# Enhancing Customer Experience in Shopify Appointments: The Power of Team Member Selection
Providing an exceptional customer experience is essential for businesses that rely on appointments and bookings. For salons, fitness studios, and consultancy services, the ability to offer personalized experiences can set you apart from the competition. That's where **Easy Appointment Booking**, a leading Shopify booking app comes into play with its new **Team Member Selection** feature.
## The Importance of Personalization in Customer Experience
Today's consumers expect personalized experiences that cater to their individual preferences. According to a study by Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences. This expectation is especially true in service-based industries where relationships and trust are paramount.
Imagine making a booking for you next stylist appointment. If you know your stylist, you probably want to book them again. Or maybe you're looking for a new cut and want to see what someone else has to offer. Or perhaps you're willing to try the new but popular apprentice stylist to take on a change. This choice should be easy to make for a customer.
### The Impact
Easy Appointment Booking introduced the **Team Member Selection** feature to offer just that - personalization. Since launch, we've observed that **18% of our merchants in the beauty, fitness, and consultancy categories have started using it**. These businesses have seen a **6% improvement in booking completion rates**, leaving less bookings abandoned on checkout and demonstrating the tangible benefits of personalization.
### Why Personalization Matters
- **Increased Satisfaction**: Personalization makes customers feel valued and understood, so they book with who they want.
- **Customer Retention**: Satisfied customers are more likely to return, especially if they can always find their go-to stylists schedule at any given time.
- **Competitive Advantage**: Offering personalized experiences sets you apart from competitors where this flow might be clunkier or take longer for the customer to find who they want to book with.
## Challenges with Traditional Shopify Scheduling Apps
While Shopify provides a robust platform, its native scheduling capabilities are limited. Most **Shopify scheduling apps** on the app store lack the flexibility to allow customers to select specific team members, leading to a generic booking experience.
### Limitations Include:
- **No Team Member Selection**: Customers can't choose their preferred service provider.
- **Inefficient Scheduling**: Without preferences, scheduling can become chaotic and the booking goes to the next person at random.
- **Poor Customer Experience**: A lack of personalization can affect reviews and referrals for popular staff at your business.
## Introducing Team Member Selection with Easy Appointment Booking
Recognizing these challenges, **Easy Appointment Booking** introduced the **Team Member Selection** feature. This way customers can choose their preferred team member before choosing a time slot, adding a layer of personalization to the booking process. This feature can be turned off at anytime by the Shopify merchant, offering flexibility and personalization for events that require it.
### How It Works
1. **Team Member Profiles**: Create profiles for each team member with photos, bios, and specialties.
2. **Customer Selection**: Customers view available team members and select their preferred choice.
3. **Real-Time Availability**: The app displays the team member's real-time availability for seamless scheduling.
This feature transforms the booking experience, making it more engaging and customer-centric.
## Case Study: The Stylist Selection Experience
Imagine running a salon where each stylist has their unique flair and loyal clientele. Customers often prefer a specific stylist who understands their style and preferences. Assigning stylists randomly can lead to dissatisfaction.
### Scenario Without Team Member Selection
- **Customer Frustration**: A customer can't choose their preferred stylist, or are unsure of who they're going to get.
- **Inconsistent Service**: The new stylist may not meet expectations, so they either have to call in advance to re-assign the booking to a new stylist or ask on the day of the appointment.
- **Lost Loyalty**: The customer may go elsewhere next time where it's just easier to find their ideal stylist right away.
### Scenario With Team Member Selection
- **Empowered Customers**: The customer selects their favourite stylist, every time.
- **Consistent Experience**: The stylist knows this customer well, building a good relationship with your business.
- **Increased Loyalty**: The customer feels valued and is likely to return.
## Benefits of Team Member Selection
Apart from the customer experience, team member selection offers numerous advantages as a Shopify business taking appointments.
- **Better Click Through Rates**: Shopify brands using this see a 6% improvement in booking completion rate.
- **Higher Retention Rates**: Satisfied customers become repeat clients.
- **Positive Reviews**: Better experiences lead to positive feedback for your business.
- **Feature Flexibility**: Turn this feature on for personalized services and off for general services, allowing you to tweak when you need this feature for your business.
- **Improved Scheduling**: Efficient staff allocation based on selections.
## How to Set Up Team Member Selection in Easy Appointment Booking
Implementing this feature is straightforward.
### Step-by-Step Guide
1. **Install the App**: Install **Easy Appointment Booking** from the Shopify App Store.
2. **Create Team Member Availability**:
- Create your first event, then go to 'Availability'
- Add team members with detailed profiles, including photos and specialties.
3. **Configure your Event**:
- From the Dashboard, click Edit
- Add the availability to this event, allowing as many staff that can conduct this service
4. **Set team member functionality on**:
- Under the setting where if there are multiple staff, select "Let the customer choose one."
5. **Test the Booking Flow**:
- Click View in Store and conduct a test booking to ensure everything works seamlessly.
Here's an example for reference
## Success Stories
Our merchants have seen remarkable results since adopting the **Team Member Selection** feature.
### Merchant Testimonials
*"Since adding team member selection, our booking completion rate has increased by 9%. Customers love choosing their stylist, and it's improved our overall customer satisfaction."*
— **Emma R., Salon Owner**
*"Our fitness studio clients appreciate being able to book sessions with their preferred trainers. It's boosted our client retention and made scheduling smoother."*
— **Daniel S., Fitness Studio Manager**
## Why Choose Easy Appointment Booking for Your Shopify Scheduling Needs
**Easy Appointment Booking** stands out among **Shopify booking apps** for its user-friendly interface and powerful features.
### Key Features
- **Team Member Selection**: Offers a personalized booking process.
- **Real-Time Availability**: Prevents double bookings.
- **Best-in-class tools*: Klaviyo, Google Calendar, Outlook and more.
- **Automated Notifications**: Reduces no-shows.
- **Integration with Shopify**: Provides a seamless experience from the storefront and for managing all of your booking and order data in a single system
## Conclusion
Offering personalization in your booking process can significantly impact your business's success. The **Team Member Selection** feature empowers customers, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty. With tangible improvements like a **6% increase in booking completion rates**, it's clear that this feature can benefit your business.
Upgrade your **appointments on Shopify** with **Easy Appointment Booking**, the premier **Shopify scheduling app**, and start reaping the benefits of enhanced customer experiences today.
