23 Appointment Scheduling Statistics [2023]: Online Booking Trends

Research Summary. If you own an appointment-based company, you know booking is significantly tied to your cash flow. In order to stay competitive, it’s important to be efficient when setting appointment schedules. Below, we demonstrate the importance of using appointment scheduling software through various statistics:

• 40% of appointments are booked after business hours.

• 67% of patients prefer online booking.

• 26% of online appointments are for same-day or next-day appointments.

• Only 33% prefer booking appointments by phone.

• 54% of appointment bookings that occur during working hours are made on the go.

• 34% of appointments that are scheduled online are done so after the office is closed.

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Patient Opinions | Customer Opinions | Online Appointment Scheduling | Trends and Projections

Appointment Scheduling Industry Statistics

Appointment scheduling can help businesses by not just setting schedules for staff and clients but also by promoting customer loyalty, improving efficiency, convenience, and increasing financial income by decreasing no-shows.

• The Appointment Scheduling Software market is expected to have a CAGR of 13.1% between 2019 to 2026.

  The market was valued at $223.83 million in 2019 but is expected to grow to a considerable $588.10 million by 2027 (an increase of over $364 million).

• Businesses gain an average revenue increase of 27% when using online booking systems.

  In some cases, local businesses that added online booking systems to their website increased their revenue up to 120%.

• According to general appointment scheduling statistics, clients make 46% of all appointments online, while 54% are booked by staff.

  This significantly reduces the burden on staff to manage and schedule appointments over the phone or other means.



• $150 billion per year is estimated as the annual loss from missed medical appointments.

  By providing online bookings, you can significantly reduce the number of appointment no-shows.

Patient Opinions on Appointment Scheduling

In today’s world, consumers are looking for convenience. Providing services is no different. Clients are looking for convenient ways to maintain their schedule, including creating appointments for themselves, whether a haircut, doctor’s appointment, or a meeting with a financial advisor. Your online reputation matters.

• Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers worldwide make an effort to read reviews before buying products.

  Your online reputation matters. Reviews are one of the biggest hindrances for many businesses.

• 94% of individuals would be more likely to choose a new service provider if that provider offered online booking options.

  This means you’re not being competitive if you don’t offer online booking options for your customers.

Customer Opinions on Appointment Scheduling

Customer opinions are the highest priority when you’re providing a service or a product. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, appointment scheduling online has become increasingly popular to the point where it is now the clear preference for the majority of consumers, as indicated by the statistics below:

• 67% of patients prefer online booking.

  This is significant compared to only 22% who choose to book by phone.



• More than half of Millenials and Gen Xers say they would switch providers for the ability to book appointments online.

  Considering the rising ages of these generations, providing customers with an online option is increasingly significant.

• 41% of all booking services are found through social media.

  36% of these bookings come through Instagram, while 22% come through Facebook. Social media is one of the first places people look to schedule appointments.

• 82% of clients use mobile devices to book appointments.

  16% and 2% are made from desktops and tablets, respectively.



• 60% of salons and spas can achieve up to a 60% online booking rate.

  38% of spa and salon bookings go for same-day appointments, while 88% of all appointments booked by women are with beauty salons and spas.

Online Appointment Scheduling Statistics

• 68% of patients say they’re more likely to choose a medical provider that offers the ability to book, change, or cancel appointments online.

  A significant number of people will completely overlook your business if you don’t provide them with an online option.

• 72% of patients and 60% of healthcare professionals say online appointment booking platforms encourage patients to keep appointments.

  This is aided by the fact that many online booking systems send out automatic reminders to patients about their appointment the next or same day.

• 72% of Employers in the travel industry use online booking.

  Online booking is the most popular in the travel industry, but healthcare employers tend to favor online booking as well (58%). On the other hand, only 31% of retail employers chose to offer online booking.

Appointment Scheduling Trends and Projections

• The appointment scheduling market is growing at a CAGR of 12.54% from 2020 to 2027.

