YouBookIn

2010-11-10T02:01:00.000-08:00

Now you can personalise your booking page. Add you own header, icon etc. Integrate your booking page into your website.

Use Twitter with YouBookIn to promote your business

2010-05-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can add a YouBookIn promotional link to a tweet.
If you have a special offer or new service why not tweet your friends and tell them about it and include a link to the offer.

How do you do that?

Under the 'Promote' tab in 'My Account' we provide links to your services and staff as well as to the business. When you set up a new staff diary or service the 'Promote' page is automatically updated with a new promotional link for that person or service.

To insert a promotional link in a tweet simply copy and paste the link into the tweet. Twitter may auto shorten the URL , depending on your set-up, but the link will still work. Your client clicks on the link and will be taken straight to the booking page.

Whenever you are promoting a service on-line always include a promotional link to the offer because if your client likes the offer you want them to be able to immediately before they forget.

There is no extra charge for using promotional links, you can use them as often as you want, on your website, in emails, in tweets or on Facebook.

Don't have YouBookIn yet? We offer a free trial of our online scheduler at www.youbookin.com where you can try it out for yourself.

YouBookIn is not just an administrative tool Use it to grow your business.

Safe and Secure Appointments

2010-05-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

If you look at the URL when you are using YouBookIn you will notice that the address starts with https not http like most websites. The extra S means that it is a secure site.

Https encrypts and decrypts user requests as well as the pages that are returned by the web server. The use of https protects against what is known as eavesdropping and man in the middle attacks.

This system was designed by Netscape communications Corporation to provide authentication and encripted communication and is widely used on the World Wide Web for security-sensitive communications such as banking.

Whether you are a healthcare professional or run a nail bar the security and privicy of your data is our main concern, that is why we designed YouBookIn around https rather than take the easy solution and use unsecured http.

Note: you do not need to type in https when logging in to YouBookIn you will automatically be redirected to our secure server.

Experience YouBookIn for yourself take a free trial at www.youbookin.com

Are You Losing Customers?

2010-04-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Many health care and beauty businesses spend a lot of money on marketing, trying to get new customers but are ignoring the potential to increase sales to their existing client base.

In a survey a few years ago by Mintel 47% of avid and regular users of Health and Beauty salons said that they would like to have more treatments but don't get around to organising it.

What can you do to ensure that you are not losing business because your customers didn't get around to making an appointment.

Always try to make the next appointment before your customer leaves the premises.
Ensure that your reception and telephone are always covered, staff however are expensive and this is not feasible for many small businesses.
Ensure you check your voicemail and e-mail frequently and follow-up promptly.
Make it easy for your clients to book 24/7 by offering on-line booking from YouBookIn.
If you already have on-line booking make sure you tell your clients, display it prominently on your web site and mention it on your voicemail.

Don't make it difficult for your clients to make appointments.

Common Error on set-up

2010-04-11T05:05:00.000-07:00

When you have finished setting up your on-line diary and services take a few minutes to look over your set-up, if you have entered something incorrectly it is best you spot it now rather than a customer when you are 'live'.

The most common problem we get in reported to customer service is that a customer cannot book a service with a certain therapist, the solution is simple - that therapist was not linked to that service in the diary set-up.
Every time you enter a new service you must assign staff to it, this is done under the diary tab in 'My Account'.
This feature is important as not all staff can necessarily provide all services.

In the above example Ann Marie is not trained in Reflexology or Aromatherapy so those services are not ticked against her name. Click on the above screen shot to make it larger.

YouBookIn is very easy to use and set-up, but the best system in the world -Like Carlsburg we like to think it is probably us - is only as good as the data you input into it.

So in summary - a little care and attention to detail at the set-up stage will pay dividends later. Having said that the majority of people set-up YouBookIn without any problems.

What is the best way to manage my lunch and other breaks?

2010-03-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is a common question for our help desk. There are several different ways to manage breaks, which one suits you depends on your circumstances.

Block out personal time
This option can be used to block a time in your diary to both internal and external bookings. (internal bookings are ones you make and external bookings are made by your clients on the internet).
A time can be blocked for just one day or for a set time every day in a specified date range.

If you have fixed break times and almost never change them then the easiest solution is to block that time well into the future, the dissadvantage is that you cannot then change just one day.

Blocking a time on a day by day basis even though it is more work because it involves one entry per day rather than a single entry which repeats automatically, gives you total flexibility to adjust breaks on a daily basis.
Offline Facility

Leaving your breaks offline but not blocking the time meansthat external appointments cannot be made during your breaks, but internal appointments can. This is probably the most popular solution as you keep tight control; of your schedule for external appointments but keep the flexibility to override your set hours imternally. An example would best illustrate this.

Ciara works 9.00am to 5.30pm with a 30 minute lunch between 1.30 pm and 2.00pm.

Setup the diary to make 9.00 to 13.00 online and 14.00 to 17.30 online.

A client making an online appointment cannot now book an appointment during her lunch break. The receptionist can see when Ciara is off line and knows she should not normally book an appointment then, but can in case of emergency or for important clients.

YouBookIn is very flexable and offers a variety of options so you can set it up to best meet your businesses needs.
Detailed instructions on blocking personal time and in making times online/offline are given in our user manual.

Finally I would like to thank everybody who viewed our system at the Irish Massage Therapist Association AGM last week and I hpoe it is the start of a long and fruitful relationship with those of you who signed up.

Setup your Staff Diaries on YouBookIn

2010-02-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

When you first setup your youbookin account it came preset with staff diaries. This video shows how to edit or delete these presets.

