Groupon announced the launch of a new online appointment calendar called Groupon Scheduler. It’s designed to provide Groupon merchants with an easy way to manage their schedules and accept bookings from customers.
“Groupon Scheduler grew out of technology from our September 2011 acquisition of OpenCal, an innovative company founded in 2009 by product designers Arash Shiva and Simon Vallee in Vancouver, Canada,” says Groupon VP and GM of Retail Solutions David Katz. “We recognized that there were thousands of appointment-based Groupon merchants looking for a simple way to implement online scheduling. Groupon Scheduler can accommodate schedules for different employees, services, and business locations, allowing consumers to book appointments without having to call or email.”
“Groupon consumers can book appointments with participating merchants through their account on Groupon.com and will receive a reminder email 24 hours before the scheduled appointment,” he explains. “In addition to booking Groupon clientele, merchants can place a ‘Book Now’ button on their website to schedule non-Groupon appointments and manage their entire calendar.”
The product is available via a pilot program in Sacramento and Miami to begin with, with plans for expansion throughout U.S. markets and internationally in the near future. It’s a little surprising that they didn’t start with their hometown Chicago.