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Tag Archives: customer experience

02/16
2010
02/10
2010

“Textaurant” Improves the Waiting Experience

textaurant photo (appointment reminder)Everyone loves the Cheesecake Factory.  The problem is everyone loves the Cheesecake Factory: customers can wait up to two hours for a table.  A packed bar, lobby and waiting area might be good news for the restaurateur, but it’s certainly bad news for the customers.  Who likes to stand around waiting?

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02/09
2010

Turn These Business Resolutions Into Reality

New Years Resolutions for 2010 150x150 photo (appointment scheduling software)New Year’s Resolutions we’ve collected for doing business in 2010:
I resolve to… improve the overall experience of my customers.
I resolve to… reduce my administrative costs.
I resolve to… smooth out the peaks and valleys in my business cycle.
I resolve to…keep better track of customers and employees.
I resolve to…reduce the amount of time my customers spend waiting.
I resolve to…reduce the number of appointment no shows.
I resolve to…reduce the number of abandoned calls.
I resolve to…spend more time with customers.
I resolve to…keep more of my customers.

For the past two years businesses have dug in, deepened the trenches, reduced staff and cut costs to the bone. Now, in 2010, economic progress reports suggest the time is coming to start building and growing again.

But you don’t need to hire new employees or add a lot of costly equipment to turn these resolutions into realities. Every one of them has been attained by real companies using web-based appointment scheduling software. Read their stories in our case study library, and then make some resolutions for your own business in 2010.

Rich Silverman
TimeTrade Blogging Team

Public domain Image by Ivan Akira courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

02/05
2010

What’s Wrong with Manual Appointment Scheduling?

onhold photo (appointment scheduling software)Appointment scheduling the old-fashioned way can easily turn into a hassle for both the customer and the service provider. 

Customers want convenience: a quick process to book an appointment that matches their schedule.

Service providers want bookings, as many as possible. But the busier you get, the harder it is to take time to take calls.

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02/04
2010

Personal Service Providers: Make Life Easier On Yourself – Let Customers Schedule Themselves

spa1 photo (appointment reminder)Hair Salons and Day Spas – regardless of size – need appointment scheduling software. The “needs” test is not based on the size of the business, but the volume of business. Busy salons and spas can enhance customer service while also increasing efficiency.

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02/03
2010

Appointment Scheduling Software Reduces Errors

Photo - Telephone SwitchboardThere will always be people who want to schedule appointments by talking to a live person. They can ask questions, tell the scheduler a cute story about why they are making an appointment or just have a nice conversation with a fellow human being.  But a large and growing group of people want the 24/7 convenience offered by online scheduling software. Both types can be satisfied with online appointment scheduling.

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01/08
2010

How Amazon Uses Technology To Redefine The Customer Experience

customerservice photo (customer retention)In the 1992 Presidential campaign, James Carville famously hung a sign in then Governor Clinton’s campaign office saying “It’s the Economy, Stupid!”  Today’s companies probably need a similar sign with the word ‘customer’ in the place of the word ‘economy’.

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01/06
2010

Fight Back Against Online Merchants: Offer Online Customer Service in a 24/7 World

24hours2 photo (appointment scheduling software)In a 24/7 world, how can brick-and-mortar businesses compete with “always open” online merchants? By offering everything they can do online.

  • A national portrait studio chain offers online appointment scheduling.  Result: more than 20% of their business comes in while they’re closed. (That’s a 25% increase. What would you do to boost business 25%??)
  • Sprint uses TimeTrade to let you self-schedule advanced support for your smartphone, 24/7. Imagine: no more queues – no lines, no waiting!
  • Sonora Quest lets patients schedule quick appointments for blood tests etc. Result: 22,000 people a month self-schedule. They all get seen within five minutes – and think how much staff time would be needed to schedule those appointments manually.

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01/04
2010

Mercedes Works Hard To Earn #1 Retention Rating

MercedesBenz Logo 150x150 photo (customer retention)Two of three Mercedes-Benz owners that bought new cars in 2009 bought a Mercedes again.  In a remarkable 8 percent increase over the previous year, Mercedes earned the highest customer retention rate – 67% – since J.D. Power started measuring the number 7 years ago.

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12/30
2009

The Benefits of Online Scheduling Software for the Retail Industry

sale photo (appointment reminder)Smart retailers differentiate themselves with superior customer service.  Storefront “greeters” and personal shoppers help; here are some real-life examples of the unique blend of superior customer service  and cost-saving offered by online appointment scheduling:

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