How to set up an online booking system
For hair salons, beauty salons and clinics
Taking bookings by phone means stopping work again and again during the day to answer calls. With an online booking system, customers open the business's booking page, choose the service and the staff member, and take one of the genuinely free times. The appointment lands in the calendar by itself, and the customer receives a confirmation and a reminder.
This guide is for appointment-based businesses such as hair salons, barbers, beauty salons, clinics, dietitians and physiotherapists. We cover the setup steps, the questions to ask when choosing a system and ways to reduce no-shows.
What does an online booking system give you?
- Bookings around the clock: Customers can book at night too; your phone doesn't need to be on.
- A clash-free calendar: The same staff member is never booked twice at the same time.
- Fewer forgotten appointments: Reminder messages reduce forgetting, and you see no-shows on the customer record.
- Customer history: Who had which service and when, together with notes, in one place.
- Staff organisation: Each employee sees their own calendar; reception manages the whole salon.
Setup steps
- List your services. Write down the duration and price of each service, such as a haircut, blow-dry, colour, facial or check-up. For long treatments such as colouring, use the real duration; durations that are too short squeeze the calendar.
- Set buffer times. If you need a gap between two appointments for cleaning or preparation, add it to the service; the system won't give that time to the next appointment.
- Enter staff and working hours. Define each employee's weekly hours, lunch break and days off. Also add days when the business is closed, such as public holidays.
- Decide who provides which service. Customers see only the people who provide that service. With the ‘Anyone’ option, they can book whichever staff member is free at that time.
- Choose your rules. How many hours ahead at the earliest can people book, how many days ahead is the calendar open, and up to how many hours before can customers cancel? Should bookings be confirmed automatically, or will you confirm them?
- Share your booking link. Add the link to your Instagram profile, your Google Business Profile and your WhatsApp messages; put the QR code up in your window and at the till.
- Watch the first week. Adjust service durations and breaks to match the real flow.
What to look for when choosing a system
| Criterion | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Real free slots | Are working hours, breaks, time off and service durations calculated together? |
| Double-booking prevention | What happens if two customers pick the same time at the same moment? |
| Staff choice | Can customers choose a staff member, and is there an ‘Anyone’ option? |
| Reminders | Are reminders sent by email or SMS? Which is included in the plan? |
| Customer self-service | Can customers cancel their own appointment and move it to another time? |
| Roles | Are there separate permissions for reception and staff? |
| Prepayment | Can you take a deposit? If it's essential for your business, ask from the start. |
| Price | Does the fee rise with the number of staff, and is there a limit on bookings? |
To be honest: today Randevubulut sends confirmations and reminders by email. SMS reminders and prepayment (deposits) aren't available yet; they're on the roadmap. If deposits are essential for you, make your decision knowing this.
Where should you share your booking link?
An online booking system only works when customers can find the link. Put it everywhere customers look for you:
- Instagram: Add it to the link field in your profile and to your story highlights.
- Google Business Profile: Enter your booking page in the booking or website field; customers who find you on the map can book directly.
- WhatsApp: Send the link to customers who ask about appointments; in WhatsApp Business you can save it as a quick reply.
- Window and till: Put the QR code poster on the door and at the till; passers-by, or customers who want to book their next visit on the way out, scan the code.
- Business cards and receipts: Print the short address on your business card.
In the first weeks, some customers will still phone. When you book over the phone, use the same calendar; that way the time automatically shows as taken on the online page.
Reducing no-shows
- Send a reminder before the appointment; Randevubulut sends it automatically as far in advance as you set.
- Give customers an easy way to cancel their appointment. A cancelled time opens up for another customer.
- State your cancellation deadline clearly, for example up to 3 hours before the appointment.
- Keep track of frequent no-shows on the customer record and, if necessary, confirm their appointment by phone.
- Include your address and directions in the confirmation message.
What an online booking system costs
Online booking software is mostly charged monthly or yearly according to the number of staff. When comparing, check whether there is a limit on bookings, whether SMS is charged separately and how customer data is kept in line with KVKK, Türkiye's data protection law.
Randevubulut is paid in one annual payment: ₺790 for one-person businesses, ₺1,990 for up to 5 staff and ₺3,990 for unlimited staff (per year, excl. VAT). Bookings are unlimited. Details: Randevubulut plans.
Frequently asked questions
Do customers need to download an app?
No. The booking page opens in the phone's browser; customers enter their name, phone number and email and book.
Can two appointments end up at the same time?
Not with Randevubulut. Free slots are calculated from working hours, breaks, time off and service durations; even if two people choose the same time at the same moment, only one is saved.
Can customers cancel their appointment?
Yes. They open their appointment via the link in the confirmation email, or with their booking code and phone number; if the business's cancellation deadline hasn't passed, they can cancel or move it to another time.
How are reminders sent?
Confirmation, change and reminder emails go out automatically; customers can add the appointment to their phone calendar. SMS reminders are on the roadmap.
I work on my own; is it useful for me?
Yes. The Solo plan is for a single staff calendar; you don't have to stop what you're doing to take a booking.