Every industry faces monumental challenges in adapting to the digital consumer. Today’s customer wants fast service, maximum convenience, and a business that leverages technology to make their lives easier. Digital transformation is coming for every industry, and being ready for it is crucial. This is all the more important in a world where businesses face ever-growing competition. According to DMN, "The average business has 25 competitors, with 87% saying their market has become increasingly competitive in the last three years." In almost every industry, competition is increasing, and finding a way to stand out is crucial. One of the ways that many leading experts are choosing to stand out is by using tech to provide better customer service and a more streamlined customer experience. Customer service and the customer experience are deciding factors that many customers will use to determine which business they shop with, regardless of industry. According to HubSpot, "90% of Americans use customer service as a factor when deciding who to do business with."
Technology can enable businesses to improve customer service and create a personalized experience that customers will love. One software solution that helps with this is appointment scheduling software. Appointment scheduling software is a flexible tool that can be useful for businesses across industries, it enables customers to make easy online bookings, communicate back and forth with staff, and ensure 24/7 access to scheduling services. For businesses, it provides a flexible calendar, a new platform for managing their day-to-day appointment scheduling, and a customer engagement solution that streamlines the booking process from end to end. Appointment software is a useful tool that can be used in various ways. Let’s dive into how appointment booking software can be used in various major industries.
Every business has had to adjust to a whirlwind of change in the past several years. The pandemic impacted every industry differently, but one of the industries that were more impacted was the retail sector. Everything from clothing stores to diners to barbershops had to deal with a new normal where in-person shopping ground to a halt. These were never-before-seen circumstances that seem to be winding down, but the retail industry is still dealing with the lingering side effects. The retail industry needs to find a way to regain shoppers’ confidence and stand out as an important option that customers can’t pass up. Online scheduling software is a way to do this. Let’s explore some of the ways that an appointment booking app can make a positive impact on the retail industry.
One of the aforementioned changes that the pandemic has brought to the retail industry is the shift toward e-commerce. Throughout the pandemic, more consumers than ever before were focusing on e-commerce. In a world where entering a store felt ominous and difficult, it only made sense that consumers would spend their money online instead. According to the Census, "e-commerce sales grew by 43% in 2020 as the pandemic took hold, topping more than $815 billion in the United States." While these sales numbers were still dwarfed by in-store shopping, there could very well be a day when the biggest portion of sales comes from e-commerce. China is leading the charge on this front, with a jaw-dropping 45% of its retail sales coming from e-commerce in 2022.
How can retail rise to the challenge that faces the industry? Will they simply have to accept that in-person shopping will slowly see its market share eaten into by e-commerce? The answer to this dilemma lies in the retail industry’s ability to embrace digitalization and meet the shifting demands of the modern consumer. One of the ways brick-and-mortar can complement retail shopping is by embracing curbside pickup, also known as click and collect. Click and collect sales surged 104.5% in 2020 as consumers embraced this new mixture of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar, at the same time, click and collect sales are projected to reach $154 billion by 2025. In order to make curbside pickup work, retailers need high-functioning online scheduling software. That is what QLess can provide.
Curbside pickup is one of several retail services that may call for booking appointments, but in every case, software simplifying how people book appointments will go a long way. An appointment scheduling app is a tool that empowers both customers and operations with more control and independence. QLess has different types of appointment scheduling features designed to make it easy for customers, they are accessible 24/7, can be used on a mobile device or desktop, and are straightforward to use. The QLess booking page allows customers to see a calendar of available appointment times, select the one that works best for them, and input the appointment type they need. This will schedule the appointment for them at any time of day or night. They’ll then receive SMS reminders to ensure they arrive on time making the process seamless and friction-free for customers because they don’t have to navigate through outdated appointment booking infrastructure and can book appointments entirely on their own time. For businesses, an appointment scheduler organizes the day-to-day effectively, businesses can see the entirety of their day on a calendar, with all the appointments lined up. They can alter that calendar, message customers back and forth, and blend walk-ins with scheduled appointments. It is a flexible solution that retailers value for its ease of use and impact on the customer experience.
These types of appointment scheduling features are pushing retailers further on the pathway toward an immersive omnichannel customer experience. Embracing the potential of digital technology is how retail can adapt to e-commerce rather than running from it by implementing new technologies designed to make customers’ in-store experience much smoother, businesses can lean into the new world of digital change. An omnichannel retail experience essentially means combining the physical with the virtual and using multiple avenues to integrate the two which might involve the role of retail shifting. McKinsey imagines a world where retail stores function as omnichannel fulfillment centers where the customer experience is the primary driver of the business.
Appointment software does more than just help customers schedule appointments. They can also add to the experience with additional features like customer journey management. This includes features like bi-directional communication, customer feedback, and a mobile app that can be downloaded for maximum accessibility which could become a standard component of how customers experience retail. Customers can schedule appointments for returns, product demonstrations, or curbside pickup, removing the need for a wait. They can communicate with staff before and while they’re in your store, improving the accessibility of customer service as well as sending feedback through the app to inform on how their experience has been. It’ll be a true blended physical and digital experience.
One of the primary drivers behind leveraging technology like an appointment scheduling solution to create an omnichannel retail experience is the goal of making retail more personalized. Personalization is a marketing trend that has become exceedingly important in the past several years and is now expected in most industries. Personalization means gearing your shopping experience to meet the individual needs of different customers, which requires a significant investment in technology. According to Startup Bonsai, "80% of customers are more prone to buy from a company that provides a tailored experience, and 66% expect brands to understand their individual needs." Consumers want personalization from the retail stores they frequent, and they’ve come to expect it, so how can retail stores use appointment software to create a more personalized service? There are several different methods businesses can deploy. The bi-directional communication features are a useful tool that can be leveraged. For example, businesses can create an automated message sent to customers using the platform every time they enter the store. The message could refer to the customer by name and ask them what they’re looking for. This is a small but simple touch that can go a long way.
