4 Tips to Pick the Best Barber Booking App
Commonly known as ‘booking apps’ or ‘booking platforms’, many barbers find themselves asking several questions. How will clients book with me? How will I manage my schedule? How will I take and track payments? How will I manage my business? This ultimately leads to the decision of selecting a platform. From Squire to Booksy, Square to Vagaro, The Cut to Style Seat, Mindbody to Gloss Genius, the list goes on and the decision can be stressful.
For this blog, we’re going to explore 4 elements to help you navigate the decision. Spoiler: there is no right answer. Every barber needs to determine the features that are must-haves, nice-to-haves and ones they don’t need. I hope this blog will help you figure those out.
Let’s dive in!
1: Easy to Use
When it comes to software, there are multiple types of users who interact with the platform. The client, the barber and the owner.
The Client. Typically, clients look for a quick, simple and painless booking experience. Oftentimes they will choose a barbershop based on how easy it is to book an appointment. If they run into challenges with a booking site, they are likely to search for another shop. Ease of use is king.
The Barber. Barbers are typically on the go, so they also need a mobile friendly interface. Some might have a tablet, but most are on their phones. This is where the mobile app experience comes in. Many barbers want to be able to manage their schedule, book a new appointment, and check out a client from their phone. Last thing they want is to get frustrated navigating the app from behind the chair.
The Shop Owner. Some sit down with their laptop and want to go over all the numbers with their accountant. This is when the web interface comes into play. Owners want to see reports and dashboards. Some want to be able to do this from their phone, so the features on the mobile app will be very important. While others may be content with the web version holding all the keys to the kingdom. Regardless, they want the platform to be easy to navigate.
Questions to ask
What devices can you manage the platform on? Phone? Tablet? Web?
Are the features different depending on the device?
How will the clients book an appointment with you? Book Now on Instagram? App? Google? Website?
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2: Payment is Easy
Sounds simple, but there is a lot to consider. Some clients prefer to prepay, others to pay with a card in the shop, others with cash, and of course Venmo or Cash App. Whatever it is, you’ll want to make sure that you can easily track it. Barbers need to track their income (that’s for another blog post) which starts with tracking each client, the service offered, the tip amount, the product sold and the total ticket. This is a core function of the software.
No Show and Late Cancellation protection is a huge benefit to requiring a card at the time of booking. Barbers lose thousands (yes, thousands) of dollars when they don’t have a way of collecting No Show / Late Cancellation fees.
Let’s not forget about products and merch. Next level barbers make a significant portion of revenue here. Inventory management features could be a game changer for this barber.
Questions to ask
How can clients pay me?
Are there No Show / Late Cancellation fees?
Can I track product inventory / merch sales?
What are the merchant processing fees?
3: Read The Fine Print
“I don’t how much I’m paying” is a red flag. Don’t be that barber. Know the monthly subscription cost, know if it’s annual or month-to-month. Know the merchant processing fees, booking fees, other fees etc. If you end up not liking the software and watch to switch, you need to be able to export your client data and reports. Some platforms might hold your data hostage, that’s a red flag. I would ask about that.
*A note about merchant processing fees. Card Present vs Card Not Present. Card Present is when the card is physically swiped in a card reader. This is cheaper because there is less risk for fraud. Card not present is when the card is not physically swiped, but instead filled out online or through a card on file in the app. This is a higher fee because there is more risk for fraud.
Let’s be honest, no software is perfect. There will be a moment when you need to talk to Customer Support. What does that look like? Is it through email, phone, text, a chat bot etc? How long is the response time? What are the Customer Support hours? All helpful for information so you know what to do and who to contact when something doesn’t work properly.
Questions to ask
What is the contract? Month-to-month? Annual? Am I eligible for a discount?
Am I able to export my data?
What are the Customer Support hours and access?
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4: Provides Growth Opportunities
Cutting hair is not the only barbering revenue stream. Selling products, selling merch, no-show/late cancellation collection, if you are a shop owner collecting booth rent or commission etc. If you are looking to add these, you want these features.
Lead generation and client retention are emerging as major focus areas for barbers. Some systems have email and text marketing that drives client retention. If you haven’t seen a client in 2 months, it will send an email or text with a link to book. Then there are systems that promote you and bring you clients aka lead generation. *They might take a commission from it, but it might be worth it.
Website development or Custom App designs are also major offerings from some platforms that will elevate your brand. They can create a website or develop a Custom App for your barbershop so clients are booking on your app vs the generic app that promotes other barbers on the same platform. These are all different elements that focus on growth and increasing revenue for your overall brand.
Questions to ask
How will it help me generate new clients?
How will it help with client retention?
How does it integrate with my website? Can you create a website for me?
Can you develop a custom app for my shop?
Selecting a management platform is not as simple as some make it out to be. There are many elements to consider, but luckily, you can do most of this research online without even talking to a sales rep. My recommendation is to ultimately determine the features that are must-haves, features that are nice-to-haves and features that you don’t need. Knowing this will help you negotiate when the time comes.
Written by Matthew Mendoza
Matthew Mendoza is a licensed barber, educator and consultant. He hosts the podcast Beyond Barber School which provides emerging barbers with the critical guidance needed to start their business. In addition, he writes a newsletter called theGuideline about the latest trends in the barber industry.
