Login Process Correction

Hi, 

Currently the booking process is: Select Time slot >> Login / Register >> Checkout >> Confirm

It would be much more helpful to correct time zone issues if the process was: Login / Register >> Select Time slot >> Checkout >> Confirm

Then the time zone could be set as part of the process instead of separately having to register and login before using the booking app. The link chain is then broken.

I'm trying to get around this fault but it seems pretty much unsolvable at present without first registering. And then coming back to the booking form.

 This doesn't work for me because I use a tag on an external site to bring the visitor straight into a specific EMPLOYEES forms/service. 

If the visitor has to register first, that process is lost and the user no longer is linked to a specific EMPLOYEE.

 

Hi Stephen,
We would like to inform you that our team is currently researching the possibility of implementing a login popup feature before customers access the timeslot selection page. This enhancement aims to give users the option to display booking times in their correct timezone, ensuring a more accurate and personalized experience.

However, we also understand the importance of a smooth booking process. To avoid losing potential customers who might abandon their booking due to an early login requirement, this login popup will remain optional at this stage. Customers will still be required to log in before proceeding to the checkout page.

Of course, if your booking system allows users to book appointments without registration, then this login popup feature may not be necessary.

If you have any feedback or specific requirements regarding this feature, please let us know. We value your input and are committed to providing the best possible experience for you and your customers.

Thank you for your continued support.
Dam

Thanks dam.

What I'm Currently Doing.
It would be best if I showed you the process I have put in place and the problems I have solved so far. But for me specifically, the user comes from a specific website. ie. One of my partner sites which will need to be a specific link to get to the correct Employees booking page. That's the INITIAL/main problem I have to solve.

For example, a partners site would be (this test site): thedrumcoach.online/users/Drummery/index.html

At the bottom of that page I have a section called: Need Guidance from a Real Drum Coach?
This is where the button to the booking process is contained. ie:
thedrumcoach.online/coaching/coach-area/{{USERNAME }}
Which will become:
thedrumcoach.online/coaching/TheDrumCoach

I have a redirect plugin that needs to be manually set for the partner TheDrumCoach. eg:
thedrumcoach.online/coaching/coach-area/TheDrumCoach
Is redirected to:
thedrumcoach.online/coaching/coach-area/booking-coach-9

The above problem is mainly caused by the booking/joomla system adding an ID to the username: "booking-coach-9" instead of "booking-coach" - If this wasn't the the case, I could just link to the username/partner name. booking-coach. And bypass my redirect.

That's the first problem I had to solve which is done by the redirect plugin and json file I have in place on the Joomla site.

The Time Zone Issue.
In order to bypass the issue/problem you mentioned (disturbing the booking process - and users abandoning the meeting process all together)...

I believe an incentive would be required.

Currently if you visit my test site...
thedrumcoach.online/users/Drummery/index.html
And scroll down to the "Need Guidance from a Real Drum Coach?" section, there's a note to read "FAQ Question 1" below before booking.
Then the first Questions describes the process to logon and change timezone before booking.
This is where the process becomes a rigmerole for the user.

Having a dedicated page to register/login would of course help. Especially if there was some kind of incentive such as:

"As part of the booking process you/users are required to register at the site. The purpose of this is to provide you with a free introductory "Booking Procedure Document/Free Mini Course Related to The Booking" (this is the incentive document)".

The incentive for a drummer, in my case would be a free lesson or similar. But related to the purpose of the booking. ie:

Take Free Lesson Before You Book The Service... kinda thing.

The Popup Problem:
I perceive one problem with the popup first idea. I noticed this when creating the simplest process I could at my test site.

Specifically in this line of the "FAQ Question 1": When you're logged in, just click the "Book Your First Coaching or Strategy Session" button above, choose your booking time, and complete the booking process. All displayed times will already be adjusted to your region.

