3 Things to Consider When Selecting Enterprise Appointment Software

By Kelly Wilson - Apr 13, 2017

Selecting a vendor isn’t always easy, especially when everyone is claiming to be the best. You’ve already made the first step in recognizing the value of enterprise appointment software but now you have the tough decision of selecting a vendor. And it’s not always easy knowing what you should be looking for. There are two parts to consider when researching enterprise appointment software, well three if you ask me.

1. How Customers Make Appointments

The external facing capability that allows your customers to book online, or through their mobile app. This is usually what most people imagine when they think enterprise appointment scheduling. And in our experience, this is really the easy part. However, not all enterprise appointment software behave similarly or have the same functionality.

What to Consider When Reviewing Enterprise Appointment Software:

• Can the solution be branded and seamless with our own brand?
• Can we customize the booking journey for the customer?
• Does the tool support/toggle between multiple languages?
• Can we manage the list of appointments offered including descriptions, time duration and specific instructions?
• Can we edit this information ourselves or do we need to contact the vendor?
• Does the tool have a waitlist incase a time isn’t available?
• How and where can it integrate with our existing systems and web presence?
• What type of notifications or reminders are sent?
• Are notifications sensitive to time-zones? (text and email)

2. How Call Centres Manage Appointments

Organizations often don’t spend enough time considering until later what impact enterprise appointment software has on the business operation side. However, this is essential for successful implementation. Your staff will be spending a lot of time utilizing the tool so it is important that the tool is intuitive and easy to use to allow them to create more bookings in less time.

What to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Enterprise Appointment Scheduling Vendor:

• Can an Administrator manage all aspects of the tool including services and custom settings?
• Is managing appointments and schedule super simple and easy to navigate?
• Can they support staff members that work at multiple locations?
• Can the staff easily block off time they don’t want to accept appointments?
• Does the solution support Call Center Management?
• Can we track the success of an appointment after it has been completed?
• Can we manage our own staff and assign system permissions?
• Does the solution offer different types of appointments such as, in-person, on-site, and virtual?

3. Analytics and Reporting

Analytics and reporting are often overlooked or not even considered when selecting enterprise appointment software. However, this alone is worth investing in intelligent enterprise appointment software.

By capturing appointment data, it enables you to make informed business decisions. Most companies aren’t currently capturing this information, even though it is invaluable to executives and your company.

Reporting and Analytics Provide:

• How many appointments does it take to make a transaction?
• How many no-shows do we have?
• What is the value of an appointment?
• Which location is performing best?
• Which service has the most appointments?
• Are you optimizing staff schedules to create the most revenue opportunity?

Overall, when selecting a vendor you want to ensure they can work with you, and are responsive to your needs. Take the time to really understand what the vendor brings to the table. Scheduling an appointment isn’t enough, it’s what your organization can capture and understand along the way.

Looking to boost revenue and deliver a premium experience to your clients? Schedule a consultation with Coconut Software to learn more about our appointment scheduling solutions.