Does it take you hours to optimize your spa or salon appointment book? You know the drill: match guests to services, length of services, available providers, rooms, and equipment; wrangle couple and group bookings; and always ensure as few holes as possible in your appointment book.  

There’s a faster, smarter way: intelligent online booking technology that does much of the work for you. Intelligent technology can determine the best options to make the most of your available service hours – and everything involved in filling those hours. After a salon or spa specifies their preferred booking rules, the Zenoti Booking Wizard does the rest.

What can salons and spas do with intelligent booking automation?

Beauty and wellness businesses can streamline operations by optimizing three key criteria: service order, service timing, and staff allocation.

With intelligent online booking technology, available on the Zenoti software platform, scheduling and changing appointments is streamlined for staff and guests. Here’s how it works – and why it helps.

1. Ensure appointments are booked in the correct service order.

Stacking appointments in the right sequence is essential for a great guest experience and proper allocation of staff time. For example, for guests who want both a cut and a facial in the same visit, you can apply the service rule of “cut after facial” within the software. That sequence will then be automatically followed each time that combination is booked.  

Setting the right order ensures proper organization of staff time for both services, too – this is necessary when different providers will be performing the services.

“It is critical that clients cannot book a haircut before the color is finished. This was a big problem to sort out with other systems we have been dealing with. [With Zenoti], we got a tailored booking system for our salon.”

Kine Aakre, Owner, TONI&GUY, Norway

2. Optimize service timing to avoid gaps in the day.‍

If a customer books a color and cut, lesser software adds a blow dry after each service instead of just one at the end. The Zenoti platform protects your appointment book by stacking services in the right order and preventing service duplication.  

In the case of salons, such optimization maximizes chair time for stylists, leading to more overall revenue, and higher income and tips for providers.  

“The Queue Manager allows online booking for our customers and fills the appointment slots throughout the day. You kind of know what your book of business is going to look like. We can properly staff throughout the day and in the future based on our historical reports that are also provided through Zenoti.”

Jason Porter, Snip-its franchisee, U.S.

3. Dynamically update service times and pricing based on provider level or expertise.‍

When automated software is really working for you, it can also make on-the-fly adjustments based on the business and service rules you set.

Here’s an example: The front desk switches a keratin treatment from stylist Ashley (gaining experience) to Brooke (an expert). The software automatically adjusts appointment duration, making it shorter, and raises the price.

When technology can optimize an appointment book like this, every provider gets the time needed to complete a service. Intelligent appointment book management also frees up slots to book smaller, shorter services – leading to additional revenue. Finally, with price scaling, guests can choose the service level, provider, and price they prefer; and salons and spas maximize revenue based on provider expertise.

How Zenoti uses intelligent automation to fill your appointment book

Intelligent online booking technology does more than relieve your front desk and maximize revenue for your salon or spa. It also meets guest expectations for convenience and on-demand access to your business.

With the Zenoti Booking Wizard, you can:

‍Help guests delight their loved ones. The “surprise visit” booking feature comes in handy when gifting salon and spa experiences. Here's an example: Alice wants to surprise her mother with the gift of a massage. Though she books the appointment in her mother's name, Alice can choose to receive appointment-related texts and emails to keep the gift under wraps until it's time.

Save guests the work of calendar math. Specify how often your customers should rebook to help them with their self-care regimens – and keep up their visit frequency. The Booking Wizard remembers so guests don’t have to, and your business benefits from more predictable (repeat) revenue.

Give guests options instantly – and keep them loyal to your brand. When guests make appointments using the mobile app, it suggests other locations if your appointment book is full.

“Hand & Stone required a technology partner that complemented our uncompromising commitment to state-of-the-art customer experiences and care. Zenoti does exactly that. Guests access our brand with an easy and attractive online booking experience and complete contactless digital forms."

Cindy Meiskin, Chief Experience Officer, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, U.S.

For appointment-driven businesses like salons and spas, optimizing the booking experience can be the difference between a lean, thriving business and an inefficient hustle. Everyone benefits: The business maximizes revenue and improves efficiency, the front desk is freed up to focus on revenue generation through consultations and upsells, stylists make more from improved productivity, and guests enjoy a modern experience with 24/7 access to your brand.