You can set your staff up to receive email and/or SMS notifications of appointments made with them. You also decide whether or not to allow your clients to make online bookings on a diary by diary basis.

Note: when we refer to a diary we are referring to an individual who has a schedule or calendar - your YouBookIn account can contain up to 25 individual diaries. The Enterprise version can contain an unlimited number of diaries.

Whether you are a massage therapist or a dentist, YouBookIn can be customised to suit your business.

How to Setup your Servives on YouBookIn

2010-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

Watch this short video to see just how easy it is to setup your services on YouBookIn.

On YouBookIn services are fully customisable. You decide which services to add, their duration, price, whether or not you require a deposit and even whether or not you want that particular service to be available for online bookings.

So, whether you practice traditional Chinese Medicine or give piano lessons, Youbookin is suitable for your business.

How Online Appointments help Prevent 'No Shows'

2010-01-26T02:24:00.000-08:00

No Shows!

Everyone hates them, if somebody doesn't buy a product in a shop today the proprietor can sell it to someone else tomorrow. But your time is the most perishable commodity you have, if a client doesn't turn up for an appointment with, for example a dietician or physiotherapist, then that slot is lost forever unless they are very lucky and get a walk-in client.

So what can you do to minimise No Shows?

Let's look at the reasons for No Shows and how YouBookIn can help.

1. The Client forgot.

Sometimes just an excuse but often a genuine reason.

With YouBookin your client will receive an email and/or an SMS reminder and is therefore less likely to forget.

2. The Client had the wrong Time or Date

YouBookIn's confirmation and reminder service will help greatly in eliminating this problem.

3. The Client is too Embarrassed/Scared/Shy to call and cancel.

Pathetic but true. Research has shown that some clients hate calling to cancel and keep putting off that call and then either give minimal notice or never call. YouBookIn's online cancellation facility gives them the opportunity to cancel as early as possible and that gives you the maximum time to refill that slot.

4. The Client is so self-centred and selfish that they couldn't be bothered to cancel.

Taking a deposit or prepayment and keeping it as a cancellation fee is one of the few ways of dealing with this type of client. Deposits are however not suitable for all types of businesses and you will have to weigh up the perceived negative attitude of some clients to them against the benefits of reducing and getting some payments for No shows.

YouBookIn offers the following options if you wish to take deposits.

a. Take deposits for all or just New Clients.

b. Specify which services you wish to take deposits on.

c. Set different amounts for different services.

We at YouBookIn recognise that every business is different and we give you the flexibility to set your own rules for cancellations and deposits. This is a case where 'One Size' does not fit all.

Grow your Business with YouBookIn's online scheduler.

Create an account and take a free trial.

2010-01-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

Watch this short video to see how easy it is to create an Account with YouBookIn to take a free trial.

No credit Card details necessary for the free trial of our online appointment scheduler.

Improve the effectiveness of your Web Site with Online bookings.

2010-01-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

Many if not most consumer facing businesses now have their own website. Whether you are a beautician, a therapist or health professional, this is your online brochure and your shop window to the world. Websites are a great way to advertise your business and tell your clients and potential clients abour your business and your latest offerings. But there is one problem.
How do you get people to regularly visit your website?
When you first set-up your site you told your friends and clients about it and probably had a lot of hits but since then interest has faltered, this is not unusual.

A lot of useful SEO (Search Engine Optimization) work can be done to ensure that people searching the web for your type of business will find you, but this doesn't help you in getting your existing customers to visit your site on a regular basis. This is extremely important as you are much more likely to sell to , or get repeat business, from an existing client than from someone who has just found you.

You need to give your customers a reason to keep returning.

One way to do this is to offer online bookings via your web site. When your clients go to your site to book an appointment they will stay to read your latest News and offers.

An Online appointment button on your site can greatly increase the effectiveness of your site.

Sample button

Online Appointments for Everyone

2010-01-13T02:46:00.000-08:00

Online appointments for everyone

I am still surprised to occasionally get asked ‘Why should I get an online appointment system?’

The simple answer is ‘Because that is where your customers are!’ bbu to emphasis the point I usually ask a follow series of questions

Do your customers ever book a flight online?
Do your customers use online banking?
Do your customers ever buy anything on EBay or Amazon?

If the reply is ‘No!’

I just agree with them and say online appointments are probably not for you.

But if the reply is the more usual

‘Of course they do – doesn’t everybody?’

The conversation will go something like this.

‘You should look at YouBookIn and its competitors not primarily as an administration tools to help you manage your business, which of course they do, but as a key marketing tool to help you Grow your Business.

Online appointments enable your clients to book appointments 24/7. If you restrict your clients to making bookings from 9am-5pm, which coincides with most peoples working hours, they often have to make a special effort to make that appointment, such as find a private spot out of their bosses and colleagues hearing. With online appointments they can make that appointment while sitting at their desk at work or when they go home. Don’t forget that most people these days work in large open-plan spaces rather than private offices so private telephone calls are anything but private.

Making an appointment is even more difficult and frustrating for them if you do have a receptionist and you end up playing telephone tag with your clients.

Your clients and potential clients online are not just 20 to 40 year olds. Sites such as Ancestry.com and Friends Reunited are very popular with people in their 50s and 60s, whilst not having the mass appeal of Facebook and Youtube; they still measure their membership in the tens of millions.

If your clients are active on the web so must You.

Don’t be left behind – Go Online

Quick Tour.mp4

2010-01-10T11:09:00.001-08:00