An online appointment scheduling platform also helps businesses with a second crucial aspect of personalization: data collection. Understanding the customer experience is a key step to improving and personalizing it. Appointment scheduling software like QLess has data collection features that automatically store information on your customers’ experiences. Businesses can also send out pulse SMS surveys that customers can answer, so they can receive subjective insights from their customers on how the personalization has worked. Overall, an appointment management system for retail is a way to personalize the customer experience, integrate e-commerce, and become a true omnichannel operation.
Receiving services from government offices is not always a positive experience, from passport offices to the DMV, wait times are abundant, and many of the systems used are outdated causing civilians substantial difficulties, and many prefer to avoid government offices if possible. The downside of this is that the services offered are incredibly important, so finding a way to make them easier to access is important. The average American will spend an average of 44-minutes waiting at the DMV, many of the offices use an outdated system that only causes further waits, and there is a consistent struggle to integrate walk-ins with employees. This has given the DMV a negative perception, but the truth is that overburdened workers need a tool that will make day-to-day management easier. Implementing a DMV online booking system solution can make running this industry a more manageable proposition. QLess for government offices has the potential to create a more efficient system that meets the needs of consumers faster. Let’s look at some of the advantages of these solutions for government offices.
A government office should be easily accessible, the services offered are too important for customers to have difficulty accessing them, which pertains to people of all backgrounds. An appointment scheduling software like QLess makes these services more accessible in several ways. For starters, QLess has added features to ensure that people with disabilities have an easier time utilizing key resources. These features exist on mobile devices and on-site kiosks and are designed to adjust to users' unique needs; additionally, some notable features include a text-to-speech screen reader, adjustable font sizes, spacing, and brightness, dyslexia-friendly font, and a pausable interface with helpful user tooltips so users can go at their own pace. The appointment scheduling features of QLess also help make crucial services easier to access, customers can check the availability of upcoming appointments they need and schedule these appointments from wherever they are, even if it is outside of business hours. They can send information over through the platform using the bi-directional communication features and receive automatic reminders on the day of their appointment to ensure they make it. The government industry is one where accessing appointments should be easy for everyone because the services offered are vital, from passport renewals and license registrations to social services. With appointment software, these important services are easier to reach than ever before.
A lack of data is one of the biggest things that is obstructing government offices from providing a high-quality customer experience. Data enables businesses to objectively evaluate how their processes are performing, but collecting data on things like wait times, customer intake, and appointment no-shows have never been easy. Implementing QLess, government offices now have a tool that enables them to collect data that provides key information on what needs improving. QLess isn’t just a DMV online scheduling software, it also functions as a queue management system enabling remote check-ins and places customers in a virtual queue. The data from this can show businesses information on several important things.
The QLess business intelligence features collect information on median wait time, transaction time, no-show percentage, and the number of customers serviced daily. This data can all be segmented according to things like date, time of day, or who the employee that serviced the customer was. The data is then displayed in a dashboard that arranges it clearly and is organized through graphs and charts; moreover, data collected can provide offices with clear insights into logical next steps toward improving their processes. If there are certain times of day when the office is inundated and wait times are high, they must clearly adjust for that and if the no-show percentage has reached dangerous highs, adding more reminders might be the ideal decision. Leveraging data allows organizations to make more informed decisions and better understand where they may be coming up short. QLess provides clear, high-value data on important aspects of the day-to-day, like the customer journey.
Employees at government offices face a monumental task, they have to handle a constant stream of customers, many of whom have just waited in an hour-long line and are in terrible moods. They provide a vital service at the fastest pace they possibly can, they deserve to have their loads lightened and receive a more organized day-to-day workflow. That is why an online scheduler is a perfect solution for government offices. QLess has flexible calendar management features that can radically simplify employee processes, it takes the need for organizing the queue and appointment calendar out of their hands and allows them to focus only on service fulfillment. It does this by providing a flexible calendar with queue management features and automation, QLess arranges the appointment schedule in a color-coded calendar, so employees can see how many appointments they have scheduled and the appointment type they are processing, they can send mass messages requesting specific customer information before the appointment to streamline the process and they can also move appointments around. The queue management system sorts customers into a virtual line according to their appointment and arrival times, it can be entirely automated according to pre-set priorities and blend appointments with walk-ins for a hybrid queue. This all serves to lighten the load for government workers, they can focus on their tasks and the appointment ahead of them rather than worrying about organizing their schedule or the customer queue. This is one of the reasons that QLess has been found to increase staff productivity by up to 90% with acuity scheduling.
If you’re going to undergo the process of digitally transforming key components of your business, you must have the infrastructure to handle that transformation. Part of what makes QLess and other appointment systems such a valuable tool is that they can easily integrate with the current tech infrastructure most government offices rely on. It is a solution that won’t require a massive time or cost investment from government offices to set up. Most government websites use a .gov domain. QLess can directly integrate with .gov websites, so customers visiting your website can access the full range of QLess features. They can join virtual queues or schedule their appointment online, all without having to leave your website. This saves customers valuable time and makes setting up your new appointment system a breeze.
QLess also has API integration, meaning it can be between multiple applications that government offices will likely already use; in addition, QLess doesn’t make businesses trim their tech stack, it works hand-in-hand with several other applications that offices might use to provide the best possible results, when the average business owner considers implementing new technology, one of the first things they consider is how difficult the process will be. In the case of QLess, it is a simple and efficient solution that can easily integrate with the current infrastructure most government offices will already be relying on.
The healthcare industry provides an irreplaceable service to customers and plays a massively important societal role, whether hospitals, urgent care facilities, private practices, or walk-in clinics, the healthcare sector offers a lifesaving service that is crucial to all people across the country. However, like many other industries, the healthcare industry is overburdened, the pandemic exacerbated an issue that has been prevalent for years as the healthcare system strained under ever-increasing demand. Even though the pandemic has slowed, the cracks in the system remain, "Within 20 years, the population of Americans 65 and older will double," according to Urban Institute. The healthcare system needs tools to help them manage ever-increasing demand; likewise, technology has the potential to improve how healthcare offices operate, increasing their customer intake and improving staff and customers’ experience along the way. An appointment management system like QLess is an effective and mobile-friendly solution with plenty of healthcare applications. Let’s look at the dramatic impact that patient scheduling software can make across the healthcare industry.
