The Problem with Booking Apps Today? They’re Not Karl Konnekt.

Solo Service Providers Deserve Better: Booking, Communication & Payment Frustrations

Independent service providers – from personal trainers and yoga instructors to tutors and coaches – often juggle every aspect of their business alone. This includes scheduling clients, keeping in touch between sessions, and handling payments, all on top of delivering their actual service. Our research (with an emphasis on German-speaking Europe first, then broader Europe and English-speaking countries) reveals a consistent theme: the tools available for booking, client communication, and payments aren’t fully meeting solo providers’ needs. Below we break down the biggest frustrations and unmet needs, with both general findings and industry-specific insights for fitness, wellness, and education sectors.

At a Glance: Common Frustrations for Solo Instructors

• Disjointed Booking Systems: Many rely on piecemeal solutions or manual methods (pen-and-paper calendars, spreadsheets) because existing scheduling apps feel inadequate. One veteran trainer admitted she “tracked all my client scheduling the old school way” and nearly “gave up and stick to [her] old ‘penciling in’ method” after finding no modern app that met all her requirements (...). This highlights how current tools often force workarounds or multiple apps to cover needs.
• Client Communication Gaps: Independent instructors struggle with keeping clients informed and engaged outside of sessions. Scheduling apps send basic confirmations, but there’s usually no easy way to chat, send bespoke updates, or let clients see their progress/schedule. For example, one tutor lamented that her students “cannot view a list of their upcoming lessons” on Calendly and don’t even get cancellation confirmation emails (...) – leaving her to fill the communication void manually.
• Payments & Billing Hassles: Handling payments is a major pain point. Either the booking software doesn’t support the way they bill (packages, subscriptions, etc.) or it charges high fees. Many solo providers resort to separate invoicing, cash, or bank transfers, creating extra admin work and uncertainty. As one coach-focused review noted, “Calendly does one thing – schedules one session at a time” and any payments are one-off, meaning you “can’t sell a package of 4 sessions” or set up installments through it (...) (...). Instructors end up tracking these packages or recurring payments on their own.

These issues are consistent across regions. In German-speaking countries (Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz), many independents have been slow to adopt heavy enterprise systems, instead patching together simpler tools – which brings its own frustrations. The rest of Europe and other markets echo similar complaints: solo professionals feel existing platforms (like Calendly, Mindbody, Square, etc.) are either too limited, too complex, or too generic for their real-world needs. Below we dive deeper into each of the three focus areas and how these challenges manifest, followed by specific nuances in fitness, wellness, and education contexts.

Booking & Scheduling Headaches

Efficient scheduling is crucial for solo businesses, yet current booking tools often create new headaches:

• Back-and-Forth Scheduling & Double-Bookings: Without a reliable system, instructors spend far too long coordinating by email/phone. Traditional online schedulers like Calendly did reduce email tag, but they have limitations. Many professionals in D/A/CH still fall back on manual methods (or basic tools like Doodle polls or Excel) to avoid confusion – but this can lead to human error like double-booking or forgotten appointments. A U.S. personal trainer asked peers how they schedule clients and got answers ranging from Calendly “worth the price” with auto-reminders, to others simply using “Pen and [paper] calendar/date book” to stay organized (...). The fact that some still stick to pen and paper in 2024 underscores how existing software hasn’t fully won their trust.

• One-Size-Fits-All Tools (or One-Size-Fits-None): Generic scheduling apps are built mainly for one-off meetings, not the nuanced scheduling needs of instructors. For instance, Calendly cannot handle multi-session bookings or programs – it forces clients to book sessions one by one. Coaches find this “worst feature” because they “work with people over time” and need clients to easily schedule a series or package of sessions (...) (...). Similarly, a tutor using Calendly had to send separate links for every lesson; in her words, even the paid plan didn’t “give me the features I sought for myself and my students,” leading her to cancel it (...).

