When it comes to online appointment booking, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. For businesses, online booking systems provide various tools to stay on top of your appointments and get valuable insight into your business and performance overall. For the customer, it has made booking an appointment that much easier. There is no more need to call or email. An appointment can be booked within a minute.
However, like anything else in this world, advantages come with some disadvantages. This blog post will focus on some drawbacks that come with online appointment scheduling. Let’s dive in.
Internet Connection
To book an appointment online, you definitely need internet connection; be that on your phone or using a computer. In the case of no internet, you will be unable to do this. Of course, in today’s day and age, this doesn’t seem like a major issue, since we have access to the internet almost at all times. However, if the connection is absent for some reason, you will run into this complication.
For businesses, on the other hand, this could be a bit more problematic. If you lose access to the internet in the office, for example, you won’t be able to see your bookings, cancellations, and what you have going on for the coming days. Here, we suggest that when you choose an internet provider, make sure that it is a reliable one that will give you the least amount of connection issues.
High Demand
When you provide the option for online appointment scheduling, you open your doors to new customers. The easiness of booking an appointment online makes your service accessible to almost anyone. Depending on your business and how you market it, this can create a large influx of demand for your service. The result- a very large volume of bookings that need to be handled. As a business, this can be very overwhelming for you. This increase in demand may force you to expand your resources, hire new staff, upgrade your existing means, etc.
Uncertainty
An online appointment scheduling system can create uncertainty and confusion for your customers. The extent of uncertainty definitely depends on the type of services you provide. Here is an example. If you are a doctor and you allow your patients to book appointments via an online scheduling platform, you will have given them the option to choose which service they want from you. However, some patients may not be able to identify exactly what they need from you, which could force them to book the wrong appointment type.
One way to avoid this is by providing a thorough enough explanation of exactly what you offer. This same example can be applied to any type of business, like a spa, salon, auto repair center, etc.
While online appointment scheduling can have some drawbacks, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Using online scheduling software like FlexBooker can help streamline your appointment setting, make customer communication easy, and increase your number of bookings. To learn more about why you should integrate FlexBooker into your business, schedule a free demo with our team today!