Appointment no-shows are a problem in every industry, they are regular occurrences everywhere, from retail to education. A customer will schedule an appointment, and staff will block off time accordingly; subsequently, the customer won't show up on the day of the appointment, whether due to scheduling conflicts, disinterest, or forgetfulness. This is a problem in almost every industry but it is particularly pronounced in healthcare, patient no-shows impact the healthcare industry’s resource utilization and waste busy professionals' time. They impact the quality of service by disrupting the day-to-day flow of an office and are a lost opportunity for businesses. Patient no-show rates are incredibly high in the healthcare industry, according to the National Library of Medicine, "Patient no-show rates have been reported between 12%-80% across medical settings." This incurs a high cost on the industry in lost opportunity and wasted time. According to Forbes, "Patient no-shows cost the healthcare industry more than $150 billion annually."
However, there are ways to cut into the rate of patient no-shows. It has been found that email reminders, SMS messages, and phone calls on the day of the appointment can cut into the no-show rate. QLess has two features here that can help, the bi-directional communication and business intelligence features will dramatically cut healthcare offices' no-show rates. The business intelligence feature provides data on the no-show percentage and how many appointment no-shows a business has, they can monitor this number to ensure it doesn’t reach an unsightly rate; at same time, they can use the bi-directional communication features to send automated appointment reminders in the days leading up to the appointment to ensure customers are ready and aware.
The patient waiting room is a deeply ingrained aspect of the healthcare experience, and it is not one that many are too fond of. It is particularly unsatisfactory considering that many crowded waiting rooms will have sick or injured people. While this has always been a health hazard, the pandemic opened eyes to just how much of a hazard it is; in fact, with a transmissible virus spreading rampantly, a crowded room of sick individuals makes for a serious hazard. QLess is a waiting room management solution to reduce physical congestion in medical offices thanks to its appointment scheduling system and the queue management software. The queue management software enables customers to check in for their previously scheduled appointment virtually, they can sit on their couches at home, check-in for their appointment, and monitor the wait time of the lineup. They can enter the office when it is their turn for an appointment. This completely reduces the need for physical queues and empowers customers to check the real-time availability of medical services from wherever they are.
The appointment scheduling software helps decongest the waiting room by providing staff with a flexible calendar management feature which will enable the staff to move appointments around and adjust to changes on the fly. Disruptions like an appointment no-show can be moved on from much more quickly, as staff can simply slide a different appointment into the available slot, and the calendar will automatically adjust improving efficiency and ensuring customers are in and out faster. The waiting room is an aspect of the patient experience that has consistently posed problems of contagiousness and overall unpleasantness. QLess enables customers to wait for their appointments from wherever they are and empowers businesses with the tools to move on faster from no-shows or late customers. This contributes to a safer, less congested waiting room.
The patient experience is a crucial component of thriving in the medical industry. While the service provided is incredibly important, healthcare is a business at the end of the day, it is a business that is incredibly competitive and increasingly so. "There are more than 785,000 businesses in the healthcare sector in the United States alone," according to Policy Advice. It makes up roughly 19% of the U.S economy’s GDP, in a crowded industry, standing out is important, one of the ways to do this is by zeroing in on the patient experience. Providing excellent customer service, maximum customer convenience, and a transparent communication style will help make your medical business stand out.
A patient scheduling platform is impactful because it gives customers an easy platform for booking appointments, provides a bi-directional communication channel for staff and customers, and helps businesses offer faster, more flexible services. If people are dissatisfied with your services, they aren’t going to stick around, but if they are happy, you will find them loyal customers. According to Medical Economics, "69% of patients would switch healthcare providers for better services." One of the top services mentioned that people would switch providers for? Self-scheduling because making your service convenient and accessible for your patients will help retain them. An appointment management system takes a significant amount of the burden off customers, they can easily schedule appointments on an accessible booking page, connect with staff and doctors, and avoid long waits. It is an ideal solution to ensure your customers’ long-term satisfaction.
Over the past several years, a pronounced demographic shift has changed how healthcare companies do business. Millennials have aged into the dominant spending cohort, and Gen Z is following right behind them. This has led to a world where two of the most important generations to target are digital natives that were raised on technologies like smartphones and the internet. Healthcare industries have to adjust to the new world of digital transformation, and the pandemic showed us what that might look like. Telehealth has become a crucial new component of the healthcare industry, as of April 2021, the monthly volume of telehealth claims was 38x higher than the pre-pandemic baseline, 84% of physicians were offering virtual care.
Virtual healthcare is now the new normal, having systems in place that can manage the appointment booking process for virtual healthcare services is important. QLess provides a solution that integrates with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, so businesses can effortlessly schedule virtual consultations with their patients and customers can select the appointment type, including in-person or virtual, and receive a link to a scheduled appointment. The future of healthcare lies in digital technologies, businesses that adapt to that change early will be better positioned for success in the future. Appointment scheduling systems are a virtual solution that can help healthcare businesses reduce no-shows, improve the patient experience, and create a safer waiting room for their customers.
Higher education institutions are facing a significant problem right now. Students have more options than ever before, and mobility has increased dramatically, while the year before saw a slight decline in transfers, according to Forbes, "2.1 million college students transferred between academic institutions in the 2020-21 academic year." Higher education institutions now must consider how they will ensure their students stick around. Tuition costs seem to reach new highs every year across the United States, and if students don’t feel like their schools are offering excellent customer service, they may become dissatisfied. An appointment scheduling software is a solution that can help schools with their appointment process, from the financial section to academic advisement offices. Let’s examine how appointment software for higher education can maximize staff schedules and improve students' lives.
