Today’s customers expect convenience. If you’ve ever had to make a call and wait on hold—or go back and forth for several emails—to schedule an appointment, you know it’s not always easy. The fact is, appointment scheduling should be easier, both for customers and employees alike.
An advanced meeting scheduling tool, like Engageware, that can automate manual tasks and enable you to efficiently connect with your customers can simplify the process. But how do you find the best tool for scheduling, especially for enterprise businesses that have more complex needs? We’re exploring the must-have features in a top-tier scheduling solution.
What Is the Definition of Appointment Scheduling?
At a high level, appointment scheduling refers to the process of booking meetings. To make this as efficient as possible many organizations turn to appointment scheduling tools, which are digital solutions that allow clients to book appointments themselves online. These appointment scheduling software programs also allow businesses and employees to directly manage their appointments, whether they are with prospective or existing clients.
Why does this matter? A lot of business interactions have moved online over the past several years, and the COVID-19 pandemic certainly accelerated digital transformation. Today’s customers expect the convenience that comes with being able to find a time and location that works best for them and schedule an appointment directly, without having to call someone or go back and forth via email. With the right scheduling tool, businesses can expect to book more high-value appointments across multiple channels and increase the efficiency of operations. With all of this at stake, finding the best scheduling tool is crucial for improving business outcomes.
Which Software Is Best for Scheduling?
The best appointment scheduling software is the one that fits your business model and helps you achieve the highest possible return on investment (ROI) when it comes to customer satisfaction. While smaller companies may be able to get away with manual scheduling, enterprise companies that deal with a high volume of appointments require a more sophisticated solution. Here is a list of features and capabilities that can help you take your scheduling to the next level.
- Ease of Use: Above anything else, the best scheduling software is easy for your employees, clients, and prospects to use. The right solution will be simple and intuitive for your customers, and it won’t require much training for your employees to get started.
- Omnichannel Scheduling: Connect with clients and prospects wherever they are with omnichannel scheduling capabilities. Engageware’s easy to use platform includes the ability to book appointments via mobile devices, search, email, web browser, and customer-facing apps, making it convenient for all your clients.
- Appointment Routing: The best scheduling software programs include the ability to match the needs and requirements of each appointment with the employee and resources best qualified for the meeting.
- Pooled Resource Management: Sifting through multiple calendars to check availability is a waste of time and energy. Ensure the maximum appointment availability possible by dynamically pushing employee availability in a single easy-to-read calendar.
- 1-on-1 & Team Meetings: The right scheduling software will not only simplify setting up external meetings, it’ll simplify setting up internal meetings as well. Look for a tool that allows team members to display their personal availability with only the times that others are free as well.
- Custom Availability: Whether you offer full open availability, rolling availability, a set date range, or specific dates, the best scheduling tools will allow you to offer a completely customized availability to meet the needs of your employees and your clients.
- Configurable Rules: For any enterprise company, the ability to assign business rules, timeframes, and appointment limits is critical. The most powerful appointment scheduling platforms allow you to build out configurable rules to ensure your system works for your needs.
- Personal Calendar Sync: Make it easier for your team to sync with their personal calendars—and keep their availability updated—with a tool that integrates with the most popular calendar systems on the market today.
- Automated Reminders: The best online booking system will allow you to send automated text and email appointment reminders. These quick reminders reduce no-show rates and make it simple for clients to reschedule should they need to.
- Web/Video Conferencing: Seek out an appointment scheduling tool that empowers your employees to automatically include private web conference meetings with video capabilities. While not every client prefers a virtual meeting, the option can make your appointments feel more personalized.
- Reporting and Analytics: Making it easier to book meetings is powerful on its own. Yet, some meeting tools take it to the next level. Solutions that offer reports and analytics about your marketing strategies, including customer acquisition and post-appointment service, give your team the insights they need to continuously improve.
- CRM Connector: The most effective meeting scheduling tools integrate with your customer relationship management (CRM) platform. This way you can automatically capture data and information gained during each meeting to better understand your sales funnel.
Which Is the Best Scheduling Tool? Meet Engageware
With Engageware’s appointment scheduling tool, you can realize all of the above features—and more—in a simple, easy to use platform. As an enterprise company, you deserve a solution that can help you create personalized, high-value interactions with your customers and your prospects at the peak of their interest. Our platform is:
- Scalable, to meet your most complex demands.
- Secure, to protect your business data and your customers’ personal data.
- Engaging, to help you deliver better customer interactions.
Are you ready to experience the Engageware difference? Schedule a call to learn more.