Smart Online Booking Checklist

Your checklist for personalising your smart online booking

Phoebe Davis avatar
Written by Phoebe Davis
Updated over a week ago

We know every salon is different! That is why we Slick is a smart, personalised booking system that is built by pros for pros!

With hundreds of customisation options, we can make sure your booking system works with you so you stay in control and give your clients the experience they want!

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Personalise your smart booking system

1. Setup

Make sure your service timings and prices are correct by checking in your Menu, Settings and Service Prices & Timings. Here's the how to guide.

Remember, the order of services as they appear in settings will appear as such in online booking e.g. if you want colour services first, put those at the top. Here’s how to rearrange the order of services for online booking.

Ensure the correct services are ticked on/off for each staff member. You'll need to also set the days you'd like to be able to receive online bookings on - otherwise your online booking will not remain on. You can set this by clicking on the Menu and selecting Online Bookings & Payments. Find out more about personalising your online booking 💻

If you'd prefer to keep colour services off, create a consultation service available for online booking instead e.g 'Balayage Consultation' at £0 and 15 mins application time.

Some salons pass online payment protection fee to the client by adding additional services called e.g. Full Head Foils Online and add the additional fees into the service price.

2. Worried about 15 minute gaps? Don't be!

Slick's smart algorithm allows you to reduce white space in your calendar. You can have all available slots free to book which might leave gaps in your calendar but shows clients maximum availability.

Or if you want to eliminate 15 min gaps then choose the smart booking option. This will only show start times that ensure appointments will be booked back to back with no annoying 15 min gaps.

You can also request that appointments are booked on the hour or half past the hour. All settings can be changed from 'online booking and payment'.

Make this choice from menu - online booking and payments and find out more here. 💡

3. Choose your closest booking time

You can choose any notice period before a booking that you feel comfortable with whether its 12 hours or 1 hour!

4. Notifications

We will send you a confirmation email for every new booking made online. You will also receive a notification in your notifications tab on your calendar. 📆

Staff members can also be sent their own individual online booking notification emails direct to their inbox.

5. Cancellation Policy

You can create your own cancellation policy which the client will see when making an online booking. Here are some templates ideas if you would like some inspiration!

6. Cancellation window

You can allow clients to cancel their own booking or you can only allow clients to phone the salon for all cancellations.

If you do allow clients to cancel then you can set a cancellation window of your choice i.e a client can cancel 24 hours before the booking or maybe you want 72 hours. Up to you!

7. Booking window

Haven't finished your Christmas rota and don't want clients booking too far ahead? We can limit how many months in advance a client can book so you retain control of your diary and holiday plans....!

8. Service Descriptions

You can add service descriptions to your online booking settings to ensure your clients choose the correct service. To add descriptions, please follow this guide.

9. Colour Mode

Choose a colour mode that reflects your brand best by going to menu - online booking and payments - branding.


Protecting your business

1. Online Payments

Protect your business financially by setting up either No Show Protection or Online Deposits

No Show Protection: client their puts card details in when making an online booking, no payment is taken upfront but if they no-show you can then charge the card.

Online Deposits: client pays a specified amount upfront to secure their booking, those funds will go into your account at the end of each week/month.

Find out more about No show and Deposits to make your choice!

2. Blocking clients

If you do need to block persistent offenders who no-show then we can do that for you too! Let us know the client via the Live Chat and we do the rest! 💜


Making it easy for clients to book

1. Adding a ‘Book Now’ button into your Facebook

To add a ‘Book Now’ button to your Facebook, please follow this guide.

2. Adding your Online Booking into Instagram

To add a ‘Book Now’ button to your Instagram, please follow this guide.

3. Adding your Online Booking link into Google

New customers will always Google you first and look for the fastest way to book. Simply log into your Google Business page, click ‘Business’ button and insert your online booking link like Wilde About Hair.

4. Notify your clients

Now's the time to shout about it from the rooftops! Send out an SMS to those clients who do not have a future appointment and include your online booking link. Here are some templates! 📲

To find out how to optimise your online booking and maximise your availability please see our blog.


If you have further questions that haven't been answered in this article then please reach out to us on Live Chat via the chat bubble in the bottom right corner!

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