The world we live in now gives us the opportunity to have everything at our fingertips. Everything is instant. We think that you should have the same seamless experience when you book appointments for your furry friends. This not only will help your business grow but it will make you and your customers' lives better.
The world we live in now gives us the opportunity to have everything at our fingertips. Everything is instant. From ordering dinner on Uber Eats to booking your workout class online at Soul Cycle. Online booking is no different. From workout classes to salon appointments and even scheduling your next doctor's appointment or urgent care appointment.
We think that you should have the same seamless experience when you book appointments for your furry friends. This not only will help your business grow but it will make you and your customers' lives better. We compiled 8 tips to help grow your business with online booking!
1. Your business is open 24/7 to book appointments
Gone are the days when you can only take appointments within a certain time frame. With online booking, you can take appointments 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Your customers are able to book appointments when it is convenient for them all while not requiring you to be available.
2. Reduce no-shows
With online booking, you have the option to require customers to sign a no-show agreement and put their credit card to be on file in order to submit a booking request. This holds the customer accountable for making sure they either cancel their appointment with enough notice or are charged for the appointment with the credit card on file if they don’t show up. When a customer has “skin in the game” such as the loss of money, they are less likely to no-show.
3. Upsell, upsell, upsell
Have you ever been in line at a store (like Sephora), and noticed there were items in the line that you never would have thought to get but since they are right in front of you and EASY to grab to the checkout counter you end up buying them? During an online booking experience, you can do the exact same thing. For example, if you have a customer booking their doodle’s routine grooming appointment, at the checkout you can add on additional services that the customer may not have initially thought of. Online booking is a great opportunity to upsell unique and special services or products you have!
4. Improve communication with staff and customers
By submitting booking requests online, the customer knows exactly what service they are booking because they do it themselves. In some cases, the price is also communicated so there is transparency in what the customer is looking to spend.
5. Less admin work
With customers going online to book their appointments, you won’t have your phones ringing off the hook trying to schedule appointments, ask about availability, compare schedules, etc. You also have the option to make all policies be required to review before submitting a booking request so your front desk staff or you, won’t have to take the time to communicate it with customers.
6. Reduce human error
While this may seem minor, mistaking someone’s pet name because you heard Chloe and not Zoe is not how you want to start a customer's experience at your business. By having the customer fill in all their pet’s information online, you remove the chance of human error like you would by taking the information over the phone. And let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than calling someone (even pets!) by the wrong name.
7. Organize your days better
Some may be concerned that with online booking your days can be slammed by ten 80-pound doodles, which we all know is DRASTICALLY different than 10 small dog appointments. But there is no need to worry. You can limit the number of specific breeds or sizes/weight for a groomer in the system so there won’t be any circumstance where this can happen.
You also have full control of your schedule. Just because someone submits an online booking request doesn’t mean you don’t have the authority to approve, reject, or put them on a waitlist.
8. Modernizing your business
Let’s be honest, we live in a world where fewer and fewer people are picking up the phone to make appointments. Or just picking up the phone in general. Online booking for your pet aligns with how industries are functioning in the modern world. Need a ride? Book an Uber. Hungry? Order Grubhub. Need to pay for something? Apple Pay.
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