Why is booking anything still such a mess in smaller cities?

Not sure if it’s just me, but every time I try to book something in my city (doctor, salon, etc.), it turns into a mini headache.

• You have to call (half the time they don’t pick up)
• Or just show up and sit there waiting with no idea how long it’ll take
• Sometimes they say “come at 6” but you still wait an hour
• Payments are random too — cash, UPI, no structure

Meanwhile, everything else in life is becoming super smooth and instant.

Is this just how things are outside metro cities or am I missing something?

Would really like your views:

• How do you usually handle bookings where you live?
• What frustrates you the most in this process?
• Have you found any solution that actually works well?
• If something better existed, what would you expect from it?

Trying to understand if this is a common problem or not.