The Front Desk Patient Booking Gateway provides your patients with an online booking portal allowing them to book and manage their appointments online from a desktop or mobile device. What’s different about our gateway is that your Front Desk data and setup information are used to make valid appointments 24/7 directly into your appointment book, based on the same decisions made by your reception staff. This saves time and enhances patient convenience by making appointments correctly the first time. It truly is a ‘smart’ booking system.
The Patient Booking Gateway will help increase your practice efficiency and improve customer service, with some practices booking over 50% of initial consults online and over 500 bookings per month. The key to this success lies in making patients aware of it. In our experience, there are several approaches you can take to maximise client uptake.
Prominent position on your website
Your web developer should add a ‘Book Online’ button to your website, ideally in a prominent position on the home page. This is especially important on your mobile website as you do not want your patient to have to scroll or tap into menus to find the booking link. You can also add the Book Online button to other pages of your website where appropriate e.g. your service information pages
Front Desk email invitation
The email invitation function allows you to efficiently contact your existing patients in bulk to advertise the Patient Booking Gateway and provides them with a simple method of signing up: click a link and choose a password. This invitation also acts as an excellent marketing opportunity, allowing you to contact inactive clients and provide them an opportunity to book an appointment with the clinic. To avoid your email provider rate limiting or marking your emails as spam, we recommend sending invitations through the Smartsoft Email Gateway. This will also ensure the invitations reach as many patients as possible. Enable this in Front Desk from System Information > Email:
Customise your on hold and after hours phone system messages to promote online bookings
When patients are on hold they are a captive audience and this is a great time to let them know about the option to book online. Patients calling during lunch or after hours can be directed to book online through your Patient Booking Gateway. This can help maximise new patient booking opportunities.
Sign up clients at the end of their appointments
Your administration team is in the best position to discuss the online booking option with your patients. They should mention this option to all patients as they settle their accounts, and can invite patients to register on the spot.
Practice newsletter
Reserve an advertising space for your Patient Booking Gateway in every newsletter you send. The ability to book online is something patients should be frequently reminded about!
Custom email signatures
Advertise your Patient Booking Gateway with a Book Online image in your email signature, so every email sent from your practice promotes your website and your Booking Gateway. Be sure to customise all your email signatures and templates, including when sending emails from Front Desk, MailChimp and in your email application.
Social Media
Adding a Book Now button to your Facebook page can encourage more of your current clients to start using your Patient Booking Gateway. Regularly mentioning the option to book online in your updates also reminds patients of this option and can encourage them to book on the spot. More information about adding the Book Now button to your Facebook page can be found here: http://help.smartsoft.com.au/en/articles/4193730-adding-a-book-now-button-on-your-business-facebook-page
Sign in the waiting room
A simple sign in your waiting room informing clients about the Patient Booking Gateway can prompt them to speak to a staff member to sign up on the spot, as well as remind existing patients of the online booking option.
Online Booking Statistics
To gauge how your Patient Booking Gateway is performing, you can login to your Admin portal to view statistics including the number of appointment made, cancelled and rescheduled.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange demonstration of the Patient Booking Gateway please contact us by email or on free call 1800 18 18 20, pressing 2 at the prompt to speak our Business Care staff.