American Farriers Journal
American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.
Scheduling clients is as high on the priority list only because it enables farriers to do what they really want to do — trim and shoe horses, not to mention make money.
Yet, effective and efficient scheduling not only allows you to trim and shoe horses, it likely will enable you to accommodate more clients and make more money.
How a farrier schedules appointments can be quite diverse. Often the client dictates how and when. While that system might be convenient for your client, it might not be in the best interest of your business.
Taking advantage of modern technology ensures that Blasdell, N.Y., farrier Tim Cable spends less time talking and more time shoeing horses.
Scheduling appointments via text message eliminates time-consuming conversations.
Shoeing more horses in one location keeps you working longer and driving less.
Reduce your drive time by using GPS, which will provide you with the fastest routes and steer you away from high traffic volume.
“My customers mostly use text messages to set up appointments,” he says. “Texting saves so much time so I don’t get engaged in much conversation.”
San Martin, Calif., farrier Mike Hayward’s strategy of bundling appointments enables him to take control of his scheduling and spend his time wisely.
“Scheduling multiple horse stops definitely is the way to go, if you can do it,” he says. “We as farriers make the most amount of money by not driving quite so much. I try to schedule my…