online scheduling

Over the past year, Online Scheduling has proven to be a win for you, our 17hats members. With more than 40,000 bookings, members are scheduling consults, sessions, appointments, delivery dates, and even quick phone calls. And, because 17hats cross-checks calendars (to ensure no double bookings), kicks off workflows (making sure you don’t miss the next step), and allows clients to reschedule (one less email you have to deal with), you and the rest of our members have been able to simplify your lives and eliminate multiple to-dos from the daily list. All and all, we call that a success!

At 17hats, what we love most about Online Scheduling is that we built it ourselves instead of doing an integration (like others did). This allows us to control our vision for the feature, and to make sure it continues to be an integral part of your everyday lives.

While several smaller additions have been added to Online Scheduling since release, we are excited to announce the much-requested enhancement of Online Scheduling Payments!

Now, as a part of the Online Scheduling booking process, you can request that your contact pay either a full or partial payment to complete the booking. Upon payment, your contact’s booking will fully process, allowing them to view the confirmation and invoice. Your contact will also receive a payment notification via email and be able to view that invoice in their Client Portal as well.

What does this mean for me?
Life becomes easier. You can now accept a 20 percent deposit for your service and have the remainder due before, after, or on the booking date. With invoice reminders turned on, you will no longer have to chase money! It‘s just another way that 17hats helps you get paid.

How do I start?
If you already have Online Scheduling enabled and services added …

Just go into your service and turn payments on. This must be done from inside the service, as you can adjust payments for each service. Once you turn it on, go ahead and complete the payment set-up. Click here for a help article to learn more.

New to Online Scheduling?
Online Scheduling is pretty easy to set up. The basics:

  • Add your Service (what clients would be booking, such as a phone call or video call).
  • Next, create your availability calendar. Your availability calendar is what contacts view to select a date and time for the service. Don’t worry – we don’t show your calendar to everyone. We will also remove dates and times that are already taken. (This is why we cross check-calendars)

But, rather than get into a lot of detail here, here’s what I recommend: Check out our help articles or you can watch our 17hats University Workshop: Online Scheduling for Mini-Sessions.

“Mini-Sessions” in that title refers to photography, but don’t worry if you aren’t a photographer. (Some 60 percent of our members are not, so you’re not alone!) This webinar replay is useful for any number of professions, because the Online Scheduling steps and pointers are widely applicable.

New Online Scheduling Workshop
With Online Scheduling’s first birthday arriving in May, we are excited to announce a workshop that will teach you everything you need to know about the feature! Stay tuned to your email as more information will be coming later this week. Until then, mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 20, 9:30 a.m. PT (12:30 ET).

The last word
17hats Online Scheduling just keeps getting better. Now, with Online Scheduling Payments, you get paid at the time of booking – even while you’re sleeping. Not only do you see money faster, but it actually improves your client experience too! You come off as professional and organized, and your clients will appreciate Online Scheduling’s clarity and ease of use – they know what they need to pay (and when), plus it’s seamless to make their first payment right then and there.