Many professionals are daunted by keeping their appointment calendars. Not only can the initial scheduling be a hassle, but the frequent no-shows, tardy clients, and those who repeatedly reschedule are enough to make many business people want to tear their hair out. That’s why some savvy professionals outsource their appointment scheduling to us. We think that’s an excellent idea. Here are a few tips we’ve learned about scheduling – and, yes, rescheduling – clients.
Schedule strategically.
Noon is the middle of the workday, so cluster your morning appointments working backward from noon and your afternoon appointments working forward. Grouping appointments together help avoid the unproductive downtime that comes from empty slots scattered throughout the day. You might also be able to cut overhead by sending staff home early if there are no end-of-day appointments.
Prioritize.
Think realistically about how long your appointments will take with each client. Some need a bigger block of time. Others might only require a short appointment, or even just a phone call or email.
Confirm appointments.
Sure, in the perfect world clients would all be considerate and responsible adults who kept track of their appointments and showed up without a reminder. Make everybody’s life easier by sending a reminder text or email a day or two before the appointment.
Have a clear no-show policy.
Make sure that clients are aware of your stance on no-shows or last-minute cancellations at the start of your business relationship. Being upfront about your policies can spare you from uncomfortable confrontations later.
Narrow the options.
The more people involved, the harder it is to schedule a meeting. Don’t leave things too open. Instead, offer three options that are convenient for you and hopefully for them, too.
Scheduling appointments seem like it should be easy. But with the myriad activities of today’s busy professionals, you could waste hours on the phone scheduling and rescheduling appointments. Instead, let us help. Your OfficeAssistant.com virtual assistant will patiently and competently schedule appointments with all your clients. Don’t waste your precious time on a task that can easily be outsourced. Trust us – nobody ever comes back later and says they miss doing their own scheduling. Give us a call today to get started.
