Honest review of Treatwell after two years as a waxing salon owner
Fraser Hussain
🏪 VIP Seller
🥇 Gold Seller
Local Business Owner · Wakefield · 2mo ago
Six months ago I had five no-shows in a single week. Six months ago I was running my spa in Leeds with a WhatsApp number, a paper diary, and a growing sense of dread every Monday morning when I'd open my messages.
Today I run on Jane App. I take £20 deposits on every booking. I have automated reminders going out 48 hours and 2 hours before every appointment. My no-show rate is down to almost zero.
Here's what changed and how I did it.
Step one was accepting that my old system wasn't sentimental — it was just inefficient. The 'personal touch' of WhatsApp bookings is lovely in theory but in practice it means being available 24 hours a day and having no real protection when someone lets you down.
Step two was choosing Jane App after a week of free trial. The setup took me an afternoon. I imported my services, set my working hours, connected my payment account and turned on SMS reminders. That's genuinely it.
Step three was telling my clients. I sent a group message saying I'd moved to a professional booking system and included the link. I framed it as a service improvement — which it genuinely is — rather than a policy change. No one complained. Several people said they preferred it.
Step four was adding deposits. I did this a month after the switch, once clients were used to the new system. I kept the amount reasonable at £20 and the policy clear: non-refundable within 48 hours. Done.
Today I run on Jane App. I take £20 deposits on every booking. I have automated reminders going out 48 hours and 2 hours before every appointment. My no-show rate is down to almost zero.
Here's what changed and how I did it.
Step one was accepting that my old system wasn't sentimental — it was just inefficient. The 'personal touch' of WhatsApp bookings is lovely in theory but in practice it means being available 24 hours a day and having no real protection when someone lets you down.
Step two was choosing Jane App after a week of free trial. The setup took me an afternoon. I imported my services, set my working hours, connected my payment account and turned on SMS reminders. That's genuinely it.
Step three was telling my clients. I sent a group message saying I'd moved to a professional booking system and included the link. I framed it as a service improvement — which it genuinely is — rather than a policy change. No one complained. Several people said they preferred it.
Step four was adding deposits. I did this a month after the switch, once clients were used to the new system. I kept the amount reasonable at £20 and the policy clear: non-refundable within 48 hours. Done.
💬 5 Replies
👁 587 Views
💬 5 Replies
Join the conversation! You need to be logged in to reply.
I've been in this industry for 8 years and the switch to online booking was the best operational decision I ever made, full stop. Not even close. The time saving is enormous and the professionalism it adds to your brand is something clients notice and comment on.
#1
I've been in this industry for 3 years and the switch to online booking was the best operational decision I ever made, full stop. Not even close. The time saving is enormous and the professionalism it adds to your brand is something clients notice and comment on.
#2
This is really relatable. I went through almost the exact same process 6 months ago. The biggest thing for me was realising that the clients who pushed back hardest on deposits were the ones who'd let me down before. Once I saw it that way the decision became very easy.
#3
Totally agree about Fresha's transaction fee adding up. I did the maths for my price point and the 'free' plan was actually costing me more than a paid subscription to Shedul by the time I factored in the percentage on every booking. Read the small print before assuming free is cheaper.
#4
The deposit psychology point is spot on. I've said this for years — a £30 deposit doesn't stop genuine clients, it stops time-wasters. Anyone who values the appointment enough to actually show up doesn't think twice about a deposit.
#5