Bluhalo is working with The Therapy Agency to provide a unique service for people looking for all kinds of complementary therapies. The Hampshire-based new media agency Bluhalo, has built one of the most advanced postcode search databases of its kind, allowing businesses and individuals to search for, book and pay for therapists in their area online.
The Therapy Agency is a supplier of complementary therapists to businesses, events, and individuals nationwide. It was established in 1996 by current managing director, Jason, who himself practises Indian Head Massage, Therapeutic Massage, Kinesiology, Reiki and Hypnotherapy. He is based in Reading, Berkshire where The Therapy Agency has its administrative centre. Jason discussed his idea for www.therapy-agency.co.uk with Vimal Patel, Business Development Director of Bluhalo, who specialises in specialist and advanced web-based databases, after a chance meeting at a networking event in the summer.
The site offers an online booking facility for businesses who want to provide complementary therapies to their staff, for individuals who want to find a therapist in their area, and events that want to offer therapies as enticements to visit exhibition stands or to refresh tired visitors.
“Most companies aren’t interested in using their valuable resources to recruit and organise local complementary therapists.” says Jason. “We understand the business environment and our site enables us to provide a whole package, across the UK. It makes the process of organising an office Therapy Day a lot simpler, more efficient and less onerous for the manager.”
A company with many branches can ring The Therapy Agency to arrange a Therapy Day, a day on which one or more complementary therapists visit to work on-site, for its staff. Each branch manager then gets their own log-in from the company’s head office and they can then book and pay for therapy days in advance, or they can make payments for each staff member individually. Alternatively The Therapy Agency can provide each staff member with their own log-in, enabling them to book their own therapy time slot and releasing companies from the burden of organising booking.
Payment can be handled in three ways; the company pays in full for the day, the company subsidises part of the day and then each employee gets a discounted rate for treatments, or the business pays therapy credits into each staff member’s account and the staff can cash them in for treatments when they wish.
The process is just as simple for individuals who want to arrange a therapy themselves. After searching for a therapy and a therapist in their area using the postcode search, they then book a time slot. An email is generated by the system asking the therapist to contact the patient directly to sort out the details. Once the therapist has arranged the appointment, the therapist confirms the time with the system, the system then sends a confirmation email to the client and the therapist and also sends a map with specific directions to the therapy room. After the session a feedback form is generated and sent to the client to be returned to The Therapy Agency, which feeds back to the therapist accordingly.
Bookings for events, such as conferences, exhibitions, or product launches, can be handled the same way, by the organiser contacting www.therapy-agency.co.uk and searching for therapists in the relevant area.
Most of the therapists on www.therapy-agency.co.uk have clinical rooms at home or a therapy room that they share. They are also able to travel to other people’s homes or offices. Jason does not charge the therapists to join, but The Therapy Agency receives a small commission from each booking. The Therapy Agency is appealing to practitioners, not least because clients pay in advance, which eliminates the risk of not being paid if the appointment is missed.
To register with The Therapy Agency, the practitioners fill out an application form, send a copy of their CV, with a covering letter, along with copies of their qualifications, certificates and insurance documents. The Therapy Agency interviews applicants and contacts their previous clients for feedback and testimonials. Successful applicants agree to a detailed Code of Ethics & Practice, sign a consultancy agreement and can access a range of support facilities through their own secure area of The Therapy Agency website.
The web site was an intriguing build for the Bluhalo team www.bluhalo.com. “As far as we know”, comments Vimal, “there is nothing like it on the web. The advanced web-based database was built in MySQL with a pro-extension module, and the site is being hosted by NTT Verio on a dedicated server.”
“Before I met Vimal I had approached lots of new media agencies,” says Jason, “and the majority of them were small companies who I felt did not have the right experience or expertise. Bluhalo offered the attention to detail that I knew I was going to need. Their portfolio was impressive, they were more cost-effective, and they made it clear that they understood my vision for the site. Once the site is up and running we are aiming to offer vouchers that can be redeemed online and put towards therapies – that’s my next goal.”