Like many other industries we’ve mentioned, higher education was completely blindsided by the pandemic. The past several years took a massive toll on higher education institutes as students had to switch to remote learning, many students are returning to campus now, and it feels like the world is reverting to normal; however, some precautions are still being kept in place, and many campuses are opting for virtual appointments for office hours and advisement meetings. QLess provides a virtual services feature to make the entire digital appointment process a breeze for staff and students. The way it works is simple, using the QLess booking system features, students can view available appointment slots; subsequently, they can virtually join the queue when it is time for their appointment, they can also monitor the wait time on their phone or computer, and when it is time for their appointment, they’ll receive a link to the video meeting.
QLess integrates with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, so institutions can pick the virtual meeting platform that works best for them. Offices can run their entire operation through this feature, with queuing features that blend appointments with walk-ins, so you can ensure that every student gets the time they deserve. The virtual service options and the numerous features they correspond with provide a high-value tool for academic offices to run their various types of appointments and meetings. These are safe and efficient ways of connecting with students that provide maximum simplicity for all parties involved.
College students are stressed, plain and simple, they have a lot on their plate. The average student has an extensive workload, many work jobs to afford tuition, and they are young adults trying to figure out which pathways in life to pursue. According to PBS, "48% of college students reported moderate to severe stress." Universities need to do what they can to limit the stress students face, being unable to access school resources is a significant stressor, particularly for important things like class registration advisement meetings and financial aid. If students struggle to get appointments for these all-important meetings, it will only add to their stress levels. Many schools are reliant on booking pages that are outdated or inflexible, by using QLess, schools have a one-stop solution that allows them to satisfy students’ needs and remove all stress from the appointment booking process.
QLess’ 24/7 appointment scheduling software enables students to set appointments at their own pace, they can choose the academic office they hope to access, the individual staff they want to connect with, and the appointment type they are there for. They can then send messages to staff with updates for their appointment and attach important documents for processing before the appointment begins. This will offer students an overall more relaxed process, they’ll be able to have a clear understanding of what appointments are available and have more freedom to choose the appointment type and staff they hope to connect with. The simplicity and independence of the whole process make it a breeze for students and a stress-free experience.
Communication is an important part of feeling heard and appreciated. Students deserve to feel that way at the higher education institutions they attend, considering their significant investment; however, most higher education institutions struggle to provide the communicativeness students seek, given their massive population. QLess is a tool with communication features that allow colleges to better connect with their students, the communication features of QLess work seamlessly in conjunction with the appointment scheduling software. They open up a clear channel where staff and students can message back and forth, rather than email messages and alerts, these messages can show up on SMS while protecting students' and staff’s personal information. In fact, beyond just messaging back and forth, the QLess software enables staff to hear more from their students by sending pulse surveys, these surveys are valuable ways of collecting insights from the student body into important issues. Staff can ask students whether they are struggling to access resources, how the appointment process can be improved, and learn more about how students find their educational experience making students feel more engaged and involved with campus life. They will feel like the university is trying to improve their experience and hear their opinions, it will also provide important insights into areas students feel the academic institution lacks.
Higher education institutes are responsible for meeting the needs of the people they serve. This has been something that has changed throughout the years as students' desires shift. Right now, one of the biggest things students will seek out from their colleges is implementing technology that makes their lives easier, the average student that most colleges will be servicing currently will be Gen Z which encompasses the age range of 9-24 right now, meaning just about all college students will be within this demographic. Colleges must implement solutions that align with their established habits to properly service this age group. If there’s one thing we know about Gen Z, it is a generation hooked to their virtual technologies, 55% of Gen Z spends five or more hours every day on their smartphone. They are tech natives that anticipate the businesses they frequent to accommodate their virtual preferences, by implementing software like QLess, higher education institutes are showing their students that they are committed to providing a tech-oriented higher education experience. QLess offers online appointment scheduling software and a queuing system that works in conjunction to improve the campus experience through technology. It is mobile-oriented software that meets the needs and expectations of college students for technology in education.
There are many kinds of technology that offer a valuable solution that is useful to businesses across industries. A high-quality appointment scheduling system is a rare exception, this software solution is designed to enhance customers' convenience, increase business flexibility, and create a more accessible business for people of all backgrounds. In industries like healthcare, retail, education, and government, an appointment scheduling system can make an impact. There’s a good reason that QLess has been implemented by institutions ranging from Texas A&M and the City of Milwaukee to UCLA Health, with easy-to-grasp tools, inexpensive implementation, and a clear value for businesses and customers, an appointment scheduling system is an ideal addition to enterprises across industries.
University students attend higher education institutions with the hopes of expanding their minds and preparing for their future. Unfortunately, all too often they got lost in a system that doesn't cater to individual student experience. Instead of feeling that the administration exists for the students, attendees quickly realize that they must conform to the needs of administrators in order to be successful. Scheduling appointments, registering for classes, even asking advisors for help all become nightmarish experiences filled with long lines, tired and impatient staff, and inadequate information.
Oftentimes, students will enter university fresh-faced, excited, and ready for success. Over time, however, ineffective university resources begin to take their toll. When simple tasks like registering for classes or dealing with financial aid eat up so much of their time, their desire to continue with their education slowly decreases. Students struggle to gain support from on-campus systems, which explains why consistently negative experiences with campus resources are one of the main sources of attrition; unfortunately, universities struggle to increase student satisfaction with limited resources. While student experience often ranks as a top priority for administrators, improving on-campus systems seems like an insurmountable task. A large student population means long lines--there doesn't seem to be a way around the problem. Fortunately, online appointment booking tools and an effective scheduling application both provide a modern solution to a large problem in higher education.
By using an electronic scheduling application like the one from QLess, academic institutions solve the problem of impatient students before it starts. Instead of expecting students to show up, wait in a line, and hope for the best, scheduling applications allow students to book an appointment ahead of time, eliminating the need for physical queues. In an age of ever-evolving technology, an electronic solution like a scheduling application can simultaneously push academic institutions into the modern age and improve the student experience.
