Your service shop’s online scheduling tool is invaluable for streamlining the booking process for both your customers and your advisors. However, like most things in the automotive industry, “set it and forget it” doesn’t quite cut it. Not to worry: ensuring you’re getting the most from your scheduler should be easy. We’ll discuss the biggest scheduling bottleneck of all – mismanaged timeslots – and how to avoid them in order to keep your service lane full and your customers happy.

Give them the options they want

Displaying all your open time slots is vital in driving online appointments for the current week and beyond. In a recent AutoLoop survey, 84% of customers revealed they prefer to book appointments within a week of scheduling service online. Ensure you’re allowing your customers the ability to schedule in the coming weeks by evaluating your online scheduler’s capacity settings.

Reduce the scheduling abandonment process

We’ve found that most online scheduling abandonment happens during time selection. Either the customer could not find their desired timeslot, or the scheduling process was too complicated and they gave up (and possibly moved on to your competitors). This is an important insight for your shop. Think about your appointment calendar – is it accurate? How does knowing that many customers prefer to book within a week of service change the way you’re currently using your scheduling tool?

Seeing the whole picture

It’s worth noting that mismanaged timeslots don’t just affect your customers who book online. Those who prefer to book over the phone will be able to talk through scheduling concerns with an advisor over the phone. However, that advisor depends on the accuracy of your online scheduling system. If what the advisor is seeing isn’t accurate, it increases the potential for confused staff, frustrated customers – and even a lost service opportunity.