How Appointment Scheduling Can Reduce Manual Tasks

Setting appointments can be a tedious task for an office, whereas using appointment automation software speeds up the same process. Not only can this software reduce no shows, it can eliminate double bookings and save most of the time spent of setting appointments. Here are ways that appointment setting software can help improve your business.

Automation Trends

A recent survey conducted by Accenture found that 17% of over 3,000 U.S. adult participants said they scheduled their own doctor appointment using a website or app. A third of the time these appointments were set after the office closed. But 42% said they would have scheduled an appointment online if they were given the opportunity. Research shows that online scheduling is particularly favored by the 18-34 age group. By 2019 well over half of American health systems are expected to offer self-scheduling as an option.

Give Customers a Choice

One of the most important reasons to invest in appointment setting software is because it makes it easy for customers to set their own appointments whenever they want from any location. Offering an automated system provides convenience for prospects who may not be available to call during regular business hours. An automated system allows the prospect to choose an available time slot that hasn’t been booked yet. It can also provide a payment method for transactions to secure the appointment. The automated system also saves you from hiring a 24/7 help desk assistant.

Many consumers no longer like talking on the telephone and view it as an interruption. Offering the opportunity to set an appointment online opens the door to get more leads. Interesting statistics from InsideSales.com posted on HubSpot show that 35-50% of sales go to the business that responds first. That means if you’re only open strictly 9-5, you could be losing all kinds of business in off-hours in which customers could have set their own appointments.

Finding an Appointment Setting Solution

There are many different apps to choose from to automate your appointment setting. Agendize is useful for agencies that want communication features that provide a personalized experience. It’s a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that can be easily deployed and managed through APIs. Its private and white labelling feature allows you to integrate your brand into the system. One of the most powerful marketing features included with Agendize is the ability to reach all your customers through email marketing.

Collect Instant Feedback

Automation software provides opportunities to get instant feedback from customers about what they thought of your service. People are automatically prompted to provide opinions on their visit after they’ve completed the appointment. This information can be useful for market research and fine-tuning your services to increase customer satisfaction. All communications through the software can be stored in customer profiles for analyzing their history, which will help you understand their personal needs better.

Conclusion

Using appointment setting software gives your business a boost in lead generation, since it opens the door for your website visitors to set appointments at their own convenience. Instead of relying on capturing leads only during business hours, you can reach a wider market through 24/7 automation tools. Healthcare professionals are rapidly moving toward using appointment setting software to increase their business. It’s a solution that can empower the customers of any business that relies on appointments.

 

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