Podiatry practices: booking insole collection appointments

Let patients book a short appointment online to collect their insoles and check the fit with the practice's podiatry assistant, once the insoles are ready. Create a dedicated collection service with short slots on set days, and say in the description what to bring, how long it takes and what happens if something doesn't feel right. Patients pick a time instead of calling to ask if their insoles have arrived, the assistant hands over and checks each pair without interrupting the podiatrists, and anything that needs adjusting goes back to the podiatrist.

A collection appointment is short and doesn't need the podiatrist. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service, sits within one day and has its own capacity. Give each slot one place, so one patient books each collection.

Durations are examples: set your own. The price field is optional; leave it empty if collection is included in the insole fee.

Insoles take time to make, and patients shouldn't book a collection before they're ready. Say in the description that patients book once the practice has told them the insoles have arrived, by message or phone. Your public page lists every open service, so if you want to avoid early bookings, name the service clearly, for example "Insole collection (once we've told you they're ready)".

When the insoles arrive, reception can also book the collection directly from the calendar and send the patient the date; first and last name are required, email and phone optional, and the patient receives a confirmation with a calendar file if you enter their email.

The booking form takes first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note that reaches you in the new booking email and appears in the patient's calendar file. Say in the description:

Since the note appears in the calendar file, ask patients not to write health details there; ask instead which shoes they'll bring.

The assistant checks that the insoles fit the shoes, that the patient can walk comfortably, and explains how to break them in and look after them, according to the podiatrist's instructions. If something is wrong, such as pain, rubbing or a poor fit in the shoe, the assistant notes it and the podiatrist decides what to do.

A check a few weeks later shows how the patient is getting on. Book it at the end of the collection appointment, either with the assistant or in the podiatrist's service if a review is planned. Rescheduling works across services, so a check can move to the podiatrist's slot if needed.

Each online booking takes one place, so a parent collecting insoles for two children books two slots, one after the other if both are free. Ask the parent to enter their own name in the booking and each child's first name in the note, and to bring the children with their school shoes and sports shoes, so the assistant can check the fit in both.

Group collection slots on the days the assistant is in, such as late afternoon, when patients can come after work. Slots repeat each week on the weekdays you choose until an end date.

Include the booking link in the message telling the patient their insoles are ready, so they can book straight away from their phone.

Patients can't move or cancel bookings online: they call reception, and you move the appointment from your bookings list. If the insoles are delayed, cancel or move the bookings and tell each patient yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book doesn't send reminders. Bookings sync with Google, iPhone or Mac calendars. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.