How I handled the transition when moving clients to online booking only
Dean Watson
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Local Business Owner · Cambridge · 2mo ago
Can we talk about the actual cost of running a PMU studio without a proper booking system? Because I think a lot of people are making the calculation wrong.
They see the monthly fee — let's say £10 per month — and think that's an expense. But they don't add up what they're already spending:
- Time doing manual admin (at least two hours a week for most people I speak to)
- Money lost to no-shows with no deposit protection
- Clients you miss because they couldn't get through on the phone
- Late-night WhatsApp messages you answer because you feel you have to
When I sat down and actually counted this up for my PMU studio in Leicester, I was losing the equivalent of £10 a week to inefficiency. The booking system paid for itself in the first fortnight.
I've been using Setmore now for 3 months and the ROI is obvious. My diary is fuller, my admin time is down to about two hours a week from what used to be a lot more, and I haven't had a no-show in over a month because the deposit system filters out the chancers before they waste my time.
They see the monthly fee — let's say £10 per month — and think that's an expense. But they don't add up what they're already spending:
- Time doing manual admin (at least two hours a week for most people I speak to)
- Money lost to no-shows with no deposit protection
- Clients you miss because they couldn't get through on the phone
- Late-night WhatsApp messages you answer because you feel you have to
When I sat down and actually counted this up for my PMU studio in Leicester, I was losing the equivalent of £10 a week to inefficiency. The booking system paid for itself in the first fortnight.
I've been using Setmore now for 3 months and the ROI is obvious. My diary is fuller, my admin time is down to about two hours a week from what used to be a lot more, and I haven't had a no-show in over a month because the deposit system filters out the chancers before they waste my time.
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Been using Trafft for 3 months and I'd echo everything in this post. The one thing I'd add: set up the automated follow-up message asking for a review. I get eight new Google reviews a week without doing anything. Massive for local SEO.
#1
Really useful breakdown — thank you. I've been sitting on the fence about Phorest for months and this has pushed me to just go and do the free trial. Will report back.
#2
The point about analytics is underrated. I had no idea which of my services was actually the most profitable until Trafft showed me the data. It completely changed how I structured my pricing and my service menu.
#3
Just want to add for anyone reading this who's worried about the tech side — I am not a tech person at all. I set up Appointy by myself in one afternoon by just following their setup guide. If I can do it, genuinely anyone can.
#4
The deposit psychology point is spot on. I've said this for years — a £25 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