Research > Appointment Scheduling
Appointment Scheduling is a big deal.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is very powerful. Good for private scheduling of your events or appointment scheduling for groups of people all sure to be have gmail or google apps accounts.
-- Pros --
-- Cons --
-- Pros --
- Free or included with $5/mo google apps
- Multiple colors, integrated reminders
- Appointment scheduling for others who have a google account
-- Cons --
- I don't find the navigation that intuitive. Everytime I use it i have to think more than I should
- A little Bloated -- it does a lot of stuff but seldom is all needed by most users
- No inherent connection to a user/guest/customer list.
Cloud Based Solutions > Initial Research
Lots of Solutions out there. Too many... The damn vendors don't show screen shots on their websites...
Google: Best scheduling software / account scheduling software reviews
Others I saw:
For Chiros
Google: Best scheduling software / account scheduling software reviews
- http://www.capterra.com/scheduling-software/
- 239 solutions listed (too many...)
- 135 -- Booker -- 4.5
- 218 -- mHelpDesk -- 4.5
- 239 -- Acuity Scheduling -- 4.5 -- $0/$10/mo -- www.acuityscheduling.com
- 321 -- Timely -- 4.5 -- $19/mo -- www.gettimely.com
- 118 -- HouseCall Pro -- 5
Others I saw:
- Appointlet https://www.appointlet.com/features/
- You can book me https://youcanbook.me/demos/
- Schedule once https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYxM5v3FCDo http://www.scheduleonce.com/resources/2012/03/google-calendar-appointment-slots-public/
For Chiros
Acuity > Functionality Review
Below is letter sent to tech support after an initial hour messing with their software.
I'm a small business consult with a lot of web based business system design background. I'm considering your solution for several of my clients.
We have setup a temp account with you: [email protected]
1) Do you have an activity log? In other words, I want to see all scheduling activities in a chronological list of when they happened... (ie my client walks out of his 2:15 appointment, he should be able to check a list based log that shows any new appointments or cancellations that have transpired since he last checked the log).
2) Client Cancellations -- it does not appear any notices are given if the client chooses to cancel his/her appointment from the reminder emails. It also does not appear any obvious marks are made on the calendar itself (like a red dot). You have to click on the appt to get that notification. Is this a design oversite or am I missingsomething?
3) Client is scheduling their own appointments, -- is there a way to turn off the recurring scheduling option for the client? ie -I've embeded the calendar in his website and when the client picks an avail day/time they are given a continue or recur option. I don't want that recur option showing up.
4) session time out -- is there a cookie/session time out for the acuity back end console? If so, what is it and can it be changed.
5) $0 value for service -- in the backend if $0 is selected you imply no pricing will be shown on customer end, which is accurate, but a clever programmer put "this is free" in the backend console, which is confusing and not something a business person likes to see. How about change that to 'no dollar amount" selected.
6) Appt Confirmation feedback loop - Do you all have any plans on incorporating a "yes, I plan to be at my appointment" link in the confirm emails? That would be a real bonus.
I'm sure I'll have more questions, but these are the big ones. The lack of a chronological activity log is very frustrating and would be easy to add and it would be enough to properly deal with cancellation notices.
We have setup a temp account with you: [email protected]
1) Do you have an activity log? In other words, I want to see all scheduling activities in a chronological list of when they happened... (ie my client walks out of his 2:15 appointment, he should be able to check a list based log that shows any new appointments or cancellations that have transpired since he last checked the log).
2) Client Cancellations -- it does not appear any notices are given if the client chooses to cancel his/her appointment from the reminder emails. It also does not appear any obvious marks are made on the calendar itself (like a red dot). You have to click on the appt to get that notification. Is this a design oversite or am I missingsomething?
3) Client is scheduling their own appointments, -- is there a way to turn off the recurring scheduling option for the client? ie -I've embeded the calendar in his website and when the client picks an avail day/time they are given a continue or recur option. I don't want that recur option showing up.
4) session time out -- is there a cookie/session time out for the acuity back end console? If so, what is it and can it be changed.
5) $0 value for service -- in the backend if $0 is selected you imply no pricing will be shown on customer end, which is accurate, but a clever programmer put "this is free" in the backend console, which is confusing and not something a business person likes to see. How about change that to 'no dollar amount" selected.
6) Appt Confirmation feedback loop - Do you all have any plans on incorporating a "yes, I plan to be at my appointment" link in the confirm emails? That would be a real bonus.
I'm sure I'll have more questions, but these are the big ones. The lack of a chronological activity log is very frustrating and would be easy to add and it would be enough to properly deal with cancellation notices.