⏱️ Quick answer: To offer online booking in your hair salon, list your services with their real duration, set which stylist does what, then share your booking link on your Google profile, website and Instagram. Pick a tool with email confirmation and a reminder, and check its pricing model: flat subscription or commission per appointment.
Many booking requests come in when the salon is closed or when your hands are busy. The phone rings, nobody answers, and the client tries elsewhere. Online booking fixes that: clients book any time and you find a full diary without picking up the phone.
Step 1: list your services with their real duration
For each service, note a clear name (“Women’s cut & blow-dry”, “Men’s cut”, “Root colour”, “Balayage”), the real duration you see in the salon, a short buffer for cleaning and payment, and a price or “from” price. Group services by category. Fifteen clear services beat a sixty-line catalogue.
A simple example for a unisex salon (adapt durations to how you work):
| Category | Service | Duration | Buffer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | Cut & blow-dry | 45 min | 10 min |
| Women | Blow-dry only | 30 min | 5 min |
| Men | Men’s cut | 30 min | 5 min |
| Men | Beard trim | 20 min | 5 min |
| Colour | Root colour & blow-dry | 1 h 30 | 10 min |
| Colour | Balayage & cut | 2 h 30 | 15 min |
| Kids | Kids’ cut (under 10) | 20 min | 5 min |
Step 2: set who does what
Link each stylist to the services they perform, so a client booking a balayage only sees people who do it. Add an “Any stylist (first available)” option: many clients have no preference and just want the earliest slot.
Step 3: set availability
Opening hours, closing days, lunch break, each team member’s days off, minimum notice before an appointment (for example, no bookings less than two hours ahead) and how far ahead clients can book. Block your training days and holidays as early as possible so nobody books a slot you won’t honour.
Step 4: confirmation and reminder
Clients book online precisely because they don’t want to call. The confirmation is what reassures them that the booking really went through. Include the date, time, service, stylist, address and how to cancel or move the appointment, so nobody needs to phone you to check.
Every booking should be confirmed immediately with date, time, service and address. A reminder the day before prevents forgotten appointments and gives the client time to cancel properly.
Step 5: reduce no-shows
- Send a reminder the day before.
- Make cancelling easy: clients who can cancel in one click cancel instead of not showing up.
- Show your cancellation policy clearly.
- Keep a waitlist to offer freed slots.
- Contact repeat no-shows directly.
Some tools also offer deposits or card holds. They can make sense if no-shows are very frequent in your salon, but they can also put some clients off, so weigh both sides.
Step 6: share your link everywhere
A booking page nobody finds is useless. Put it on your Google profile (see how to add a booking link to your Google profile), in your Instagram bio, on your website and in your voicemail message.
Commission or subscription?
| Model | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace (e.g. Planity) | Your salon appears in a directory where clients search; pricing often mixes a subscription and/or fees linked to bookings or new clients. | Exact terms, competitors shown on the same page, who owns the client list. |
| Flat subscription tool | A fixed monthly price whatever the number of bookings; clients use your own link. | You need to promote your link yourself. |
Before signing, also ask: can I export my client list if I leave? Do my clients see other salons when they book? Is there a minimum commitment? Many salons combine both models: a marketplace to be discovered, their own link for regulars. Run the numbers with your own figures. Our Voxtya vs Planity comparison covers the differences.
What Voxtya’s Bookings module does
Voxtya’s appointment mode includes services with duration, buffer, price and category; team members linked to their services with an “any stylist” option; a confirmation email and a reminder email the day before; a waitlist and client history; and a booking link for your Google profile, website and Instagram. There is no commission: the module is €29/month (€23 billed yearly). Voxtya does not offer deposits or card holds today. More on our commission-free salon booking page and the bookings feature page.
After setup: think about reviews
A client who booked online and leaves happy is the best person to ask for a Google review. Voxtya’s Review collection module sends an email after the appointment with the link to your review page. Our guide on how to ask for a Google review covers the other methods: at the till, with a QR code at the mirror, or in your Instagram stories.
One last tip: during the first weeks, tell every client at checkout that they can now book online, and show them the link. Habits take time to change, and a regular client who discovers the link will often book her next appointment herself, late in the evening, without calling.
Ready to let clients book online without commission? Try Voxtya free for 30 days (card required, nothing charged before the trial ends).