Equans France: How to eliminate hundreds of calls with online appointment scheduling

"We have eliminated hundreds of phone calls and given our teams their time back."

Organizing maintenance for 5,000 apartments a year without overwhelming the switchboard: this was the challenge Equans France faced overnight after its internal appointment scheduling application was shut down. Julie Porte, Deputy Business Manager, looks back at the implementation of Joynit and how the solution has changed daily life for her teams.

Overview

"My name is Julie Porte and I am a Deputy Business Manager at Equans France."

I work in a department that manages maintenance contracts for air conditioning, heating, and ventilation. We primarily work in residential complexes, but also for local authorities and commercial buildings.

The context: 5,000 apartments to schedule every year

Each year, the company must organize maintenance for nearly 5,000 apartments, which represents a very high volume of appointment scheduling.

Before Joynit, an internally developed application allowed occupants to book their own service slots. This application was no longer maintained: no more updates, some features became unavailable, and there was a GDPR compliance issue, which ultimately led to its shutdown.

Overnight, all appointment scheduling fell back onto the administrative assistants.

"Our assistants found themselves managing hundreds of calls. It completely disrupted our daily routine."

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Why we chose Joynit for appointment scheduling

The goal was simple: quickly find an online appointment scheduling solution without having to launch a complex IT development project. The Equans methods team then identified Joynit.

Several factors made the difference: a solution that was immediately operational, a platform adaptable to their business, rapid implementation, and hands-on support.

"We didn't have any particular concerns. We felt there was real support and a solution that directly addressed our needs."

Quick adoption and autonomous teams

The teams quickly mastered the tool. Thanks to the various support sessions held during the rollout, getting started was simple.

Today, they manage their own appointment campaigns, available slots, schedule changes, and the blocking of slots that are no longer needed.

"Before, whenever we wanted to change something, we had to go through our development department. Today, we are autonomous."

The observed benefits

A significant drop in switchboard calls

The primary benefit is immediate: tenants book their own appointments. As a result, there are far fewer calls to the switchboard and less demand on administrative assistants. Lines remain open for truly urgent requests, particularly for troubleshooting and repairs.

"It takes a huge load off our switchboard."

Greater autonomy in scheduling interventions

The team can adjust its campaigns in real time. They can modify time slots as needed without relying on a developer or an IT provider. This level of flexibility was impossible with the previous solution.

A better experience for occupants

Occupants can now book their own time slots, reschedule their appointments themselves, and, most importantly, receive automatic reminders before each visit. Previously, even the smallest change required a call to the switchboard.

"The fact that residents can change their appointments themselves is a real plus. And I believe, even though we don't have precise statistics to confirm it, that we have fewer missed appointments today, thanks in large part to the automatic reminders sent before each visit."‍

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A solution recommended to other agencies in the group

The experience was convincing enough to be recommended to other Equans group agencies facing similar challenges.

"It is a solution that is truly well-suited for activities involving a high volume of appointment scheduling. It helps alleviate the entire administrative burden, which is very heavy."

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