• Missing Features for Classes and Packages: Solo wellness instructors and educators often offer group classes or lesson packages, which many scheduling platforms don’t handle well. A German yoga teacher starting a studio noted that Calendly lacked class-pack and drop-in pass functionality (it required a “laborious workaround” to sell a 6-class package) (...). She was surprised these features “were not already there” in either Calendly or Acuity (...) (...). Key capabilities instructors look for include: recurring class schedules (set a class that repeats weekly without re-entering it), bundle packages (e.g. 5 sessions for a discounted price), and coupon codes or promotions. Calendly in particular was called out for lacking coupons and bundle-pack management (...). Even Acuity (a popular alternative) didn’t initially allow easy recurring group class listings, forcing manual date updates (...). These missing features create “unnecessary pain” for solo teachers who then have to hack the system or use multiple tools.

• Complex, Studio-Oriented Software: On the flip side, robust studio management software like Mindbody does support classes, memberships, and packages – but is geared toward larger studios and comes with complexity and cost that overwhelm a one-person business. Instructors in Europe and the US alike report that Mindbody is “very expensive” for an independent teacher and constantly upsells features designed for bigger operations (...). A yoga instructor in Austria or Germany with just a few weekly classes may not need enterprise-level reporting and marketing add-ons – they just need basic scheduling that works. Yet Mindbody historically locked even simple features (like custom mobile app branding or certain auto-reminders) behind premium tiers. Additionally, many solo providers find Mindbody’s interface unintuitive: “issues being on the user side” are common, such as clients struggling to switch studios in the app or confusion with the clunky UI (...). This has led to a minor exodus: “a lot of places are trying to move away from MindBody… due to rising costs”, one tech-savvy yoga student observed (...). Newer all-in-one alternatives (Arketa, Momence, etc.) have emerged to target this gap, but as we’ll see, they introduce issues of their own.

• Glitches and Setup Troubles: A recurring complaint is that many booking systems – especially newer or “affordable” ones – can be buggy or unreliable. In a yoga instructors’ forum, one teacher venting about a modern platform (Walla) said “the entire migration process was a disaster—full of glitches, endless issues, and constant roadblocks,” to the point she regretted switching from Mindbody (...). Another instructor warned “Stay away from Momence; [it’s] broken [and] buggy… no customer support” (...). Even when the software itself is stable, the setup and learning curve can be a burden for a solo business owner. Implementing a system like Mindbody takes significant time (or money for onboarding). One user noted that “building it out myself was a challenge and took a long time,” and they had to lean on Mindbody’s (paid) setup support to get everything working (...). This is a big ask for an independent operator who doesn’t have an IT team – it’s far easier to fall back to simpler tools or manual methods if the “powerful” software feels like overkill.

In summary, solo providers feel that current scheduling tools either lack the flexibility (in the case of simple apps like Calendly) or lack the simplicity (in the case of complex systems like Mindbody) to cover their booking needs. The ideal would be a solution as easy as Calendly but capable of handling recurring sessions, group classes, and packages without the hefty price or bloat. As one reviewer put it, they want a “smooth process from scheduling to payment” with some personal customization (...) – a balance that few tools achieve for this segment.

Gaps in Client Communication & Engagement

Staying connected with clients is another area where independent instructors are underserved. Unlike larger businesses, solos don’t have receptionists or CRMs handling follow-ups – it’s all on them to make sure clients show up and stay engaged. Key frustrations include:

• Limited Communication Features in Booking Apps: Most scheduling software will send an initial confirmation and maybe a generic reminder, but that’s where it ends. Instructors often need more nuanced communication: follow-up messages, changes to appointments, answering client questions, sharing resources like workout plans or study materials, etc. These usually happen over fragmented channels (email threads, SMS, WhatsApp, social media DMs) because the booking system doesn’t support two-way messaging or content sharing. For example, a personal tutor wished she could set custom notification preferences per student – some clients needed text reminders, others preferred email – but “Calendly for individual students” couldn’t be customized; it only allows one-size-fits-all notifications for all bookings (...). This lack of flexibility means the instructor must manually remember who needs extra pings or use a separate texting service.

