Remember the last time you booked a plane ticket? First, you called the airline. Then, you found the right number and wait on hold. Finally, you talk to an agent about dates, times, and prices. At last, you get your ticket booked.

Wait. That’s not how it happened, right?

That was life before online booking took over. Now, airlines, hotels, restaurants, and even barbers use online booking. It’s the new normal.

But let’s talk healthcare. It’s a bit behind the curve. I think refractive surgery should lead the way. We can make it easy for people to book online. No more phone calls or waiting. Just a simple, smooth experience for our future patients. No staff is needed for that part. It’s time to catch up, don’t you think?

The importance of online booking

Let’s get real for a second. How long does it take your team to book just one appointment? Seriously, ask them. I’ve heard it can range from a quick 10-minute chat to a 45-minute ordeal. Yeah, you read that right. Forty-five minutes! That includes talking to the patient, going back and forth on dates, and double-checking calendars. And then you’ve still got to send out an email and maybe even a text to confirm.

That’s a lot of time that could be spent doing, well, anything else. Online booking can change all that. It streamlines the process, saving time for everyone involved. That’s a win in my book.

Once the inquiry is in the CRM, the magic happens. Hattie kicks off many workflows designed to get them pumped for their appointment. By the time they walk through our doors, they’re educated, they’re motivated, and they’re ready to roll. Best part? They’ve already tackled most of their questions, so their time with you is focused and efficient.

Bottom line: Hattie saves time and amps up excitement. What more could you want?

The benefits of online booking

So, what we’re trying to do here with Hattie is really empower prospects, to choose their own slots. They can identify when they want to come in, whether this week, next week, or the following week, and choose the right times without wasting anyone else’s time. They can go back to your website and do it from their phone if needed. And really, that’s one side of the equation.

The other side of the equation, in terms of how it helps you, is to streamline your practice workflow and reduce the workload for your staff. I mean, most people I speak to in refractive surgery practices are overworked, overtired, and underappreciated—or at least that’s how they feel.

What I would prefer is for them to spend most of their time having real quality conversations, which only humans can do right now, with people who have questions that a booking bot or an online calendar can’t solve. Spend that time focused on those patients, while the rest of the patients, let’s say 80%, can be handled by technology because it’s simple for them to do so. I’ve found that having effortless online booking with Hattie, you know, with a user-friendly interface and not too many fields—just as many as are necessary—makes a big difference.

No need to register; just pop your information in there. And then it’s all nicely integrated into the practice website. It looks clean and streamlined. Prospective patients can book and reschedule appointments if they need to. They don’t need to call you back and say, “Oh, I’d like to change my appointment.” They can simply go back to their calendar booking and press a link to reschedule the appointment or cancel it if need be. This makes it easy for you to ensure that your schedule, or your diary, remains reliable and accurate.

We’ve had a lot of great success stories from our customers using Hattie for their online booking. We’ve heard reports of better patient satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and reduced administrative burdens. Some of my customers, if I remember correctly, have told me they sometimes save as much as six to eight hours a week on tasks that Hattie now handles for them.

Many of my customers are now booking over 90% of their clients through online booking. Just imagine the time savings there. And we’re not seeing an uptick in no-shows because of it. Actually, with solid texting, timely reminders, and messages that get people pumped and informed about what they can expect, we end up with a lot of folks showing up for those appointments. The turnout is no less than when humans were handling it.