  This market is only increasing in size and demand and will continue to do so through 2027. The majority of consumers have gotten comfortable using the internet and other online booking services.

• 29% is the percentage of reduction in no-shows with automated reminders.

  Automated reminders are important, especially for people who book appointments in the middle of their days and work. Individuals can overlook their appointments in the middle of their workday, so automated reminders serve an important function.

• Sundays from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. is the most popular day and time to book appointments.

  It’s important to note that this time is not during regular working hours, demonstrating the importance of having an online booking service.

Appointment Scheduling FAQ

1. What is the most common method of scheduling appointments?

   The most common method of appointment scheduling is computerized scheduling. The second most common method is appointment book scheduling. Each comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

2. Why is appointment scheduling so important?

   Appointment scheduling is important because it decreases patient wait time and increases customer satisfaction. Knowing who is coming into the office, store, or salon lets staff prepare ahead of time for payment, appropriate materials, and insurance.

3. Do patients like online scheduling?

   Yes, patients like online scheduling. In fact, 67% of all consumers prefer online booking, while a shocking 80% of patients prefer a physician who offers online scheduling.

4. What are the advantages of an appointment system?

   The advantages of an appointment system are that it allows customers to book an appointment online 24/7, thus improving customer satisfaction and retention rate.

   Customers prefer businesses that provide them with the convenience of an appointment system. Many of them are even willing to switch to a competitor if they have an easy online appointment system.

   Some other advantages of having an appointment system include:

   • Improvements in operational efficiency

   • Limiting human error

   • Increasing employee productivity

   While some businesses are hesitant to invest in an appointment system, they can recoup this investment tenfold when it comes to productivity and customer relations.

5. How can patient scheduling be improved?

   Patient scheduling can be improved by integrating an appointment scheduling software, using an appointment reminder system and a waiting list system to fill the spots from cancellations. Taking these actions can greatly improve a company’s patient scheduling.

6. What factors must be considered when setting up an appointment schedule?

   The factors that must be considered when setting up an appointment schedule is a customer or patient’s personal information (name, phone number, address), the reason for their visit, the approximate length of the visit, and the availability of the professional.

   These factors can be used to determine when a customer/patient can come in for their appointment.

Conclusion

When you call an office or store to schedule an appointment, on average, you must prepare for up to 8 minutes, with about 30% of that time on hold. For younger generations like Millenials and Gen X, this wait time is a deal-breaker for businesses and even doctor’s offices.

These individuals have always had access to online information and dislike traditional methods of scheduling appointments. Their overall preferences are to be able to do everything online.

Stores and doctor’s offices need to start streamlining to adapt to their audience’s appointment requests. In addition, providing an online booking system that speaks to your scheduling system can make your processes more efficient. Integrating online appointment bookings can help keep current patients satisfied and recruit new patients without staff intervention.

By providing appointment scheduling services online, you’ll be pleasing your existing customers and growing your business simultaneously.

Take advantage of technology to maintain a positive brand reputation and a way for clients to reach you. Expectations for convenience and instant gratification are here to stay. By adapting, you will create a win-win situation for your business and your clients.

References

1. GetApp. “Online Booking Options Can Get You More Clients.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

2. PatientPop. “10 Online Scheduling Stats Healthcare Practices Should Know.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

3. BookedIn. “Online Booking: 2019 A Year in Review.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

4. Verified Market Research. “Appointment Scheduling Software Market Size and Forecast.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

5. Webflow. “How online booking systems increase revenue for local businesses.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

6. Oberlo. “10 Online Review Statistics.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

7. Zenoti. “Online Booking Trends for Salons and Spas.” Accessed on December 2, 2021.

8. Finances Online. “74 Basic Appointment Scheduling Statistics; 2020/2021 Data Analysis Market Share.” Accessed on December 2, 2021.

9. 10to8. “Infographic: Appointment scheduling trends in 2018.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

10. Healthcare Innovation. “Missed appointments cost the U.S. healthcare system $150B each year.” Accessed December 2, 2021.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.