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If I have to walk over to the computer, I’ve already wasted too much time. Wouldn't the point of scheduling software be that, unlike his current phone solution

If I have to walk over to the computer, I’ve already wasted too much time. Wouldn't the point of scheduling software be that, unlike his current phone solution, he doesn't have to do something when a customer schedules a time? Ideally he'd enter his work hours and holidays into the scheduling system, and customers could schedule a time without interrupting his workflow. Then he'd only need to look at his iPad once in a while to see who the next customer is. Other than that, I think the article makes an important point.

widdershins 13y ago
Barber: "Almost all my bookings happen on the phone, or via text message."
- workhere-io 13y ago
  That's the point: If the barber has a lot of younger customers, the reason that most of the bookings happen on the phone or via text message is that the barber doesn't have a good website set up with a decent booking system that the customers could use instead of the phone. What OP could have told the barber is this: "We'll put up a system that enables your customers to schedule a time automatically - that way you'll only have to schedule times manually in the 20% of cases or so when a customer prefers to call rather than use the website". It's not rocket science - plenty of barbers have such a system.
  - prawn 13y ago
    Agree completely. If voice is crucial, save yourself answering the phone with some sort of Twilio setup to handle the majority of calls with a series of questions about timing and duration of appointment. In the preamble mention online bookings and see if the majority stick with phone. I know I'd vastly prefer a web booking system for almost everything - restaurants, car service, medical appointments, etc.
  - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
    >plenty of barbers have such a system // I'm really interested in this. Could you link some?
    - workhere-io 13y ago
      I've only tried ones in Denmark. Here are a couple of examples (in Danish): http://www.hairtools.dk/ http://www.hairtools.dk/ http://www.bapoon.dk/Information/for-frisoerer.htm http://www.bapoon.dk/Information/for-frisoerer.htm http://hairbydahl.bestilling.nu/?locale=en http://hairbydahl.bestilling.nu/?locale=en
      - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
        Thank you.

widdershins 13y ago

Barber: "Almost all my bookings happen on the phone, or via text message."

workhere-io 13y ago
That's the point: If the barber has a lot of younger customers, the reason that most of the bookings happen on the phone or via text message is that the barber doesn't have a good website set up with a decent booking system that the customers could use instead of the phone. What OP could have told the barber is this: "We'll put up a system that enables your customers to schedule a time automatically - that way you'll only have to schedule times manually in the 20% of cases or so when a customer prefers to call rather than use the website". It's not rocket science - plenty of barbers have such a system.
- prawn 13y ago
  Agree completely. If voice is crucial, save yourself answering the phone with some sort of Twilio setup to handle the majority of calls with a series of questions about timing and duration of appointment. In the preamble mention online bookings and see if the majority stick with phone. I know I'd vastly prefer a web booking system for almost everything - restaurants, car service, medical appointments, etc.
- pbhjpbhj 13y ago
  >plenty of barbers have such a system // I'm really interested in this. Could you link some?
  - workhere-io 13y ago
    I've only tried ones in Denmark. Here are a couple of examples (in Danish): http://www.hairtools.dk/ http://www.hairtools.dk/ http://www.bapoon.dk/Information/for-frisoerer.htm http://www.bapoon.dk/Information/for-frisoerer.htm http://hairbydahl.bestilling.nu/?locale=en http://hairbydahl.bestilling.nu/?locale=en
    - pbhjpbhj 13y ago
      Thank you.