What to change
Introduce the external provider before the visitor follows the booking link and describe what the visitor will do there. Confirm the visible provider name by following the actual public booking route.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A booking invitation says the next step opens the practice's appointments on its named booking provider. It tells visitors to check the branch and service before selecting a time.
Put it into practice
Ask your supplier to compare names and logos across the transition. Recognition matters most just before people enter personal details or make a payment, when an unexplained change can feel particularly unsettling.
Use the provider's recognisable public name beside the link. An internal supplier abbreviation will not reassure someone who sees a different full name when the booking screen opens.
What to agree before publishing
Introduce the booking provider by the name visitors will actually see after following the link. Explain its role in arranging appointments with the practice, using the confirmed relationship. Ask the supplier to compare the transition on a phone with the service page that precedes it. A person about to enter contact or payment details needs to recognise why the appearance changed. The explanation should be close to the link, rather than hidden in background information they are unlikely to read before booking.
How to check the result
Someone moving between the two websites can recognise the expected destination and understand the remaining task.
A mistake to avoid
Do not imply that the booking provider is owned by the practice or carries the same branding when neither is true.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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