Tag: full slate

How Full Slate can capture credit card information for deposits or full payment

by Allison DoyleTips & TricksLeave a Comment on How Full Slate can capture credit card information for deposits or full payment

Let’s examine all the ways Full Slate can help you capture credit card information, whether it’s for deposits or full payment on services.

Credit Card Capture

Full Slate allows you to collect credit card information when client schedule appointments, and charge cards if they do not show up for their appointments. When a client enters a credit card number, it passes straight to the payment processer for safekeeping. Full Slate never stores or exposes the full card number.

To keep credit cards on file, you need an account with a payment processor that supports saving cardholder information and charging customers after the fact. Currently, Full Slate integrates with:

  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Authorize.net
  • Payflow

Deciding what credit card processor works for your business really depends on your specific needs. Note that Stripe is only available for businesses in the United States, Canada, and U.K. A client also cannot remove a credit card that has been previously added to the system if it’s securing an upcoming appointment. To do so, the client would need to either cancel the appointment, or contact you first.

Setting Up Deposits

One way to cut back on no-shows is to require a deposit (either a flat fee or percentage of the cost of service) at the time of booking. Non-refundable deposits provide a (better) guarantee that your client will show up for their pre-scheduled appointment. Another bonus of setting up deposits: they are less susceptible to dispute and charge-back fines applied after the fact.

Requiring Payments

If you want to require a full payment at the time of booking (or before), you can through the designated processors. These offer seamless integration, so clients can pay for appointments within your scheduling widget or site, without being handed off to another site.

To get step-by-step instructions on how to capture credit card information on Full Slate, check out our Help Center article on the subject.

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Using Full Slate Outside the U.S.

by Allison DoyleTips & TricksLeave a Comment on Using Full Slate Outside the U.S.

Do you live outside the United States or work with international currency? Good news! Full Slate offers currency and language support for businesses around the world. This includes:

  • SMS alerts – Full Slate supports over 1,000 mobile carriers worldwide to complement our text alerts. If you do have an international number, make sure to add it under MY ACCOUNT in the international format: +country code xxx-xxx-xxxx.
  • SMS reminders – If your clients use one of the 1,000 supported carriers, they will receive text reminders. The mobile numbers under the CLIENTS tab do NOT need your country code. For full information on this, visit our Help Center article on SMS international texts.
  • Phone numbers – Our phone number fields include most worldwide formats so you can enter your business, mobile, and other phone numbers in the format of your home country.
  • Currency – Full Slate supports all major world currencies, and you can list your prices in your home currency. Plus, if you use PayPal for transactions, the price will be transferred to PayPal in the proper currency.
  • Input Fields – Our input fields accept international characters so you can customize your account to another language, making instructions easier to read for your clients.

For more information on this, check out our original blog on the topic.

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Why you should create a strong password

by Rachel AugustineTips & TricksLeave a Comment on Why you should create a strong password

Security is one of the most important factors to consider when conducting business online. We lock the doors to our house and our cars are equipped with locks that can only be accessed with a key and/or an electronic device. We need to make sure we treat our cyber-connected accounts the same. Full Slate cares about your security and we want to make sure that you have the tools and knowledge you need to improve your day-to-day cyber security.

Creating Strong Passwords

One of the best ways to protect yourself online is by creating and managing your passwords. In general, your password should contain a combination of numbers, symbols, uppercase letters, and lowercase letters. A password should not contain repetition, full words, usernames, pronouns, or any other predefined number or letter sequence.

One tip for creating a strong password is to start with a phrase as your base. For example, a phrase like “I hope the Giants win the World Series in 2017!” Then, take the initials of each word, and all numbers and symbols, to create your password. So, that phrase would result in this: IhtGwtWSi2017!

What To Do If Your Password is Compromised?

If you have reason to believe your password has been stolen, you should change it immediately on any accounts where you use the same or a similar password.

  • If you have shared your password with a friend, change it.
  • If you saw someone looking over your shoulder as you were typing your password, change it.
  • If you think you might have just given your password to a phishing website, change it.
  • If your current password is weak, change it. If it will make you feel better or if you just feel like it’s time for a change, then, change your password.

Regardless of why you are changing your password, choose a new password unrelated to the old one, and don’t reuse a password from another account. Remember, there may be other steps you should take as well to make sure your system or account has not been compromised in a way that will render your password change ineffective. The Department of the Navy’s Chief Information Officer’s website has a great article on Basic Cybersecurity Tips to Keep Your Data Safe.