• No Client Portal or Self-Service Beyond Booking: Independent clients often cannot log into a portal to see their schedule, payments, or notes, because many tools simply don’t offer a client login area for one-on-one services. This was a pointed complaint from that independent tutor: students had no way to view upcoming lessons or track their own schedule on the Calendly site (...). They had to rely on email notifications or ask the tutor directly. In Germany, where clients might expect a more formal customer portal (or at least an appointment list), this feels like a missing piece. Contrast this with larger systems (e.g. gym software) that have client apps – those may be overkill for an independent teacher, but the absence of any client dashboard in lightweight tools is felt. Some tutoring-specific platforms like TutorBird fill this gap by providing a student/parent portal to view calendars, lesson feedback, etc. (...), but as one tutor noted, those come at a cost (circa $15/month) which some solos find “pricey” (...) if they only need a few core features.

• Managing Reminders and No-Shows: Sending appointment reminders is critical to reduce no-shows (which can otherwise be as high as 20% of bookings if clients aren’t reminded (...)). While almost all scheduling apps can send automated reminders, the frustration for independents is ensuring those reminders suit their clientele and actually get noticed. Not all clients check email frequently; some respond better to SMS or WhatsApp pings. Many solo providers end up double-notifying – e.g. letting the app send an email but also shooting a personal text “See you tomorrow at 10!” – because they can’t risk a missed session. This is extra work they wish software could handle in a smarter way. Tools like Calendly and Acuity do offer SMS reminders on higher-paid plans or through integrations, but configuring those can be non-intuitive. A fitness coach on Reddit praised Calendly for sending “auto text reminders to confirm with clients the day before” (...), indicating that when this works, it’s a huge relief. However, not all independents know how to set that up or are on the necessary plan. In DACH countries, SMS reminders are valued (since WhatsApp/email might not be universally preferred), yet some US-based apps don’t support sending texts to European numbers or lack GDPR-compliant messaging, causing additional concern.

• Group and Broadcast Communication Difficulties: Instructors who teach groups (fitness classes, group workshops or courses) face a challenge in messaging all attendees. Say a yoga teacher needs to cancel tonight’s class last-minute – if her booking app doesn’t have a broadcast email/SMS to all booked students, she scrambles to manually contact everyone. Mindbody and similar systems can send class cancellation notices, but a small-scale alternative like Momoyoga or Calendly might not. Indeed, one yoga studio owner remarked that “all the yoga booking softwares have their flaws”, so you have to choose what you can live with (...). Many simpler tools lack a built-in way to notify all participants of a change with one click. Solo educators running multi-student webinars or group tutoring sessions encounter the same issue. This is an unmet need: integrated group communication for announcements, cancellations, or even just sharing post-session recaps.

• Lack of Integrated Follow-Up: Beyond reminders, solo providers want to nurture client relationships – checking in if someone hasn’t booked in a while, sending motivational notes, or sharing materials (e.g. a personal trainer sending a meal plan PDF, a tutor sending homework). Currently, this usually means maintaining separate email lists or WhatsApp groups, which is time-consuming and prone to forgetting. It’s telling that some emerging platforms advertise “client communication and messaging” as a feature (...) – for instance, OfferingTree (a newer service popular with yoga teachers) markets itself as an easy booking tool with built-in email marketing. The interest in these features indicates how standard scheduling apps have left independents to fend for themselves on follow-ups. In German markets, where professionalism and prompt communication are expected, not having a streamlined way to do this can hurt client satisfaction.

In short, solo instructors feel isolated by their software when it comes to client communication. They crave a solution that not only books appointments but also helps maintain the client relationship – be it through flexible reminders, a client-friendly portal, or integrated messaging. As one experienced personal trainer put it, she needed to “keep up with the demands of the 21st century” in serving clients without losing the personal touch of writing notes and seeing her schedule at a glance (...). Current tools rarely balance those needs; improving this could be a game-changer for independent professionals.

