Just launched in a pilot program, Groupon Scheduler is an online appointment service giving merchants an easy way to manage their schedules and accept bookings directly from consumers. Salon owners using Groupon Scheduler can set up an appointment calendar covering all their staff, services, and business locations, allowing consumers to instantly book appointments online without having to call or e-mail. The service can be used to take appointments for Groupon ads or as a freestanding tool to manage a salon’s entire calendar.

Groupon Scheduler seamlessly integrates into the Groupon deal process. Once they’ve purchased a Groupon deal, consumers can schedule or cancel in just seconds. Both consumers and salons get immediate e-mail confirmation of each booking, as well as automated e-mail reminders 24 hours before scheduled appointments. Salons can also add a “book now” button to their own website and use Groupon Scheduler to manage online bookings for all their services — not just those offered through Groupon.

Groupon Scheduler is particularly well suited to spas and salons. “We’ve been looking for an online scheduling tool that can also handle multiple employee schedules and services. Groupon Scheduler does just that,” says Sallie Zvolanek, owner of Wind-N-Willow Specialty Shop and Spa in Sacramento, Calif., who is participating in the pilot program. “Now that our scheduling is automated, our employees have more time to focus on other priorities.”

Salons can register at www.groupon.com/scheduler to be notified when Groupon Scheduler is available in their city.

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