Do's and Dont's of Online Booking

So, I think that hairstylists and service providers in general are really starting to understand the power of what online booking can do for them, right? And you may have online booking in your business, you may not. But, uh, we all have similar feelings and struggles and, uh, things that we worry about with online booking, right? Um, but those struggles and some of those things, they are because we normally don't set up online booking the way that we need to set it up.

And we do a lot of things that are kind of, like, marketed to us by these booking systems, um, to do that aren't really that great in actually growing your business in a sustainable, safe, and effective, convenient way. So, what I'm gonna be talking about today are the dos and don'ts of implementing online booking in your business. Let me guess, you are a hustling, bustling hairstylist behind the chair working so hard to build a beautiful career for yourself, one that gives you time, freedom, and energy to spend with yourself, your family, and your friends. But you feel like you're always working in your business even when you're not behind the chair.

My name's Hunter Donia and I help you automate your systems and implement really beautiful strategies so you can grow your business without the overwhelm, and this is the Modern Hairstylist Podcast. Let's go. So, the first thing that I wanna talk about when it comes to online booking is your booking link and where you're actually putting your booking link, who has access to your online calendar, and access to actually book an appointment with you online, right? Because if you have your booking link on your Instagram, your website, your Facebook business page, your Google My Business, wherever else it may be, you're letting anyone and everyone book an appointment with you online, right?

And that can cause so many problems for you in the long run when it comes to your new potential clients, and I'm gonna talk about some of the reasons why. So, the first, the very first and foremost reason, friend, is you may potentially be sacrificing your joy. And so in another podcast episode, I talk all about choosing and picking your clients, right, and, and why you should only be taking on clients who bring you joy. And the tea is, is I believe you should only be doing work that you are absolutely passionate about once you're at a certain point of your career and working with people who you're very passionate about as well.

And what a new client application, what a vetting process does is make sure that you're having somebody go through that vetting process and that per- and making sure that person is the right fit for your business. When we have our online booking link on our website and, and on our Instagrams and wherever else and it's open to the public for new clients, we're causing ourselves some issues because we're not vetting those people first and making sure that they are an actual target market ideal client who we're gonna be able to serve properly, right? So, just for the pure fact that you're only accepting joy and beauty into your business, into your energy bubble, I very much highly recommend that you remove your online booking link from the public, okay? Another reason for removing your online booking link is that you, especially if you're an independent operator, right?

This is mostly for independent people, but could go for all people, is you don't even know who you're letting into your business, into your suite, in which you may be running alone, right? You don't know who these human beings are, and we live in a wild time. And I know for a fact that when the sun goes down or when you're all alone in your suite, um, that having a new client who you've never met before, you don't even know where they came from, that can be kinda scary and you never know what could happen. And so I don't want, number one, a random person just getting on my schedule.

I don't want a random person to know when my hours are and when I'll be working and, uh, when I'm out of the salon and when I'm in the salon. I don't really want that information to be public unless I know it's, like, a serious client. And so just for, like, literal safety reasons, I decided to remove my online booking link from the public. I had a...

So this is, like, a weird story. So, um, I was on Facebook Marketplace just, like, scrolling through, just, like, shopping. I g- I wasn't looking for anything specific and I came across this person selling, um, some AirPods. And, uh, I reach out and I was like, "Hey, like, how much are these AirPods?"

or, uh, I maybe asked for, like, like, a discount on them or something like that. I was, like, bartering. Uh, and what happened was, uh, he wasn't budging, so with, like, the price and I wasn't gonna pay full price for them, so I just was like, "Okay, never mind." Like, "No big deal.

Have a great day." It was totally cool and fine. And then a couple hours later he messaged me and he said, uh, "Hey, uh, I'm s- I'm willing to, to sell you these AirPods for the lesser price that you originally asked for." And I was like, "Nah, I'm not really interested anymore, dude.

Like, I'm so sorry. I, like, wish you the best of luck." And he was like, "Why not?" And I was like, "Just because I'm not interested anymore.

Like, I, I don't, I don't need them." And he was like... He got, like, really, like, persistent with me and, like, kind of, like, angry and was acting, like, a little, like, I don't know, aggressive. And so I blocked him, of course, and then guess what this man did?

He found my online booking link. He found my Facebook business page by my name and he found my online booking link and he was messaging me asking me, um, when he could book an appointment with me and all of these other things.And it really scared me , and it really made me realize that, like, literally any human being can just go onto my schedule and book an appointment. Like, imagine if this person literally just booked an appointment for, like, a balayage and, like, put in a different name, and I had no idea what I was walking myself into, and they held some anger or resentment, right?

So that made me really, really consider what information I'm giving to the public and w- what I'm allowing people to have access to prior to me knowing who they are. The last reason is it is so much less convenient, it literally defeats the point, if a new client is getting on the books and you have to reach out to them and, like, go through a whole consultation through email, fix their appointment if you- they didn't book the right amount of time. All of that, right? It's, like, such a pain to have to, like, reach out to that person, if they even reach back out to you, right?

