In our previous post we discussed the advantages of adopting online booking systems for end-users, and while there are a host of benefits for the people you are trying to reach, the advantages also extend to the wider organisation.
One party who benefit from making bookings available online are your staff. With changes being made to how bookings are both processed and managed, staff’s day-to-day duties can be adapted to become easier and less time consuming.
Find three of the key benefits for employees we have identified below.
Service Automation
There are tasks in every job that are time consuming and require the same processes to be completed on a daily basis. For example, staff manually taking bookings or payments while managing the reception desk requires them to set aside time for each activity, placing further stress on managing their time. This can negatively effect the service delivered, with long phone queues and late appointment reminders hurting the users service experience.
Online booking systems, like Stopford’s Agenda, come equipped with a range of tools that eliminate repetitive tasks through automation. While taking bookings can be a time consuming process for staff manually, online booking handles bookings automatically via the online form. Even tasks that would usually require staff to be present such as payment processing can be completed online by users. This benefits staff by allowing them to focus on other tasks and directly handle visitor queries, without the added pressure of repetitive tasks.
Easier Appointment Management
With booking systems commonly coming equipped with diary functions, employees can manage their online bookings in one place. As a result, staff do not need to become proficient with multiple systems or cross-reference bookings from one system to the other. Bookings will simply funnel from the online form directly into office and staff diaries.
This allows staff see their digital diaries in real-time, with frequent updates accounting for the latest bookings and cancellations. This gives employees a better idea of their weekly timetable and allows them to prepare for their appointments accordingly.
Reduces Human Errors
Noting the role staff play in handling telephone and face-to-face, the option of an online booking platform reduces the chance of human error. With the aforementioned traditional booking methods, staff would be required to follow strict processes in order to collect the data necessary for a booking. This can also take place under increasing pressure if there are a large volume of bookings, causing stress to staff and making errors more likely. Human errors can cause a number of problems from even small mistakes, with issues from misspelling a name being able to disrupt services and negatively impact customer service.
With confirmed bookings travelling from the system to staff diaries without staff intervention, the possibility of causing errors or needing to correct details is reduced significantly. Online booking journeys invite users to insert their own details into the system, removing the possibility of error by staff. This allows staff to manage a smaller volume of bookings from the other booking channels, giving them extra time to ensure their service is at its best.
Stopford’s Solution
Stopford provide a range of online booking systems to over 100 local government organisations in the UK. If you would like to know more about our leading appointment and diary system, Agenda, see the link below: