We've recently added a symbol within the client file under the phone number to show if your client has opted in for SMS reminders.
The little mobile phone icon will show when the number has been verified as a mobile number within our system, and then the spiral icon will show when the client has successfully opted in to receive text reminders.
Did you know?
Texting is the most widely-used and frequently used app on a smartphone, with 97% of Americans using it at least once a day. (Pew Internet)
Text messages have a 98% open rate, while email has only a 20% open rate. (Mobile Marketing Watch)
90% of all text messages are read in under 3 minutes. (Connect Mogul)
Within Bodywork Buddy, there's a few things you can do to make your life easier with your online calendar.
Icons*NEW FEATURE* The most recent addition is the feature of assigning an icon to specific services, so you can see at-a-glance what services you have scheduled.
From dashboard > services > main > click on the service/service code > select icon > save.
These icons will then show in the calendar in the confirmed appointments. (The day view always shows the service type in text, as well.)
Optimized Timeslots Feature Within BWB, you can choose to optimize your open timeslots. This means that clients scheduling online will only see openings you have immediately before or after existing appointments in your calendar. This feature cuts down on big gaps in your day, and helps you have more control over your schedule.
Set Buffer Times
In your settings, you can adjust a default buffer time to be added between appointments automatically. Need only 15 minutes between appointments, or prefer 45 minutes? Adjust your settings accordingly and the online scheduler will automatically reflect that in your openings online. (You can always override these settings when scheduling clients yourself, if you choose to.)
Add Extra Buffer Time into Certain Services
Want 30 minutes between appointments, but an hour in between when it's a hot stone massage? You can add that extra time into the service of hot stones itself, so that time is automatically built into the calendar when that service is scheduled.
Check/Uncheck Different Calendars
In the upper right of the calendar, there is a gear icon. When you click on the gear, you can check or uncheck what calendars you want to show or be hidden. (Please note if you have an event or appointment that is "busy", that time will not show as available for an appointment even if you have it "hidden" on your calendar.) This feature can be a nice way to focus on just your work calendar at one time, or to hide the cancelled or missed appointments, or maybe show JUST your missed appointments to get a better feel for how much this is happening! (You can also run a report for that if you're really looking for the numbers.)
Bodywork Buddy has always had an email log so you can see when your clients received/opened their reminder emails. (Accessible from dashboard > account > email services > scroll down to email log.) Last I knew, no other online scheduling service offered this.
While it's a handy feature, we've had some members request a quicker, more "at-a-glance" way to see if clients haven't received or opened their email reminders. So we've implemented a new envelope icon in the calendar next to the client's name. An envelope outlined in white shows that the reminder has been sent, and the envelope will turn to solid white once it's been opened by your client. Pretty cool, right? Our members have been enjoying this feature for a few weeks now and the feedback has been pretty great.
Other ways to cut down on no-shows in your massage practice:
Send text reminders. Easy to do within BWB. Enable SMS services, have clients opt-in by texting the word "START" to 269-509-4288, make sure client's mobile number is on file.
Have a cancellation / no-show policy and make sure clients know about it. You can have your policies show within your email reminders, and you can also choose to have clients agree to your policies when they schedule online from your microsite.
Train clients from the beginning that you might not be able to get them back on the schedule immediately if they miss or cancel their appointment. You might be surprised how clients will be able to make it work once they realize they won't be able to get back in for several weeks. I discovered this by accident when I was so busy that I really was booked out for a month in advance. Clients started saying that they didn't dare cancel, because they knew they wouldn't be able to get in until next month.
Even if you're not booked out for weeks in advance, you can show less openings in your schedule using Bodywork Buddy's "optimized time slots" feature. It only shows openings immediately before or after existing appointments, not only cutting down on large gaps in your day - but also creating a scarcity of available appointment times.
Do you have some useful tips to help cut down on cancellations and no-shows? Share here in the comments, I'd love to hear what has worked for you!
I'm excited to tell you about this great resource bundle that I've had the pleasure of being a part of! There's only two days left to get the 2016 Massage Resource Bundle.
It’s a small investment that will deliver tremendous value and new ideas to help you advance in your massage career. I don't want you to miss out.
Right now you can get over $800 worth of CEU classes, business classes, Ebooks and bonus offers for only $39.95. I think you’ll agree that is one amazing bundle!
I love that this kind of support is available now. When I started doing massage, there was little to no online support. New and seasoned therapists alike were left just floundering on our own.
Included in this bundle is my own ebook on growing your massage business with referrals, as well as a discount when joining Bodywork Buddy for your online scheduling and business management needs. (Plus LOTS of other great courses, ebooks, and bonuses from leaders in the massage profession!)
Check out just a few highlights included in the bundle:
Sure, we all know that boundaries are important in a massage practice and that having policies will help cut down on no-shows and make your business run smoother.
But how do you make sure that your clients are aware of your policies? Many intake forms have some fine print at the bottom that they are agreeing to when they sign, but does anyone actually read that?
Here's a few things you can do to ensure that clients are aware of your policies - thus making it easier to enforce them:
Have them printed, framed, and displayed in the client changing area in your massage room and check out area.
Have them posted on your website.
Occasionally include them in your email newsletter as a reminder.
And Bodywork Buddy just added a new feature that can help. You can have the option to require clients agree to your policies when they schedule online!
From within your BWB account, you can add a general service policy, a reservation policy, a cancellation policy, and a payment policy. You can choose to have any or all required for clients to agree to when scheduling.
Here's what it looks like in action:
Pretty cool, right? Clients can't claim ignorance to your policies.
I've posted this helpful video from Marie Forleo before, but it fits so well with today's topic that I thought it was worthy of a repost.
Cindy Iwlew, LMT is co-founder of Bodywork BuddyMassageSoftware, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling.
She continues to operate her own private massage practice since 1999.www.BodyworkBuddy.com
Being an animal lover, I'm thrilled to announce today's Bodywork Buddy member spotlight is Melanie Hampton in Raleigh, North Carolina. Melanie owns Serenity Pet Massage.
Q: What inspired you to be a massage therapist?
A: I am a Certified Canine and Equine Massage Therapist. I’ve known since I was 12 years old that I wanted to work with animals. I went to college upon graduation from high school and got my degree in Veterinary Medical Technology and spent 30+ years as a Registered Veterinary Technician. It was my battle with cancer and the benefits I received from massage therapy sessions throughout my treatment that got me looking into certification as an animal massage therapist so I could bring those same benefits to our 4 legged companions.
Q: How long have you been doing massage?
A: I’ve been a Canine Massage Therapist for 3 years and an Equine Massage Therapist for 1 year.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being an MT?
A: Giving pet parent’s options for managing pain. I’ve also had great success using massage for unwanted behavior issues.
Q: What do you feel is the most challenging issue for massage therapists?
A: My biggest challenge has been convincing people that massage therapy is not just a luxury and it can help make a difference for their animals. It has so many emotional and physical benefits.
Q: What advice would you give to other MT’s to help build their business?
A: If you’re considering becoming an animal therapist, look into the laws established by your Veterinary Medical Board specific for your state. Some states require you to be a Veterinarian to perform massage on an animal! I attend as many “pet-friendly” events that I can so I can actually meet people and speak with them personally. It’s been the most successful thing I’ve done to build my business.
I often get asked if Bodywork Buddy has a downloadable app for phones and tablets. When we built BWB, we decided to go with a mobile responsive design for the entire system to be accessible on any mobile device via a browser. So while there isn't an app to download, the system works great on your phone through a browser by automatically adjusting the size of the site to your screen.
Here's a few reasons we went this route instead of a downloadable app:
Bodywork Buddy is a pretty large and complex system, and in order to make it as a downloadable app we would have to make it more bare bones and the entire system wouldn't be accessible through an app.
The app stores typically require companies to submit their apps (and any updates) for approval before being available for download. We make frequent updates and changes to BWB on the backend, and we're able to do this as often as needed without waiting for any approval from a 3rd party because we have our mobile responsive design instead of a downloadable app. This also means that when we have updates or changes, you automatically get those without having to install any updates on your phone or tablet.
Having a downloadable app would also technically mean having 2 separate systems for our company to maintain: the main system and the downloadable app. As you can imagine, this would double our team's work load and take us longer to make updates and changes. Actually, it would triple our team's work because we would need one system for Apple, another for Android, as well as our desktop version.
In order to provide the best experience for our members and the best customer service, we feel that the mobile responsive design is the way to go!
In talking with some of our members, I've realized that what many therapists are wanting in an app is simply the ability to have an icon on their homescreen to click and be taken immediately to their BWB account. The good news is: an app isn't needed to do this! You can create your own clickable icon for your homescreen.
The good news is: an app isn't needed to do this!
This article details how to do this for different types of devices. Check it out and follow the steps according to what kind of phone or tablet you have!
Here's some other tips on how to get the most out of using BWB on your mobile device:
Try turning your phone to landscape when scheduling from the calendar or from different parts of the system. This will allow you to see more information all at once on the screen.
When you're trying to click within the calendar next to an existing event (say something in your google calendar that is synced to your BWB), zoom in on that day so you're able to click into the blank space next to the event to create your new appointment or event.
Need to call a client? Do a quick search from the main clients page, find the client in the results, click right on their phone number next to their name to call immediately.
You can email clients the same way from your phone, click their email address next to their name in the client search results to open your email program on your phone and compose a message.
Stay signed in to BWB on your phone by checking the "remember me" box so that when you click on your icon on your homescreen, you're taken right to the inside of your account.
Did you find these tips helpful? Let me know in the comments if there is something in particular you're struggling with, I'd love to help if I can.
Cindy Iwlew, LMT is co-founder of Bodywork BuddyMassageSoftware, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling.
She continues to operate her own private massage practice since 1999.www.BodyworkBuddy.com
