How I set up my mobile therapist to run on autopilot with Acuity Scheduling
Diana Chambers
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Local Business Owner · Gloucester · 24d ago
Right so I've been meaning to write this up for ages. I'm a spa owner based in Edinburgh and I spent way too long using WhatsApp as my main booking tool. I know a lot of you are still doing this and I get it — it feels personal, it's easy, your clients know how to use it. But here's what it was actually costing me.
Every Sunday night I'd spend two hours going through messages, confirming appointments, sending manual reminders, chasing people who'd said 'yes I'll be there' three days ago and then gone quiet. Two hours every single Sunday. When I eventually calculated that out over a year it was over 100 hours of unpaid admin.
I moved to Acuity Scheduling 18 months ago. Setup took about three hours including customising my services and pricing. Within the first month I got 18 months's worth of time back. The automated reminders alone have saved me from four no-shows that would definitely have happened.
The bit I was most nervous about — telling my existing clients — was a complete non-event. I sent a single message saying I'd moved to online booking and included the link. About 80% booked straight away. The other 20% needed a gentle nudge but they got there.
Every Sunday night I'd spend two hours going through messages, confirming appointments, sending manual reminders, chasing people who'd said 'yes I'll be there' three days ago and then gone quiet. Two hours every single Sunday. When I eventually calculated that out over a year it was over 100 hours of unpaid admin.
I moved to Acuity Scheduling 18 months ago. Setup took about three hours including customising my services and pricing. Within the first month I got 18 months's worth of time back. The automated reminders alone have saved me from four no-shows that would definitely have happened.
The bit I was most nervous about — telling my existing clients — was a complete non-event. I sent a single message saying I'd moved to online booking and included the link. About 80% booked straight away. The other 20% needed a gentle nudge but they got there.
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This is really relatable. I went through almost the exact same process 18 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.
#1
Been using Timely for 18 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 six new Google reviews a week without doing anything. Massive for local SEO.
#2
Completely agree about the Sunday evening admin. I never quantified it until I read a post like this and actually counted. I was spending 6+ hours a week on booking admin. Six hours I could have been doing literally anything else. The system pays for itself in week one if you value your time properly.
#3