How the BookPin calendar view changed how I plan my working week
Jasper Young
🏪 VIP Seller
🥇 Gold Seller
Tattoo Studio · Peterborough · 4mo ago
Right so I've been meaning to write this up for ages. I'm a spa owner based in Manchester 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 Phorest a year ago. Setup took about three hours including customising my services and pricing. Within the first month I got a year's worth of time back. The automated reminders alone have saved me from six 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 Phorest a year ago. Setup took about three hours including customising my services and pricing. Within the first month I got a year's worth of time back. The automated reminders alone have saved me from six 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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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 SimplyBook.me by the time I factored in the percentage on every booking. Read the small print before assuming free is cheaper.
#1
I use Phorest alongside Xero and the integration is really smooth. Invoices sync automatically, payments are recorded, and my accountant has stopped asking me for spreadsheets every quarter. If you're trying to run a proper business rather than a hobby this kind of integration matters.
#2
I use Setmore alongside Xero and the integration is really smooth. Invoices sync automatically, payments are recorded, and my accountant has stopped asking me for spreadsheets every quarter. If you're trying to run a proper business rather than a hobby this kind of integration matters.
#3
This is really relatable. I went through almost the exact same process 3 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.
#4
The point about analytics is underrated. I had no idea which of my services was actually the most profitable until Acuity Scheduling showed me the data. It completely changed how I structured my pricing and my service menu.
#5