'Cause some people just go online and book appointments and then just never show up, or, like, they just don't answer you or don't get your texts. Whatever it may be. And so then you're streamlining your communications and you're making sure that you're getting all the information that you need and that they are honestly booked for the right thing if you do a vetting process instead, and you remove your online booking link from the public and have your online booking link in only for your existing guests in spaces where only your existing guests are seeing it and have access to it, right? The next thing that I wanna talk about is your menu.

If it is not simple enough for your clients to read and understand in their language, they are going to have a very hard time booking online with you, and you are gonna have a very difficult time implementing it in your business. And it's gonna cause you a lot more problems than not, okay? So, what I can see happening and what used to happen when I had an a la carte menu and it was, like, all over the place and crazy, was that clients had no idea where to even start, right? They had no idea what they actually needed because they are not hairdressers.

We are hairdressers, and we know our cute little languages and all of our verbiages and words for what we call our services, right? Your clients do not understand that, and they need to see a very simplified menu in which they only have to choose one, maybe two, maybe, booking blocks in your online booking to get the job done. And on your website/ in your new- in your automated new client application funnel and in your, um, existing client digital spaces, you should have your menu listed out with all of the things that those booking sessions include, right? So making sure that you don't have a million different options and, like, little service- services to choose from can make sure that your online booking is more streamlined, right?

And even if that just looks like making a booking block specifically just for the time or specifically just for new clients, right? And then charging whatever you charge when they get in there and making sure that they know that it may be more than what they actually are booking for online, then that will streamline people actually getting onto your books, right? That will make sure that people don't have a frustrating process when you're trying to implement online booking into your business and you're having a trouble- uh, trouble doing it because people are resentful. People are only resentful because it's not an easy thing for them, and so therefore you need to make sure that your menu is simplified enough and they know exactly what to click and book for when they get on there.

And it should not take too much explanation either, right? They should know, like, "Oh, this sounds like me. Like, this- this service booking block, it really looks like it's speaking to me, so therefore that's the one that I need." And there shouldn't be much questioning about it on your client's end, okay?

So, simplifying your menu could look like taking all of your, uh, services and consolidating them down into just, like, three to six booking blocks and making sure that they are super simple, straightforward, and that your clients know what you're actually, uh, trying to relay to them and you're speaking your client's language, okay? Because if you don't, then implementing online booking is just going to be harder for you, and your clients are gonna hate it, and they're not gonna wanna do it, and you're gonna have to spend a lot more time, like, texting people back and forth saying, "Hey, you didn't book the wr- for the wrong thing," or people are gonna come in and then they're- they're going to have not booked the toner, not booked the, uh, eyebrow wax, and then- then you're not gonna have enough time to get done what you need to get done, all because although your client had the intention of booking all of the things that they needed to book, you didn't make it clear enough for them. So, it's really important that we keep our menus, especially on our online booking interfaces, very clear and easy, all right? And that also brings me to your interface, your online booking system.

So, consider, right, if you were a new potential client... Not even. If you were even your existing client, any client, and they got onto your online booking schedule, is it easy for them to navigate? Are they able to find everything that they need to find without scrolling, clicking, going through a whole lotta steps?

Is it a clean interface? Is all of the things that you need for them to do to book online super nice and simple and easy and laid out? Or is it a complete mess, and/or is it really, really hard to actually find the service that they need to book for, right? Is it a pretty interface?

Is it a branded interface? Are you able to brand it? And, um, are you able to categorize things and put things where you need to put them, right? I recommend that you very much take that in consideration because if you're creating a poor booking experience for your clients, then you're just gonna get more pushback from your- for- from your clients when you're trying to implement online booking, right?

And when you're trying to make sure that instead of going to you to book an appointment when you're, like, you know, spending time with your friends, your family, or yourself, and you're off of work and you don't wanna have to text back and forth and figure out a time that works for Sally... that Sally will have no big deal or problems going and using your online booking interface. So when you're selecting an online booking site or scheduler or software, make sure that it's pretty, sure, whatever, but also make sure that it is very user-friendly, because if it's not, you're just gonna have issues, friend. Another thing that I think is really powerful for you as a service provider that I think that you should highly consider, that I think a lot of service providers and hairstylists aren't already implementing, which I'm actually really surprised about, but I get it, it's because we're all scared and we're fearful, and, uh, and that's totally a valid reason.

However, my goal for you is to help you see the light and help you get through the uncomfortability and fear and see why it's so important and cool, is, drum roll, keeping a credit card on file or requiring a credit card on file for when you're booking online/requiring a deposit, right? So here is the tea, friends. Every single one of my clients since the beginning of my independent business, if you wanted to book with me, you had to book with a credit card on file. There was no ands, ifs, or buts about it.

