Best Scheduling Software
Appointment and employee scheduling can be a hassle. You always have to consider both your schedule as well as your employees or customers. Constantly going back between both parties to see when you are both available can be frustrating and time-consuming.
Thankfully, scheduling software exists to help eliminate this hassle.
This kind of software can be used by businesses looking to improve their employee scheduling or meeting schedules. Or, it can be used by businesses looking to streamline their appointment booking process. Also, check out the best invoicing software we reviewed, to boot.
You no longer need to waste time consulting calendars and schedules to see if you’re available or not. This software will do it for you! You will be able to see when your employees are available to assign them any jobs. You will also be able to schedule meetings, and the software will send out reminders for you.
Finally, you will be able to set out your own timeslots for customers to choose from when booking an appointment.
If you are looking to save time when creating any type of schedule for your business, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get started by looking at the best software available for scheduling.
Acuity Scheduling
First on our list is Acuity Scheduling, which is a platform for businesses to post their available appointments and customers to book them. This helps eliminate the need for any back and forth between both parties. Customers can simply view the available time slots and choose one that suits them. Businesses will then receive a notification that someone booked an appointment.
Once it is booked, the appointment will be input into the business’ schedule or calendars. Businesses will receive an update if the appointment is then changed or cancelled. If not, clients will receive reminders and follow-ups if the business so desires.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Acuity Scheduling.
Pros
- Businesses can use the platform to streamline their appointment process. Everything is automated, so businesses only need to input when they are available for customers to choose from.
- You will receive a notification instantly when a customer books an appointment, changes it or cancels it.
- You can also accept online payments through the platform via PayPal, Stripe, Braintree and Authorize.net.
- Calendars from Google, Outlook, Office 365, and iCalendar can be integrated to ensure your schedule is accurate.
- Other third-party business apps, such as Quickbooks, can also be integrated into the software.
- The software is available for free, or for more features, it is available in three different plans.
- There is a “Make Me Look Busy” feature that will hide any time slots or appointments you don’t want your customers to see.
Cons
- Customization options are limited.
- Plans can be expensive if you require more extensive features. The highest plan, The Powerhouse, is $45 a month.
- Customer service is also limited as you can only reach staff via email and not by phone.
Summary
Acuity scheduling is a great option for businesses looking to streamline their appointment booking system. All you need to do is choose what timeslots you want to be available to customers, and you can sit back and wait for them to book!
Once they do, the appointment will be synced to your calendars, and you will receive a notification. If the appointment is changed or cancelled, you will be notified instantly. This is a timesaver for both you and the customer, giving you more time to devote to providing excellent customer service.
As you can use this software for free or try out a free trial of the paid version, what’s not to love?
Setmore
Setmore is the perfect software for businesses to streamline their scheduling solutions. The software can be used on any device, so employees can access it anywhere at any time. It can be used for online bookings, engagements, payments, appointment scheduling, employee scheduling, and much more.
Setmore also has features that can be used to attract customers and boost conversions. Businesses can use Setmore to set up their personalized calendar with appointments for customers to choose from. This appointment scheduling makes things easier both for the business and the customer.
Let’s take a deeper look at the pros and cons of using Setmore for appointment scheduling.
- There is an excellent free version of Setmore available. It comes with unlimited appointment scheduling and more. Premium and Pro plans are also available for less than $10.
- Setmore’s features can be used online 24/7.
- Appointment scheduling is completely automated. Customers will use the software to book an appointment and will receive reminders. If they cancel or reschedule, Setmore will email or SMS the business notifying them.
- Setmore’s software simply needs to be integrated into your website for customers to take advantage of the appointment scheduling features.
- Setmore’s software can also help you accept payments from customers online.
- Users can integrate their Outlook or Google calendar into Setmore to ensure your schedule is consistent.
- Businesses can customize their calendars with logos to make them more personalized.
- You can also add video meetings to your calendar so customers can meet with you virtually.
- Setmore is available as a mobile app.
Cons
- Some customers struggle with using the appointment scheduling tool, especially if they need to change or cancel an appointment.
- The mobile app lacks some of the features and sophistication of the web platform.
Summary
Setmore is one of the best appointment scheduling software solutions. It allows customers to easily see the appointments businesses have available. This saves both parties plenty of time.
Once a customer makes an appointment, you will receive a notification, and they will receive a confirmation. If they change or cancel the appointment, you will also be alerted. If not, they will receive reminders, so they don’t forget about the appointment.
As Setmore has a free version of its software, you can’t go wrong with integrating it into your website. If the free version isn’t enough, the premium and pro plans are available for $9 and $5, respectively. This means Setmore is perfect for any business’ budget!
