It may seem like a rather simple task, but appointment scheduling statistics show that there are many different angles to consider when it comes to setting appointments.
Some are relatively common, while others are considered high profile and should come with more tact.
Regarding this particular topic, technology has brought many improvements to the table.
For example, it’s known that online scheduling systems can increase the customer base for businesses by 26%.
A core part of satisfying customers and streamlining internal processes for businesses, scheduling appointments isn’t always as simple as it may seem.
For this article, you’ll get an insightful look at various statistics surrounding the world of appointment scheduling.
Key Statistics
- No-show rates are reduced by 90% due to appointment reminders
- 40% of booked appointments are requested outside of normal business hours
- By 2025, the market for appointment scheduling software is expected to reach $633.47 million
- Online booking is the preferred method for 67% of patients
- In 2023, it’s expected that 700 million people will book appointments online
- 33% of people prefer to book appointments by phone
- Online bookings have been shown to reduce staff labor by 50%
- Same or next-day appointments account for 26% of online bookings
- 39% of the growth of appointment scheduling software comes from North America
Online Appointment Scheduling Statistics: Here’s Why They Matter
It may not be a topic you think of very often, but appointment scheduling is a necessary process that helps to keep businesses running in more ways than one.
With an increasing population and demand for efficiency, customers, businesses, and everyone in between have a few standards when it comes to setting an appointment.
Organizations are clearly catching on as many professionals are discussing ways to improve appointment scheduling processes as a whole.
Without a focus on new developments, processes and technologies behind appointment scheduling could fall behind.
The following statistics will provide a general overview of the current state of appointment setting as a whole.
1. Most Americans Schedule Their Appointments Online
We live in a world where people cherish their time more than ever.
This has led to many individuals making choices and using technologies that lead to time saved.
Based on this fact, you can assume that most people would like to schedule their appointments online for efficiency’s sake.
60% of individuals in the U.S. schedule all of their appointments online.
Aside from that, here are the other primary ways Americans schedule appointments:
- Text message = 1%
- In-person = 3%
- Via email = 3%
- Via phone = 33%
Most importantly, appointments are generally set online or over the phone.
Not only can this be fast and convenient, but it removes a lot of the social aspect of an in-person setting.
Many people love the ability to set an appointment without ever needing to speak to an actual person.
(The Small Business Blog)
2. Online Appointment Scheduling Helps Businesses
Aside from the benefit of time efficiency, statistics show that companies that offer online appointment features inevitably see an increase in call volume.
While customers are able to set an appointment, they may follow up about the appointment with additional questions with a phone call.
For businesses, this can offer many opportunities to upsell, build customer loyalty, and more.
The increase in call volume stemming from this particular feature is roughly 24%.
Although these calls may not always correlate to increased revenue, they can still generate many other long-term benefits.
People can secure an appointment in a few seconds, and this is bound to shed a positive light on the business as a whole.
You’d be surprised how many people choose a business based on how efficient their internal processes are.
With online appointment setting, customers can feel like they’re in and out without having to deal with a middleman.
(The Small Business Blog)
3. Appointments Booked by Staff vs. Online
Even though booking an appointment online is pretty common nowadays, a majority of appointments are still booked through staff members.
Primarily handled through a receptionist, this job is still in high demand for a number of reasons.
For some people, they simply prefer to talk directly with someone to ensure the conversation and exchange are concrete.
The chart below highlights the difference between staff and online booked appointments.
Online appointment booking is on the rise, but staff-booked appointments are still the primary choice.
You can also assume this has to do with generation gaps, as older individuals will usually resort to booking appointments over the phone.
As this gap in tech education continues to close over time, these figures will likely switch as more people prefer to book appointments online.
(Zippia)
4. Missed Appointments Can Be Costly
It’s in the interest of every business owner to develop an effective appointment-setting system.
Missed appointments can lead to a loss in revenue, and the figures behind this claim are staggering once you dive into it.
We can start by taking a look at the medical industry.
Recent statistics show us that missed medical appointments account for $150 billion in lost annual revenue.
People are prone to forget or ignore their appointments.
This means online booking systems need to have a few integrations to be truly effective for the end user.
Not only should people be able to book online, but it should also offer the option of reminders and easy rescheduling.
With these in place, business owners can reduce the number of no-shows or cancellations, leading to a decrease in lost revenue.
Keep in mind that $150 billion is only considering the medical industry, but the number gets much higher once you start to broaden the scope of industries.
(Zippia)
5. The Appointment Scheduling Software Market is Growing
As needs are expanding in the space of appointment scheduling, this is putting a lot of weight on software related to this market.
In a report that focused on the appointment scheduling software market from 2021 to 2025 shows that substantial growth is on the horizon.
Take a look at the numbers below, as they’ll highlight where the market is headed over the next few years.