Um, you were not able to get past that filter on my online booking system if you did not put that credit card down, right? And the reason why is because you wanna make sure that that person is fully committed and ready to go, right? That they have some skin in the game and that they have read and signed your policies and that they know that their card may be charged or what your cancellation policy will be, um, and that they are fully, fully agreeing to it with a sign and agree, um, with a digital form or whatever it may be, and by actually slapping that credit card on file down, right, or that deposit. That will make sure that whoever is this new person fully has some skin in the game, you're not wasting any time on your schedule, and you're securing that income because it'll make sure that it's somebody who is very serious about coming to see you and isn't just playing games with you and your schedule, 'cause, Hunty, we don't got time for that, okay?

Purr. So I think that we get really nervous about, uh, asking for cards on file, but quite honestly, friend, um, if you're using a reputable booking system, then they are most likely using a very secure, very popular way of actually holding those cards on file, and your client, if they have an issue with that, then they can go somewhere else, because as I talk about a lot, if your client has a problem with your boundaries, processes, and procedures, then they're not the right fit for your business. And having a credit card on file is actually really cool because it allows for a quicker checkout process, and you don't have to make your client get out their card and, like s- like, uh, s- search through their bag to find their card to get all checked out so you can get them out the door. Um, and my clients absolutely love it.

My clients love that they have their card on file. So requiring some sort of skin in the game when they're actually booking that appointment online can be really impactful for you to make sure that you are vetting people when they're going through your online booking process, that you're securing that space, knowing that there is, um, a very high likely chance of that person not no-showing you, that they understand what your cancellation policies are, and I'm gonna say it again, even though I kind of skimmed over it, you should have your new clients, before they even get your booking link, be signing your policies and reading your policies. They should not be able to secure that appointment until they have read and signed your policies. So the way that I do it is once they read and sign my policies, they're redirected to the online booking site in which they will put in their information, put down a card, and then they're booked, and they have to do a little bit before all of that, but that's, like, the short little piece of what my online booking, uh, process looks like.

So that way, I know that this person is real. They know the tea, they know my boundaries, they know how to respect me, and they are a worthy guest of my business and that they are the right fit for me and I am the right fit for them, 'cause if I have to break my own boundaries for somebody, if, if I'm gonna make an exception for somebody or I have to to make them happy, then I am not the right fit for them and I can't serve them better than somebody else could. So online booking is amazing. It is absolutely a game changer for us as service providers, especially in a day and age where we have a whole lot of shit to worry about, right?

And, uh, we have a lot of hats that we wear as hairstylists, and there's a lot of s- a lot of things for us to do, and we are working plenty enough when we're not even behind the chair, and I want you to have a more convenient experience with booking your guests and handling your guests and the operations of your business when you're not behind the chair, 'kay? I want you to be saving so much time, so much energy, and online booking is a really beautiful way to do so. However, you need to make sure that you're setting it up and that you have systems, processes, and solutions that make it simple and easy for you and your guests, that make it automated and make it streamlined and effective so you're not always having to go back and fix things and talk to people and change things around, so that way, you are making sure that the people getting your online booking link are existing, accepted, vetted clients, so that way, your potential new clients are more likely to want to actually book with you, because let me tell you, friend, they don't wanna book the wrong thing either, okay? So when you remove your online booking link...

And you have a digital consultation instead first, your clients are more likely to actually go through your funnel, because the digital consultation is going to be another point that nurtures them and gets them excited for their appointment, because you're gonna be customizedly telling them what they need to book for based upon their answers. And you can do that in all the way in which is automated and takes you less than a minute, if not 30 seconds. Once you set these systems up, you never have to set them up again. So, having these forms, these digital forms, these digital consultations, and building systems around your online booking system, right, is going to make sure that you have a streamlined life and business, and creating more professionalism and convenience for your clients, helping you grow by creating systems that hold you accountable that are also professional for your clients and convenient for your clients, right?

That's what I'm all about. That's what we are all about here at the Modern Hairstylist, okay? Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. I really hope that you got some things out of it.

I hope that you have some plans on maybe how you're gonna re-evaluate what your online booking situation looks like and, um, how you're gonna actually implement it in your business in a more effective way, so that way you can gain some more time, freedom, and energy and you can make it more convenient and amazing for your clients. If you liked this episode, I want you to do me a favor and wherever you're listening to it, I want you to click the Follow or Subscribe button, and leave a testimonial, just a quick little baby testimonial, literally one minute out of your day, telling me something cool that you learned from this episode, what maybe you would like to talk about in the future, and what your experience has been, um, with the Modern Hairstylist podcast. I would absolutely love to hear from you. Your reviews and testimonials and feedback is what keeps fueling these podcast episodes and allows me to show up and give you everything that I want to give you and that you deserve, okay, friend?

So, have a blessed rest of your day. I wish you love, luck, and joy, and I'll see you very soon. Peace out, Girl Scout. Bye-bye.

End of transcript. © 2022 Hunter Donia LLC.