Demodesk
Demodesk is not exactly a scheduling software. It is a cloud-based screen sharing and video conferencing platform. Demodesk does also have great scheduling tools. It is a great platform to use as users don’t need to download any software or extensions onto their computers. One person can simply schedule a meeting, share the link, and all employees can join on any browser.
Let’s take a look at why Demodesk is one of the best scheduling software solutions available.
Pros
- You can automate schedule workflows on Demodesk.
- No shows to important meetings can be decreased as calendar invites, and email reminders will go out automatically.
- Your Google calendar or Outlook calendar will be synchronized in real-time.
- Demodesk is easy to use as no software needs to be downloaded or installed.
- A 7-day free trial is available for users to test out the software.
- Three different plans are available. A basic plan, pro plan, and business plan.
- Demodesk is primarily used for video conferencing and screen sharing, so the meeting platform is excellent.
- There are pre-built presentations available for users to choose from that can easily be customized.
- CRM software can also be integrated so your team can keep sales logs up to date.
- Demodesk is best used for software demos, sales demos, remote onboarding and remote support.
- The software is available in German, English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Cons
- Demodesk is limited as a scheduling solution. It can be used to schedule meetings and send out automated invites. It is not meant for appointment scheduling or employee scheduling.
- Automating schedules is only available in the pro and business plan, not the basic one.
Summary
As Demodesk is not primarily a scheduling software, it may not be the best option for everyone. Demodesk is great for video conferencing and screen sharing, so it can be used to schedule virtual meetings. Other than that, Demodesk does not have great scheduling features.
The scheduling features Demodesk does have are not available in the basic plan, only the more expensive pro and business plan. This means this software may not be an option for small businesses on a budget.
If you’re looking to schedule and run virtual meetings, Demodesk is a great option. If not, let’s take a look at the software that may suit your needs better.
Synchroteam
The next scheduling software we’re going to discuss is Synchroteam. Synchroteam is a cloud-based field service management and scheduling solution. It can be used to schedule and dispatch workers based on their availability, skills, and location. It is the best option of scheduling software for businesses that have employees on the move. This could include cleaning services, electricians, construction, etc.
Synchroteam is available as a mobile app, making scheduling easier for employees and business owners. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Synchroteam for employee scheduling.
Pros
- To dispatch workers, you simply need to drag and drop the job into a job pool. You can also assign a job to a worker directly.
- Employees can consult the job pool and assign themselves jobs based on their availability.
- Synchroteam features a map that shows you your office, workers, routes, and customers.
- Synchroteam can be used for time tracking.
- There is a comprehensive customer database to keep your data organized.
- Employee scheduling is detailed, and employees can see their schedules for the day, week, or month.
- Synchroteam also has a scheduling tool called ScheduleAssist. It will analyze your existing schedule to suggest the best place to assign a new job.
- You can filter through employee’s schedules by different skills. This will help show you employees that are eligible for the job you want to assign.
- Workers can connect their calendars to receive live updates.
- There is a 14-day free trial available.
- You get a discount if you pay annually rather than monthly.
Cons
- There is only one plan available, no matter what your needs are.
- Only one administrator account is included in the plan.
- Custom job reports can be hard to create and navigate.
Summary
Synchroteam is one of the best options for scheduling software. This is because it is cloud-based, so the software is available anywhere at any time. It is also super easy to use as all you have to do is drag and drop jobs to assign them to workers based on their skill, availability, and location.
Employee scheduling has never been more efficient either, as the features included are intuitive. This means the tools will help make scheduling suggestions based on your current schedule and your employee’s skills.
There is a discount to pay annually rather than monthly. Users should try out the scheduling software first with the free trial, then take advantage of the discount.
The Bottom Line
Now that we’ve looked at so many great options of scheduling software, you may be wondering how you’ve gone this long without it!
Demodesk is a great option for those looking to schedule and run virtual meetings. The platform can be used for web-based video conferences and screen sharing. The software focuses more on that rather than creating schedules, so it is not the best option for everyone.
Synchroteam, however, is great for assigning jobs and creating schedules for field workers. Communicating with employees that are in the field can be tough, but Synchroteam makes it easier. Simply drag and drop jobs to the relevant employee, and they’ll be on their way.
If you are looking for appointment software, Setmore and Acuity Scheduling are both great options. With each platform, your customers will be able to see your appointment time slots. They can then book an appointment themselves through the software.
No more back and forth about when you’re both available. Payment can also be taken online through this software to make the entire process even easier.
Each software we discussed has its own uses, so which one you pick depends on your needs. Luckily, each one also has a free trial, so you can see if the platform suits your needs or not. Head to each respective website now to try it out!
