Helios Appt. Book

Neon Beach · 12-02-2003, 07:19 PM

Does anyone actually use the Helios appointment book? I have found that it is not very accessible when you are in the middle of a sale, and the phone rings with some who wants to make an appointment. By the time you finish all the clicking and filling in the various info in the windows, you could have written it down three times in an appointment book sitting on the desk. If you were to use the online booking feature in the new ver. Would you be stuck using the Helios appt. book or would it be better to transfer online booking to a written one?

Andy · 12-02-2003, 07:40 PM

Come on John ... three times ... are you sleeping ... I bet you could have done it 10 times !!!

I am not that familiar with the online booking feature yet, need to get myself up to speed on that one.

I have maybe 3 or 4 of the 800ish Helios Users that I have provided service to that actually use the appointment book on the computer for bed appointments ... it does work well in a salon that is not busy, but I am not sure that is a very desirable description of a salon.

Sometimes in my opinion ... paper than be better than computer ... and in my opinion this is one of those times ... do not like the idea of mucking with setting up an appointment on the computer when you could be serving one of those 5 clients that are waiting, by just writing in on the appropriate day and time on the manual appointment book, based of course on the assumption that you take appointments.

With some of the features that I know Helios are working on for V11 both now and in the near future ... this one does not reach the point of being a priority ... just one mans' opinion.

_________________

Andy Thompson
Authorized HELIOS Independent Consultant
877-777-6717
andy@atso.ca
ACT Help Desk[ This Message was edited by: Andy @ ATSO.ca on 2003-12-02 19:42 ]

Neon Beach · 12-02-2003, 07:56 PM

I agree with you Andy, I think that the appt. book feature was just a needed selling feature, however as you stated not overly practical in a busy salon. In fact, when you think of it, you don't even have to be busy. All it would take is for a client to call for an appt. while you are in the middle of a sale. You'd have to tell them to call back later, or take the appt. and hope that the time is available when you finally get a change to link to the appt. book. May work well with a couple of computers networked?

Andy · 12-02-2003, 08:11 PM

Yes, with a LAN in place, the picture changes a little if not a lot.

With Preformers ... Hair, Esthetics, Massage ... maybe it changes a little

It has its place ... and could like be crisper in operation .... talked a little to Tony about it tonight ... in a future version of 11 (not the initial release) it will again be able to bring up a client form a booked appointment.

There are just so many other more productive and exciting features being worked on ... this one will keep getting bumped ... Tony focuses on the needs of the 99% not the 1%

Neon Beach · 12-02-2003, 08:14 PM

It's not a big issue for me. In my case the hand written appt. book is just a lot easier to deal with. I'm starting to consider upgrading from my v. 9.4? However, the yearly cost?

Andy · 12-02-2003, 09:54 PM

I guess the question is can you afford not too. If you can answer that YES ... then maybe you do not need to, yet.

V11 has so many features and functions that can assist in generating additional revenue or that will result in cost saving ... I believe that many V9, V8, or prior Users ... will truly need to ask if they can afford not to upgrade.

SunShine TAN · 12-03-2003, 03:54 PM

I think it would be a huge benefit for the appt book to be integrated with Helios. If it there make it to where it functions well and is user friendly. What I would like and think the appt book should do is too be tied in with Helios. It would be great and a huge usability issue if you could set an appt for a customer and have it tied in with the software. For example if Jane Doe calls to make an appt for 5:00 pm, I would like to go in a set the appt, then when she shows up have it to where you can select the person from the appt book and it pulls up the client profile and set the sales code for you then prompts you for how long she would like to go. You should also have it to where if someone try's to book that room at that particular time or the tanning time before, you are given a prompt letting you know that the room is reserved for Jane Doe would you like to proceed anyway, and give you the option to select yes or no. The reason for this is say I reserve a room for somebody in the morning for 5:00 pm but I leave at 3:00 pm and my employees forget to look at the appt book and then go to enter someone in it will prompt them. I don't think this would be that difficult given you already have relationships with Helios and the appt book established ie sales code and name. You have to enter the name anyway make the software more functional.

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12-02-2003, 07:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
Neon Beach I'm Banned Join Date: Nov 30 2000 Location: Ontario Age: 45 Posts: 52,065 Rep Power: 0	Does anyone actually use the Helios appointment book? I have found that it is not very accessible when you are in the middle of a sale, and the phone rings with some who wants to make an appointment. By the time you finish all the clicking and filling in the various info in the windows, you could have written it down three times in an appointment book sitting on the desk. If you were to use the online booking feature in the new ver. Would you be stuck using the Helios appt. book or would it be better to transfer online booking to a written one?

