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Scenario for Using the Appointment Booking System

This topic gives one example of how the Appointment Booking System might be used. You might use the Appointment Booking System differently, depending on your business model.

A cable service company employs customer service representatives who answer calls from customers who want cable service installed. The cable installation requires that customers are present to let the field service engineer into their homes. Customers generally do not want to spend the entire day waiting for the engineer to arrive. They prefer that the service representative provide them a time range when the engineer will arrive.

When a customer calls to schedule the cable installation, the service representative asks the customer for an approximate time when he expects to be at home. The customer service representative then attempts to book an appointment for this approximate time. During this process, the ABS provides a time window when the field service engineer can arrive. The customer service representative can then book the appropriately skilled field service engineer for a time range. Installing the cable takes about an hour, so the service representative might give the customer a time slot from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Booking field service engineers for a time range and not a specific time allows some leeway if problems occur (for example, traffic jams or activities that take more time than anticipated).