WHO S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD (ONLINE) BOOKING?

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1 WHO S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD (ONLINE) BOOKING?

2 Introducing new technology at your spa can be intimidating, especially when it comes to how your customers book appointments. As a consumer and a business owner, you ve probably heard a lot about online booking such as how everyone is doing it these days but it might complicate the booking process, remove the personal touch of service, or even require substantial time and money to implement. It s time to forget everything you ve heard about online booking. While it s important to do your research about technology before making it an integral part of your spa operations, there are many myths and misconceptions about online booking that could be holding you back from growing your business. This guide is here to tell you that online booking will not huff and puff and blow your spa down! In fact, on average SpaBooker clients saw over $19,000 in revenue from online booking alone last year. This can be your spa too, so follow us on this journey to discover the truth about adding this revenue generating tool at your spa. In this guide we ll be dispelling myths about online booking leading to: Lack of Control Booking Confusion Loss of Time and Money Still intrigued to learn the truth about online booking? Read on for answers PLUS a few surprises along the way...

3 I ll lose control of my calendar... It s true that your appointment book is at the core of your spa and represents the money you ll be bringing in each day. It s understandable that you always want to have control over the who, what, and when of booking. Not to mention, you certainly don t want your entire schedule exposed to the public but adding online booking does not have to mean lack of control. In fact, it can actually add more customization (meaning the way you like it) to your scheduling process. Misconception 1: My entire schedule will be exposed - even my competitors will know how busy I am. Reality: Online booking tools give you the option to customize what days, times, and even portions of the day that are visible during the online booking process. For example, if you want to keep people from booking in the first thirty minutes of your spa opening, you can restrict booking during this time period. Taking it one step further, you can control which therapists and services are available for booking. There are certainly some services that require a certain amount of knowledge of your spa to book, so don t worry, your receptionists can still handle those bookings if you choose to not offer them online. Misconception 2: Putting the booking power in my customers hands will result in no-shows. Reality: Just as your receptionists call customers the day before their appointments to confirm and reduce no-shows, your online booking tool is going to do this too but without taking any extra time from your receptionists as it is done automatically with s. In addition to helping you confirm appointments through s, you will have the option to create a cancellation policy that is visible during the online booking process that also requires a credit card at the time of booking, so you can charge cancellation fees if a customer does not show up. Online booking solutions have you covered when it comes to making sure you can collect money for all your appointments booked whether they come to the appointment or not.

4 All my customers will be confused about booking! Putting all the booking power in the hands of your customers may seem scary as you re concerned they won t know what to book, what they booked last time, or potentially book something not right for them. The last thing you need is a calendar full of incorrectly booked appointments, but with online booking this will not be the case. Instead, your online booking site is there to help guide customers to rebook past appointments or educate them on new services they can book. Don t believe us? Keep reading for more info: Misconception 1: With customers coming back every few months, it s impossible for my customers to remember what services they had at their last appointment. Reality: Online booking takes the guesswork out of booking for your customers. The system is designed to allow customers to rebook past appointments by creating an account, logging in and viewing their appointment history. Directly from this history, customer can select a past appointment (same service and therapist) to rebook automatically. Misconception 2: Customers don t know the ins and outs of my treatment menu and won t understand what services are best for them to book. Reality: Your online booking site belongs to you meaning you get to customize it, including the descriptions about each service. If you include detailed descriptions and pricing for each service offering available for booking, you ll be able to guide customers to book what s best for them without ever picking up the phone. Reality: Your online site is not the only place for you to describe your service offerings. To start, use your website to help customers understand your offerings by having your full treatment menu with descriptions and pricing prominently displayed. You can also educate your customers when they are in the spa on what treatments are best for them, so they know what to book online for their next appointment.

5 There s no way I can afford online booking. It s so expensive. You have a laundry list of expenses to take care of at your spa. From salaries to equipment, you shell out a large percentage of your revenue to keep your spa running. Tacking another piece onto the bill (plus all of the money it will take to create this portion of your website) seems like a major deterrent when it comes to implementing online booking. However, you d be surprised about how affordable adding this technology to your business can be. Still have qualms? Keep reading: Misconception 1: Purchasing technology and systems, especially hardware like computers, for my business can rack up a hefty bill, so I certainly can t afford to add online booking too. Reality: Online booking unlike computers or cash register does not come with a lot of upfront costs or high monthly fees. In fact, software companies offer several affordable solutions to fit the needs of spas of all sizes and provide more than just online booking but other management tools all for one price. We suggest shopping around to find the solution that meets your business needs and budget the best. Misconception 2: But I ll need to hire a web developer or graphic designer to create my booking page, and I don t have room in my budget for the extra expense. Reality: By purchasing a solution with online booking, everything is set up for you. You won t need a fancy web developer to add online booking, because it is as simple as adding one link. All you ll need to do is add in your service offerings and preferences for what is bookable online.

6 I ve got my schedule under control, what can online booking REALLY do? You re in luck; we ve got the answers directly from some of our spa clients. Overall, online booking can help you save you time and money by: Reducing the stress of day-to-day operations and the time and people it takes to run your front desk Since implementing online booking, Pure Skin Advanced Skin Care has experienced a shift in how customers book appointments. Now, customers tend to book appointments online, and this helps reduce the stress of high call volume. Brooke can offer her clients the convenience of booking appointments directly through her website. Instead of hiring additional staff to answer the phone and schedule appointments, Brooke loved that SpaBooker eliminated the need for someone behind the desk, and she even considers SpaBooker her own virtual receptionist. 28% increase in appointments booked online since 2009 Keeping your spa opened 24/7 to capture appointments at any time Online booking gives spas the ability to book appointments at all times of day, even when the spa closes for the night. Vicki Hicks of Corporate Health Connection not only saw this change, but sees an increase in the number of appointments booked as a direct result of online booking s 24/7 access. She says, More appointments are definitely showing up from day-to-day and even from the morning to evening on the same day. In one day, we had eight appointments total and five were from online booking. People aren t calling anymore. They are booking online. Creating an ideal customer experience and enabling you to stay in touch to ensure repeat business At Pineapple Day Spa, the team uses online booking in conjunction with marketing to increase customer retention. Not only does online booking automatically capture customer information for further communication, but they include links to book online directly in the spa s marketing s. Priscilla says, Online booking access and automated s gave us the ability to communicate with a growing customer list, accurately and timely. confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups seal the deal for our customers in ensuring accuracy and seamless customer service. As of Oct. 12, 59% of Pineapple s customers are repeat customers.

7 Still not convinced? Check out how online booking can beenfit your spa by the numbers: On average, SpaBooker clients see: 11% $19, Percentage of appointments booked online Revenue per year from online booking Number of appointments booked online Across all SpaBooker clients there was: $43.4 M 781,096 Revenue per year from online booking Number of appointments booked online

8 See? We told you. Online booking will not huff and puff and blow your spa down. It doesn t have to be scary! In fact, it can be a revenue generator for your spa by giving your customers more options to book appointments 24/7, reducing the stress of day-to-day operations, and ultimately giving you more time and money to focus on doing the thing you love most! SpaBooker provides you with online booking along with all of the tools your need to successfully run and grow your business. Call us at today to schedule a free demonstration or visit our website at We look forward to helping you transform your spa with online booking!