Payment & Billing Frustrations

Handling payments is often the least favorite task of solo providers, and existing tools frequently fall short in making it easier. Some common pain points include:

• Inability to Support Complex Pricing – Independent services aren’t always sold one-session-at-a-time. They might be packages (10 yoga classes for €100), monthly subscriptions (unlimited sessions per month), or installments (pay tutoring fees in 3 parts). Many booking systems, especially generic ones, can’t accommodate these models. Calendly, for example, only recently added simple payment collection per meeting – but, as coaches lament, “you can’t sell a package of 4 sessions for $1000” through it (...). There’s no mechanism for bulk-buy credits or multi-session bookings in one go. Likewise, “Calendly can’t do subscriptions or payment plans,” so any recurring billing has to be managed separately (...). This forces independent instructors to get creative: some use workarounds like discount codes (e.g. have the client book each session with a 100% off code after a package purchase, an error-prone hack), or they maintain a manual tally of sessions paid vs used – essentially an honor system. By contrast, studio software (Mindbody, etc.) does support class packs and memberships, but those systems may be too cumbersome or expensive for an individual. One small fitness class business noted Acuity Scheduling does allow selling packages and memberships – but only on higher pricing tiers (...), which again may not be cost-effective for a one-person operation. The result is a gap where instructors have to choose between (a) simplifying their offerings to fit what software can do, or (b) handling billing outside the scheduling system entirely.

• Multiple Systems = More Work: Because of the above, many solo providers end up using separate tools for scheduling and for payments. For instance, a tutor might use Calendly to book lessons but request payment via bank transfer or PayPal invoice. This disconnect means no automatic enforcement – clients could book a slot on Calendly without paying unless the instructor manually verifies each one. “Calendly can’t stop people from booking once they have your link,” one coaching software blog warned, which means if a client hasn’t paid but has the scheduling link, they can still take a spot on your calendar (...). In Germany and Austria, it’s common that clients prefer to pay by invoice (Überweisung) rather than credit card on a website, so instructors often let them pay offline. But then tracking who paid and following up on late payments becomes a tedious task. Integration between booking and payment is clearly lacking in many cases. When it is present, it’s simplistic: e.g. Square Appointments integrates with its own payment system, but historically Square wasn’t optimized for selling group sessions or packages (...). One yoga tech discussion pointed out that Square’s appointment tool was not built for classes/events (an official rep admitted it’s “not optimized for group classes” yet) (...), so even if it handles single-session payments well (with a low fee), it can’t easily sell say a 6-week course access. European instructors who tried Square also ran into its limited support outside certain countries and currencies, leading them back to manual methods.

• Transaction Fees and Costs: For those who do take online payments through a scheduling platform, cost is a concern. Payment processors take a cut (usually ~2.9% + €0.30 per transaction for cards), and some platforms add their own fees on top or require a paid subscription. Solo wellness teachers often operate on thin margins, so these fees sting. A popular approach by some Europe-based tools is to offer a free or low monthly rate but charge a transaction fee per booking – Momoyoga, for example, has a plan with no monthly subscription but takes a percentage of each class payment (...). This model is great for very small scale or infrequent classes (no upfront cost), but as soon as an instructor grows, they feel the pinch of those fees. On the flip side, a flat monthly fee (like Acuity’s or TutorBird’s ~$15/month) feels expensive when you’re just starting or have few clients. An independent tutor said TutorBird’s all-in-one platform was “pretty awesome but pricey” for her at $14.99/mo (...). In German-speaking regions, providers also worry about tax handling – e.g. if the software doesn’t support adding VAT or generating proper invoices, they must do it manually. This is an unmet need: integrating simple invoicing (with local tax rules) into scheduling/payment software for independents. Right now, many solve it by separately issuing PDF invoices from Word or an invoicing app, which is extra labor and potential for errors.

