How an Online Appointment System Helps Field Services
February 15, 2023 | Read: 6 minutes
A self-service online appointment system is the future of booking for field service businesses.
If you’re not already using one, you need to…
Online booking is powerful.
It’s simple, efficient, and easy to adjust. What could be better for admin teams who have better things to do with their time?
Simplicity is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Let’s dive in to learn more about how an online appointment system can help your business thrive:
What Is an Online Appointment System?
Simply put, an online booking system is a tool that allows customers to inquire via your website, and even directly schedule an appointment.
While it’s a simple tool, the benefits of an online appointment system run deep!
Jobs will automatically enter your team’s calendar. Office staff can review, confirm, and assign the job to an engineer to fulfil.
When customers help themselves, you’ll find your team can save time, work more efficiently, and even boost your profitability, too!
After all, the easier it is to book a job, the more likely it is that customers will access your services multiple times. An easy scheduling process will also make it easier to manage and fulfil jobs, too.
Let’s explore more about how exactly that happens:
Online Appointment Systems Convert More Prospects
No one, whether it’s your customers or admins, wants their time wasted.
The main benefit of online appointment systems is that they remove a majority of friction from your scheduling process.
The last thing you want to do is make customers jump through hoops in order to book an appointment. Customers needing to step out of work to schedule an appointment or sit on hold are bad experiences.
Inconveniences like these can result in your clientele going to the competition.
According to GetApp, nearly 70% of people would rather book their services online, while only about 20% prefer to book over the phone. If you’re not using a portal, that’s a lot of untapped business…
While most trades businesses don’t have a hard time attracting new customers, many struggle with keeping track and staying on top of booking. This is something that a simple booking system will solve, helping your team to manage leads more efficiently.
Use an online booking portal for 24/7 lead management
Online appointment systems contribute to business growth because it’s easy for new customers to quickly fill out a form and get into your CRM. This makes it that much easier to gain new clients and have their data inputted without getting admin involved.
On top of that, you get a new job scheduled in mere moments!
Appeal to Customer’s Preferences
It’s undeniable, customers value digital experiences, especially when making purchases.
Taking your booking services online provides a clear competitive advantage for your business. In fact, 94% of respondents to a GetApp poll said they’d be more likely to choose a provider that uses online booking over one that doesn’t.
Simply put, if your business isn’t offering self-service online booking, your prospects are likely going to competitors who do.
Your customers and prospects expect to you cater to them. In an age where people already use the internet for much of their day-to-day, a digital booking form on your website perfectly aligns with their lifestyle.
An online appointment system pays off.
Think about your customers’ experiences navigating your website.
People use your website to understand your services and make informed decisions.
Providing a scheduling system is a logical next step that compels customers to purchase your services right away.
An Online Booking System Empowers Customers
The digital appointment solution you choose should be easy for your team to personalise. You should have the power to decide which services your customers can and can’t book online. It’s up to you, only the services you choose to list will appear on your online booking form.
Customisation is important for your business, but it also helps customers!
Not only does a well-designed booking form menu look professional, it helps build trust with customers and allows them to quickly select the service they’re looking for. Even better, you can even include the service price so customers will know what they’ll owe.
Top-notch booking forms provide a spot where they can choose their date and time slot and give payment! Self-service empowers customers to take control of their appointments.
Online booking should make the scheduling process as painless as possible for customers while giving your team all the information they need. A revamped digital booking experience is a win-win for everyone involved and will help you book more jobs quickly.
Discover how Online Booking can transform your website!
Customers Can Attach Files and Photos
Sometimes, an image is the best way to get a point across. Especially with service jobs, seeing a photo of your customer’s problem can help you see exactly what is going on.
By giving customers the power to send you photos in advance of a job, you gain valuable context. It can also save everyone time, as people don’t need to write or read lengthy descriptions. A visual explanation can reveal a lot of information much faster.
Allowing the option for them to upload a photo not only saves them time, but it can give your engineers the context they need to help prepare for the job.
New Appointments Go Directly Into Diaries
The best online appointment systems directly sync to your calendar. When appointments are automatically scheduled, you can dramatically cut down on tedious scheduling tasks.
Automation means you won’t have to worry about manually booking new jobs. Your office can focus on other areas of your business!
Leave voicemails, games of phone tag, and disorganised calendars in the past! Online booking can help your team secure an appointment faster, get the job done sooner, and ultimately get paid quicker.
Reduce Admin Time Spent Booking Jobs
Simply put, compared to manual processes, online booking systems are less exhausting to manage.
An online appointment system takes a lot of pressure off your service dispatchers. This can make your entire business more efficient; your team can devote more time to higher-priority tasks.
On top of that, this system ensures fewer scheduling errors and miscommunication.
Customers input their information directly into the form, so there’s no need to listen intently to details over the phone and write them down correctly.
Getting Started With an Online Appointment System!
Online appointment systems offer major benefits for any trades company looking to implement field service management software. This tool has the capacity to increase your customer base, while keeping them happy any time of day.
Commusoft’s customer self-service software can do everything mentioned above, and can remove 90% of your admin time.
Our all-in-one job management software is designed around powerful features. We help field service companies make meaningful changes to organise and manage their business.
Read more and see how Commusoft can help you take your business to the next level! We’re here to help.