I had to add that line because once legged in... the user would break the chain between; The Partner Site (a Specific Partner Site/Employee)... and the booking system Employee. And they would then gain access to ALL Employees. Thereby losing the connection to the originating Partner. (Employee)

So it would be helpful to:

1: Have A TimeZone Dropdown in the Registration Form itself (I tried doing this with chatgpt but we couldn't solve it). Indeed having a dropdown in the registration form would greatly help even if it was the normal registration form for joomla.

2: Which on clicking Register... redirected to the Specific User Meeting Times. ie:
thedrumcoach.online/coaching/coach-area/booking-coach-9

---

As you can see, some of my problems are specific to me. Because I don't have one company with one set of employees. Instead, the Employees are Partners (Affiliates if you like), and therefore must come into the meeting booking form TO a specific username/Partner. Which as I mentioned, I setup a manual redirect process via a Plugin that sent all users to a redirect file. ( I just need to add new partners to the redirect file - json file)...

Like this:
{
"thedrumcoach": "booking-coach-9",
"drummery": "stephen-hawkins-1"
}

So the only way to get around this was to add the "FAQ Question 1" to make sure users:

1: Register/Are Logged In
2: Changed The Timezone.
3: Then clicked the button to visit the specific Partner Meeting Form

That's how I got around the problem.

As for new ideas. I don't really have any other than the Incentive.

I could then change my existing process to be a 3-Step Process as they do on some websites (3 step block)

1: Register/Login
2: Go through your 5 minute Onboarding/? document/free lesson
3: Book Your Meeting

But the problem (for me), then becomes, can I redirect to the correct/same user/Partner that brought the use here in the first place, after registering.

If I solve my problems with a 3 step process now, I would then need a different plugin to link to a specific Employee from within a Joomla Membership Pro Page. And instead get the users to:

1: Register at this Membership Pro Plan (and be redirected to the 2 step process page).
2: Read the Incentive Document.
3: Book the meeting. (This is where I would need the plugin, so I could dynamically link to a specific partner - the same partner that brought them into the meeting site).

I have bee as brief and clear as I could and given some insights into the problems I have specifically. Hope it helps.

Hi Dam.

I put everything you and I said in the forum post and asked chatgpt. The document is details of a process I havent tested but may look into later to see if its valid. But thought you would know without trying it. See the attached PDF to see its response and a plugin that solved the issue? As I said, I havent checked anything as it goes a bit/a lot beyond my comprehension. File attached. 

Hi Stephen,
Thank you very much for your detailed analysis and the ideas you have shared. I appreciate the time and effort you have put into describing your system’s specific requirements.

Honestly, many of the solutions you have discussed or generated with AI are tailored to your unique setup and workflow. They do not necessarily address the needs of the broader OS Services Booking community. Even as a developer, I find that some of the AI-generated explanations are quite complex and not always directly applicable to our platform.

We will certainly look for suitable solutions, and at this stage, I acknowledge that your ideas are very creative and valuable. However, integrating these features into OS Services Booking in a way that meets the needs of all our users is a separate challenge.

Thank you again for your contribution and for sharing your thoughts with us.
Dam

Thanks. And yeah, I knew that in most part everything was more specific to me. But thought I would bring them to your attention. I will try the AI solutions at some point in the near future so may let you know how I get on with that.

But basically I think the Incentive point was the most important. Along with redirecting to a specific user (unless too... me specific).

Either way. I look forward to your findings.

I actually have one question to ask.

Is it perfectly okay to have lots of Employees? Hundreds or even a thousand or more?

Thanks again

Stephen H.

Hi Stephen,
We would like to let you know that we regularly analyze, evaluate, and summarize data from our customers through our support system. Based on these insights, we design and implement features to ensure they are reasonable and effective for the majority of our users.
As with any application, our extensions are built to work best for their main customer base. It is not possible to perfectly serve every single user, including both the minority and the majority, because doing so would make the system overly complex and difficult to manage.
We appreciate your understanding of this approach and thank you again for your valuable feedback.
Thanks
Dam