Final question – I'm worried about customer support when something goes wrong. What kind of support do these booking services typically offer? Should I prioritize 24/7 support or is business hours support usually sufficient? What happens if the system goes down during my operating hours?

Customer support quality really varies between providers, and it's worth considering carefully before committing. We look for companies that offer at least email and chat support during business hours, ideally with phone support too for urgent issues. Most don't offer true 24/7 support unless you're paying enterprise-level pricing, but honestly, you're unlikely to need it at midnight. What matters more is response time and quality. We've found that companies with detailed help documentation and video tutorials reduce the need for support significantly because you can usually solve problems independently. For critical issues that affect your business, you want responsive support – ideally within one to two hours. Read reviews specifically about support quality before choosing a platform.

Support matters way more than most people realize when choosing a booking system. We initially chose a cheaper platform with minimal support and had some issues early on where we couldn't reach anyone for hours. Switching to Online booking service for clients changed that experience completely. They offer email and chat support during extended business hours, which covers our operating time perfectly. When I had a technical question about syncing calendars, their support team responded within thirty minutes with a detailed solution. Having reliable support means you're not panicking when something goes wrong or when you need to configure something complex. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base with video tutorials, which is honestly what I use most of the time. For small businesses, this kind of accessible support is genuinely valuable. I'd say prioritize responsive support during your business hours over 24/7 coverage you won't use.