[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ODMTlpwXis]

Tracking down a reliable professional is hard enough as it is, but actually making an appointment with them can sometimes be impossible.

That’s where CounterBean comes in.

CounterBean lets you easily connect with professionals and local businesses without having to pick up the phone or send an email.

Concept and Functionality:

Created by Sujit Dalai, this free app for iPhone offers users some terrific and innovative functionality. Unfortunately it also has one significant drawback, the requirement of connecting your Facebook account to the app.

I couldn’t find a way to sign in using my email address or other social media account. This could prove troublesome for those who don’t want to connect Facebook to outside apps.

Finding your way around CounterBean should prove to be fairly easy. The navigation bar at the bottom of the screen is laid out very nicely and it’s a breeze to access messages and browse the professional directory.

Booking an appointment with a professional is very easy to do and should only take a minute or two. CounterBean includes an integrated calendar that displays any upcoming appointments so you never have to worry about forgetting your commitments.

Features:

While I think the idea of being able to connect with professionals and book appointments without having to communicate with them is great, I found that CounterBean doesn’t include location information for professionals.

It looks to be one big database of businesses that users have manually submitted, and I couldn’t find a way to see exactly where a professional was located without having to call their number, cancel the call, and search for the area code on Google.

As you can probably imagine, this is incredibly problematic and is something that should be rectified as quickly as possible so users don’t accidentally schedule a music lesson five states away.

Value:

CounterBean is available to download from the App Store for free and is designed for iPhone. There are no in-app purchases or memberships to worry about.

Even though there are a few setbacks, CounterBean is an app that certainly has plenty of potential. The developers made it very easy for professionals to submit their business to the app, but users need to be able to see where the professional is located in order for the app to be truly effective.

CounterBean – Social People 2 People Connect and Market Place, business appointments and meet ups with no email or phone or chat requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

TheiPhoneAppReview’s rating:

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.