5 Online Appointment Booking Myths You Shouldn't Believe
Guest Post By Rebecca Leigh
Having an online booking system on your site is something a lot of patients will be looking for.
When implemented well, it makes it easy for them to book without tying up your phone lines.
You may feel apprehensive about using an online system though, as you've heard about some problems with it.
A lot of these problems are actually myths, so let's dispel some of the most common ones.
You'll soon see why an online appointment system can benefit both you and your patients.
1. Patients Won't Book The Right Services
A big worry is giving a patient a lot of control over the booking system. As such, you worry that they'll book the wrong service for themselves, which takes up a lot of time and effort without getting the results they need.
You want to avoid that happening, but you can do that without avoiding online appointments altogether.
Modern appointment systems will ask patients a series of questions before they can book their appointment.
That way, they'll be directed to book a certain type of service, so they're much more likely to be seen by the right specialists and get the treatment they need, the first time.
2. Digital Appointments Erase The Personal Touch From Appointments
Anyone who takes pride in their work knows that they need to bring a personal touch to what they do.
Many do avoid using an online appointment service as it means they'll be digitizing their service further, and that can feel like losing that personal connection you have with the patient.
“You'll actually find that the opposite is true,” says Jean Marston, a business writer with Assignment Help UK and State of writing.
“When you're using an online appointment system, you're actually freeing yourself up for time with your patients. That allows you to have more time with them and really give them, that personalized service.”
3. You're A Small Service And Don't Need It
If you're a smaller practice, then it's common to think that you just don't need an online appointment system. That's a common myth, but one that you shouldn't buy into.
As a service, you're competing against a lot of larger practices out there. As such, you want to be able to get the edge over them.
Offering the chance to book appointments online will be a real boon to many patients, and could be what tips them over into choosing you. As such, it's worth implementing the system so you can beat out the competition.
4. An Online System Could Accidentally Double Book Appointments
This is a very common worry when it comes to online appointment systems.
If you're not the one in control of booking the appointments, then how can you be sure the system isn't overbooking you by accident?
You don't want to suddenly find you have two patients booked into the same slot.
“The truth is that modern systems are designed to avoid this,” says marketing blogger Timothy Harrison, from UK Writings Review and Revieweal. “Once a slot has been booked, it will show up as taken and no one else should be able to book into it.”
5. If Someone Really Wants An Appointment, They'll Call
It's easy to think that if someone books an appointment online, they're not going to show up.
Instead, it feels as though patients who really do need an appointment will call to get one. However, this isn't actually the case.
If a patient needs to see you, it's much easier for them to book online.
They can quickly do it on their phone or laptop, rather than waiting on hold for someone to answer the phone.
When they're busy and have other things going on, it makes a lot more sense for them.
As such, having that online appointment system will show them you've thought about their needs, and accommodated them.
There are plenty of myths about online appointment systems, but as you can see they just aren't true. Instead, you can implement one right now for your practice, and start reaping the benefits.
Look into getting an online appointment system for your practice today, and make it easier to schedule and manage those appointments.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Leigh is a marketing writer with Marketing essay and Lia Help. She covers business tech and how it can help improve your reach as a business. She also contributes to sites and publications like Write my assignment.