MAKE A DATE

And finally

We can blame Covid for many changes in our lives, both personally and professionally, but one Sue Lovell is very grateful for is the public’s acceptance of bridal shops working on an appointment only basis

Iknow my bridal studio is on a different, smaller scale than probably most shops, so I have always worked to appointments only. Before lockdown, drop-ins were more common, as were the times that we had to turn people away because we were too busy. That can cause offense, as often people do not want to be told no, and their expectations of how they should be received, even when unannounced, may be different to the actual realities of a busy shop.

No matter how nice you are explaining it, that dampens the mood and takes the edge off the excitement, and those brides may not want to wait or come back. Since we were able to open again after lockdown by appointment only, to stay within the rules, pre-booked appointments are now the accepted norm, and my brides at least are very happy with that.

A clear advantage

The benefits for operating on an appointment-only basis far outweighs any negatives for me. My brides know they have my full attention, they know that not only am I expecting them, but I already know their budget, their venue and their wedding date.

I have already established communication with them, and they know what to expect when they come to me. So, instantly, we are starting the appointment with both parties having some understanding of what we can expect, and we can explore all opportunities from there. We both know the length of the appointment, so we aren’t rushed or hurried along, and it definitely gives a more personal feeling to the appointments.

Usually, the important people are with the bride, having scheduled into their week the time to support and encourage her, because they take it seriously, too. Dress shopping is an important business, and it’s not very often that a wedding dress is purchased on a whim.

With the majority of us having calendars and schedules on our phones, plus the ease of booking online, it means that brides are in control of their wedding planning, professionally. and a retailer’s time is mapped out, allowing us the flexibility of making the best use of not only our time, but that of our staff.

Our hairdressers are usually all pre-booked, and our dentists are fully booked for months in advance, and they often charge for the appointments ahead of time, too. Equally, if you are planning a romantic meal for two at a special restaurant, you can’t leave it to chance and hope they have a table for you – you book ahead to ensure they are expecting you, so you are guaranteed the time and the space to enjoy your evening.

There are always jobs that need doing, that shouldn’t be done in view of customers, so if you know you have available staff who don’t have selling appointments that afternoon, then they can still be productive and complete other tasks.

By working to appointments, staff productivity can be increased, and customer satisfaction is maximised. Brides who have an appointment expect to have your undivided attention, and they don’t expect to have their valuable time taken up with staff dealing with unexpected visitors.

Dress shopping is more than finding something to wear – in fact, I don’t think ‘shopping’ is even a word you should associate with finding a wedding dress.

It is an event, and one to be treasured. You wouldn’t pop into the dentist and expect them to they have a spare 30 minutes to fill a tooth. Nor would you call into a hairdressing salon and expect them to have a new colour and cut, because we all know that preparation is required to provide that type of service successfully and

We trust that if we have an appointment, then our host is expecting us, and is ready to deliver excellent service. That time is ours, we have reserved it. However, if you see somewhere you like the look of when passing, you may pop in to just ask if you could make an appointment; and you would expect a cheery and welcoming greeting.

But would you be prepared to actually have the work done then and there if the dentist was twiddling his thumbs or the colourist could quickly squeeze you in?

Brides are making appointments because generally they want to buy, or at least start their dress search, with the intention of buying. They want their time with us to be valued.

The right time

Pre-booked appointments also help build trust and a strong relationship; it is comforting to know that the consultant a bride saw previously will be with her again, if she wants to come back to buy. That can’t always be guaranteed with a ‘drop in when you are passing’ approach.

Just like having your hair done, or your teeth polished, dress shopping is a considered activity, and time needs to be put aside to focus on it. Obviously, it’s far more fun, but it still needs to be scheduled.

As with everything new, there are pros and cons in working to an appointment-only schedule. For me, it keeps my week organised,

I have my own private studio, as well as a couple of other projects connected to bridal which take up my time, plus family commitments that have me pulled in more directions than a 1990s Stretch Armstrong. I also have a very busy alterations studio, so I have to be organised to move from ‘retail to the finer detail’.

There are a number of different online booking systems that are easy to use and simple to incorporate on your website; being user-friendly is vital, and checking the speed of your website is advised. Life is far too short for many of us who are afflicted with the attention span of a gnat on acid, and many brides are like me –we just couldn’t be bothered to wait in line for Patience when they were giving out virtues.

A fun fact – humans have the attention span of 8.5 seconds on average, meaning we have a shorter attention span than a goldfish. So if you are still with me, I think that qualifies you as a super human.

Where were we? Oh yes, Booking

Systems. Bridalive is always my goto – it’s a full Customer Relationship Management system that is so easy and intuitive, and accessible.

I can see my entire business at any time and anywhere, and create, reschedule and take new appointments, plus update invoices and all the other things it offers.

If you don’t want to have a full CRM system, then take a look at Calendly. You can have a free version, or upgrade to the paid software. Text Anywhere is also a great tool too, to contact your upcoming appointments in one go.

To charge or not to charge

That brings us on to the dreaded ‘no shows’ and whether to charge for appointments. I don’t charge, and luckily I don’t suffer from many ‘no shows’, mainly because I email confirmation at the time of the booking, and a reminder a day or so before. I take all their contact details, so I will often call on the day of the appointment to introduce myself, and let my bride know I am looking forward to meeting her.

If I have a waiting list for a Saturday, I will call at the start of the week. This gives my bride time to let me know if she is unable to attend, and we can either reschedule or part ways at that point. It is hugely frustrating to have appointments booked, and then find yourself decidedly less busy than you had anticipated, and often when you then try to contact the customer, you are met with silence. There is no excuse for that level of rudeness, so charging for appointments may be a way to avoid this. It works well for many stores, and is proven to reduce no shows. I find, though, that prior communication works best, but it’s no guarantee.

Being accessible to customers is a blessing as well as a curse, as I have not learned to find my own ‘off switch’, so I am prone to answering messages 24/7, and my little Apple Watch sends ripples of electricity through my left arm to tell me another appointment has been requested or a message sent. Many of my appointments booked on my website at night are from nurses and other nightshift workers.

My family do not always think it’s appropriate to have my business at my fingertips, and I do need to learn to take a step back, but if I don’t respond instantly, I am afraid my Gnat brain will forget that I need to reply.