- Market growth will rise at a CAGR of roughly 19%
- North America contributes 39% of this growth
- Incremental growth between 2021 and 2025 will reach an estimated $633.47 million
- Growth in 2021 alone was 15.72%
- Market impact is looking positive moving forward, with plenty of space for multiple players to succeed
Once again, appointment scheduling may seem like a minor concern, but it actually has a massive impact on many businesses.
As trends and technologies shift within this space, it’ll continue to be refined as new norms are set for the future of scheduling appointments.
(PRNewswire)
Taking a Look at the Software
With all of this focus on software leading the way forward for booking appointments, it makes you wonder about the current capabilities and state of the software that’s out there.
As usual, some will be better than others, but that doesn’t mean they’re up to par with the demands of consumers.
The software people use to book appointments doesn’t have to be extremely complex, but it also shouldn’t hinder a business.
On top of that, ease of use is vital from the standpoint of the end user.
In this section, we’ll review statistics that are centered around the software side of this industry.
6. Companies Want Calendar Management Features
Among the various features included in appointment booking software, many businesses want calendar management features built in.
It goes without saying why a business may want that, but with 36% looking for this particular feature, you can assume they find it to be pretty important.
Evidently, this helps keep a business on track with every appointment while acting as a concrete reminder for customers, if needed.
Calendar features are heavily sought after, but they aren’t the only features that business owners are looking for in appointment booking software.
The table below highlights the percentage of businesses that are searching for software that boasts particular features.
| Software Features | % of Organizations That Want Them |
| Calendar management | 36% |
| Miscellaneous | 23% |
| Automatic alerts | 21% |
| Resource scheduling | 20% |
The needs behind booking appointments are a bit more convoluted than most people expect.
Numbers don’t lie when it comes to facts, and it’s clear that implementing scheduling software can improve a business’s revenue quite a bit.
Each company’s experience is bound to differ, but the jump in revenue is large enough to catch the attention of any business owner.
(The Small Business Blog)
7. Appointment Scheduling Software Increases Revenue
With online appointment scheduling leading to more satisfied customers, many businesses have seen an increase in their revenue that’s hard to ignore.
Data shows that companies that utilize appointment scheduling software could potentially see a revenue increase of 30% to 45%.
Considering this is a pretty large jump, it’s understandable to wonder what exactly causes it.
People value their time, and if they can find a company that they feel likes and values as well, then they’re more likely to return.
This interaction can be seen in appointment scheduling software.
It saves people time and initiates a positive interaction between the customer and the business.
Customers tend to remember these small details, and this positive experience will make them more inclined to spend their money.
Repeat this interaction over and over, and companies can eventually see their revenue start to increase.
It’s a simple concept, but it requires consistency and software that satisfies the end user.
(The Small Business Blog)
8. Appointments Can be Placed Outside of Business Hours
Before appointment scheduling software became a thing, people could only book an appointment in person or over the phone.
This means that appointments were only being taken during hours of operation, which can be a nuisance to work around for some people.
When you consider the bustle of our everyday lives, some people simply can’t make that call before the business closes due to their own work schedules.
Now that appointments can be booked online, regardless of the time of day, this has led to 40% of all appointments being booked outside of business hours.
This isn’t because people choose to wait until a business is closed; it’s because they can’t get a hold of the business during the day.
It’s a common issue that’s easily solved with the help of software.
The implementation of software has not only brought improvements to businesses and their customers, but it has also changed behaviors.
Now that online booking is an option, the preferences among customers have changed drastically.
(Zippia)
9. Online Booking is the Preferred Method in Healthcare
Among most consumers, many would prefer to avoid having to call in to make an appointment.
It generally includes a lot of chit-chat that isn’t necessary, and in some cases, employees may place you on hold.
Considering setting an appointment only takes a few minutes at best, people tend to find calling a waste of their time.
When it comes to the medical field, online booking has shown that 67% of patients prefer this method over traditional routes.
It’s less hassle, offers quicker results, and there’s no anxiety from the in-person or over-the-phone encounters.
Looking at this topic from a bird’s eye view, it’s clear that most people prefer working with organizations that offer online booking.
This has become so apparent that many customers are adamant about avoiding businesses that don’t offer online booking on their websites.
(Zippia)
10. Consumers are Switching Providers
With preferences in online booking shifting rapidly amid a tech-driven world, many customers are choosing to switch to providers that have online booking available.
This is leading to lost business for companies that have yet to implement appointment scheduling software.
The facts are there, as it’s estimated that roughly 94% of individuals are bound to choose a provider that has online booking over those who don’t offer such features.
People tend to take the path of least resistance; if they can find an easier path to book appointments, most will take it.
While businesses are continuing to catch on to the importance of this software, no-shows are still an existing problem that can become a logistical nightmare.
No-shows are so damaging that there are years of data collected on them, which gives us plenty of statistics to highlight for this topic.