• Cancellations, Refunds & No-Show Policies: Another headache is how existing tools handle changes in appointments that affect money. Let’s say a client prepays for a session via the booking system and then cancels within the allowed window – the instructor might need to refund or credit that payment. With disconnected systems, this means manual refunds in PayPal or remembering to give a make-up session. Few scheduling tools for solos have elegant solutions for account credits or automatic refund rules. Larger systems do (Mindbody can track class credits, etc.), but again, independents often aren’t using those. Several forum discussions highlight instructors struggling with enforcing cancellation policies. Often they default to doing it manually: e.g. “I’ll mark your session as used since you canceled late” on a spreadsheet, or conversely, forgetting to charge a late cancel fee because the system didn’t do it. This is both a financial loss and a stress point, as solo providers feel awkward chasing payments or enforcing policies without software backing them up.

• Global Payment Needs: With the rise of virtual sessions, many solo educators and coaches now serve clients abroad. This exposed some gaps in payment integrations. For example, a tutor teaching students in China found that her scheduling app’s built-in payments wouldn’t work for those clients – “WeChat Pay integration with 10to8 isn’t supported,” so she had to manually send Stripe invoice links to get paid (...). In Europe, some clients want SEPA direct debit, which few scheduling systems accommodate out of the box. Currency conversion can also be an issue (a UK-based English tutor might want to charge in GBP for locals and in USD or EUR for others – not all systems allow multiple currencies easily). These unmet needs force instructors to either restrict who they take on (e.g. only local currency clients) or to spend extra time on side processes for “special” payments.

Overall, independent professionals are looking for a seamless integration of scheduling and payments that supports their business models. They “deserve better tools” that can, for instance, let a client book a 6-week course and pay once, or subscribe to a monthly plan that auto-bills, all while the system tracks everything. When one user says a platform provided “a reibungsloser Verlauf” (“a smooth process”) “from scheduling creation to booking to payment” (...), it’s high praise – because it’s so rare. More commonly, providers are left piecing together scheduling apps, PayPal/Stripe links, and accounting spreadsheets to get the job done.

Industry Spotlights

The core frustrations above cut across industries, but different sectors have unique twists in their needs. Here we highlight specifics for fitness professionals, wellness/yoga instructors, and tutors/educators:

Fitness & Personal Training

Personal trainers (and similar fitness coaches) often work early mornings to late evenings, splitting their time between training sessions and admin work. A few industry-specific observations:

• Scheduling around Client Lives: Trainers frequently grapple with clients rescheduling or juggling variable work hours. A consistent complaint is the challenge of organizing recurring sessions that might change week to week. If the scheduling software doesn’t make it easy to adjust appointments on the fly or offer alternative slots, the trainer ends up doing a lot of texting and calendar shuffling. In fact, 43% of fitness consumers say not having a consistent schedule is a top reason they lose motivation to continue – which puts pressure on trainers to accommodate changes and keep clients on track (...). That means trainers need flexible scheduling tools (for example, allowing a client to easily pick a different slot within the same week if they can’t do the regular time). Many current tools don’t specifically address this dynamic scheduling need.

• Package Sessions & Accountability: Most personal training is sold in packages (e.g. 10-session packs) or ongoing programs. As noted earlier, general scheduling apps don’t support package booking or tracking well (...). Trainers in Germany and elsewhere resort to manually counting sessions used and remaining – an administrative chore that’s ripe for error. Moreover, since progress is tied to these sessions, some trainers want to log or note what happened in each session. There are specialized coaching software (Trainerize, TrueCoach, etc.) for workout programming and progress tracking, but those often lack scheduling/payment features, meaning a trainer might use one app to plan workouts and another to schedule meetings. This fragmentation itself is frustrating: data isn’t in one place, and clients might need to interact with multiple apps (one to get their workout plan, another to book their next appointment).

