What should a salon client record contain?

The essentials (name, phone, email, date of birth), the treatment history and a few useful notes on preferences and known reactions. Better a few details that stay up to date than many empty fields.

Can I save allergies and health issues in the record?

That's health data and needs extra care: only collect what's needed for the treatment, inform the client and get consent where required. For the exact obligations, speak to an adviser.

Is a paper or a digital client record better?

A digital one is searchable in a moment, can't be lost and builds its history from your appointments. Paper works with very few clients, but has to be copied and updated by hand.

Salon Client Records: What to Keep on File

The salon client record is the memory of your business: it remembers what the client had done, what she prefers and what's best avoided, even when a different team member is looking after her. The risk is going too far the other way: a record that's too long won't be filled in by anyone. Here's how to build one that's useful and takes seconds to update.

The essentials (and nothing more)

First and last name, so you can recognise the client without confusion.
Phone number: the most important item, because it's what confirmations and WhatsApp reminders are sent to. Save it with the international prefix.
Email, if the client uses it.
Date of birth: useful for birthday wishes and for getting to know your clientele.

Treatment history

History is the part that saves the most time: the date and service of every appointment. It lets you answer "when did I last have my waxing?" in a moment, suggest the right follow-up and spot your most loyal clients. In software, history builds itself from your appointments; on paper it has to be copied over each time, which is why it often goes out of date.

Useful notes: what to write and how

Preferences: favourite team member, convenient times, "prefers not to chat during the treatment".
Products and known reactions: a product that caused irritation, sensitive skin.
Practical details: the shade or mix used, the duration of a particular treatment.
Date and author on every note, so you can tell how recent it is and who wrote it.

Write facts, not judgements: a record may be read by different colleagues and, in some cases, by the client herself. "Cancelled twice" is useful information; a comment about personality is not.

Watch out for health data and privacy

Allergies, pregnancy, medical conditions and the like are health data, which data protection law (the GDPR in the EU, the Federal Act on Data Protection in Switzerland) treats with extra care. Practical rules: only collect what you really need for the treatment, tell the client how you'll use the data, get consent where it's required and don't leave records accessible to just anyone. For the exact obligations of your business, talk to an adviser: this guide is not legal advice.

How to keep it up to date without wasting time

The rule is simple: update it in two minutes at the end of the appointment, not at the end of the day. In DigiReminder the record contains personal details (name, phone, email, date of birth), an appointment history that grows with your calendar, notes with date and author, a reliability indicator for clients who often cancel, and their total spend. People who book from the online link are recognised by their phone number, so you don't end up with duplicates to fix by hand.