How online booking has helped businesses adapt and innovate during the Covid-19 pandemic

Adapt, change, pivot — three words that small businesses have become all too familiar with, given the unprecedented changes due to Covid-19.

As operational requirements continue to change for businesses across the world, online booking software can assist in responding to customer needs.

In 2020, online scheduling software Setmore carried out a survey of over 400 of its customers to discover the affect of coronavirus on their business and how they were utilizing online scheduling to help them adapt during these times.

63% of Setmore users directed their customers to book directly via their Booking Pages.

Giving customers the freedom to self-book streamlines day-to-day processes. In turn, this added efficiency allows business leaders to focus on adapting their services.

With many day-to-day elements of our lives now subject to stricter controls, businesses can give customers back a little bit of freedom when booking services.

80% of customers seek a personalized experience — McKinsey

Research has shown consumers care more about the customer experience than they did pre-pandemic.

Online scheduling software helps reduce time spent on administration, so businesses can focus on providing excellent customer experiences. This helps increase trust in companies and their services.

45% of personal service providers surveyed via Setmore said they have introduced buffer times since January 2020.

Buffer times are time-slots set between appointments which enable staff to carry out cleaning procedures and ensure businesses adhere to new guidelines.

The pandemic forced healthcare and personal service providers to take a number of extra precautions when re-opening their physical premises, including controlled hygiene measures and social distancing.

Teleport calls made via Setmore rose by 887% by July 2020.

With the surge in virtual appointments across industries, video integrations with Zoom and Teleport have seen widespread popularity.

As businesses transition online, video meetings have enabled many to open up services to a global audience. Video conferencing integrations turn browsers into a virtual meeting space.

While the lasting effects of Covid-19 on businesses are unknown, an effective scheduling tool can streamline business operations while helping businesses, their staff and customers stay safe.

For more information on the pivotal role of appointment scheduling software for businesses during Covid-19 featuring cross-industry data, download Setmore’s white paper on ‘How online appointment scheduling became an essential tool for businesses during lockdown’.