Advice for “Shared” Office Passwords

One trend we have noticed at Full Slate is that some companies prefer just one login for the whole office. This is not something we recommend. One shared office password can become a problem if you experience any staff turnover (we have seen some not-so-nice actions by an employee let go from a company), and a shared office password can make it difficult for Full Slate support staff to track down who did what and when in regards to appointment or client data.

Our recommendation remains: anyone who needs access to your account should have their own unique login. Furthermore, staff should be counseled to log out of their workstation computers when they are done for the day to avoid anyone else accessing their profile.

For more on how to invite your staff to your Full Slate account, please click here.

If you have any questions on this or any feature of Full Slate, please contact our support team at www.fullslate.com or visit our Help Center.

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How to increase your pre-booked appointments

by Allison DoyleBuild Your Business / Tips & TricksLeave a Comment on How to increase your pre-booked appointments

While walk-in appointments can help fill in scheduling gaps and unexpected no-shows, no small business should rely on a revolving door of walk-ins as a secure revenue stream. To grow into a more mature business model, you need to encourage pre-booking and more consistent scheduling behavior from your clients. Offering opportunities to pre-book helps you build a more consistent schedule of clientele, which will in time allow you to grow your business and increase revenue.

How to encourage pre-booking to your clientele

When do you ask your clientele to book their next appointment? It shouldn’t be at the end of an appointment, when both you and the client are already thinking of other things. Instead, you should bring up the idea of pre-booking with your clients while you’re still with them.

How might you discuss the benefits of pre-booking? Here are some suggestions:

  • Discuss how your business operates and why it’s helpful for you
  • Focus on the benefit to your client – how they can book the best time earlier, and not have to worry later on
  • Share with them why you want to keep them as loyal clients

The idea of pre-booking might not come naturally to some of your clients, and if you want to really train your clients to practice booking behaviors that benefit you greatly in the end, you might want to consider incentivizing them. For example, you could offer small incentives such as $5 or $10 off their next service if they pre-book, or add on an extra service.

Adding online scheduling to your Facebook page

Another way to encourage pre-booking and build a more consistent schedule for your business is to add scheduling onto your Facebook page. This is a Full Slate feature that you can quickly set up. Just add the Full Slate application to your business’ page, and clients will be able to select from real-time openings synced from your Full Slate appointment ledger.

  • Step one: click on the Web > Facebook tab in your Full Slate account
  • Step two: Select the styling you want
  • Step three: Click the link to add to your page
  • Step four: Verify with Facebook

You’re done! A new tab: Schedule Now, will show up in the navigation of your Facebook page. This tab will list your services and your appointment availability. When clients schedule through Facebook, the appointment confirmations and alerts work the same as if they scheduled from your website.

How to encourage clients to schedule online

There’s an overwhelming movement towards clients booking and requesting appointments online, so offering online booking shouldn’t require much convincing. However, there are definitely ways you can alert your clients that you now offer online booking.

  • Send an email to your clients announcing your online booking options, with an easy link to your online booking page. Full Slate offers a ready-made email template titled “Client Invitation” to make this an even simpler process.
  • Mention online booking as an alternative to, or way to, pre-book – this can be added to the conversation you have about pre-booking during your client visits
  • Update your voicemail to let clients know that you offer online scheduling, and it is a quick, easy way to schedule their next appointment. Be sure to mention your website or that you offer online scheduling on Facebook

These are just some of the ways you can encourage pre-booking to your clientele, and pave the way for a more robust business plan for your salon, spa, or small business. For more tips like this, visit our blog at http://blog.fullslate.com/.

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Why Embracing Online Booking Will Lead to More Clients

by Allison DoyleBuild Your BusinessLeave a Comment on Why Embracing Online Booking Will Lead to More Clients

If you’re a salon or spa who has yet to embrace online booking, you’re definitely leaving new business on the table.

According to a study conducted in 2015 by online marketing firm Yodle, 60% of those surveyed wanted their local businesses to provide online booking. One-third of customers said they expect online booking now from businesses, while another third said that it would make a business stand out from among competitors.

So let’s examine a few of reasons why embracing online booking will lead to more clients.

Online booking allows clients to book outside traditional business hours

The amount of people booking outside traditional business hours has increased year over year, and now over 42% of online bookings happen after business hours. The majority of customers asked in a recent book stated that they would choose to book online rather than scheduling an appointment by phone. Thus, allowing your clients to book outside traditional business hours gives you the ability to book more appointments and reach new clients.

Online booking allows clients to book from their mobile phones

Do you own a smartphone? Did you know that according to a 2016 Smart Insights poll, over 80% of internet users do? So with more people spending a large portion of their time on their phones, offering online booking at your salon or spa helps you reach these clients immediately. You’re more likely to get appointments if you give your clients the ability to book services on-the-go, and directly from their phones.

