A typical client and booking journey in Bookem

See how simple, powerful, and connected your workflow can be

Whether you're new to Bookem or just getting ready to dive in, this walkthrough will show you how easy it is to manage a complete client journey - from their very first booking all the way through to notes, payments, and even referral letters.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of how Bookem helps you:

  • Save time with built-in templates, quick actions, and auto-filled forms

  • Deliver a seamless, professional experience to your clients

  • Keep everything in one place - from appointments and clinical notes to invoices and payments

  • Spend less time on admin and more time doing what you do best

📌 Pro tip: Try it yourself as you go

We’ll walk you through an example using a fictional client, Emma Clarke - but we recommend following along using your own phone number and email address so you can test how forms, messages, and reminders actually work. It’s the best way to experience Bookem as both the provider and the client.

Let’s get started 👇

1. Booking Emma in

Head to your Calendar, click any available time slot, and you’ll see the booking dialog pop up.

Type “Emma Clarke” into the search bar. Since she’s new, click Create "Emma Clarke" to open the client setup dialog.

Use your own phone number and email for testing - this is key to experiencing the client side later.

Once you’ve added Emma’s info, click Create.

Now choose a service - let’s go with Initial Consultation.

You can also:

  • Adjust the time

  • Assign another team member

  • Add multiple services to a single booking

Click Book, and Emma is officially in your calendar.

What just happened automatically:

  • A confirmation message was sent to Emma via SMS and email

  • A unique link to an Intake form was attached

  • Automated reminders will be sent ahead of each appointment

  • Emma's client profile was created in Bookem

2. Experience the client journey

Emma immediately receives an SMS or email with the intake form.

Click the link to see the form from her perspective this helps you understand what your real clients will experience.

Bookem pro tip: You can customise which forms are sent per service in you Forms

3. Get notified when the form is completed

Once Emma submits the form, your team is notified (via email, SMS, or in-app).

You can:

  • Click the link in the notification

  • Or go to Emma’s client profile and find it under Forms

Forms can be:

  • Viewed instantly

  • Downloaded as PDFs

  • Printed for physical records

Smart syncing: Any fields in the form that are mapped to the client profile - like email, phone number, date of birth, or medical aid details - will automatically update Emma’s profile with the latest info. No need to manually copy it across.

4. Generate an invoice in a few clicks

After the session, it’s time to create an invoice for Emma.

You can:

  • Click New invoice from the booking

  • Or go to Accounts > Invoices

If the service has linked line items, Bookem will auto-fill them into the invoice. You can also:

  • Add more line items manually

  • Include ICD-10 codes

  • Link additional bookings to the same invoice

Once ready, choose:

  • Finalise to save it

  • Finalise & send to deliver it right away

  • Or Finalise & pay to allocate a payment

The invoice message will auto-populate using your default template. You can customise this under:

Settings > Payments & Invoicing > Messages

5. Record a payment

You can record a payment before or after sending the invoice.

  • To record it immediately, use Finalise & pay when finalising the invoice.

  • Or open an existing invoice and click Add payment.

You can also create a payment directly under Accounts > Payments > New.

Choose the payment method, link the invoice, and enter the amount.

Bookem keeps everything connected - from invoices to payments to client history.

6. Add client notes (and use documents for referrals, scripts, and more)

After your session with Emma, it’s time to add your notes. Open the booking from your calendar and click Documents.

You can type freehand notes directly into the document, or start with a document template for a more structured and professional format.

Document templates help keep your notes clear, consistent, and easy to reuse

Whether you're recording a session summary, drafting a treatment plan, or preparing a follow - up document, templates make it quick and efficient.

But documents aren’t just for notes—you can also use them to create and send:

  • Referral letters

  • Sick notes

  • Prescriptions

  • Home programmes

  • Any formal document your practice needs

All of these can be created using your own branded templates, and generated directly from the booking, from the client profile, or even from an existing note.

In your document, you can also:

  • Use # to quickly insert ICD-10 codes or custom tags

  • Upload and annotate images

  • Attach supporting files like lab results or reports

When you're done, click Save to store the document securely - it will be linked to the client profile for easy access.

You can also choose to email the document directly to the client or another provider, or download it as a PDF for printing or sharing.

Everything is stored in one place, so you and your team can quickly find and reuse the documents you need.

Some more helpful information

  • Once you're comfortable with how it is that Bookem generally works, here's a checklist for getting your business set up optimally.

  • Also, our Help section is packed with info about topics & keywords you might need answers on.

  • Here are some useful areas to explore next:

  • Customise your Line Item Groups, which is how Bookem makes it easy for businesses to create groups of procedure codes/line items for easier invoicing

  • Check out our Getting Started guide