For instance, many stores have "block scheduling", meaning they start their appointments at the opening time and then have 1hr 30min (or so) blocks set aside for their appointments. Other stores use a "first available" setting where they take appointments at any time during the day and are not confined to blocks.
To complicate matters further, some staff members may not take a Bridal appointment, but they could work a bridesmaid or prom appointment. And if that wasn't enough, some stores have fitting rooms that are dedicated to certain types of appointments.
With all this complexity, it's no wonder that scheduling is one of the biggest pains in formalwear retail. We aim to improve this by giving your staff members a super easy tool that helps them book appointments only during the times that are most optimal for your business.
We call this our Smart Book Algorithm.
This algorithm is used when determining availability on your online appointment scheduler and also when clicking "Smart Book" on your calendar.
How do I set it up?
Before Smart Book will work, you must first set up:
- Users' Work Schedule - Settings - Users & Roles - Users. Refer to the Work Schedule section of this article for more information.
- Users' Appointment Types - Settings - Appointments & Tasks - Appointment Types. Refer to the Appointment Types section of this article for more information.
- Fitting Rooms Blocks or First Available - Settings - Fitting Rooms. Refer to this article for more information.
What is the difference between using Smart Book Technology for the Online Appointment Scheduler and the “Smart Book” button on my calendar?
Online Appointment Scheduler:
Checks for duplicates & matches them in your contact database.
Shows unique times available (even if the same times are available in multiple fitting rooms)
On Calendar Smart Book Button:
Fitting room specific and will show ALL available options across ALL fitting rooms
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Before “going live” and using Smart Book to book your appointments, please do a test run to ensure that all settings have been configured properly and show the way you intended.