Online Booking Isn’t the Future, It’s the Now. Get On Board Before Your Clients Book Without You.
“Oh, don’t worry we can just book online.”
When’s the last time you opted into booking online, rather than in-person? For us, it’s a no brainer. We choose online booking all day over in-person scheduling. But, we’re not alone. Salon Today released an article stating, only 54% of appointment bookings happen during salon and spa opening hours. Where do you think everyone is booking their appointments? You guessed it, online.
It’s 2019, booking appointments online is one of the hypes of technology. One of the reasons we can’t live without our iPhones is because we wouldn’t be able to access and operate daily activities from the comfort of our home or even on the go.
For this reason, more and more salon and spas are taking advantage of mobile accessibility and online booking, to make scheduling easier on their clients and themselves!
For any place of business, time is money.
Don’t you hate when someone reschedules last minute or misses their appointment without giving a heads up? Your stylist missed a client and so did your business. If only there was a tool that could reduce no-shows and conflicting appointments… Hm... if only.
*Cue* Envision Cloud, aka the ultimate online booking, scheduling, and business management software.
Salon Today’s article titled, “Data Confirms Demand for Online Booking” eliminated any lingering doubts about online booking with tested results. So, 54% of bookings happen during salon hours, that would mean salons without access to online booking are losing 46% of client bookings. Yikes.
The data definitely answers any questions about the ROI of online booking. If you want to lose 46% of client bookings, then no, it’s not worth the investment. But who in their right mind would say they want to turn away 46% of potential clients? Thanks, Salon Today for sharing the data. Now, we know online booking IS worth the investment. Online booking is easier for clients, employees, and salons. Now, for the ultimate question.
Is your salon online booking accessible?
We’re not shunning you if it’s not. We understand not everyone has jumped onto the online booking bandwagon, and maybe you don’t necessarily need online booking. You might be perfectly fine with scheduling clients without online accessibility.
Take it or leave it, but here’s how Envision Cloud has utilized online booking into our software to create an efficient and stress-free workday for salon owners (in and out of the office).
Envision Cloud Shows Up to 7 Days of Appointment Availability
Even if you have a photographic memory, it’s tiring trying to memorize your books. With Envision Cloud, our software memorizes schedules for you. With a full-featured appointment book, you can book appointments from anywhere, at any time, with any device connected to the internet.
No more waiting at the front desk to pre-book your client’s next appointment or calling in every morning to see who’s first on your schedule. Online booking makes scheduling easier for your clients and YOU.
Here’s a little more info to get you excited:
- Icon driven and color-coded calendar allows you to see what is going on in your business at a glance.
- Easily re-book appointments with a quick copy and paste.
- Avoid booking errors by enabling qualified services, viewing one department, or a single employee at a time.
Reduce No-Shows with Automatic Appointment Confirmations
We know it stinks to start or end your day with a no-show client. Online booking can drastically reduce no-show rate by allowing Envision to automatically confirm appointments. You can utilize your time elsewhere other than calling clients to confirm they won’t leave you hanging. Stop spending your time calling tomorrow’s clients and focus on the client’s that are in your salon right now with Envision Cloud.
Here’s a couple add ons that make Envision Cloud super cool:
- Send Confirmations by email, SMS text message, or both up to 7 days before the scheduled appointment
- SMS confirmations are automatically updated in Envision, so you can see at a glance which appointments are confirmed.
Never Overbook Your Rooms, Or Equipment
Mistakes happen! But, overbooking rooms or equipment can turn into a messy day if not handled correctly. Envision Cloud’s online booking software makes sure you never have to worry about overbooking again. Relieve any future headaches from overbooking with online scheduling. Envision Cloud can automatically select the correct resource needed for services when booking an appointment.
Some more features we like to brag about it:
- Avoid having two clients waiting for the same room or station.
- Add multiple resources to one group.
- Easily see which resource is reserved by hovering over the appointment.
Envision Cloud is Mobile Friendly with MyDash App
MyDash is our client-facing app that allows your clients to connect to your business and receive special deals, book appointments, check out your services, re-book from their history and much more!
Appointments are booked in real-time, so you clients don't have to worry about their perfect spot being filled. MyDash is also fully equipped for a loyalty program. By integrating a loyalty program, more clients will re-book to earn additional loyalty point opportunities and last-minute specials.
With your creative input and the expertise of Envision's design and development teams, your MyDash App can be branded specifically for your business. We use your logo, color scheme, and custom graphics to keep your image consistent across all platforms.
Your clients will love using MyDash to book their appointments, receive special offers, earn loyalty points, and so much more!
Our favorite part:
- Personalize MyDash and have your very own custom app in the App Store!
- Android and iOS mobile app for clients to connect directly to your business through Envision.
Online Booking Anytime, Anywhere, On Any Device!
Last, but certainly, not least allow your customers to book appointments online or through your business Facebook page. Appointments are booked in REAL-TIME, so they appear on your calendar instantly!
More quick tips we love:
- an easy and convenient way for clients to book an appointment with you from your website or Facebook business page.
- Offers a seamless booking process so your clients can easily see when their perfect spot is available.
- Fill your book, even when your business is closed!
