Clinton Power, an online marketing coach and social media consultant in Sydney, makes a compelling case for online appointment scheduling in his article, “How an Online Appointment Scheduler Helps You Build a Profitable Private Practice.” Clinton uses Full Slate in his counseling practice and regularly recommends Full Slate to health care professionals he advises.
Here’s a great excerpt from the article with myths and facts about online scheduling:
Myth: You will lose control of your diary as clients book appointments whenever it suits them.
Fact: I have total control over my online diary. I only offer the best times that suit me, I don’t let clients book less than 24 hours in advance. I don’t let clients book more than 2 weeks in advance. I can block out all days and weeks when I don’t want to work or will be on holidays in the future.
Myth: Clients don’t want to book online.
Fact: 90%+ of my new clients now book online through Full Slate for the first appointment.
Myth: You won’t have control over which clients you see.
Fact: All appointments go into moderation and I only confirm an appointment online after speaking with the client and screening them for suitability.
Myth: Online appointment schedulers are expensive and you shouldn’t need to pay when you can book clients for free.
Fact: Full Slate paid for itself for 2 years in advance after I came back from 6 weeks holiday and 7 new clients were waiting in moderation for me to confirm. (Best post-holiday present EVER).
Myth: It’s time consuming to have to add times to an online appointment scheduler as well as your main diary
Truth: I have the client’s next appointment booked in and confirmation email sent before they get to my front gate after leaving my office.
Myth: Online appointment schedulers don’t reduce no shows.
Fact: I’ve had not one no-show for an appointment in the last 2 years thanks to the automated email and SMS reminders that are sent 24 hours before the appointment.
Myth: Online appointment schedulers are not secure or confidential.
Fact: Full Slate actually uses the highest level of encryption commonly available on the Internet today.
Myth: An online scheduler doesn’t really add value to your business.
Fact: Research suggests that businesses that take online bookings can increase their growth by 30%. I found that my business increased by 46% in the first 12 months of using an online appointment scheduler.