• No-Shows and Late Cancellations: For a freelance trainer, a no-show or last-minute cancel is not just lost time but lost income. Enforcing a 24-hour cancellation policy is tough without integrated payments (clients can easily ghost without paying a fee if there was no upfront charge). Trainers express a strong desire for systems that secure bookings with payments or cards on file, so that clients have some “skin in the game.” While tools like Square Appointments or Acuity allow requiring a prepayment or card hold, using those isn’t yet universal in markets like Austria/Germany (where clients might be wary of card pre-charges). Thus, trainers either risk no-shows or spend energy chasing cancellation fees. Better solutions here would directly address attendance – perhaps by letting clients cancel/reschedule within the app but automatically invoking the late cancel policy if past the deadline. The lack of such automated enforcement in many tools leaves trainers doing the dirty work themselves.

• Work-Life Boundaries: Because personal trainers often work non-standard hours, they value tools that help set boundaries. For instance, not allowing clients to book a 6am session on the trainer’s calendar without at least 12 hours notice, or blocking off personal time. Scheduling apps do offer availability settings, but ensuring those integrate with one’s personal calendar is key. One article noted the importance of using an app synced with your personal calendar to avoid overlapping work appointments with personal events (...). Many trainers have felt the pain of accidentally booking a client during what was supposed to be family time or forgetting to block a vacation day. A number of independents in our research specifically appreciated Google Calendar sync features (e.g. 10to8’s integration that updates Zoom and Google Calendar automatically on booking (...) (...)). When that sync works, it’s a relief; when it doesn’t (as can happen if using multiple systems), it’s a recipe for confusion. So, for fitness pros, reliable calendar integration is not a luxury – it’s a necessity to maintain sanity.

Wellness & Yoga Instructors

Yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, massage therapists, and similar wellness providers often run both one-on-one sessions and group classes, sometimes at multiple venues or online. Their frustrations include:

• Overbuilt Studio Software vs. DIY Solutions: Yoga instructors in German-speaking countries noted that “the gold standard” Mindbody was overkill for a solo teacher – expensive and pushy in upselling features they didn’t need (...). As a result, many turned to simpler software. But those coming from using Mindbody at studios found simpler tools lacking polish. One yoga teacher in a forum said all the dedicated yoga booking platforms she’s tried are “a bit glitchy and have their flaws”, so the strategy became to just pick one that has the features she needs and fits the budget (...). This implies an acceptance of compromise: no perfect solution exists, which is itself an unmet need. In Germany/Austria, some local solutions (e.g. Eversports, FitogramPro) have sprung up, promising a user-friendly experience in German. Yet, instructors still report missing features or poor support even with these. The ideal for a wellness instructor is an app that can handle class sign-ups, class packages, and maybe a waiver form, without requiring a tech expert to set up. There’s demand for something as “easy to use” as one Redditor described TeamUp (a smaller competitor) – “way easier to use compared to Mindbody,” with responsive support (...).

• Multiple Teaching Venues: It’s common for an independent yoga teacher to teach at a studio on certain days (where the studio’s system handles booking) and also run her own private classes or privates elsewhere. This means juggling multiple booking systems – for example, using Mindbody at the studio job, and something like Calendly or Momoyoga for private clients. There’s frustration in not having one view of one’s teaching schedule across all venues. In the DACH region, where instructors might rent space in different studios, they often cannot unify those schedules easily. A few have tried to get all their clients onto a single platform by inviting even studio students to book through their personal system, but that’s not always allowed or practical. This fragmentation is an irritation that isn’t addressed by software yet (since each business uses its own system). However, instructors dream of a day where an aggregator calendar could pull from all sources – at least on the back end so they can see everything and avoid conflicts. Until then, they maintain separate calendars and manually block times to prevent overlaps.

• Client Experience & Retention: Wellness is a competitive field, and keeping clients coming back is crucial. Instructors worry that clunky booking experiences will drive students away. One yoga student commented that Mindbody’s app felt clunky and that some studios were switching off it to newer apps (...) (...). Independents often rely on casual methods (like text or email) for bookings, which while personal, can appear less professional than an easy online system. The need here is for a smooth client UX: an attractive, simple way for someone to sign up, pay, get reminders, and even receive a “thank you” follow-up. Some instructors try to mimic a studio-like experience by embedding booking widgets on their website or using services that provide a client-facing app. For example, one yoga teacher shared that Zen Planner allowed her to have students book via her website and it “directly links to Zen[Planner]” for a seamless experience (...). Not all independent-friendly tools offer such integration; many default to a bare-bones booking page. Thus, a common unmet need is branding and customization – solos want their booking interface to reflect their brand and not confuse clients. A reviewer on Capterra also wished for “more individual design options… for customization” in Mindbody (...), showing that even in big tools this is a desire.

