When existing Clients Book Online and input slightly different details to what is recorded in the original Client Profile this can cause the creation of a duplicate Client Profile.
The fields Nookal uses to match a Client record in the Legacy Online Bookings portal are Name, Email Address, Mobile Number, DOB, Street Address, City/Town, State and Postcode.
The fields Nookal uses to match a Client record in the New Online Bookings portal are Name, Email Address, Mobile Number, and DOB.
If the client inputs different data for any of these listed fields in the Online Bookings portal compared to what is saved on their Client Profile, or any additional data, this can create a duplicate Client Profile.
It is not uncommon for practices to have Clients that share the same First and Last Name, and we do not want even the smallest chance that these unique Clients get merged together.
The next sections outline ways to overcome the creation of duplicate Client Profiles.
Online Booking Code
To help mitigate the creation of a duplicate Client Profile the Client is emailed a unique Online Booking Code after they make their first Online Booking. They can then use this code to make future Online Bookings instead of re-entering their personal details again, which means there is no chance of a duplicate Client Profile being created.
Using the Online Booking Code also has the added benefit of speeding up the Online Booking process for the Client. This code can also be located via Clients > Profile > Settings > Online Bookings.
Confirm the Client's Details
We recommend confirming a Client's personal details with them at the time of the appointment to avoid having a duplicate Client Profile created. The Client can also be provided with their Online Booking Code at this time.
Block New Clients from using Online Bookings
Additionally, there is a method to completely block the possibility of a duplicate Client Profile being created via Online Bookings. This involves turning off the ability for new Clients to make Online Bookings (and therefore, no duplicate Client Profiles can be created).
To enable this option navigate to Setup > Extensions > Online Bookings > (choose your location) > Registration > Select the 'Blocked' checkbox > Save Changes.
When this option is enabled, if a new Client (or a Client entering data that doesn't exactly match an existing Client Profile) attempts to make an Online Booking, they will receive an error stating that they need to call the practice to make a booking.
Merging Client Profiles
Lastly, if a duplicate Client Profile is created, this can be merged into the original Client Profile by following the steps outlined here.