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Choosing a hair salon booking system: what to look for

A booking system should take bookings while you cut, keep the appointment book in order and give customers a reason to come back. Here are ten things to check before you choose, and the questions to put to the supplier.

· Updated · 6 min read

Written by the team behind Stamly at Inovix AS. We sell the booking system we write about, and we show where the numbers come from.

A hairdresser stands behind the reception desk of a bright salon looking at a tablet, while two colleagues cut hair in the background.

In short

  • Customers need to be able to book, reschedule and cancel by themselves, including when the salon is closed.
  • The appointment book has to cope with real days: breaks, rotas, walk-ins and several staff.
  • The customer database is yours. Check that you can download it.
  • Look for a price you can work out yourself, with no add-ons you didn't ask for.

Most booking systems handle the basics. You only notice the differences on an ordinary working week: a Saturday with every chair taken, a stylist off sick, a customer who wants to move her appointment at eleven at night. That's what the list below is for.

Ten things to check

  1. Customers book for themselves, around the clock. Every booking that arrives while you're working or asleep is a phone call you didn't have to take.
  2. Customers can reschedule and cancel by themselves. Otherwise the slot sits empty instead of being sold again.
  3. The appointment book copes with real days. Working hours and breaks for each person, services of different lengths, and room for a walk-in.
  4. Customers get a reminder. And can choose how they want to receive it.
  5. You own the customer database. You should be able to download your customers whenever you like, without asking permission.
  6. The system gives customers a reason to come back. Points, rewards or offers, and you shouldn't have to keep track of any of it by hand.
  7. It works across several locations. Separate opening hours and staff for each location, and an owner who sees all of it in one place.
  8. Staff can use their phones. Their day, their customers and the next appointment, without walking over to reception.
  9. Privacy is taken care of. Who sees what? And do customers only get marketing if they have said yes to it?
  10. The price makes sense. You should be able to work out the bill yourself and know what's extra.

Questions to ask the supplier

  • What will it cost my salon, with my staff, each month?
  • What does it cost my customers?
  • How do I get my customer list out if I want to switch?
  • What can a staff member see, and what can only the owner see?
  • How do we get started, and who helps us?
  • Can we see the system set up with our own services and staff?

How Stamly answers the list

We make Stamly, so read this part as the supplier's answer, and hold it up against the checklist like you would anyone else's.

  • Booking: customers book in the app, or on the salon's page when online booking is switched on. Booking on the web needs a login but no app download. Customers can reschedule and cancel in the app within the salon's deadline.
  • Appointment book: day, week and month, with working hours, breaks and time off for each staff member.
  • Customer database: search by name and phone number, and download it as a spreadsheet whenever you like.
  • Loyalty: points, tiers and rewards are included in the plan.
  • Several locations: separate opening hours, staff and prices for each location. The owner sees everything, a manager sees their own location.
  • Mobile: Stamly Business is the app for staff.
  • Privacy: no other salon sees your data, and customers only get offers if they have said yes.
  • Price: a fixed price per location, plus a rate for each extra staff member. Everything is in the plan, and the first two months are free.

See the prices, read about online booking, or see everything Stamly does for salons.

Working alone or in a small team? Go through the checklist for a booking system in a small hair salon. Still on paper? Follow the plan for moving to a digital appointment book.

Questions and answers

What matters most in a hair salon booking system?

That customers can book, reschedule and cancel by themselves at any hour, and that the appointment book copes with how the salon really works: working hours, breaks, walk-ins and several staff.

What should I ask a booking system supplier?

What it costs for your salon with your staff, what it costs your customers, how you get your customer list out, what each staff member can see, who helps you get started, and whether you can see the system with your own services.

How much does a booking system for a hair salon cost?

It depends on the size of the salon. With Stamly you pay a fixed monthly price per location and a rate for each staff member beyond the one included. The price list is public at stamly.net/en/pricing.

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