The Complete Online Scheduling System — Periodic.is
PERIODIC IS THE ONLINE BOOKING SOFTWARE EVERY DIGITAL AGENCY NEEDS FOR INCREASED CONVERSIONS
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The growing demand for web based booking apps is on the rise. Not always from the companies owning the website, but from the site visitors using the website.
More and more services are turning to booking platforms to easily manage their appointment schedules whether that be for setting up estimates/quotes or actually scheduling the time of service.
As that happens, the end user gets used to the convenience of being able to schedule services without talking to a person, without waiting for follow up. Just being able to instantly have a time and place to get service.
I first noticed this trend in my own behavior. Being an early adopter of online booking and payment systems, I used it in my own business as a paint contractor. It was convenient for the customer and it made the operational side of our marketing to sales handoff something we just didn’t have to think about.
But it wasn’t until I recognized myself using booking for my personal needs that I realized the opportunity that businesses had for using booking systems like I was using in Periodic.is.
The first time I used a scheduling service for myself was to get my tires replaced. It was pretty convenient. I was able to schedule after hours, when I was thinking about the problem, not during business hours while mind was occupied by work. That was all great. But unfortunately the system they were using wasn’t connected to any of their local computer systems and they weren’t aware that I booked the appointment and thus, were unprepared for my visit. But this was early on in the acceptance of online booking systems so while I was disappointed I knew it wouldn’t be long for someone to crack the code for multi-location online scheduling for franchises like this one.
Then a couple of years later, my oil change place included online booking on their website. The first time I used their system, it was 7:01pm. I had been procrastinating getting my oil changed, which is not uncommon for me. But I knew that I could not put it off any longer so I decided to call, at 7:01pm, one minute after they closed. And the did close on the dot. I missed my chance. If you’re like me, and maybe you’re not, but a lot of people are, if you don’t take care of something right when you are thinking about it it’s going to be another three days before you think about it again. So I went to the website to see if I could fill out a contact form to at least get into their system for a call back. To my surprise, they had the ability to make the appointment online. So I booked it!
The next service that came up for online booking was my barber. This is another area where I find myself procrastinating. While I really like the look of fresh lines and smooth fade, I am a very busy and preoccupied person. It’s easier for me to put on a hat than to think about hair maintenance. But I can’t let it get too long.
I’ve been with my barber since she was early out of barber school. I walked into a barbershop and she was the first person available. After that I would just send her a text message asking when I could get in and she would send me some available times. There was a little bit of back and forth but at the time we were all used to it. That was just how you did business.
Then one day, she tells me she’s using an app to manage her schedule and to download it because that’s how she is managing her schedule and payments. I did and now I regularly schedule hair cuts through the app. The one she uses is a marketplace booking app for salons.
There are upsides and downsides to this. The upside is that she has the potential to be found on the directory of local services. The downside is that being in a marketplace, she is more likely to compete on price, she has no control over the branding, and it’s a one to one system. Meaning that the barbershop she works at, can’t book appointments through their website on behalf of their barbers.
Customization Is Key And White Label Booking Platforms Are The Answer
The problems of the above example of my barber have a solution. On one hand, being on a directory site is a good place to begin as a new business. But after a while there is a hefty price. More hefty in the long run than if you integrate a solution into your site that is white labeled.
With a white label scheduling software you have control over the branding. Once you land a loyal customer, you aren’t putting them in front of competing service providers. You are keeping them in an isolated system. The added power of brand makes the experience itself feel more professional and legit. No one really wants to be getting their hair cut by the fivr of the barber industry. You can’t command high prices if you are one of many. Again, directory sites have their place at the beginning. But eventually you want to get people into a higher end digital experience so they put a higher value on your time.
Booking platforms like Periodic offer white label branding and a custom workflow so that you can tailor your services around the app, and not be so limited by the functionality of the technology. Periodic is one of the few white label scheduling options. With a robust feature set Periodic has the ability to adapt to your industry. It’s not just for barbershops. Periodic can handle scheduling for medical centers, auto shops, higher education, sales programs, experience providers, business coaches and so on. Most out of the box solutions give you basic one to one features that end up limiting you in your ability to grow. In fact, larger enterprise organizations have a hard time using apps that aren’t designed for enterprise scheduling.
Services Struggle With Scaleability Without Robust Booking Systems
The US economy is built on the service sector. Most of these service businesses are small local businesses that struggle to scale. Franchise and licensing systems have figured out how to scale but the model is still based around the idea that each location is independently owned, albeit with the support of the franchisor.
But why does the employee model struggle to scale beyond a local or regional headquarter? If you’ve worked in a service business you know why. It’s all about finding and managing people. Which is really hard.
But it’s more than it being difficult. People do extraordinary things everyday. So why not this?
The way people do extraordinary things has three components to it.
First, it’s the people you find to run the business.
Second, it’s the systems you provide for the people to follow.
Third, it’s the tools available to make regular people able to perform irregular tasks.
An owner operator can write down everything that’s in his head and create a manual of SOPs. An owner can find excellent people. But without the proper tools for the job, the things that automate portions of the job, you will stand at risk of the system falling apart because of people not doing their part. Tools, in particular, automation tools, help people stay on course with the system.
Online booking is one of those automation tools that enable workers to show up and do the people stuff.
Online booking when paired with booking generation in a system that searches time zones and service areas empowers a service business to scale through multi-location lead scheduling and routing.
Imagine being a consumer in need of a particular service. Let’s say financial services. They are impressed with one company that has a few offices in town and they are well known throughout the country. (I’m looking at you Edward Jones) The options for financial planners in town is plentiful. They aren’t the only firm. Their compensation model makes them invested in your success.
The customer wants to find a local representative and there are thousands across the country. What if all they had to do were to pop in their city and state and a listing of local providers show up?
This may sound simple but so many screw it up.
Why you should consider Periodic.is
If you are a company that cares about brand and functionality you should look at Periodic.
Periodic allows you to white label their scheduling software so that you can maintain control over the branding experience.
They also have some of the most advanced scheduling app features on the market so that you can adapt the booking workflow to just about any kind of business that does a lot of booking.
Not only this, but they offer competitive wholesale/resell rates that can help you lay the foundation to building a passive income for your life.
Learn more about Periodic.is online or talk to me and I can get you connected. Go to torlandohakes.com and connect with me via chat or book a time.