Perhaps the most instantaneous result of an effective scheduling application is the elimination of physical lines, without an electronic tool, students often run into long lines at every on-campus location. While long queues are frustrating at any juncture, they're particularly irritating during key points in the year. When students struggle to register for class, change programs, or ask advice about their courses due to long lines, attrition begins to develop. Instead of forcing long queues that lead to general frustration and discontent, a scheduling application assigns students a specific time with which they can complete their necessary necessary business. When each student knows the time and date they can sign up for new courses, registering for classes becomes a breeze. Even signing up to see an advisor becomes a stress-free task--each person is assigned an appointment time, eliminating the pressure on both the student and the administrator. By bypassing lines and allowing individuals to address their issues at a specified time, students no longer waste their time waiting for help. They gain more time to study, hang out with friends, or even just relax, all of which will contribute to higher student satisfaction.
While a scheduling application gives students more free time, it also tailors the university experience to a new generation. Current and incoming university students have grown up with technology. They're well-versed in mobile applications, and they actually prefer to handle most of their business electronically. Academic institutions, like any business, attract the most customers when they know their audience and tailor their services accordingly, for a mobile generation, mobile scheduling applications should be the norm.
The QLess scheduling application not only provides a mobile platform for students to access information from anywhere, it also sends text alerts to inform students of their appointment times. By creating a smartphone-friendly design, this scheduling application speaks to a main tenet of a new generation--consistent and reliable mobile communication. It ensures that students have simplified access to important academic information, and it lessens the possibility that they'll forget their appointment time and fail to show up.
While human error always stands as a distinct possibility, electronic scheduling applications allow students to feel comfortable an at-ease in their academic environments. By using technology they are already experts in, academic institutions create easy communication and connections between administrators and students. Students who feel comfortable in their academic environment are more likely to complete their university education, rather than cave to the pressures of campus life.
When students are constantly filtered into long lines and told to wait their turn, the personal element of higher education disappears. Students want to feel like their individual needs have significance, especially in an institution with the social weight of a college or university, many students accrue heavy debt in order to gain their degree. For instance, the desire to feel like their individual experience matters isn't misplaced. Difficulty gaining access to basic information and meeting essential needs for the future of their education is understandably frustrating.
Although electronic scheduling applications simply increase the organization and staff productivity on college campuses, they also allow each student to feel like they're receiving personalized attention. A specific appointment time communicates that each individual is important enough to receive focused attention, in which only their specific questions and needs matter. Simple as it may sound, a scheduling application can make all the difference in creating what feels like an individualized learning environment, despite the fact that each student receives the same time and attention to discuss their needs.
If students have a problem with campus systems, they want to make their opinions known; unfortunately, when it's difficult to even get a meeting in the first place, students don't feel that their concerns are being heard. Even if every individual problem can't be addressed immediately, allowing students to provide feedback on their experience can greatly improve student satisfaction with on-campus life. University processes may not change immediately, but allowing students to feel heard and appreciated subtly communicates that their opinion matters.
A scheduling application allows students the opportunity to address their concerns, without eating up the essential time of administrators. Instead of sitting in an office and listing off every complaint, students can fill out electronic surveys, effectively and quickly communicating the elements of the campus system that don't work for them. Feedback provides a two-fold opportunity for growth within the university. First, administrators hear student concerns quickly and easily, allowing them to adjust future processes to fix the most common problems. Second, students get their frustrations off their chest, lessening their irritation and providing hope that things will change in the future. A scheduling application allows universities to listen and react to the needs of their students, without decreasing the productivity of their staff. Students have a hand in the improvement of their education, and it doesn't come at a cost to either students or administrators.
Academic institutions are designed to push students towards graduation; unfortunately, the decision to leave university altogether is a common one. While each individual leaves their academic institution for their own reasons, dissatisfaction with campus resources often appears as one of the major sources behind drop-outs. Although it sounds like a no-brainer, it's worth stating that students who are satisfied with their college experience are far more likely to stay in school and eventually graduate.
An effective scheduling application increases student satisfaction with on-campus services. Students express their concerns, gain personalized attention, and generally improve their ability to function within a university setting. With a scheduling application, graduation seems like an achievable goal, rather than a faraway possibility. When students believe that they can graduate, they're much more likely to work towards that goal. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the work in front of them, students see a clear path towards reaching their degree. Sometimes a little hope and a plan is all it takes. Happy students who believe they can graduate are more likely to graduate. A scheduling application brings that goal to the forefront of their minds, encouraging students to stay in school and earn their degrees.
Using a QLess scheduling application can change the life of university students everywhere. By eliminating physical lines and cutting down waiting times, scheduling applications allow students to feel like they're experiencing the personalized education they deserve; in addition, the mobile platform results in easy use for a tech-savvy generation and an opportunity for instantaneous feedback on campus services. Happy students are much more likely to stay in school, and to spread positivity about their academic institution, both online and in their personal life. If you want to increase your graduation rates, you need to learn more about QLess systems today. If you think our system might be the right fit for you, contact us now. We'll answer all your questions about QLess solutions. For more on improving campus operations and retention rates, read about how we've created college campuses without lines.
A well-developed workflow management system simplifies business processes at colleges and universities tremendously. As a business, these institutions provide education and degrees to their customers, also known as their students. Although colleges and universities stand as one of the most essential business organizations in young adult life, technological systems on-campus are often not on par with the fast-paced, technology-driven environment of the day. As incoming students reflect more expertise in current technology, so should their places of education. A workflow management system can change life at your university, both for your students and for your administrators.
In a school environment, multiple departments and individuals work together to contribute to the larger education machine. While some units identify prospective students, review applications, and send out offers of admissions, other divisions focus on registering current students for classes, organizing appointments with advisors, and assisting students with on-campus problems. Each of these individual systems work together to contribute to the overall goal of the organization--educating students and pushing them towards graduation, hence the need for workflow management.
A workflow management system simplifies all these processes. It's a software that automates some elements of your workflow management, taking the pressure off of your staff members and increasing the happiness of your students. By creating a streamlined network for all your most essential campus processes, a workflow management system allows each student to feel valued and supported, and each staff member to increase their productivity and efficiency.
