DigiReminder
Your hands are in a client's hair and your phone buzzes: another message asking for a cut on Saturday morning. You'll reply later, you forget, and Saturday fills up anyway. Meanwhile the 11 o'clock client doesn't show. For a hairdresser or barber, a booking app has one job: letting you work on clients, not on your phone.
Why hairdresser bookings are different
- Services of different lengths: a men's cut doesn't take as long as colour and blow-dry. The calendar must know that.
- More chairs, more people: each stylist has their own clients and hours.
- Regulars: they come back every few weeks and often want the same stylist.
- Bookings at all hours: many people message in the evening or when you're closed.
- Forgotten appointments: people who book weeks ahead can forget. A no-show is when a client doesn't turn up and doesn't tell you.
The features you really need
1. A calendar per stylist
Each person needs their own column with their own hours, so you can see who's free at a glance and never book two clients at the same time. For bigger teams there's a guide on managing a salon with several staff.
2. A service catalogue with durations
Cut, blow-dry, colour, beard: each service with its duration and price. When you pick it, the appointment takes up the right amount of time automatically.
3. Online booking
A link for WhatsApp, Instagram and Google where clients choose a service and a free time. No more answering every "any space on Saturday?". More in WhatsApp bookings for salons.
4. Automatic confirmations and reminders
Clients get a confirmation when they book and a reminder before the appointment — ideally on WhatsApp, the app they already use every day, and from your salon's number.
5. Client records
Service history, colour notes, preferences. Especially useful when a client comes back after months or sees a colleague.
Common mistakes when choosing an app
- Choosing the longest feature list: you pay for things you won't use.
- Forgetting message costs: SMS reminders are sometimes billed separately.
- A client-only app not linked to your calendar: you end up managing two calendars.
- Not testing the client journey: book yourself from the link on your phone and see if it's easy.
- Long contracts: for your first software, a subscription you can cancel any time is safer.
Managing bookings by hand or with an app
| Task | By hand (calls and messages) | With a booking app |
|---|---|---|
| Taking a booking | You answer, even while working | Clients choose from free times themselves |
| Confirming | Typed by hand | Automatic confirmation |
| Reminding | If you remember | Automatic reminder at the time you choose |
| Rescheduling | Cross out, rewrite, tell the client | Move it and the client can get the new time |
| Knowing what the client had | Memory or a notebook | Record with history and notes |
How much it costs
Hairdresser apps are almost always monthly subscriptions, priced by how many people work in the calendar and how many automatic messages you send. Before deciding, check contracts, commissions and message costs: the questions to ask are in how much salon software costs.
How it works with DigiReminder
DigiReminder is built for appointment-based businesses, including hairdressers and barbers. You get a calendar with week, month and table views, a service catalogue with duration and price, and client records with history and notes. Clients book from the online booking page, which only shows slots that are really free and recognises clients by phone number, so there are no duplicate records.
For every appointment a confirmation goes out from your salon's WhatsApp number and, before the date, a reminder at the time you choose (3 to 72 hours before). If you move an appointment, the client receives the new time (Pro and Business plans). Lite (€9 per month) is for one staff member, Pro (€19) for up to 3, Business (€39) unlimited: details on the pricing page.