Online booking helps you stand out from your competitors

If you offer online booking for your clients, you will be one of the forerunners in the industry to offer such a convenience to your clients. As the Yodle study confirmed, your clients will not only appreciate the ability to book online, but will likely choose your salon or spa over one that does not offer online booking. If you choose an all-in-one software such as Full Slate, your clients will be able to search for appointments and book them directly from Google, as Full Slate is a preferred partner with Google’s new appointment scheduling platform: Reserve with Google.

Online booking decreases no-shows

All salons and spas struggle with no-shows and unconfirmed appointments, but online booking offers your clients a quick and convenient way to contact you, which increases confirmations and decreases no-shows and late cancellations. And with a software like Full Slate, you can even offer double-booking if you want, for those downtimes between long services.

To find out more about how online booking can help your salon or spa increase its revenue and attract more clients, click here.

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A Tattoo Artist’s Secret to Attracting Clients Like Crazy

by Allison DoyleBuild Your BusinessLeave a Comment on A Tattoo Artist’s Secret to Attracting Clients Like Crazy

If you’re a tattoo artist trying to attract new clients, you need to be able to leverage more than just word-of-mouth referrals and day-of drop-ins. For a tattoo artist always on the move, the ability to quickly check and be alerted to changes in your schedule is also a crucial feature, and any platform you look into should be flexible in what it offers and what it costs.

What is a tattoo artist’s secret to attracting clients like crazy?

It’s investing in a platform that offers everything from marketing assistance and convenient booking options for clients, to easy-to-use schedule management for the business owner.

Full Slate is the perfect platform for tattoo artists and others looking to attract clients like crazy. Not only does Full Slate help turn online advertising into new bookings, but it offers a robust range of features and add-ons that simplify the way you connect to and communicate with clients.

How to attract clients like crazy

  • Offer online booking – let clients book online on your website, through Facebook, or the Full Slate booking page. And NOW booking is easier than ever, as Full Slate is one of the partners for Reserve with Google. Clients can search for, “A tattoo artist near me” and complete the entire booking process from within Google’s interface – instantly broadening your ability to reach new clients.
  • Automated appointment reminders – send automatic reminders to your clients via email and text to decrease no-shows or late cancellations. Keep your schedule full and spend less time manually confirming clients.
  • Accept credit card payments – tattoos are often not a spur-of-the-moment decision, so drop-in appointments are not as reliable as ones you book further out. Full Slate offers you the option to collect credit card numbers, a deposit, or full pre-payment to secure online booking
  • Collect client reviews – Boost your online reputation by asking happy clients to leave a review. With Full Slate, you can automatically collect feedback with the option to publish your ratings and reviews on popular social sites

Not a tattoo artist? Not a problem!

Tattoo artists aren’t the only ones who benefit from the strength of Full Slate’s features. Other entrepreneurs who benefit include: massage therapists, hair stylists, mental health counselors, photographers, auto centers, naturopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, estheticians, tutors, music teachers, personal trainers, and fitness instructors.

To learn more about Full Slate, visit: fullslate.com – and activate a free trial to see if it works for you!

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5 Reasons Why Full Slate is the Best Appointment Scheduling Software

by Allison DoyleBuild Your BusinessLeave a Comment on 5 Reasons Why Full Slate is the Best Appointment Scheduling Software

If you’re a small business looking to grow your client base and stand out from the crowd, you need an appointment scheduling software that works as hard as you do. Thousands of small businesses place their trust in Full Slate, and so we wanted to present 5 reasons why we think Full Slate is the best appointment scheduling software for your business.

Reason No. 1: Full Slate offers online scheduling

If you’re goal is to book more appointments, you need to make booking a simple and convenient process for your clients. With Full Slate’s online scheduler, your business accepts appointments where your clients and prospects already are: online. If you don’t have the option for online scheduling, you may be missing out on new revenue!

Of course, you can still make appointments over the phone or in person, and add these into your schedule in Full Slate, so that all your appointments show in the same place.

Reason No. 2: Full Slate doesn’t tack on extra transaction fees

With Full Slate, you have the option to require clients to put a credit card on file, make a deposit, or pay in full when they schedule online. Full Slate integrates with several popular payment solutions so that all transactions are secure, and—unlike some other platforms out there—we don’t charge transaction fees or take a percentage of your sales.

