During the Sign Up process on the Online Booking Widget, the patient receives a unique verification code by text and is asked to enter that code to finish the appointment booking request. This is by design and there isn't a way around it.
The benefits of verifying the phone number are -
- This guarantees that the cell phone number can be texted
- This allows you to avoid bogus appointment requests created by users or internet bots
- Patients can receive appointment reminders reducing the chances of no-shows
We understand that it is a 1-extra step, but a very important one in ensuring the patient can receive appointment reminders via text messages and can be contacted by phone at any point e.g to request a change in appointment time or cancellations, etc.
If a patient already used the Online Booking Widget in the past, then they have an existing account and they do not have to go through the verification process again. This means they just need to enter the same email and password or click "Reset Password" if they forgot their password from the last time to use the Online Booking Widget.
To learn how patients can Reset Password on the booking widget, click https://intercom.help/carecru/en/articles/3175553-how-to-reset-password-in-online-booking-widget