When it comes to showing the effectiveness of online booking systems, a lot of attention is given to the advantages afforded to the organisation using them. However, when looking at the real value that new systems provide, you must ask whether the customer benefits from the change. This can pose a variety of questions to decision-makers before making an investment.
Does the solution improve service delivery when compared to existing systems? Is it convenient? Does it improve user experience?
With this in mind, here are just three of the ways that online booking systems benefit their end-users.
End-User Benefits Of Online Booking Systems
24/7 Booking
Before digital, telephone and face-to-face booking were the primary methods for users to book services. Contact centres and receptions operated within fixed office hours during the day and did not guarantee the ability to contact services during weekends. This was particularly problematic to those with busy day jobs or time-sensitive commitments, preventing them from booking appointments within opening times.
This is a stark contrast to what online booking systems provide users. With access to the internet and an internet enabled device, users can now create bookings with services at their convenience, with no strict opening times to adhere to. Booking journeys through online systems are accessible through websites at any time of day, prioritising the availability of the service to users when they are ready.
Greater User Choice
Booking online is not only more convenient to the end-user, but also provides them with more freedom customising their booking. While telephone and face-to-face booking may require back and forth with staff finding an appropriate timeslot, online booking systems give end-users the tools to choose for themselves.
An example of this occurs when a customer reaches the available appointments screen in Agenda. The system will offer the next available appointment, but also empowers users to find time-slots on different days in the event that the nearest appointment was not applicable. Users as a result have greater foresight of their available options and can place bookings where best suited. This places greater emphasis on what the user needs and helps create a more customer orientated experience.
Faster Service Delivery
People today are expecting comprehensive, responsive and faster services. Time is valuable and ensuring that users can complete the customer journey in a few simple steps can set it apart from alternatives.
With online booking systems, service appointments and bookings can be made in under a minute, no phone queues or travel to the location required. By pairing clearly defined fields and simple questions, users are encouraged to complete the form with minimal time expense incurred by the user. This in turn supports further use of online as the preferred channel for accessing services, with faster service delivery being a key selling point.
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 individual systems, see the links below: