Zibster’s tools offer a variety of ways for your customers to book your time and services. This includes our built-in tools like the Form Builder and Scheduler. Many times our support team is asked “which is best for my business”? It all comes down to your specific needs. Each tool has robust functionality that can serve different needs. 

So which tool should I use and when? In this article, we’ll talk about how you can effectively use the Form Builder and Scheduler for your business and how you can set them up to make the most of your Zibster tools.

The Zibster Form Builder is a highly versatile tool. You can create very simple or complex forms to gather information from your clients. The forms are extremely customizable and allow for conditional fields to really dive deep into a customer's needs and options. The form fields can even be connected directly to pricing variables and our ecommerce tools to allow you to take payments. 

Even better, Zibster has pre-built form templates you can pick from as a starting point. There are templates for a variety of event types as well as contracts. Let's look at some ways you can use the Form Builder.

Digital contracts

Easily one of the best features of the Form Builder is the digital signature option. This is a great way to create contracts and agreements for your clients. No more printouts or PDFs, you can send an online form directly to your clients and they can digitally sign it from a desktop or mobile device, saving you time and money on printing costs and documentation. 

Customization for events

Do you have highly customizable booking options? You can create a robust form to collect all kinds of data from your clients. This is great for after someone has booked your services. You can send out a custom form as an onboarding questionnaire to really dive deep into the client’s needs. For instance, if someone books you for a cleaning service, you can send a follow-up form to gather details about the event like:

• What level of service are you looking for? Standard cleaning or deep cleaning?

• Would you like us to use standard cleaning products or organic cleaning products? 

• What hours are best for us to come clean your home or business? 

These are just a few examples of questions that can be answered after you book a client to help drive decision-making. You can complete the forms together in person, over the phone, or even send them to your client to complete on their own. 

With conditional fields, you can create robust forms that present certain questions based on the answers to other questions that essentially keep some questions hidden, unless appropriate. So say you're a salon, and you have an option for hair coloring, if the client selects NO, then they continue down the form no problem. But if they select YES, new questions can appear for the different coloring options available. You can even have pricing attached to each option within this section and collect payment at the end of the form.

If payment options are added to the form, they can see how the price of the add ons and other requests add up. This works nicely to prevent sticker shock, and help clients customize their own packages. Plus, you’ll know exactly what they want and remain in control of the overall services.

Event registrations

Do you host workshops or special events? You can create registration forms to easily collect your clients' details and payments. You can allow them to purchase a “ticket” to an event and you can control how many spots are available, so you don’t oversell an event.

For example, if you set up 10 seats for an event, no more than 10 people can purchase that event. This gives you complete control and peace of mind you have people invested in you.

Surveys

Want to collect data on how your customers think you’re doing? Use the Form Builder to create a custom survey that allows clients to express their opinions. Ask questions to find out what was good, what could be improved, and ask if it's okay to share their responses for your own marketing purposes. You can even end the survey with a prompt to leave reviews on Google or Facebook (make sure to include links).

Surveys are a great way to collect honest feedback. We all need to continuously learn in order to improve, and being able to share client experiences in your marketing is very valuable.

In-studio or on-location appointments

If your business involves appointments with clients, the Scheduler makes sense for your business. You can showcase your calendar of availability right on your website. Better yet, you can control what times you are available (or not).

Pre-paid appointments

The Zibster Scheduler also allows you to take payments, including custom add-on options. For example, if you're a spa allow people to book a service such as a massage and they want a special type of oil or some extra stretching while they are there, you can set those up as add-ons.

The ability to take payment at the same time as securing a spot on your calendar can streamline your workflow and help your clients make commitments.

Connect the Scheduler to your personal calendar

You can connect the Scheduler to your personal calendar with the help of the Scheduler feed. This helps you see what your day looks like when you are on the go.

The Zibster Form Builder and Scheduler are incredible tools that are easy to use and are included with all Zibster accounts! You get access to them right away, from the moment you sign up. 

They are designed to help you book appointments and services, collect data, and get paid. As you can see, they can be used in a variety of ways for different types of businesses. 

Want help building forms or setting up your schedule? Give us a call at 844.353.3412 or log into your account to live chat with our support team. We’d be happy to discuss your options and help you consider which is best for your business needs. Happy booking!