Evaluating Online Booking (OLB) solutions – key factors to consider

Every provider is different and knows their practice processes best. But at the end of the day, the vast majority of providers utilize technology in some fashion to keep track of pets, their parents, and the services provided. This is likely done through a Practice Management System (PIM).

Not all PIMs are created equal. It’s important when looking at an OLB solution to ensure sufficient integration to the PIM. What’s more, not all integrations are created equal. Some OLB “solutions” simply send an email to the practice. Some can only provide certain functionality for new clients as compared to existing clients. And some behave differently according to the PIM. Make sure that your desired OLB choice reflects the capabilities needed to solve the challenges that you’re looking to solve.

Often overlooked is how burdensome OLB can be for pet parents. Remembering passwords, downloading Apps, and filling out unnecessary information can lead to frustrated owners, who may ultimately end up picking up the phone and tying up phone lines just to make an appointment, or worse, seek services elsewhere.

Part of your goal in evaluating OLB tools might be to move both new and/or existing client appointments online, so that staff can focus time and efforts on pet care and other practice duties. Make sure to think about the end pet parent experience, because if you take the time in implementing OLB, you want owners to actually utilize the service.

Whether you are a standalone practice or provider, or part of a larger group, centralized reporting and tracking insights can take your operations to the next level, ultimately advancing both the clinic and patient experience.

After all, you’re implementing OLB for a reason, and you want to ensure that it is having its intended outcome.

Tracking new versus returning clients. Online versus front desk versus phone calls. Time spent in office. Client wait times. Cancelled appointments. No shows. Backfilled appointments. Return on investment. Time saved. Geolocation of clients. These are all things that a practice can learn from and improve, if armed with the information in an easily digestible fashion.

And for Consolidators, it almost goes without saying that rolled up and easily parsed information is a necessity.

In an increasingly digital world, more and more sensitive information is available online. An OLB provider potentially has access to sensitive information.

It is vitally important that an OLB provider takes data safety and compliance into account as well as understands the seriousness of the trust that a provider is instilling in them.

Even though it’s obvious that the world is on the go more and more every day, but you may still be surprised that >80% of appointments are booked on mobile devices in some industries, according to sources.

Your OLB tool should be as impactful on mobile devices as it is on desktops.

Some OLB solutions tout themselves as “off the shelf,” which is great when it works. But the animal service industry is changing quickly.

You want to choose a provider that understands the animal service industry and is not only open to feedback and suggestions, but also makes it easy to know that your feedback is heard and recognized.

Double check that your OLB provider has a appropriate mechanisms that satisfactorily supports any potential feedback you may have – whether that means small potential changes or a larger shift to account for emerging industry standards in animal care.