Introducing the 10to8 Accessibility Suite | New Features Q2 2021

10to8 was created to make appointments happen. We set out to create an online appointment booking system where appointments could be scheduled in one click. We understand that customers don’t want to sit on hold for ages and that businesses don’t want no-shows.

But, in 2021, we’ve decided to go one step further. We realized that online appointments are not for everyone. And we also realized that we can fix this.

We’ve bridged the gap between online and offline. We are now making appointments happen for everyone regardless of age, technical aptitude, disability, or access to technology.

With the launch of our new Accessibility Suite, 10to8 is the only fully accessible appointment scheduling software on the market. So, if you’re curious about what this new product suite could bring to your business, here’s a little peek into our latest feature release.

What is the 10to8 Accessibility Suite?

The 10to8 Accessibility Suite bridges between online and offline technologies. We wanted to make a suite of tools that would make appointment scheduling a breeze and empower businesses and their customers to schedule their way – online or offline.

The 10to8 Accessibility Suite was originally designed to help NHS trusts provide the best free healthcare for all of their patients. When we started working with the North East London NHS Foundation Trust last year, they had over 2,000 appointment requests in their email inbox and 10 admin staff battling this backlog every day.

Back then, we managed to clear this backlog in just a few days. However, we believe the 10to8 Accessibility Suite could’ve avoided this problem from arising in the first place.

But the new suite isn’t just for the NHS or large healthcare organizations. It’s for any business that wants to make appointments more accessible for everybody.

Without further ado, let’s look at the features we released with the Accessibility Suite…

Features of the 10to8 Accessibility Suite

Well, all of 10to8’s booking pages are fully WCAG compliant. They work well with screen readers and work alongside our phone booking systems.

This means that, if a slot is available on our website through a business’s online booking page, then it’s also available over the phone via the automated system. There’s complete synchronicity between the two sides to the tool and complete equality for everyone who needs to book an appointment.

Then, we also have our automated phone booking flow. It’s an advanced artificial intelligence that works alongside our regular online appointment booking system. It allows a fully automated and quick scheduling experience for patients or customers. There’s no more queueing in a long hold line – 10to8 always picks up immediately.

On the other hand, there’s also no more tedious admin for businesses either. Receptionists won’t need to manually log every appointment request. People can simply phone in, and the slot appears in the diary.

Overall, it’s a pretty smart range of solutions that make appointments happen for everybody.

Benefits for your business & customers

• Fully WCAG compliant features mean your business and booking page will be accessible to all of your customers

• Complete booking equality

• Phone bookings mean people without internet access or less-tech savvy can still book appointments

• Less admin time for staff members frees up time for other tasks

• No more hold times for customers

Screen reader-friendly booking pages (WCAG-compliance)

The WCAG is incredibly important. WCAG was created by W3C and is a selection of guidelines for making your website as accessible as it can be. Having a website that is WCAG compliant can make your business stand out in the crowd. It’s also the surefire way of making your website usable for all of your customers.

Governments and healthcare organizations are required to follow these standards by law, but it’s not necessary for all types of business. However, if you do choose to follow these guidelines, then you can be certain that your website can accommodate all customers.

To achieve WCAG-compliance on our booking pages, we had to consider what font type and size we’re using, check if images on the pages have alternative texts added if the pages can be navigated with just the keyboard, and much more

We worked hard to ensure that the customer-facing side of 10to8 was WCAG compliant because we wanted a site that has no barriers or obstacles for anyone who wants to use it. Now, we’ve achieved that goal and have the certificate to prove it.

Automated voice booking flow

The second aspect of the Accessibility Suite is our newest feature release: voice bookings.

For those who struggle to use the internet, don’t have internet access at all, or perhaps just prefer ringing up a number, our voice booking feature will come in incredibly handy.

Essentially, you phone a number, and an AI (Artificial Intelligence) will talk you through the entire booking process. Try it out by calling +44 740 108 1028.

No sitting on hold and no trouble if your customers don’t have an email address. Their phone number is automatically captured anyway, so they will receive the necessary reminders.

The 10to8 Accessibility Suite now enables you to provide 24/7 appointment scheduling not only online, but via the phone too. An omnichannel booking process is an accessible booking process.

Omni-channel reminders: text & voice

Just a reminder (see what I did there?), we also have omnichannel communications to support the multi-channel bookings.

We’ve always offered automated and customizable communications via text message and email, but a while back we released voice reminders to cater to those who don’t own a computer or mobile.

Automated voice call reminders are another important part of the Accessibility Suite as they ensure that you reach your customers via the channels they use.

Are you ready for accessible bookings?

Accessibility shouldn’t be a luxury. It should be standard practice for all businesses.

10to8’s Accessibility Suite is designed to help everyone book their appointments quickly and easily. Whether you need simple improvements to your online appointment booking system or just want advanced accessibility for your scheduling page, we have you covered.

For more information and to enable the entire 10to8 Accessibility Suite, get in touch via email or book a call with our Sales Team.