How Appointedd is helping business flex in and out of lockdown

What can businesses do now to make sure they’re sustainable and can survive another lockdown

Is this post-lockdown, Covid-19 world business as usual for now? We’re not sure, and not many people are. But what we are sure of is that your business operations need to be flexible.

Appointedd is in a unique position to help businesses like yours evolve. We’ve helped countless independent businesses and some of the world’s best brands flex in and out of lockdown. We’re here to help you take the learnings from the first lockdown and encourage you to think about how your business can survive a second or third lockdown. We’re not trying to spread fear, we’re just here to help you turn to technology solutions like online booking and scheduling to help you prepare and remain sustainable throughout (what feels like) a never-ending global pandemic. 

Meeting your customer demand

When lockdown was announced, Markel Law –  an innovative legal services business – experienced an increase in the number of daily inbound calls. Their customers – small to medium sized businesses –  felt uncertain, so turned to the trusted experts to gain legal advice and guidance in what was becoming the ‘new normal’. 

Usually accustomed to taking around 600 calls a day, the number of inbound calls increased by 60%, with half their daily calls suddenly trying to phone through every hour.

Being in the fortunate position of an existing client of Appointedd, our team were able to react quickly and increase the number of bookable calendars on each service by 25%! As a result, Markel saw a 146% increase in bookings from the previous quarter, empowering them to connect with – and help – thousands of businesses.

It happened as fast as you could flick a switch. And although lockdown felt long and slow, these changes needed to – and were – happening fast!

Funnily enough, it was Charles Darwin guiding us with lightning speed – “Those who survive are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change.”

Adapting to the changing climate

We weren’t always flicking a switch on, sometimes it, unfortunately, was flicked off – but just as fast.

When lockdown hit, Moss Bros. – one of the UK’s top menswear retailers specializing in dress wear for formal occasions – turned off Appointedd’s online booking tools on their website for all 127 retail stores. 

Team Appointedd were in the fortunate position to pull the data of the customers with forthcoming bookings so the Moss Bros team could contact them directly to advise of the store changes due to Covid-19.

When restrictions started to ease, although uncertain, Moss Bros were excited for what was to come next. Appointedd were proud to assist the team with a staged reopening of their stores. Through the Appointedd community, Moss Bros were inspired to introduce virtual appointments to meet the needs of the customers who were not quite ready to come back in store yet!

“Appointments are playing a massive success to our return” – Ian Shaw, Retail Director, Moss Bros.

Thriving in the ‘new normal’ – virtual or otherwise

Joining the list of fast reactors is SpaceNK – a luxury beauty retailer with over 60 stores across the UK. The SpaceNK team brings innovation alive within every project, which did not change during Covid-19 lockdown. 

In March, the team at SpaceNK pivoted quickly and teamed up with their partner brands and beauty professionals to provide new services via Appointedd and our native Zoom integration. 

At a flick of a switch, in-store beauty appointments transformed into 1-2-1 virtual consultations and group events, all of which booked up very quickly. SpaceNK beauty professionals were dealing with closed stores but full virtual calendars as their customers jumped at the chance to speak to an expert while in lockdown.

Upon stores reopening, Space NK launched the “Shop Live” initiative which enabled customers to book a personal shopping session to discuss their requirements or a specific product via their chosen channel – phone, Facetime, or Zoom. 

With the help of Appointedd, SpaceNK flicked their online booking switch from in-person to virtual, back to a blended balance of both. They didn’t just survive lockdown, they thrived.

Be ready for whatever comes next

Appointedd is proud to help these businesses thrive in a global pandemic and grow their customer base during what has been an unforeseen, uncertain, and unforgiving time.

We’re here to help you too.

No matter what happens next, Appointedd’s technology is flexible and can move between different restrictions or strong government guidelines. 

If the current climate demands virtual appointments over in-person interactions, or flexes your indoor capacity to meet the current social distancing guidelines, Appointedd can assist you and your business through it all.

Moving as fast as a flick of a switch, we’re here to help your business adapt without too much distribution to you, your staff or your customers.