12-02-2003, 07:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
Andy Join Date: Jan 25 2000 Location: CT Posts: 1,760 Rep Power: 9	Come on John ... three times ... are you sleeping ... I bet you could have done it 10 times !!! I am not that familiar with the online booking feature yet, need to get myself up to speed on that one. I have maybe 3 or 4 of the 800ish Helios Users that I have provided service to that actually use the appointment book on the computer for bed appointments ... it does work well in a salon that is not busy, but I am not sure that is a very desirable description of a salon. Sometimes in my opinion ... paper than be better than computer ... and in my opinion this is one of those times ... do not like the idea of mucking with setting up an appointment on the computer when you could be serving one of those 5 clients that are waiting, by just writing in on the appropriate day and time on the manual appointment book, based of course on the assumption that you take appointments. With some of the features that I know Helios are working on for V11 both now and in the near future ... this one does not reach the point of being a priority ... just one mans' opinion. _________________ Andy Thompson Authorized HELIOS Independent Consultant 877-777-6717 andy@atso.ca ACT Help Desk[ This Message was edited by: Andy @ ATSO.ca on 2003-12-02 19:42 ]

12-02-2003, 07:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
Neon Beach I'm Banned Join Date: Nov 30 2000 Location: Ontario Age: 45 Posts: 52,065 Rep Power: 0	I agree with you Andy, I think that the appt. book feature was just a needed selling feature, however as you stated not overly practical in a busy salon. In fact, when you think of it, you don't even have to be busy. All it would take is for a client to call for an appt. while you are in the middle of a sale. You'd have to tell them to call back later, or take the appt. and hope that the time is available when you finally get a change to link to the appt. book. May work well with a couple of computers networked?

12-02-2003, 08:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Andy Join Date: Jan 25 2000 Location: CT Posts: 1,760 Rep Power: 9	Yes, with a LAN in place, the picture changes a little if not a lot. With Preformers ... Hair, Esthetics, Massage ... maybe it changes a little It has its place ... and could like be crisper in operation .... talked a little to Tony about it tonight ... in a future version of 11 (not the initial release) it will again be able to bring up a client form a booked appointment. There are just so many other more productive and exciting features being worked on ... this one will keep getting bumped ... Tony focuses on the needs of the 99% not the 1%

12-02-2003, 08:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
Neon Beach I'm Banned Join Date: Nov 30 2000 Location: Ontario Age: 45 Posts: 52,065 Rep Power: 0	It's not a big issue for me. In my case the hand written appt. book is just a lot easier to deal with. I'm starting to consider upgrading from my v. 9.4? However, the yearly cost?

12-02-2003, 09:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
Andy Join Date: Jan 25 2000 Location: CT Posts: 1,760 Rep Power: 9	I guess the question is can you afford not too. If you can answer that YES ... then maybe you do not need to, yet. V11 has so many features and functions that can assist in generating additional revenue or that will result in cost saving ... I believe that many V9, V8, or prior Users ... will truly need to ask if they can afford not to upgrade.

12-03-2003, 03:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
SunShine TAN Join Date: Nov 21 2003 Location: Kansas Posts: 25 Rep Power: 0	I think it would be a huge benefit for the appt book to be integrated with Helios. If it there make it to where it functions well and is user friendly. What I would like and think the appt book should do is too be tied in with Helios. It would be great and a huge usability issue if you could set an appt for a customer and have it tied in with the software. For example if Jane Doe calls to make an appt for 5:00 pm, I would like to go in a set the appt, then when she shows up have it to where you can select the person from the appt book and it pulls up the client profile and set the sales code for you then prompts you for how long she would like to go. You should also have it to where if someone try's to book that room at that particular time or the tanning time before, you are given a prompt letting you know that the room is reserved for Jane Doe would you like to proceed anyway, and give you the option to select yes or no. The reason for this is say I reserve a room for somebody in the morning for 5:00 pm but I leave at 3:00 pm and my employees forget to look at the appt book and then go to enter someone in it will prompt them. I don't think this would be that difficult given you already have relationships with Helios and the appt book established ie sales code and name. You have to enter the name anyway make the software more functional.

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