(iMeetify)
Statistics on Appointment No-Shows
Likely to be one of the most frustrating things for businesses that take appointments, no-shows can cause disruptions that affect the workflow of every employee.
With numerous appointments, customers, and a never-ending to-do list, businesses prefer that people show up on time.
Even if they can’t make the appointment, communication is a key factor.
At the end of the day, people are going to forget or ignore their appointments, and companies need policies in place to manage that.
Nevertheless, the statistics on this matter show us the ups and downs of scheduling appointments.
11. Reminder Notifications are a Game Changer
Organizations that utilize appointment scheduling software can integrate a variety of appointment notifications.
For example, you can be reminded about your appointment with an automated phone call, email, or even a text message.
While some businesses choose automated reminders, others opt for notifications that remind them to give you a call for a more personal touch.
Stats tell us that no-shows can be reduced by up to 90% with the help of reminders.
Although businesses can take a manual approach to this, software can easily automate the entire process.
Customers are generally responsive to reminders as they aren’t avoiding their appointment; they simply forget about it entirely.
Nevertheless, integrating reminders can be done with the help of software and can make a drastic difference in no-show rates.
(The Small Business Blog)
12. No-Shows Can be Costly
For small to medium-sized businesses, no-shows can drive up the costs over time, leading to tens of thousands of dollars.
To break it down further, statistics show that the impact of no-shows is roughly $26,000 every year.
Of course, this can be minimized quite a bit with reminders, but it’s something that every business should keep in mind.
Primary factors that contribute to no-shows include some of the following:
- Life emergencies
- Forgetfulness
- Lack of commitment and communication
- No appointment scheduling software
- And more
The cost mentioned above isn’t a concrete number, but it acts as a wake-up call to any business owner who doesn’t understand the potential damage.
No-shows can be mitigated by manually reminding people about their appointments or setting up multiple automated reminders through software.
Both can be effective, but some process needs to be in place to ensure customers are reminded about their appointments.
(The Small Business Blog)
13. Automated Reminders are Key
Businesses that make use of automated reminders have seen a significant decrease in the occurrence of no-shows.
Statistics show that no-shows can be reduced by roughly 29% by utilizing features such as automated reminders in software.
On top of that, automated reminders can be heavily customized to cater to each client.
This still ensures a rather personalized experience, even if every message is automated.
You can expect this number to change as time passes, with software becoming a more common theme in booking appointments.
It’s already pretty common for a majority of businesses, but gaps in knowledge around tech are holding some people back.
Overall, what will eventually change the tide is the negative impact bad scheduling has on businesses.
As no-shows increase costs and people start looking for more efficient companies, others will be forced to adapt or suffer a dwindling customer base.
(Zippia)
14. Self-Scheduling Plays a Crucial Role
Those who have the option to schedule an appointment themselves tend to be more likely to show up on time.
Part of this is due to the availability they have to schedule their own appointment and potentially set their own reminders.
Outside of that, they should also receive automated reminders from the business as the appointment date gets closer.
It’s known that no-shows have decreased by 17% thanks to the benefits of self-scheduling software.
This is a level of flexibility that customers value, and they’re more inclined to stay on top of their own actions than appointments set by someone else.
Self-scheduling isn’t a perfect system by any means, and no-shows are still bound to happen from time to time.
However, the simple act of integrating software can reduce no-shows by putting the scheduling power in the hands of the customers themselves.
It may not be a perfect solution, but statistics show that it definitely helps.
(The Small Business Blog)
15. Monday is No-Show Day
Based on historical data and current statistics, Mondays tend to be when the most no-shows or cancellations occur.
This could make way for custom or more urgent notifications for appointments set on Monday, as many people disregard various responsibilities over the weekend.
On top of that, Monday brings in the most customers who are looking for last-minute visits, which can further complicate logistics with no-shows and other appointments.
When you look at behavior patterns, the most popular time slow for appointments is Friday around 10 a.m. or Tuesday at roughly 2 p.m.
One is closer to the end of the work week, while the other is chosen as it’s known to be slower in the middle of the week.
Since no-shows can’t be eliminated entirely, it’s up to businesses to integrate reminders and processes to keep customers on track.
Doing this manually is nearly impossible, which is why appointment scheduling software is becoming such a vital component.
You’ll also find numerous software providers on the market, many of which bring something unique that’s fitting for various types of business and operational needs.
(The Small Business Blog)
Conclusion
Setting appointments isn’t as simple as it might seem, as there are many logistical factors that play into the entire process.
Without the help of software and tested internal processes, customers might not receive the service they were hoping for.
As we speak, this niche industry is going through many changes, and companies are being forced to adapt or slowly suffer, refusing to adapt.
The online appointment scheduling statistics in this article shine a light on the reality of the situation and how it affects customers and organizations alike.
Sources
Written by Jason Wise
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