• Hybrid & Virtual Classes: Post-2020, many wellness providers run online classes (via Zoom, etc.) or hybrid formats. They need booking tools to handle sending out Zoom links and perhaps managing recordings. Some scheduling apps integrate with Zoom (Calendly, Acuity, etc. can auto-generate meeting links). Teachers appreciate this – e.g. “Calendly with Zoom… both participants automatically get the link”, which a German coach highlighted as a major advantage (...). However, not all tools used by independents have kept up with hybrid features. Instructors have voiced that uploading class recordings or hosting on-demand content isn’t possible unless they invest in yet another platform. Mindbody’s new owner (which also owns ClassPass) has introduced live-stream and on-demand class support, and one ex-Mindbody user conceded Walla’s “livestream and OnDemand features are solid” (...). A solo yoga teacher might use separate solutions: one for scheduling and a private YouTube or Vimeo for sharing recordings, for instance. This again points to an all-in-one gap: combining scheduling, payments, and content delivery for wellness classes. A few startups (e.g. OfferingTree, Momence) are attempting this, but they are still maturing – as evidenced by some negative experiences with early versions (bugs, etc.).

Tutors & Educators

Independent tutors, language teachers, music instructors and the like (including in German-speaking countries where many offer tutoring as freelancers) have their own set of needs:

• Recurring Appointments with Flexibility: Education services often occur weekly at a set time. Tutors want a system that easily handles recurring bookings (e.g. “every Tuesday at 4pm for 8 weeks”). Calendly actually supports recurring meeting polls for individuals, but setting up a recurring class with multiple students is trickier. One instructor switched to Acuity specifically to “start offering group classes” because it was “the most intuitive [option] while also offering the features I was looking for” (...). Those features included scheduling a series of classes and taking payment for the series. In contrast, the tutor who used Calendly had to create separate events for each lesson in a package, which was cumbersome for her and her students (...). Another tutor recommended SimplyBook.me because it gives students accounts to see upcoming lessons and sends proper cancellation confirmations – features aimed at exactly the pain points tutors have with Calendly (...). This shows how academic instructors value systems that treat a lesson not as an isolated event but part of an ongoing schedule or curriculum.

• Parent/Student Communications: A unique aspect for many tutors is dealing with parents of students. This adds a layer of communication (and sometimes payment) needs – e.g. a parent might book and pay on behalf of a child, and they both need reminders. Generic booking tools don’t accommodate “parent managing someone else’s appointments” well. The aforementioned TutorBird platform is designed for this, allowing parent logins and feedback reports to students (...). But again, not everyone knows of or wants to pay for a specialized tutoring system. This leaves many using a mashup: perhaps Google Calendar invites for the parents (so it’s on the family calendar) plus separate reminders to the student. It’s an imperfect solution that many tutors simply accept. In German regions, privacy concerns also arise – handling minors’ data and communications adds responsibility that general tools haven’t considered. A tailored solution could, for instance, copy all communications to the parent’s email automatically, something currently done manually.

• Online Lesson Integrations: Most independent tutors now teach at least some lessons online via Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, etc. They appreciate features that automate this – e.g. scheduling apps creating unique video conference links and sending them out. As noted earlier, integration with Zoom was a selling point for several instructors (...). One tutor praised that with 10to8 scheduling, when a lesson is canceled or rescheduled, “it then synced to my Zoom calendar and also deleted the [Zoom] meeting” automatically (...). This level of integration (tidying up Zoom meetings when sessions change) is a huge time-saver and not something all apps do. In our research, tutors specifically value anything that reduces no-shows for online lessons – for example, time zone conversion. Scheduling across time zones is a classic pain: the tutor might be in Switzerland and the student in Dubai; a misunderstanding can easily occur. Tools like 10to8 were appreciated because “students can change the scheduling to see [times] in their [local] time” (...). When software handles DST changes and zone differences, it spares both student and teacher confusion. Tutors have unmet needs around this still: not all platforms display the student’s local time clearly, and some don’t prevent booking on the tutor’s local public holidays, etc., which can cause inadvertent clashes.

