The problem
A free talk on back pain at the clinic or a local gym can bring in new patients, but places are booked by phone and message and the list ends up in a notebook. If you run one talk a month and spend 2 hours taking bookings, sending details and chasing, that's 2 hours a month before the talk starts.
What the AI does
Bookwhen is an online booking system for classes and events. Its Free plan takes up to 50 bookings a month for free events, with 1 team member. You set up the talk with a capacity, share the booking link on social media and at the venue, and Bookwhen keeps the attendee list. Afterwards you follow up only with attendees who agreed to hear from you.
A worked example
A chiropractor in Swindon runs a free 45-minute back-care talk each month for up to 20 people. Booking moves to Bookwhen's Free plan, and the link goes on the clinic's Facebook page and a poster at the local gym.
Before
2 hours a month on bookings by phone and message
After
About 30 minutes a month checking the list and sending a follow-up to those who agreed
What it's worth
About $100£75€89A$144C$141 a month of the chiropractor's time saved, at an assumed $67£50€60A$96C$94 an hour, and the plan is free. That's 1.5 hours a month; if one extra attendee a month becomes a patient for 5 visits at $60£45€54A$86C$85 that's about $210£158€188A$303C$297 more in profit at an assumed 70% margin.
How to set it up
- Sign up for Bookwhen's Free plan and check its limits: 50 bookings a month, free events only, 1 team member.
- Set up the talk with a date, place and capacity, and ask only for name and contact details.
- Ask attendees whether they'd like to hear about future talks or the clinic, and keep a record of who agreed.
- Share the booking link on your social media, website and a poster where the talk is held.
- Keep the talk general, and offer an assessment in clinic to anyone who wants advice about their own problem.
What goes wrong
- Claims made in a talk or its booking page are advertising too. Keep to what you can evidence under the CAP code and GOsC or GCC guidance.
- People may volunteer health details when booking. Don't ask for them, and delete any that come in.
- Emailing attendees about the clinic needs their consent under PECR. No consent, no marketing emails.
- Charging for the talk, or sending reminder emails, needs a paid plan.