Suzi and I jumped on a demo meeting with the Puppy Pals folks (potential client). Suzi was doing the demo. They, the Puppy Pals folks, need real time texting (push notification). Suzi was demoing the messaging stuff that we have out in ecommerce. Their clients need a quick way to get logged in, communicate, and even get automated responses. They really need notifications.

We switched to flex grid and showing limited flex grid options (for entering pets and one-to-many relations between clients and pets). Talking about dashboards. We went back to messaging for a bit - they really want real time text messaging. Deeper talks about wanting automatic messaging and responses. Two-way communications are needed (big time). Even batch messages.

Suzi handed over the demo to me and I helped with some scheduling stuff. Lite show and tell. They like the time down the side and people across the top for their horizontal time views. Lots of other notes and requests. Basically, they have a complex scheduling need. Almost a 3D model. They have time, rooms, and attendants. They have to matchup all of the pieces.

Partway through the demo, I started writing things down... this is kinda rough (my notes) but here is what I recorded in a quick notepad doc...

- Booking and re-booking

- Moving appointments around

- 5-6 clients coming in at a time

- 100 appointments a day

- Logistics of what happens each day

- Need a quick overview

- Docking and sliding appointments into the slot - temp copy and paste to move things around - move all of the pieces - all of the extras - maintain relationships

- Complex appointments - and then rebooking those appointments

- KISS (keep it simple silly) - visually formatting things to work with the team

- Be able to move the data around

- POS integration

- Be able to divide the tips

- Be able to take a deposit on upcoming services - pre-pay

- They have both taxable and non-taxable items and services

- Bill for no show

- Payoff accounts

- Customer credits - in-store credit

- Notes for customers, notes for pets, notes for appointments - two or three years of notes

- Calendar and time-slot issues and needs

- Per appointment - show dog name - show client name - breed - color code(s) - size, appointment type, assistance level

- Conflicts and rules - max out levels - how many rooms may be booked at once

- Conflict notices

- Each location is different - they are trying to grow from two locations to 10+

- Biggest challenges - complexity of the appointments and be able to move things around

- Be able to manage things and move things around

- Everything happens within 15 minutes... they come in, they get serviced, and they get checked out (payment), and maybe get re-booked

- Future dashboard options - financials, scheduling, inventory, etc.

- We want to help you further that (what you are doing)

- These are "dog" (pet) people

- Pare it down... make it look easy... (frontend)

A lot of that we already have. I was just writing down what they were saying so that I had a record of it. One of the ladies on the call was very sharp. Her name was Jen. You could tell that she had some software and development level background. Great questions, responses, and just knew her stuff. I was impressed.