitive booking for your clients and easy appointment or class management​​​​ for you and your staff members with Reservio.

The world has gone mobile a few years ago and if your booking system provider is not up-to-speed, you won’t be either. A mobile app will allow you to manage you business from anywhere and on the go, and it can also help you stay in touch with your clients and attract new one. A branded app assists you to meet your existing and potential clients where they are, which is their smartphones.

Give your clients the ability to purchase services, products or loyalty programs you offer online using all the convenient payment methods from credit and debit cards to e-wallets. Not only will this speed up the checkout process for the clients but it will also give you more control over your time and revenue.

Don’t think in terms of where your business is today but where do you see it in a year? Does the system have the capability to support the growth you’re planning? Many businesses start small and then go on opening branches and new locations which many online booking systems don’t know how to support. Make sure to explore their solutions for the enterprise.

Make sure you can keep up with what’s going on in your business through comprehensive set of data. There are some basic statistics that you want to track in your service-oriented business to ensure you make the right decisions. These may be, e.g. no-show rate, customer satisfaction and reviews, favorite services and products, etc. The better the insights, the better the decisions made.

Integrations are what make the software versatile and scalable. No provider will be able to solve all your problems with one software. And if they claim they do, chances are someone else, who specializes in solving that problem, can do it better. That’s why it’s often better to just integrate the two softwares and have the best of both worlds. But do the softwares integrate?

Promote your business online using different channels and options to share bookings. You can use a customizable booking website that will serve as a storefront of your business. Or you can share your services via booking links and forms on social media. This way the client will be directed and you can increase your utilization.

Also check if the system that you’re looking into offers the ability to be listed in their marketplace. This way, even people who don’t know your business or are new to the area can find you and visit.

Sending reminders to clients drastically reduces no-shows. Our stats show that reminding your customers of their upcoming appointments can reduce no-shows by up to 75% and thus bring in up to a 30% increase in profit. Automated and customizable reminders are an essential and crucial part of any appointment scheduling software.

On the other hand, even we as service providers aren’t flawless, so having a way of notifying your team of created or upcoming bookings can reduce errors on your side and significantly improve your customer experience.

When clients choose to go online to schedule a meeting with you, they should not guess when you’re available. That’s why having the system updating your availability in real time is crucial. The moment one client books an appointment with you, the slot needs to immediately disappear from your calendar. The same goes for event capacity - if an event is full, the system needs to clearly show or you’re risking losing existing or potential long-term clients.

Team and staff management takes up to 6 hours a week from your time. Did you know that? When you allow your team to manage their own appointments, working hours, and availability, you can take those 6 hours and focus on really building your business. And if you’re afraid of letting go and have no control over your team’s performance, make sure that your online booking system offers at least basic team statistics like calendar utilization or an overview of the number of bookings per time period.

Clients like when they have all the information of their past and upcoming bookings and loyalty passes in one place and can manage it. At the same time, well-structured customer management gives you the ability to add notes, schedule attendance for your clients (like recurring bookings or scheduling the next appointment right when they’re wrapping up their current one) and block them from scheduling with you if they prove unreliable.

Give yourself the option to sell additional services or products at the time of booking​​​​ and to offer promo codes, discounts. Diversify your revenue by offering physical products and manage them within one system. Of course you can have a booking system and point of sale system separately, but the question is should you? Do you want to? Having one system for all the mentioned above will simplify your professional life, cut costs, and ultimately give you new ways to grow your business.

Even though you may be a local business, your customers as well as staff may come from anywhere. We live in a globalized world and we need to account for it. Make sure that the system supports different languages and that the Customer Care team communicates in all of them. Bonus perk? This opens the door for potential expansion of your business.

Last but certainly not least. Security is ultra important, especially when your clients trust you with their personal and financial information. This is the one point you should not compromise on under any circumstances. The louder the system speaks about their security protocols and certification compliance, the better, be it GDPR, SSL or PCI DSS.