01Gain
More services per chair
Booking into processing time is the single biggest lever on a colour-heavy floor.
Feature 01 · The book
Salon appointment booking software that respects processing time
GetSalonPOS gives every stylist a column, every service a real duration, and every colour service a processing gap the front desk can book a blowout into. Clients book online from your Instagram bio or WhatsApp; the desk sees one live book.
04Appointments & booking
What does “salon appointment book” mean?
- Salon appointment book
- A salon appointment book is the schedule of every stylist's chair for the day: who is booked, for which service, how long it takes, and where the gaps are. Good salon software treats colour processing time as bookable gap, not dead time, so one stylist can run two clients.
On the salon floor
Appointments & booking: how it works, step by step
Five steps, in the order the desk meets them.
Build your service menu
Each service gets a duration, a price, the stylists who do it, and an optional processing gap (for example: 30 min apply, 35 min process, 20 min rinse and finish).
Open the book
The day view shows one column per stylist. Drag to move, stretch to lengthen, tap a gap to book. Processing time shows as a hatched block another short service can go into.
Let clients book themselves
Share your booking link in your Instagram bio, Google profile and WhatsApp. Clients pick the service, the stylist (or “anyone”) and a time that is really free.
Confirm and remind
The booking is confirmed straight away; reminders go out before the visit. A deposit can be required for the services you choose.
Check in and check out
When the client arrives, check them in. At the end, the appointment becomes the sale: services, add-ons and retail on one ticket, commission calculated.
Worked example
A real Saturday column, the way the book handles it
| Time | Stylist | Service | What the book does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Maria | Full colour (apply) | Blocks 30 min of Maria's chair |
| 10:30 | Maria | Processing | Hatched gap: Maria is free for 35 min |
| 10:35 | Maria | Fringe trim (walk-in) | Booked into the gap, ends 10:55 |
| 11:05 | Maria | Rinse, cut & blow-dry | Back with the colour client |
| 11:05 | Linh | Blowout (online booking) | Booked by the client at 23:40 the night before |
Durations and gaps are set per service and can be changed per stylist (a senior stylist may be faster).
Why salons switch on appointments & booking
02Gain
Fewer double bookings
One live book for the desk, the stylists and online booking; no paper book and no second spreadsheet.
03Gain
Bookings while you sleep
A large share of salon bookings are made outside opening hours. Online booking catches them.
“The gap between colour and rinse is the most valuable half-hour in the salon. The book should let you sell it.”From the GetSalonPOS desk
Out with
What appointments & booking replaces
- The paper appointment book
- Booking by Instagram DM and WhatsApp threads
- A separate booking app plus a separate till
And where it connects
Related features
Deposits & no-show feesDeposits per service, held as client credit, applied at checkout, with a clear refund trail.
Service staffRoles, PINs and permissions for stylists, assistants and the desk; service staff on every ticket.
Client historyVisits, colour formulas, allergies, purchases and deposits on one client card.
Try it on your own book
See appointments & booking with your own services.
Start the free trial and add your menu, or book a demo and we will set up a sample day using your real services and prices.
14-day free trial, no cardNo contractFree importSalon plan from $49/mo
Feature 01 · FAQ
Appointments & booking: your questions
Booking
Can clients book a specific stylist?
Yes. Clients choose a stylist or “anyone available”. You decide which stylists appear online and which services each one offers, so a junior stylist is never offered a colour correction.
How does the book handle colour processing time?
Each service can carry an apply time, a processing gap and a finish time. The gap shows as a hatched block. The desk (or online booking, if you allow it) can put a short service like a fringe trim or blowout into that gap.
Can I take walk-ins as well as appointments?
Yes. Add a walk-in straight into the first free slot, or sell the service at the counter without an appointment. Walk-ins still record the stylist, so commission is right.
Where do clients book online?
On your booking page, which is part of the online store generated for you. Put the link in your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, Facebook page and WhatsApp Business profile.
Rules
Can I stop clients booking at the last minute?
Yes. Set a minimum notice (for example 2 hours) and how far ahead clients can book. You can also hide specific services from online booking so they need a consultation first.
Can I require a deposit for some services only?
Yes. Deposits are set per service, for example colour, extensions and bridal only. See deposits and no-show fees.
Can stylists see and manage their own column?
Yes. Each stylist logs in with their own user and sees their own day. Permissions decide whether they can move other people's bookings or see prices.
Does it work for suite renters and booth renters?
Yes. A renter can run their own column (or their own account) on the Single Chair plan. A salon that rents chairs can keep renters in the same book without paying them commission.
Practical
Does the book work on a phone and a tablet?
Yes. It runs in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer. Most salons keep a tablet at the desk and stylists check their day on their phone.
What happens if the internet drops?
The book is online software, so it needs a connection to save changes. A phone hotspot is the usual fallback; nothing already saved is lost.