Top of the Class: Appointment-Plus Online Scheduler Calendar Helps Academic Advisors Automate, Improve their Appointment-Scheduling this Fall Semester
Academic advisors at colleges, universities, community colleges and technical schools are finding it easier to manage their students' appointments and information thanks to industry-leading Appointment-Plus online scheduling calendars.
Scottsdale, AZ - August 23, 2011 - The start of the fall semester at institutes of higher education nationwide triggers a tidal wave of students returning to campus to resume their studies and chart their academic careers. This sudden influx also fills the schedules of academic advisors and their office staff, who could have a hard time managing these new student advising appointments if they still book these over the phone and record them in a paper schedule book or spreadsheet. Those that rely on Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar software, however, don't face this common problem.
This includes advisors at Ferris State University, Northwestern University and the University of South Alabama, who all recently began using Appointment-Plus for their scheduling needs.
That's because Appointment-Plus, the leader in appointment calendar software since 2001, gives them the Web-based tools necessary to automate, streamline and improve their student-scheduling processes. It's an all-in-one scheduling solution that benefits both administrators and staff with such functionality as:
- Online student self-scheduling. One of the most popular features, it allows students to self-schedule their own academic-advising appointments when it's most convenient for them, not just during regular office hours.
- Automated e-mail and text message reminders. Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar will automatically send registered students an e-mail or text message prior to their scheduled appointment time. Not only is this a much-appreciated convenience for the student, it can reduce the number of "no-shows" who miss their scheduled session time.
- Robust record-keeping reporting. This feature eliminates the need to keep and manage several different appointment books, spreadsheets, folders and files, as the system securely manages all appointment and student information in one easy-to-access location.
- E-marketing through Constant Contact and iContact. Keeping in touch with students via e-marketing channels is a great way to keep them abreast of news, updates, events and other relevant information. An integration with these two leading e-marketing service providers makes it easy to transfer e-mail addresses from the Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar into a mailing list.
"Scheduling academic advising sessions in the traditional manner can be a burdensome task for advisor and student alike," says Bob La Loggia, CEO of Appointment-Plus. "Advisors and their staff must allot time to answer the phone and manually input the appointment and student information, whereas the student has to pick up the phone and call in the appointment, an inconvenience for many individuals who conduct most of their daily tasks online."
"Our leading appointment-scheduling software simplifies the process through the power of the Internet."
Unlike traditional software systems, Web-based Appointment-Plus requires only an Internet connection to use, with no installations, downloads or additional hardware necessary. Advisors and advising offices simply add a "Book Now" button or URL link to their Web sites, social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter, e-mail and other locations where student visit. Once clicked, the link will take the student directly to their online scheduler calendar, where can then view availability and instantly book their appointments.
Pricing starts at $39 per month, with no long-term contracts. All signups receive a complementary training session with a professional set-up coach during their 15-day free trial.
"Academic advisors and their staff have a multitude of tasks they must manage each day," La Loggia explains. "Now, appointment-scheduling doesn't have to be one of them, thanks to the automation power of Appointment-Plus."
To learn more about Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar and how it can improve your student-scheduling processes, click here.
About Appointment-Plus: Appointment-Plus is the leading online appointment-scheduling system, serving organizations in 11 countries ranging from one-person businesses to Fortune 500 companies. With over 15 million end users across 100 industries, Appointment-Plus is the preferred scheduler for colleges and universities, personal fitness trainers, spas, salons, shipping docks, government agencies, health care providers, financial institutions, tour operators, and many other types of organizations. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., over 70 million appointments have been booked through Appointment-Plus since its launch in 2001.
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