• Progress Tracking and Payments: Tutors often sell packages of lessons (e.g. a semester’s worth) and need to track progress (attendance, topics covered). While progress tracking veers into teaching management rather than scheduling, it connects: a missed lesson might need a makeup, or a student’s attendance rate might determine whether they can continue. Currently, most pure scheduling tools ignore these aspects. Some educators will maintain a separate Google Sheet or notebook for each student’s progress. The wish is for a unified system – e.g. after marking a lesson complete in the scheduler, being able to jot quick notes on what was done and have a tally of how many sessions remain in the package. A few niche apps (like the TutorBird mentioned, or Teachworks) include session notes and package tracking. But many tutors in Europe simply invoice for a month of lessons and manually note any missed classes to carry over. Payment-wise, as discussed, aligning payments with lessons delivered is a chore without software support. Tutors would love automatic invoicing: e.g. at month-end, bill each client for the exact number of sessions attended or late-canceled. This level of automation is rarely found in generic tools, leaving an unmet need that future solutions (like Karl Konnekt perhaps) could address.

Conclusion: Why Independent Instructors Deserve Better Tools

Across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond, independent service providers share a clear message: “not just another booking app” will do – they need systems built for them, not scaled-down versions of enterprise software or scaled-up meeting schedulers. The frustrations detailed above illustrate that current popular tools like Calendly, Mindbody, and Square Appointments force independents to compromise in ways they shouldn’t have to:

• They toggle between too simple (lacking key features like package sales, multi-session scheduling, or client-specific communications) and too complex (bloated with features and costs for a single person to bear).
• They spend unproductive hours on manual admin – sending reminders, tracking payments, updating calendars – which is exactly what technology is supposed to save them from. As one review quipped about Mindbody, “you spend more time in idle than actual time on the software” due to loading issues (...), a bitter irony for someone paying for a time-saving tool.
• They worry about how professional their business looks when the tools at hand can’t provide a seamless client experience. Independent instructors succeed on personal touch and quality service; clunky scheduling or payment mishaps can undercut that professionalism.

All these gaps present an opportunity for tools like Karl Konnekt (a purpose-built platform) to truly differentiate. By listening to solo providers – be they a Pilates teacher in München, a language tutor in Wien, or a personal trainer in Zurich – and addressing these pain points, a new solution can inspire loyalty and relief. Imagine a platform where an independent instructor can, in one place, schedule sessions (single or recurring) with ease, let clients self-service their bookings and see their schedule, handle payments for single sessions, packages or subscriptions, automate personalized reminders (in the client’s preferred language and channel), and even send group messages or follow-ups – all without needing a tech support call or a second mortgage to afford it.

The data and voices gathered here point to one conclusion: independent instructors not only deserve better tools – they are eager for them. The first companies or products that genuinely solve these frustrations will likely earn the business (and gratitude) of thousands of solo providers who have been making do with subpar systems. As one independent trainer mused after years of frustration and finally finding a tool that showed promise, “luckily for me, I came across [a solution]” that met her needs (...). It shouldn’t come down to luck. There is a real chance now to build something explicitly “built for you” – the independent fitness, wellness, or education professional – and the market is ready for it.

Sources: Multiple surveys, user forums, app reviews and expert commentary were analyzed to inform these findings. Key insights were drawn from real user experiences on Reddit, Capterra, and industry blogs, spanning DACH-region instructors to global educators. Citations are provided throughout (for example, see (...) (...)) linking to specific statements from those sources.