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OpenCal was created to give users greater control over setting, managing and following up with appointments. Setting appointments can be a tiresome chore. Professionals and clients wind up playing phone tag just to see when the other is available to meet. OpenCal simplifies the process by giving professionals and companies a way to accept appointments online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The client can submit the details through OpenCal so there is no need for a phone call. OpenCal also provides reminders to reduce no shows and requires no training to use. Professionals can manage clients and improve their customer service capabilities which can help them grow their business (and profitability) through customer satisfaction.

OpenCal was founded in February of 2007 by Arash Shiva and Simon Vallee. Today, the team remains small (around five individuals), including Marketing Director Darren Negraeff. Shiva is president and designer and Vallee is also a designer and the company CEO. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, OpenCal offers its users many helpful tools to improve their customer relations and make appointment setting much easier. OpenCal was acquired by Groupon in 2011. New versions of the software will be available as Groupon Scheduler.

There are many tools available to help professionals manage customer relations. OpenCal offers a specialized tool that works very well. Users can set up appointment forms quickly online. Customers can choose services, desired time, add their contact information and schedule the appointment. There is no need to play phone tag and the customer will receive a reminder to help reduce the chances of a forgetful no show.

OpenCal is very professional and attractive, making it a great choice for businesses or freelancers who want to improve their customer relationships. The forms used are simple to understand and clutter free. The user is even given the option of using an OpenCal website (which comes search engine optimized) or integrating OpenCal into their existing website.

A new user can register for OpenCal by clicking on the orange “Get started for free” button found at the bottom, right hand corner of the homepage. The user is given a free trial but will eventually have to choose between two paid memberships. No billing information is required to set up the free trial. The form along the right hand side of the page requires a first and last name, valid email address, business name, username, password and terms of service agreement. After entering the details and checking the terms of service check box, the user can click the green “Create my Account” button to complete registration.

Once the free trial ends (which happens after ten appointments have been booked), the user will have to select one of the monthly subscription plans. The Solo Plan includes on staff member, unlimited appointments, phone and email support and access to all OpenCal features. This membership costs just under $20 per month. The Team Plan upgrades to include up to ten staff members and costs just under $40 per month. Regardless of which plan the user wants, they are given access to the free trial which includes all available features.

OpenCal is ideal for small businesses or independent professionals that need a better way to book appointments and improve customer relations. Being detailed and keeping a solid schedule is a good way to please customers. Accepting appointments online, anytime is another helpful tool that customers can appreciate. Users can make it much easier for their clientele to book their time through OpenCal.

• Set up a professional search engine optimized OpenCal website
• Integrate the booking button into an existing website
• Accept appointments online
• Manage appointments through OpenCal
• Set up reminders for clients to reduce no shows

OpenCal video

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