Photo Appointment App - What do you use?

[CThomas817]

I am looking to book some sessions for free for practice to some clients and rather than offering them all a bunch of the same times that will no longer be available by the time the last few respond, I thought to use a booking app. This way they will only see what's available to date. I explored a few online and the ones I came across seem a little inflexible. For example, I only have part time availability and the apps I explored are assuming I am some sort of full time business open the same days/hours every week which is not the case. I want an app where I can only add availability to specific dates and specific hours on those dates.

What do you use?

 

[Light Guru]

Don’t use an app it’s so impersonal. Photographing people is a very personal thing.

Forcing someone to install an app to make an appointment for a once a year or every few years thing is ridiculous. Plus what is their phone is not compatible with what ever app you choose.

On top of all that you are just starting to take appointments it’s not like you are going to have that many people needing to book appointments with you.

Just talk with them and then add the appointment into the calendar in your phone.


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[tecboy]

I rely on iCalender in my iPhone. I don’t trust 3rd party apps. These can give me problems like freeze, bug errors, or crashes.

 

[KmH]

I am looking to book some sessions for free for practice to some clients

From a business perspective if you have hopes of doing retail photography for income offering free sessions is usually a fatal business mistake.

A better alternative is to offer a special, limited time portfolio building promotion discount that leaves the customer paying a substantially reduced price.
You would also be served, from a future business perspective, by offering a very limited number & size of prints/digital files.
And be sure to give each customer a bill that shows the normal price, less the substantial portfolio building discount, so they can tell their friends/acquaintances/family wgat they woulkd have had to pay without the special, limited time discount.

 

[Light Guru]

I rely on iCalender in my iPhone. I don’t trust 3rd party apps.

The OP is not asking about what calendar app to use on the phone (and third party calendar apps are fine). The OP is looking for an app that the person who wants to schedule the appointment with him can use on THEIR phone to make the appointment.

And like I said the OP does not need an app like that.

 

[CThomas817]

Don’t use an app it’s so impersonal. Photographing people is a very personal thing.

Forcing someone to install an app to make an appointment for a once a year or every few years thing is ridiculous. Plus what is their phone is not compatible with what ever app you choose.

On top of all that you are just starting to take appointments it’s not like you are going to have that many people needing to book appointments with you.

Just talk with them and then add the appointment into the calendar in your phone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I dont want them to have to download anything, but rather click a link to go to a website. These are all people I have already spoken to personally, I just think it would make scheduling easier. I am booking 4 clients a day over 4 days so it just seems like it would be a mess to schedule 16 people when I have time constraints. If I wait for everyone to respond so that I don't double offer times I feel like booking is going to take forever and I want to start shooting in 2 weeks. I am doing brief mini session type shoots to get practice with skin tones, varying degrees of outdoor light, etc. Of course I want the photos to be attractive and meaningful for the clients and possibly gain a real client for the future, but as I said I have already spoken to these clients.

 

[CThomas817]

I am looking to book some sessions for free for practice to some clients

From a business perspective if you have hopes of doing retail photography for income offering free sessions is usually a fatal business mistake.

A better alternative is to offer a special, limited time portfolio building promotion discount that leaves the customer paying a substantially reduced price.
You would also be served, from a future business perspective, by offering a very limited number & size of prints/digital files.
And be sure to give each customer a bill that shows the normal price, less the substantial portfolio building discount, so they can tell their friends/acquaintances/family wgat they woulkd have had to pay without the special, limited time discount.

I considered this but since I am just getting started, I felt uncomfortable charging people being unsure if I was going to be able to produce a quality photo for them. I figured that clients pay for your experience and I'm not sure what I would be charging for since I don't have a whole
lot...

 

[CThomas817]

I am looking to book some sessions for free for practice to some clients

From a business perspective if you have hopes of doing retail photography for income offering free sessions is usually a fatal business mistake.

A better alternative is to offer a special, limited time portfolio building promotion discount that leaves the customer paying a substantially reduced price.
You would also be served, from a future business perspective, by offering a very limited number & size of prints/digital files.
And be sure to give each customer a bill that shows the normal price, less the substantial portfolio building discount, so they can tell their friends/acquaintances/family wgat they woulkd have had to pay without the special, limited time discount.

But to your point I agree with offering the regular price breakdown. Thank you for the tip!

 

[Light Guru]

I dont want them to have to download anything, but rather click a link to go to a website.

Still not personal at all.

I am booking 4 clients a day over 4 days so it just seems like it would be a mess to schedule 16 people when I have time constraints. If I wait for everyone to respond so that I don't double offer times

Your cramming too much into too little time. Spread it out. With that much on the plate its going to take you forever to actually be able to deliver the photos. Post processing takes time.

And you DON'T offer the same time to more then one person. When you are speaking with one you let that know what times you have available and you book them, Then when speaking with the next. you let them know what times you have available minus the time the last one booked. If they want to get back to you about a time let them know that its first come first serve and the sooner they get back to you the better the chances of them getting the time they want is.

as I said I have already spoken to these clients.

And thats when you should have scheduled a time.

If you force them to book online I'm betting you wont book all 16 of them.

 

[CThomas817]

I dont want them to have to download anything, but rather click a link to go to a website.

Still not personal at all.

I am booking 4 clients a day over 4 days so it just seems like it would be a mess to schedule 16 people when I have time constraints. If I wait for everyone to respond so that I don't double offer times

Your cramming too much into too little time. Spread it out. With that much on the plate its going to take you forever to actually be able to deliver the photos. Post processing takes time.

And you DON'T offer the same time to more then one person. When you are speaking with one you let that know what times you have available and you book them, Then when speaking with the next. you let them know what times you have available minus the time the last one booked. If they want to get back to you about a time let them know that its first come first serve and the sooner they get back to you the better the chances of them getting the time they want is.

as I said I have already spoken to these clients.

And thats when you should have scheduled a time.

If you force them to book online I'm betting you wont book all 16 of them.

I appreciate the insight and I will revisit my approach. I would typically book people individually over the phone or through email but for mini-sessions I thought this would be more efficient. Both pro photographers I have used for my children use a scheduler like I am mentioning for holiday/themed mini sessions when there is high volume so I thought maybe it was commonplace. Thanks again.