How to maintain communication with clients if you switch to online booking
I’m worried about losing communication with my clients if I switch to online booking. How can I make sure we stay in touch?
Online booking systems save businesses time and cut down on admin while allowing clients to book an appointment at a time and date that suits them. This frees up your day while giving clients a sense of control and empowerment over their service choices.
It can have massive benefits for your business but worrying about losing that touch point with your customers is a natural reaction for any salon new to online booking. However, there are tips and tricks you can employ to ensure you’re getting the most out of your software system.
Appointment scheduling systems are designed to maximise communication between you and your client, offering many ways for you to stay in touch and keep up that one-to-one interaction you’re accustomed to. For example, adding a list of all of your services with detailed descriptions lets the customer know exactly what they are booking and gives them a sense of security and control over the experience.
Tapping into your client’s needs at the point of booking also creates a strong sense of trust. Some systems allow you to do simple things such as putting a mandatory service question in place, such as “Have you had a patch test?” This not only gives you more advance information but makes the client feel cared for.
Once a booking has been taken and confirmed you can set your system to offer clients the opportunity to receive SMS reminder notifications so they don’t forget about it. It’s also worth setting up a reply function in case they have any additional questions prior to treatment. You can then log all this communication on the system against the customer’s client card before they come in.
Neil Conchie is UK business development manager at Timely, an appointment-scheduling software system for service businesses. Conchie has worked in software companies in the US, New Zealand and UK.
