- Standard booking tools are made for an average business, not for yours.
- A missing feature costs you time every week, through emails, messages and workarounds.
- You have three options: an extra tool, sorting it out yourself, or a booking system that can be adapted to you.
- At Bookable we build a missing feature in. That may change your price a little, but it rarely makes a big difference.
In this article
Why standard booking tools always miss something
An online booking system is built for as many businesses as possible at once. That makes sense, because it keeps the price low. But it also means the tool is made for an average business. And that business does not really exist.
A nail studio works differently from a physiotherapy practice. A hairdresser who does colour plans differently from a barber who trims a beard in twenty minutes. And a B&B books by the night, not by the hour. As soon as the way you work differs from the average, you notice something is missing.
Most businesses adapt to their booking tool. It should be the other way round.
The features businesses miss most often
A deposit with Bancontact
Many booking tools come from abroad. A deposit can then only be paid by card, or at an extra cost per payment. For customers in Belgium, Bancontact is the most normal way to pay, and in the Netherlands that is iDEAL.
Reminders without a cost per message
A reminder a day in advance is the simplest way to have fewer no shows. But many systems charge per text message, so every reminder costs money.
Extras with their own price and time
Nail art with a gel polish, a beard treatment with a haircut, an extra fifteen minutes of massage. If your system cannot handle that, your schedule overruns.
Questions in advance
An allergy, an injury, the breed of a dog or the name of a child. If you only hear that at the appointment, you lose time.
Series and regular slots
A physiotherapist scheduling nine sessions, a teacher with a fixed hour each week. Booking every appointment separately is tiring work.
A booking page of your own
Not every business has a website. You still want a good looking page with your services, prices and address, and a link you can put in your Instagram bio.
What businesses do next
When a feature is missing, we almost always see the same thing happen.
- A second tool is added, with a second subscription and a second login.
- A workaround appears through email or WhatsApp, which you follow up by hand.
- It simply does not get done, and the business carries the risk itself.
All three cost time. Not once, but again every week. And time spent on workarounds is time not spent on your customers.
Three ways to solve it
| Approach | What it is | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| An extra tool | A second system alongside your booking tool | Two subscriptions and data that does not line up |
| Sorting it out yourself | By hand, through email or messages | Costs you time every week |
| A system that grows with you | A booking system that is adapted to your business | Ask upfront what it costs to add something |
How we handle it
Bookable has a solid base: an online calendar, a deposit with Bancontact and iDEAL, reminders by WhatsApp and email with no cost per message, and your own booking link. Praktijk adds extras with their own price and time, your own questions on your form, a waiting list and several calendars.
If you still miss something, we build it in. That may change your price a little, but it rarely makes a big difference. And you do not have to wait on a helpdesk for it: send a message, and a real person replies, within 24 hours.
- No card needed
- No commission
- Cancel monthly
Checklist before you choose a booking system
- 1Write down how an appointment works at your business, from the first question to the payment.
- 2Mark which steps you currently do by hand.
- 3Ask every tool whether those steps are included, and what it costs if they are not.
- 4Add up all the costs: subscription, messages, commission and payment fees.
- 5Try it for free with your own services before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have a feature added to an existing booking system?
With most standard tools, no. You can submit a request, but whether and when that feature arrives is up to the provider. At Bookable we look at every request, and we build in what your business needs.
What does it cost to have a feature added?
That depends on what you need. Sometimes it is already in Praktijk, sometimes it is a small change. It may change your price a little, but it rarely makes a big difference. You always know upfront what it costs.
How quickly is a new feature ready?
You hear upfront what we will build and when it will be ready. You send your question whenever you like, and you get a reply within 24 hours.
Do I have to switch to get a missing feature?
Not always. First check whether your current tool can do it after all. If the workaround costs you time every week, switching often pays off. We move your clients and your scheduled appointments across with you, so nobody has to book again.
Founder of Bookable. Questions about this article or about your own business? Send a message whenever you like, and a real person replies, within 24 hours.