A workflow management system creates an at-ease campus environment; not only that, it also brings your institution into the future. Easy-to-navigate education processes attract students, allowing your campus to continue running like the well-oiled machine that it is. Keeping your campus in the dark ages of technology not only hurts your students, it hurts your entire business. A high-tech workflow management system is a necessity your school can no longer do without.
Whether fair or unfair, students expect a lot of of their colleges and universities. An individualized learning experience is the standard, but most students would settle for consistent help from their on-campus systems. Unfortunately, high enrollment rates, a limited amount of resources, an overworked staff, and a surplus of tasks to complete often leave students feeling confused and overlooked. The more difficulty students experience navigating their education process, the more impatient they become. If enough time passes, the decision to leave school altogether becomes an easy one.
They're not getting the help they need to prepare for their future, why would they stay?
Consistently negative experiences with student services are one of the primary sources of attrition among college students. When students don't get the help or services they need, they drop out of classes, refrain from attending courses, or even leave the school altogether. As an organization that seeks to prepare young adults for their future, the current attrition rates are unacceptable.
Thankfully, a workflow management system presents a wonderful solution. By simplifying student access to on-campus services, a workflow management system decreases frustration and confusion among the student body. With a system like the one from QLess, you can decrease attrition rates by as much as 50%. A workflow management system improves student satisfaction and increases retention rates by allowing each student to feel like their needs are being met.
While a workflow management system improves the lives of your students, it also leads to increased productivity of your staff. A higher education environment already deals with a lack of resources, but a larger problem presents itself in an ineffective use of the resources that do exist. Oftentimes, staff stretch themselves far too thin trying to meet the needs of all students, despite the lack of time or effective organization systems to do so. Advisors overbook themselves attempting to sort out class schedules, and the Registrar and Admissions offices are overrun with impatient students. While it's undeniably unfair to the students, it's equally as frustrating for the staff.
Workflow management systems streamline campus processes and effectively allocate your staff resources. By eliminating the need for physical lines and relying on technology-based systems for organization, workflow management systems allow your administrators to gain a clear view of the tasks they need to be completed. Instead of surprise assignments and a frustrating amount of work for staff members, each administrator focuses on their assigned tasks, increasing their overall productivity. Not only does it result in increased happiness for your employees, it also ensures that all your resources are used effectively, lowering operational costs and saving money in the long run.
In our technologically advanced world, physical lines and in-person wait times just aren't practical anymore. Many of the problems that develop in university settings stem from a general lack of organization. Without a workflow management system, students are forced to go to an office, wait in line, and generally waste their time in an attempt to progress in their college experience. At the same time, administrators have little control over the time and attention needed to help each individual student. With a finite amount of resources and an infinite amount of potential questions, administrators are unable to prioritize and organize accordingly. With that lack of organization, both staff and students waste their time, and neither leaves feeling happy.
A workflow management system sorts through the chaos in your offices and eliminates the inconveniences of poor organization. Instead of arriving at an unspecified time in a physical office, students are assigned an appointment time with which they can ask all their questions. Interactive virtual queuing simplifies the process if your student does need unexpected help, and mobile reminders ensure that each student arrives at their specified appointment time. Most importantly, all these processes are completed inside the system, without assistance from your staff, allowing them to save their abilities to actually help students and bypass the errors that often accompany in-person scheduling.
An effective workflow management system changes your on-campus life immediately. Improved allocation of resources, clear processes for students, and increased organization all lead to instantaneous changes in your business systems. However, workflow management systems also provide information on what needs to change in the future. As a completely automated process, workflow management systems collect valuable information on your student and staff patterns. Student wait times, staff efficiency, student needs--all these and more can be found within your workflow management system.
With QLess systems specifically, we provide a real-time dashboard that consolidates data from multiple offices. At a glance, you have a general idea of what's happening in all areas of your campus. In addition, surveys within the system provide even more information about student satisfaction and necessary changes. Improving your business is a constantly evolving process, workflow management systems provide valuable insights to ensure that you can provide the best resources to your students for years to come.
We don't need to tell you that colleges and universities need students to stay afloat. Enrollment and retention present a major challenge for higher education institutions. That explains why many student administrators list student retention and student experience as their top priorities. While students may drop out when dissatisfied with their education, the ripple effect extends much farther than a single loss. Unhappy students spread information online and within their communities about the ineffectiveness of the school, giving other individuals the message that your institution isn't worth attending. While an individual drop-out can already present a hefty loss, consistent dropouts can negatively affect your application and enrollment rates over time.
An effective workflow management system leads to increased student happiness and higher retention rates over time, but it also allows your students to talk positively about your institution. Not only are you saving money on attrition, you're also building a strong reputation that will draw more students to your school over time. Reputation matters, both for the present and for the future. Workflow management systems support your ability to meet your student's needs, building a strong reputation as an institution that cares. With a reputation like that, who wouldn't want to apply?
Workflow management systems are a necessity in the modern age. It increases the happiness of your students and staff, leading to higher productivity and increased retention rates. In addition, it organizes your office with little effort from your staff and provides valuable insights into how you can improve your processes in the future. If you're ready to build a strong reputation, meet your students' needs, and save money for your business, you need to take the QLess approach. Learn more about how our electronic queuing system can enhance your education systems today. Please contact us for more information about our system.
Waiting rooms have been an essential aspect of hospitals, doctor's offices, and other healthcare facilities. But it doesn’t take much thought to realize the idea is counterintuitive. Crowding individuals with ailments in congested areas while they wait for assistance is not ideal. This was only further emphasized as a person-to-person airborne pandemic struck the world. Patient queue management software can be the solution to remedy this.This experience caused many healthcare professionals to have to re-evaluate their waiting procedures. There were concerns about pandemic transmission in waiting rooms and the overall healthcare experience. Amid virus anxiety, would patients sit with others even with a mask on?For a while, there were no true means of eliminating the waiting room. But in recent years, to address these concerns, many healthcare providers have been implementing patient queue software like QLess. This software aims to help reduce patients’ anxiety and create a waiting room experience that meets customers' expectations. The healthcare industry is crowded, and consumers abandon providers that can't meet their needs. According to Medical Economics, 69% of patients would switch providers for better services. Patient queue management software is an impactful solution that can de-congest waiting rooms and provide a safer, more patient-friendly experience. In a time where consumers easily switch businesses, the patient experience is vital. Below, we will break down what patient queue management is, how a virtual queue management system creates safer spaces, and why this is so important for patients and healthcare organizations.
