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Tag Archives: efficiency

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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02/03
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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01/06
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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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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12/01
2009

Seven Signs It’s Time to Upgrade to a Better Appointment Scheduler

reception photo (appointment scheduling software)Some appointment scheduling tools are nothing more than a calendar with limited options.  How do you know if it’s time to upgrade?

Here are seven signs that it’s time to get the next generation of appointment schedulers:

1. You’re finding that Outlook is just not cutting it anymore

Some might believe that Outlook (or another personal information manager) can do it all, but unfortunately, it is not specifically designed as an appointment scheduler.  If you find yourself wishing that Outlook could do more with appointments for your team, it’s time to migrate to powerful, dedicated scheduling software.

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11/30
2009

Customer Service and Efficiency in Air Travel

airlinecheckin photo (appointment scheduling software)It may not be obvious to this year’s holiday travelers, but the air travel industry is changing: it is recognizing it needs to improve customer service and operational efficiencies.

An estimated 2 million people flew in the U.S. on the day before Thanksgiving.  On this, the busiest travel day of the year, people are reminded of all the hassles, challenges and inefficiency of air travel.

One significant trend in the air travel industry is the adoption of appointment scheduling for internal and regulatory processes.  Both the FAA and Toronto rely on appointment scheduling software.

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11/23
2009

City of Boston Improving Customer Care? There’s an app for that!

Boston1 photo (appointment scheduling)Government agencies are rarely considered synonymous with good customer service, but that’s changing.  From appointment scheduling for DMVs (see our New Jersey case study) to counties and municipalities becoming more customer-oriented (the Cleveland area’s Cuyahoga County (case study) schedules 78,000 appointments a year with us), the way government agencies interact with citizens is changing.

One recent example is the City of Boston.  In a leap towards efficiency, citizen empowerment, and harnessing technology for better customer service, Boston has launched an iPhone application for municipal complaints.

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11/19
2009

Enhancing Customer Experience with Online Scheduling

frustratedphone photo (appointment scheduling)Sometimes it seems customer care improvement is at odds with streamlining operations.  Financial Services Technology made the point beautifully with a script for an imaginary TV commercial about a surgeon who calls a helpline and gets put on hold: one humorous example of how some technologies make businesses choose between customer care and efficiency.  Voice mail is another example of this; how many customers like reaching a voice mail tree?

But there are other technologies that deliver both improved customer care and operational efficiencies.   Appointment scheduling software is one great example.  Hard ROI numbers aside (and there are plenty of them), appointment scheduling software gives businesses the flexibility to work with customers when most convenient for the customer.

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11/16
2009

Five Growing Markets For Appointment Scheduling Software

NowServing 150x111 photo (appointment scheduling)I like having an appointment, and I hate waiting.  Both my doctor’s office and day spa get this and thus have appointment scheduling software to serve and satisfy customers like me.

However,  such software is also being used in other markets on an increasing scale.  Here’s a look at five vertical markets that are rapidly adopting appointment scheduling, and why appointment scheduling software makes sense for them:

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11/02
2009

Personal Appointment Software May Just Save Your Job

firedguy photo (appointment scheduler)In the face of close to 10% U.S. unemployment, employees may be wondering what they can do to increase their value.  Online appointment software may just be the answer.   It is a tool to manage two resources that often are poorly handled: time and relationships.  With more companies watching what employees do, it may be time to seriously consider a change in how you go about your job.

Setting appointments with online appointment software allows you to be organized with your time and communicates to others (including your boss) that both your time and the time of others is something that you value.   Aren’t supervisors looking for employees who are focused, organized, efficient, and place a value on the company’s best interest?

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