Skedge.me – The Self-Booking Service

The days when most people scheduled appointments by phone are long gone. Tech-savvy customers today expect to be able to book appointments with their stylists, doctors, accountants, and other service providers online, while many business owners are finding that making the switch to online scheduling can help reduce costs while increasing customer retention rates.

Skedge.me is a tool that businesses can use to start accepting online bookings through their existing websites. Just add a “Book Now” link to your website, and customers can begin scheduling their own appointments from any computer or mobile phone. As the business owner, you select the available time slots, services, staffers, and locations that customers can choose from when making their appointments. You can also create separate accounts for individual employees as a way to distribute the workload and allow certain staffers to manage their own schedules.

One of the many unique features that Skedge.me provides is the ability to limit who can book appointments through your website. Use Skedge.me’s privacy options to limit how searchable your booking site is, or to prevent people from making appointments without first entering their phone numbers and email addresses. The information you collect through the Skedge.me system can be synced with Google Calendar, iCal, Outlook, and your mobile device.

Practical Uses:

• Create a place for clients to book their own appointments online
• Schedule client meetings without relying on telephone or email communications
• Let your employees manage their own schedules
• Collect contact information from prospective customers

Insider Tips:

• Skedge.me will create websites for businesses that don’t have them
• Customers can book appointments from any mobile device
• Admins can set permissions for staffer accounts
• Add your company logo to any scheduling calendars you create

What we liked:

• Skedge.me works for businesspeople in many different industries
• Businesses can collect information about clients for future marketing purposes
• Schedules can be managed from any computer or tablet device
• Skedge.me integrates with QuickBooks, Salesforce, and NetSuite

What we didn’t like:

• Nothing

Alternatives:

• Jiffle – https://www.jifflenow.com
• Scheduly – http://www.scheduly.com
• Tungle.me – http://www.tungle.me

Company Info:

• Launched: 2011
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: New York, New York
• Founded by: Richard Ruben and Derrick Chen
• Web site: http://skedge.me

Costs:

• Starter plan is $29 to $49/month
• Pro plan is $99/month
• Enterprise plan with variable pricing