Reason No. 3: Full Slate offers a feature-rich platform that’s customizable to your business

Full Slate scheduling software does it all. From automatically sending personalized emails on your behalf that drive repeat business, reviews, and referrals; to allowing quick online booking and accepting credit card payments and deposits—you’ll be able to customize your experience to perfectly match your business’ needs. Do you have multiple locations? No problem. You can share business hours and staff, and coordinate work across multiple offices. You can track client info, appointment history; and email correspondence all in one place; and you can even sell gift certificates and packages… plus so much more. For a full list of features, click here.

Reason No. 4: Full Slate syncs to QuickBooks and Checkout

No more switching back and forth between your scheduling software and accounting software, because Full Slate readily integrates with QuickBooks Sync, so you never have to manually double-enter data again. Plus, Full Slate also works with Checkout, so that you can collect payment and record them from within Full Slate and your transactions automatically upload to QuickBooks Online.  For more information on acquiring QuickBooks Online for your business, please visit https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/

Reason No. 5: Full Slate offers unlimited appointments for a flat fee

At Full Slate, we know that your business is going to grow—and we don’t think you should be punished or charged for more appointments. That’s why we offer unlimited appointments at a flat monthly or yearly price, so that you can focus fully on growing your business, and not worry about tacked on fees.

There are just 5 of the reasons why Full Slate is the best appointment scheduling software for your business. But don’t take our word for it – you can try Full Slate for free! Sign up for your free trial by clicking here.

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Pick your present this season – Full Slate appointment scheduling software

by Allison DoyleBuild Your BusinessLeave a Comment on Pick your present this season – Full Slate appointment scheduling software

Pick up a present for yourself this year and try Full Slate appointment scheduling software for free. Enjoy its benefits all year long, and grow your business!

Full Slate offers you everything you need for a busy schedule, to help take the stress out of scheduling. Whether you’re a salon or spa, fitness instructor, or other small business owner, Full Slate will work for you.

Book more clients

Accept appointments online—from your website, dedicated booking page, Facebook, or email—and drive more traffic. Easily manage your schedule, and make it easy for your clients to book more.

Reduce no-shows

Your time is valuable, so make sure clients show up for their scheduled appointments by setting up automated email and text reminders. You also have the option of requesting deposits, or paying full online prior to appointments. Full Slate integrates with several popular payment solutions, and doesn’t tack on any extra transaction fees.

Stay connected

With Full Slate, you can send personalized emails to your clients, that drive repeat business, online reviews, and referrals. Don’t struggle with what to say – our pre-written, professional messages give you a great starting point, but also are completely customizable to fit your business.

Want the full picture of what Full Slate can do for you? Check out our website at http://fullslate.com/, and sign up for a free trial today.

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An Easy Choice This Election Season – Get Full Slate for Your Business!

by Allison DoyleBuild Your BusinessLeave a Comment on An Easy Choice This Election Season – Get Full Slate for Your Business!

This Tuesday, the U.S. will choose its next President, and we won’t even go into that today – but if you’re looking for an easy choice this November, we have one for you: Get Full Slate for your business!

Full Slate is a comprehensive appointment scheduling software that helps small businesses with everything from appointment scheduling and reminders, to credit card payments, class sign-up, staff scheduling, client reviews, and more.

Not only does Full Slate help take the stress out of scheduling, it also syncs with QuickBooks, allowing your scheduling software choice to communicate seamlessly with your accounting software. You can record payments and give up manually entering data!

This QuickBooks integration is so important, we wanted to go into a bit more detail today. Two of our most Frequently Asked Questions about this process are:

Can I Sync My Client Contact Info with QuickBooks?

The answer is: yes! With QuickBooks Sync, your client list is shared, so clients within Full Slate appear in QuickBooks, and vice versa. This means all their contact info, including name, email, phone, address, and any client notes.

Before you sync, it’s also a good idea to backup any client information within Full Slate, which you can do under CLIENTS > LIST.

Can I Sync My Payment Transactions to QuickBooks?

Again, yes! Full Slate will automatically sync your payment transactions entered via Checkout each time you save a transaction. That means that when you open QuickBooks, your transaction should immediately show up.

If you go the opposite direction, and change something in QuickBooks, such as modifying a sales tax rate, you’ll need to go into Full Slate’s menu SETUP > QUICKBOOKS SYNC and click “Synchronize now” to see those changes reflected in Full Slate. You also may need to refresh your browser.

Note: transaction sync works one-way from Full Slate to QuickBooks, so any transactions recorded or modified in QuickBooks cannot be synced to Full Slate.

To read more about the QuickBooks Sync and Checkout integration with Full Slate, click here.

To try Full Slate for free, sign up for our trial! No credit card is required, and there’s nothing to install! Plus, we offer free setup and support. Check it out: https://www.fullslate.com/try-free-online-scheduling

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