Before we go any further, it is important to fully understand what patient queue management software is. The idea is relatively straightforward, and it has changed the healthcare sector. Why not have a virtual waiting room to manage customer flow instead of a physical one? Patients can access this virtual waiting room from their phones, computers, or on-site kiosks.With key features that enable customers to track the actual wait times for appointments, monitor the progress of the line they’re in, and communicate with staff, patients have a drastically changed experience when using healthcare services. Some organizations still hesitate to embrace and implement digital technology into the patient experience. But data indicates that customers already rely on digital technology and expect organizations to accommodate that reliance. According to a poll from Healthfully, 80% of consumers want the ability to use technology to manage their healthcare experience. Furthermore, the average consumer uses tech constantly throughout their daily lives. The average U.S. adult spends more than seven hours a day on screens, according to Exploding Topics. Healthcare organizations should prioritize implementing helpful tech solutions like patient queue management to avoid customer alienation. Patient queue management software has substantial benefits that enterprises should not overlook. With features that allow customers to enter virtual queues from their phones, patients can remotely wait in the virtual waiting room and monitor their queue times. Implementing virtual queues doesn't mean healthcare organizations need to eliminate waiting rooms. It simply gives patients the ability to choose.
The million-dollar question that healthcare organizations might have is whether or not waiting rooms are such a bad thing. Waiting rooms were the only option for healthcare services before technology advanced enough to make them less necessary. So how bad could it be? By implementing software to eliminate waiting rooms, might healthcare organizations solve a problem that doesn’t exist? The answer to this question is a firm no. Waiting rooms pose a genuine risk to older patients' well-being. A 2012 study of elderly residents of long-term care facilities published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that a visit to an emergency department is associated with more than a threefold increased risk of acute infection. While this vindicates the need for patient queue software, it is also common sense. Requiring sick and injured people to share a room for extended periods increases patient risk. The pandemic highlighted that the prior waiting room model is untenable during an airborne virus outbreak among those visiting emergency rooms and doctors' offices. Healthcare providers adapted by spacing chairs, having customers wait outside, and mandating masks. While they may have curbed the virus from spreading, they reduced operational efficiency and didn't enhance patient satisfaction. It is not insignificant that waiting rooms also have extremely long patient wait times. The longer customers are cramped in a waiting area, even if socially distanced, the more at-risk they are. Similarly, the more unhappy they will be. This is why it is incredibly important for enterprises to be very conscious of the state of their waiting rooms.
We’ve established that waiting rooms might inadvertently put customers at risk, but what do your patients think of them? Customer satisfaction is vital in healthcare, as it's still a business, and unhappy customers can easily switch providers. The waiting room is a defining step in the patient's journey before receiving service. So it is worth asking if increasing patient satisfaction in the waiting room experience is necessary or if customers are okay with the current status quo. Data shows that consumers distrust crowded waiting rooms and dislike the experience they provide. A QLess survey of 250 U.S. adults showed that 59.4% of consumers associate congested waiting areas with unsafe conditions. If customers feel unsafe in the waiting room, chances are they will not enjoy their overall experience. A contributing factor in this situation is that the average waiting room is just not a pleasant place to be. Typical healthcare waiting rooms present sterile environments with white walls, fluorescent lighting, outdated magazines, and a T.V. This is hardly a positive environment, and according to Fierce Healthcare, unpleasant waiting rooms are a bigger issue for customers than long wait times. Rather than investing in more comfortable chairs or a higher-definition television, enterprises should focus on the real problem. Customers just don’t like waiting rooms either way. Patients prefer waiting from home or nearby cafes to congested waiting areas. Giving the consumer the option to skip the waiting room altogether is the best solution to a longstanding problem.
The healthcare industry is about more than just improving patients’ well-being, although that is the primary objective. The modern consumer isn’t satisfied with just receiving excellent quality of care. The experience for patients along the way is not nearly as important. Healthcare organizations that want to survive in this new age of experience-centric care will do well to improve their waiting room. According to Forbes, 60% of Americans have had a negative healthcare experience in the past year, and 52% of those people will tell others about their negative experiences. Curating a positive waiting experience without risk and discomfort is important in building a patient-friendly healthcare organization. This will help create loyal customers and position healthcare companies to succeed.
It is clear that there is a need for change in the waiting room experience. Customers don’t feel safe, and there is an established correlation between emergency waiting room visits and further infections. The problem has only gotten worse in recent years. A 2022 study by Yale showed that emergency room crowds had reached crisis levels and posed significant patient safety risks. The same is true across Canada. The crowding is due to an overstressed system, not necessarily management failure. De-congesting the waiting room is incredibly important for both safety and satisfaction. Let’s explore how patient queue management software can lead to less crowded waiting rooms while providing efficient patient flow.
The primary feature that QLess offers that is designed to help de-crowd the waiting room is its remote check-in software. In a typical waiting room without a patient queue management solution, individuals have to check-in in person. They arrive at the front desk, inform staff they’ve arrived, fill in a form, and take a seat, waiting to hear their name called. This requires physical presence throughout the waiting process. Remote check-in software lets customers wait for their appointment without physically arriving until it begins. How this works is that customers will receive a link when they register for an appointment. They can access this link via mobile devices, computers, or an on-site kiosk. When their appointment is scheduled, they can tap the link and check in. Once they’ve checked into their appointment, the patient is automatically placed in a virtual queue. The queue displays the number of customers ahead and the projected wait time based on data tracking and machine learning, accounting for the line's size and wait times at different parts of the day. Customers can be queued based on appointment type or healthcare professional they're meeting. They can track their progress through an app or website and know when to be there. This means lines can move smoothly without customers needing to be in the waiting room until the end. This also lines up with what customers prefer. In a QLess survey of 250 consumers, 57.2% of respondents indicated they are likelier to patronize a business if they have early insights into wait times. QLess virtual queuing system's remote check-in feature eliminates the need for customers to enter waiting rooms until their appointment begins. They can choose whether they are comfortable in that environment and wait on their own terms.
