Why I chose Vagaro over all the bigger names and don't regret it
Ivy Richardson
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Spa Owner · Nottingham · 4mo ago
I want to share my honest experience of introducing online-only booking to my beauty salon in Cardiff, because I was terrified about how my clients would react and the reality was nothing like what I feared.
Background: I'd been running my beauty salon for 3 years, all bookings via phone and text. Lovely clients, very loyal, but the admin was killing me. Evenings spent confirming appointments, chasing people, answering 'are you free on Saturday?' messages at 9pm.
I switched to BookPin and gave myself three months to phase out old-style bookings. Here's what actually happened:
Week one: About half my regulars booked online immediately with zero fuss. These were the ones who'd always been organised about appointments anyway.
Weeks two and three: I gently redirected phone enquiries to the booking link. 'I don't take bookings by phone anymore but here's the link — it takes about two minutes and you can pick your exact slot.' Almost everyone was fine with this.
Month two: I turned off WhatsApp booking entirely. Had about ten complaints, all from clients who'd been occasional no-shows previously. Decided I was okay with that.
Month three onwards: Fully digital, deposits on every booking, no Sunday evening admin sessions. My actual take-home time increased by roughly two hours a week. I wish I'd done it years earlier.
Background: I'd been running my beauty salon for 3 years, all bookings via phone and text. Lovely clients, very loyal, but the admin was killing me. Evenings spent confirming appointments, chasing people, answering 'are you free on Saturday?' messages at 9pm.
I switched to BookPin and gave myself three months to phase out old-style bookings. Here's what actually happened:
Week one: About half my regulars booked online immediately with zero fuss. These were the ones who'd always been organised about appointments anyway.
Weeks two and three: I gently redirected phone enquiries to the booking link. 'I don't take bookings by phone anymore but here's the link — it takes about two minutes and you can pick your exact slot.' Almost everyone was fine with this.
Month two: I turned off WhatsApp booking entirely. Had about ten complaints, all from clients who'd been occasional no-shows previously. Decided I was okay with that.
Month three onwards: Fully digital, deposits on every booking, no Sunday evening admin sessions. My actual take-home time increased by roughly two hours a week. I wish I'd done it years earlier.
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The deposit psychology point is spot on. I've said this for years — a £20 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.
#1
I made the same switch and I'd add one thing: tell your clients it's for their benefit, not yours. Frame it as 'you can now book at any time of day without having to wait for me to respond'. That framing works really well and it's also genuinely true.
#2
Really useful breakdown — thank you. I've been sitting on the fence about BookPin for months and this has pushed me to just go and do the free trial. Will report back.
#3
Been using Shedul 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 two new Google reviews a week without doing anything. Massive for local SEO.
#4
Been using Phorest for a year 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.
#5