CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) (http://www.groupon.com)
announced the pilot launch of Groupon Scheduler, the latest addition to
its suite of merchant productivity tools. Groupon Scheduler is an online
appointment service giving merchants an easy way to manage their
schedules and accept bookings directly from consumers. Business 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 email. The
service can be used to take appointments for Groupon features or as a
freestanding tool to manage a merchant's entire calendar.
Groupon Scheduler seamlessly integrates into the Groupon deal process.
Once they've purchased a Groupon deal, consumers can schedule or cancel
appointments through their account on Groupon.com in just seconds. Both
consumers and merchants get immediate email confirmation of each
booking, as well as automated email reminders 24 hours before scheduled
appointments. Merchants 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.
"Simplicity and ease of use were top priorities for Groupon Scheduler,"
said Mihir Shah, a Vice President of Product at Groupon. "We wanted to
create a tool that would not only make the Groupon feature process
easier for merchants, but also help them run their businesses on an
ongoing basis beyond their Groupon deal. We're excited to debut another
user-friendly service created by Groupon specifically with small
business owners in mind."
Groupon Scheduler is particularly well suited to spas, salons and
scheduled activities. "We've been looking for an online scheduling tool
that can also handle multiple employee schedules and services. Groupon
Scheduler does just that," said Sallie Zvolanek, owner of Wind-N-Willow
Specialty Shop and Spa in Sacramento, CA who is participating in the
pilot program. "Now that our scheduling is automated, our employees have
more time to focus on other priorities. We especially like the fact that
Groupon Scheduler automatically sends confirmation and reminder emails
for appointments to cut down on no-shows."
Groupon Scheduler can assist tens of thousands of appointment-based
Groupon merchants who have been looking for an easy-to-use online
scheduling solution and will be offered as a free service to merchants
running Groupon deals during this pilot. The product is based on
technology from OpenCal, a startup founded in 2009 in Vancouver, Canada.
Groupon acquired OpenCal in September 2011.
Groupon Scheduler will be available to Groupon merchants and consumers
in Sacramento and Miami beginning on December 7, 2011 and expanding to
other markets soon after. Merchants can register at http://www.groupon.com/scheduler
to be notified when Groupon Scheduler is available in their city.
About Groupon
Groupon (NASDAQ:GRPN) launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a
daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in 45 countries
around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer huge
discounts and provide a win-win for business and consumers, delivering
more than 1,000 daily deals globally. To subscribe for the best deals in
your city, visit http://www.groupon.com.
To learn how to become a featured business, visit http://www.grouponworks.com.
Groupon
Chad Nason, 312-662-7657
Chad@groupon.com
thenewsmarket.com/groupon
Source: Groupon
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