Why you should avoid contact forms for appointment scheduling

Monday morning. The day begins with the battle against the inbox, the chaos of appointments and hot coffee that has gone cold. Yet it's often these mundane issues that steal time - especially requests from website contact forms. According to a 2018 study, contact forms are among customers' least favourite communication channels. Since then, popularity hasn't exactly improved, because recipients are also dissatisfied: website contact requests are often just gateways for SPAM mails. Moreover, these mails have to be filtered, answered and assigned manually. This not only means extra work, but also encourages errors within the company.
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A lot of effort for few leads

Contact forms are the involuntary catch basin for complaints, FAQs that have already been answered, and SPAM. Requests for appointments from prospective customers are rare finds. So one digs through dozens of mails with difficult spelling to finally address a mostly delayed answer to an important lead in the leftovers. They finally receive another inbox-filling mail in their own Monday morning chaos.

And that's just the beginning: because now a deadline must be coordinated. Salespeople know the problem: each point of contact before the first appointment reduces the chance of convincing the customer. In the worst case, you send 4 handwritten mails and forfeit time and coffee temperature hoping for an answer.

This demoralization is also reflected in the customers. Most of them don't even expect answers from the companies any more, and many interested parties don't even get in touch.

According to FinancesOnline, 27% abandon online forms because of length. Meanwhile, 10% leave because of unnecessary questions.

The alternative: online appointment booking

When it comes to customer acquisition, fast action is required. Every hurdle must be removed from the way, which could make it difficult for customers to make contact. That's why online appointments are the antidote. The software can be integrated into the website within a few hours - both as an iframe and as an overlay. Adapted to the "look & feel" of your own website and thanks to intuitive operation, it requires hardly any training. If you know Word, you will master the applications without any problems. Excel, on the other hand, is a Gordian knot.

"We have been using TIMIFY for several years now. With the application being self-explanatory in many areas, anyone can operate the program very easily. However, we are particularly enthusiastic about the many new customers we have been able to gain through online booking."

Daniela Rohrmann, Bereichsleitung Atta

A new Monday

So instead of looking at a crowded inbox, Monday morning starts with a clear calendar. No double bookings, no queries. All the information needed in advance can be called up during the appointment booking process. So the employee is equipped with all the information. In addition, virtual appointments can be scheduled. The video call is created automatically and sent to employees as well as customers.

And no-shows?

But what if the customer never shows up? This is where automated reminders come into play: the customer is reminded of the appointment in good time by e-mail or even SMS. This reduces the number of no-shows by 50%.
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Do contact forms make any sense at all?

Contact forms can continue to coexist peacefully with online appointment bookings. Especially for requests that have nothing to do with the classic business. Only when it comes to customer acquisition and sales, online appointment booking software emerges as the clear winner of this comparison. This is not the only reason why companies like Fielmann, Sonova and Saint Maclou have been using online appointment booking for years. Click here for examples of how these companies have integrated and expanded online appointment booking on their websites.
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How do I get started?

Complex team structures, process chains and an extensive service catalog can cause confusion both internally and externally. TIMIFY works through these interrelationships and automates the appointment booking of each service. In addition, surveys, duty rosters, the Location Scout or synchronization with existing calendars simplify the work and improve the customer as well as employee experience. Best of all, our experts prepare everything optimally together with you. This means the system is ready to go in no time at all.
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This is how consultants and customers get to their happy end on Monday morning: hot coffee.

Do you have any questions or would you like to get to know our software? Then book a demo call today (and you won't have to wait for a reply).