Text Messaging Featured Article

The process of scheduling an appointment for a visit to the doctor’s office, or hair salon, or just about anywhere, is rarely an experience people enjoy. Calling the business might mean a quick answer from a receptionist followed by a long wait on hold, then comparing schedules to the office’s and trying to find dates and times that line up. It can be time consuming, and even an ordeal for businesses with appointments booked far in advance, but it’s a necessary fact of life.

But in the modern age, which offers up so many methods of communication and innovative customer service, shouldn’t there be ways for businesses to improve the act of scheduling appointments for their customers? Text messaging and other mobile options are a great way for businesses to improve the appointment making process—and in turn the customer experience. Rather than interrupting a customer’s day by spending time on the phone, giving customers the option to text is a powerful alternative that may encourage more appointments to be made by new and returning customers alike.

And it shouldn’t come as a surprise to businesses that people prefer text messaging. As it turns out, a majority of Americans would like to schedule personal appointments using text messaging, mobile apps, email or websites, according to a new national survey commissioned by PencilAppoint.com. The poll, which was carried out by Google (News - Alert) Consumer Surveys earlier this month, was based on 2,166 online responses and is representative of the national adult Internet population.

According to the survey’s findings, 53 percent of Americans would like to use smartphones and computer-based technologies to book appointments with dentists, 60 percent with doctors, 66 percent with hair stylists, and 69 percent with nail specialists. But even beyond making appointments, businesses should also consider giving customers the option to have confirmation texts sent once the appointment is made, and even reminders leading up to it. Nearly one-third of those surveyed would like to use mobile apps, email or text messages to confirm appointments with their dentists and doctors, 41 percent would like to use them to confirm appointments with nail specialists, and 44 percent with hair stylists.  

From this recent survey, it is clear that consumers’ preferences are leaning more and more towards mobile methods of communication with businesses. Text messages are a discrete and convenient way to schedule and confirm appointments, and as such, businesses dealing with appointments and scheduling of any kind should seriously consider incorporating texting. It will improve the overall customer experience by giving them a communication channel they want, and will likely make the scheduling process easier for the business as well as its patrons.