Update on online scheduling

tlcdoula · 04-19-2007, 09:30 AM

I just wanted to let you ladies know that the online scheduling program is working so well for me!!! I have found that pp clients love it and it makes it so much easier for them to schedule with me. I have one mom who went in and scheduled four more days of pp work just because she thought it was fun to schedule online (and I guess she could use my services

). She told me that it was nice to see what I had available and she didn't feel like she had to put me on the spot for what I could and couldn't do. When this week is all said and done I will have worked 34.5 hours (not including paperwork and all but 6 hours of that weren't scheduled online) - all of those hours came just by appointments and jobs that were scheduled online

My new doula client said she liked it because it made me stand out and look even more professional then I already did. She planned on interviewing several doulas, but after seeing my website and meeting me she was convinced I was the doula for her. She said the reason she wanted to interview me first was my website and ease of scheduling. Next week I already have 13.5 hours of work scheduled through my online scheduling as well (again not including paperwork).

I also got a doula interview yesterday and a hypnosis client yesterday just from having online scheduling.

I know some were confused on it, but I would highly suggest adding it to your website and sitting down and playing with it until you figure it out as it has been such an asset for me (and I have only had it a few weeks).

1stimestar · 04-19-2007, 11:27 AM

That wonderful. I don't use it because I don't want everyone to know how many clients I have lol. That's not as bad or as secretive as it sounds. Like right now, I have 4 clients, pretty spread out till June. But I have one woman who just called the other day and she is due the end of May. We are meeting tomorrow for our initial interview. Now, to get her two prenatals done in time, I will have to hustle my schedule as it is. If she sees that I have no one due around the end of May, she may take even more time to sign my contract cramping my schedule even more. That is, if she hires me of course.

Acacia · 04-19-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

That wonderful. I don't use it because I don't want everyone to know how many clients I have lol. That's not as bad or as secretive as it sounds. Like right now, I have 4 clients, pretty spread out till June. But I have one woman who just called the other day and she is due the end of May. We are meeting tomorrow for our initial interview. Now, to get her two prenatals done in time, I will have to hustle my schedule as it is. If she sees that I have no one due around the end of May, she may take even more time to sign my contract cramping my schedule even more. That is, if she hires me of course.

what if you just waited until the client signs a contract and then give them the info for online scheduling? My own fear would be if someone were looking into hiring me, viewed my schedule, saw I had a birth the month she was due and then never called because she thought there would be a chance I wouldn't make it to hers...BUT if I only gave the scheduler info to established clients it may not be as big of a deal.

brilliant · 04-19-2007, 01:45 PM

i think online scheduling sounds great! i haven't even built my website and i only have one client (due in october) so i have a long way to go before i can use this feature but it's great to know that it's out there.

UtahDoula · 04-19-2007, 02:24 PM

I don't think it would work for me. Inevitably, I'd forget to enter in something I scheduled offline, and end up double booked. ONE caldendar to keep current is plenty for me!

tlcdoula · 04-19-2007, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

That wonderful. I don't use it because I don't want everyone to know how many clients I have lol. That's not as bad or as secretive as it sounds. Like right now, I have 4 clients, pretty spread out till June. But I have one woman who just called the other day and she is due the end of May. We are meeting tomorrow for our initial interview. Now, to get her two prenatals done in time, I will have to hustle my schedule as it is. If she sees that I have no one due around the end of May, she may take even more time to sign my contract cramping my schedule even more. That is, if she hires me of course.

No one knows how many clients you have - it only shows your availability for scheduling. Meaning if you are only available to schedule an appointment on Tuesday from 10 am until 12 pm then that is all that is shown. It doesn't have names, doesn't state how many clients you have - just the hours you have available for clients.

With mine I block out the times when I might have a doctors appointment or when the kids have dental appointments - it doesn't say why I am not available during that time - just that I am not accepting appointments at that time.

tlcdoula · 04-19-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acacia

what if you just waited until the client signs a contract and then give them the info for online scheduling? My own fear would be if someone were looking into hiring me, viewed my schedule, saw I had a birth the month she was due and then never called because she thought there would be a chance I wouldn't make it to hers...BUT if I only gave the scheduler info to established clients it may not be as big of a deal.

It doesn't show who is due - it just gives a calendar and they pick a date on that calendar and then it pops up with your available times. Once they select a time then that time is blocked. You get an e-mail with the information that they made an appointment and you need to confirm and it then sends them an e-mail saying you confirmed. It doesn't tell who is due, what you are doing if you are not available, etc.

tlcdoula · 04-19-2007, 05:03 PM

Let me explain more about the online scheduling since it seems to be confusing to many of you

Basically you go to the page where I have the scheduling and then it gives you a place to log in. For new clients they have to create a log in account - anyhow the client logs in with the log in name and password they created. Then they click to make an appointment and that brings them to a part where they can click on who they want to make the appointment with (if there are more than one person working together this is great) and then it asks them to select a service - in this section I have a list of everything I offer. From there they are taken to a calendar where they choose a day they would like their appointment and when they click on that it pops open a list of available times. They click the time they want and that is it. For the non available times it doesn't say what you are doing during that time - just that those times are blocked out.

It gives no information about clients, doesn't let anyone know how many appointments you have - just that you are not available. In my calendar I typically do not like to work on Sundays so every Sunday is unavailable, but if someone likes working Sunday they could open that up too. You choose when you want to be free and when not and no one knows what you are doing, how many clients, etc.