Commonly referred to by such names as online appointment scheduling software, online booking applications and online scheduler, an online scheduling system is a Web-based application that allows individuals to conveniently and securely book their appointments and reservations online through any Web-connected device, such as a computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Typically access the online appointment scheduling system through a “Book Now” button found on our www.ibookbeauty.com website to the beauty salons, slimming centers, spa, wellness centers and holistic centers. Once a date and time are selected, the system will automatically confirm the booking and instantly record it within the system, without any staff action needed.

In addition to online scheduling, online scheduling systems also come equipped with other beneficial features like automated e-mail reminders, which the system sends out to clients and booked individuals appointment on a specific date prior to their scheduled appointment; recording and record-keeping capabilities that make it quick and simple to access data associated with a specific appointment.

The flexibility of online appointment scheduling software enables it to be utilized for a variety of different services and activities at beauty salons, slimming centers, spa, wellness centers and holistic centers, such as:

Advance appointments booking for treatments and services.
Online purchase all kinds of related beauty products.
Advance booking for on-site seminars, events and activities.

The benefits an online appointment scheduling system for both administrative staff and clients and other booking individuals include:

Time savings
Staff spends less time on the phone booking and managing appointments, thereby freeing up their schedule for more important and pressing tasks. Booking individuals also save time, as they no longer have to commit a part of their busy schedule to calling their client or customer (or remain on hold, which adds minutes to the appointment process).

As an example, let’s look at a large beauty and slimming salon that typically schedules approximately 100 appointments daily. Each appointment call is fielded by an administrative support staffer, who spends an average of four minutes on the phone. This equates to an average of 400 minutes—or almost seven hours—of time spend each day just to booking appointments over the phone.

That’s time savings just from scheduling appointments alone. Other tasks automated by an online appointment scheduling system, such as automated appointment reminders, add additional time savings to daily operations.

Monetary savings
The time savings experienced by a facility can translate into monetary savings, as both staff time and services translate into expenses and revenue, respectively. As staff resources can now be directed at other tasks, an appointment scheduling system can eliminate the need for a staff member to work overtime or for management to hire new staff members to handle the work overload created by the appointment-scheduling process. In the latter scenario, the savings could be quite significant, as an average yearly salary of a beauty consultant or office administrative is ranging from RM36, 000 to RM60, 000 exclude commissions.

Additionally, the aforementioned automated appointment reminders can also create monetary savings by reducing the number of “Cancel” who fails to make their scheduled appointments. Surveys have shown that these types of reminders can decrease this number by 80 percent.

24-Hour Convenience
Scheduling appointments over the phone usually requires an individual to phone in during office hours, as few facilities offer round-the-clock phone booking. This is an inconvenience for most clients, as they too are working at this time. Additionally, many individuals prefer to schedule their appointments online rather than over the phone. An online scheduling system allows for 24-hour scheduling, not just during normal facility or office hours.