Long wait times in healthcare have been a persistent issue and seem unavoidable due to the nature of the industry. Demand often exceeds the ability of facilities to provide efficient service due to the need for proper care and attention for each patient. This is why patients wait an average of over 18 minutes at physicians’ offices, according to PartnerMD, and 145 minutes at the average emergency room, according to Autoinsurance.org. Patient queue management software can’t entirely solve the issue of long waits that are endemic to the healthcare industry. However, it can provide organizations with a tool to increase staff productivity, manage customer flow, and improve overall efficiency, positively impacting wait times.
There are two key ways this software helps with this. Firstly, the patient queue management system completely automates the queue process, so enterprises don’t need to oversee it themselves. The software has configurable policies, like no walk-ins or a maximum 5-minute late policy for appointments. Then, the lineup can be completely automated, with the artificial intelligence-based system drastically more efficient and organized than a standard physical queue. QLess’s patient queue management software also has smart calendar features that give staff a better sense of their day. The entire appointment calendar is displayed for them, showing the customer, appointment type, and more. The calendar is color-coded and organized and can be segmented, so employees have a heightened understanding of their daily workflow, increasing overall efficiency. By reducing wait times, healthcare organizations can reduce the time people need to spend waiting for appointments. The remote check-in features allow customers to wait from wherever they please, but inevitably there will still be some customers that prefer to wait for appointments in waiting rooms. With automated queue management and smart calendar features, the QLess patient queue management system ensures waiting times are trimmed, resulting in less crowded waiting areas.
Communication in the healthcare process is incredibly important. Customers strongly desire communication from end-to-end in the healthcare process, and having better communication can lead to safer waiting rooms. With better communication, enterprises can create safer waiting rooms in several ways. Having customers that indicate they might be contagious wait remotely will reduce infection risk, and enabling customers to message staff if they are running slightly behind but still keep their appointment will lead to fewer delays. While this type of communication could lead to a safer, less crowded waiting area, many enterprises are ill-equipped to offer this level of communication. Customers expect communication, particularly through digital methods. According to Forbes, 80% of consumers surveyed said they prefer to use digital communications with their healthcare providers, and 43% said they want to engage digitally with their healthcare providers before, after, and during their visits. But many enterprises lack the digital infrastructure to provide this level of communication that customers are hoping for, even if it can make customers happier and lead to safer waiting rooms. The QLess patient queue management system empowers healthcare organizations with bi-directional communication features that improve the connection between customers and staff. With the QLess features, organizations can drive a more communicative approach to healthcare. They can individually message customers and receive responses, schedule messages to entire groups of customers, and create automated messages triggered at different parts of the patient journey. Better communication means less confusion, as late customers or no-shows often trigger chain reactions that lead to extended delays. With better communication, there are fewer bottlenecks, which means lines move faster and waiting rooms are less crowded. This also improves the patient experience, as enterprises can answer patients' questions digitally during busy times when they might not have the time to respond face-to-face.
One of the most significant ways healthcare organizations have pivoted away from the standard waiting room model is by leaning into virtual healthcare. The pandemic made face-to-face appointments a near-impossibility at many practices, and to combat this, many organizations pivoted to virtual healthcare options like telehealth. Providing medical care virtually remains important even after the peak days of the pandemic. According to McKinsey, virtual healthcare remains hugely impactful, with 46% of consumers using telehealth now compared to 11% in 2019.Telehealth leads to less congested, safer waiting rooms for obvious reasons. With the option to schedule remote healthcare appointments, customers don’t need to visit healthcare offices at all. If customers have a mild but contagious illness, healthcare organizations can schedule virtual appointments to ensure they don’t spread their illness. Ultimately, the fewer in-person visits, the less crowded waiting rooms will be. But many organizations might buckle under the weight of managing an entire virtual calendar without the proper digital solution.
QLess has virtual service features that enable healthcare organizations to provide a positive patient experience remotely. QLess is integrated with Zoom and Microsoft Teams, two popular video meeting platforms, and enables organizations to put customers in mixed queues that accommodate in-person and remote patients. How this works for remote patients is they would schedule an appointment online and select a virtual appointment. They will then receive a QLess link and be placed into a virtual queue when they check in for their appointment. They will then be able to monitor their wait time, see who is in front of them, and receive a Zoom or Teams link when their appointment is ready to begin. Virtual appointments are a crucial part of the post-pandemic world. The QLess patient queue management platform enables enterprises to integrate remote patients into their virtual queues and digital calendar, creating a smooth appointment process and easier virtual appointment management.
The waiting room is a longstanding problem in the healthcare industry that most organizations have neglected to address. The concept of making ill or injured patients wait for long periods in a congested room is one that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, although there haven’t been other options for organizations until recently. Now that QLess for healthcare and other patient queue management systems exist, the need for waiting rooms has been drastically reduced. These digital solutions enable enterprises to create a virtual queue where customers don’t have to be physically present to wait in line or in the waiting room. The customer can check in, monitor their status in line, and communicate updates with staff, all from their phones or computers. This means they can wait outside the office, from their home, at a nearby park, or wherever else they’d prefer. Customers can still wait in waiting rooms if they want to, but QLess allows them to wait remotely, helping to drastically reduce congestion in healthcare offices. Reducing risk in the waiting experience should be an important objective for all healthcare organizations, and it resonates with customers. Consumers strongly dislike the typical waiting room process that has been the norm in healthcare for ages. With QLess’s queue software, healthcare businesses can meet the needs of the experience-oriented patient while creating a safer, more positive waiting process.