Business Growth
❓ Question
How do you deal with clients who book and then ignore reminder messages?
Eliza Bell
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Local Business Owner · Burnley · 1mo ago
Right, I need some honest opinions. I've been using a paper diary for 3 years and my husband thinks I'm mad for not going digital. I've looked at Vagaro and Acuity Scheduling but I honestly can't figure out which one is better for a small lash studio. I don't need anything fancy — just something that sends reminder texts, takes deposits and lets clients book online without ringing me at 11pm. What would you go for?
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💬 7 Replies
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✅ Best Answer
For a mobile spa I'd go with Appointy every time. You can set a service area rather than a fixed address, clients can see your availability, and the automated confirmations include all the details they need. Works perfectly without needing a physical premises.
#1
My clients were pretty resistant at first — a few of them are older and not very tech-savvy. What helped was walking them through the booking link in person the first time. Once they'd done it once they were completely fine. Now I get booking confirmations at 11pm from people I would have thought would never manage it.
#2
For multi-staff Appointy is excellent. Each person has their own colour-coded calendar, you can set individual hours and services, and clients book with a specific person or with 'any available' if you prefer. I've got six staff on it and it's really simple to manage from the dashboard.
#3
I chair-rent and I use SimplyBook.me completely separately from the main salon. You just set your own location as a general Manchester address or your own mobile setup. Clients book with you specifically, not the salon. Works really well and the salon owner doesn't even see my diary.
#4
I tested Square Appointments and Setmore side by side for a month. Square Appointments won on price, Setmore won on features. For a solo nail studio just starting out, Square Appointments's free plan is hard to argue with. You can always switch later once you know exactly what you need.
#5
I tested Timely and Trafft side by side for a month. Timely won on price, Trafft won on features. For a solo mobile therapist just starting out, Timely's free plan is hard to argue with. You can always switch later once you know exactly what you need.
#6
The waiting list feature on Shedul is genuinely good — better than any other system I've tried. When a cancellation comes in it automatically notifies the next person on the waiting list. Has filled three last-minute slots for me this month alone.
#7