Appointment scheduling is one of the most important services that can be provided by a phone answering service. Here are five things an answering service can do to improve your appointment scheduling process, which we will explain in more detail below:
- Reduce hold times
- Make it easier to reschedule and cancel appointments
- Engage callers while they wait on hold
- Send follow up emails help customers remember their appointments
- Provide support via SMS text message
An answering service can reduce hold times
Nobody likes being placed on hold. When someone is trying to book an appointment, they don’t want it to be a long, frustrating process. If they are left on hold for too long, it is highly likely that they will hang up. They may even call one of your competitors and take their business elsewhere.
If you and your staff can’t manage incoming calls fast enough, a phone answering service can provide the extra support that you need. Our friendly live agents are available 24/7 to greet callers and help them schedule, reschedule, and cancel appointments. More hands on deck means shorter wait times, which your customers will be grateful for.
An answering service makes it easier to reschedule and cancel appointments
Getting through to a representative quicker and easier means your customers will be able to cancel or reschedule appointments more efficiently. This will help reduce the number of no-shows, which hurt the rest of your customer base and result in unnecessary loss of revenue.
Engaging customers while on hold
In addition to reducing wait times, the best phone answering services offer other ways to make sure callers don’t hang up when they’re on hold. One tactic is custom on-hold music, which keeps callers engaged and informed while they wait for a virtual receptionist or operator.
Here at Answering Service Care, our clients select music that fits the vibe of their company and its mission, because let’s face it: nobody wants to listen to outdated elevator music.
Follow up emails help customers remember their appointments
After your customers hang up the phone, a phone answering service can automatically send a follow-up email with an appointment confirmation. Reminding customers of their upcoming appointment will help cut back on no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
SMS text messaging support
With text messaging emerging as the most popular form of communication, chances are that some customers have already tried texting your business. Do you have it set up so that they can do this? If so, are you managing it efficiently?
If you answered “no” to either of the previous questions, it’s time to partner with a live answering service. You see, customers may be texting you to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments. If these texts are going to nobody (or someone who isn’t monitoring it thoroughly), confusion will ensue, and appointments will be missed. Answering Service Care’s live agents are available to answer questions, schedule and update appointments, and more— all through text message!
