Why it matters
The patch test nobody mentioned
At 10pm on a Wednesday someone books a balayage for Saturday on your online booking page. Your color page says new color clients need a patch test at least 48 hours before. The booking page doesn't say it, and they never open the color page. They did try calling that afternoon, but you were mid-foil and it rang out.
Saturday morning they're in the chair when the stylist asks about the patch test. There wasn't one, so the color can't go ahead, and a Saturday slot you can't refill at an hour's notice sits empty.
The FDA advises a patch test before each use of hair dye. When your site requires one, the assistant says so in the chat before anyone books, so the test happens on Thursday instead of the question coming up on Saturday.
- 48%of US hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists are self-employed.US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- 80%of barbers are self-employed.US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- 595,000hairdresser, hairstylist and cosmetologist jobs in the US in 2025. Their schedules often include evenings and weekends, times when salons may be busiest.US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Example conversation
A color client at 10pm
- How much is balayage? Do I need to come in first?
Answers from your price list and services page
- Balayage starts at $180, and the final price depends on length and thickness. We need a quick consultation and a patch test at least 48 hours before, as our color page explains.
Quotes “from” prices and your patch-test policy as published
- OK. Can I book with Mia on Saturday? And can I pay the deposit here?
- You can choose Mia and a Saturday time on our booking page, which also takes the deposit securely. Please don't type card details here.
Mia is named on your site, so it can point to her; never takes card details
- Great. Also, my sister's getting married on June 14. Can you do hair for a bridal party of five?
- Our site says bridal parties start with a consultation and a trial, so I'll pass this to the team. What's your name and the best number?
Hands the bridal party to you as a consultation request
- Jess Moreno, 555-0122. A trial sounds good.
- New lead · Jess Moreno · 555-0122 · Bridal hair for a party of five, consultation and trial · June 14
Emailed to you in seconds
Try a sample
Ask a sample assistant yourself
Sample Salon & Spa
SampleA sample hair salon and spa, made up for this demo.
Nothing loads until you tap. No account, and nothing you type is saved.
What customers ask
What clients ask before they book
- How much is a cut and blowout?
- How long does it take?
- Is Mia free on Saturday?
- Do I need a consultation or patch test first?
- What's your cancellation and deposit policy?
- Do you do curly or textured hair?
- Can you do hair for a bridal party of five?
- Do you sell gift cards?
It answers these from your own website, and hands over any it can't.
What it does
What it does for you
Answers from your price list
Starting prices, how long a service takes and what's included, always noting when the final price depends on the hair.
Sends clients to your booking page
Stylist, service and time are picked on your own booking page in Vagaro, Fresha or whatever you use, deposit and all. The chat never holds a slot itself, so it can't double-book a chair.
States your policies exactly
Cancellation, lateness, deposit and patch-test policies, word for word from your site.
Hands consultations to you
Color corrections, bridal parties and anything it can't price go to you as a consultation request, with the date and the details.
Rules it follows
The rules it follows for salons and spas
Policies stated, never invented
Cancellation and deposit terms must be clear before someone books. It repeats the policy your site publishes and never makes one up.
No card details in the chat
Deposits and payments go through your booking page's secure payment, never typed into a chat window.
Patch tests and consultations
The FDA advises a patch test each time someone dyes their hair. When your site requires one, it says so before anyone books.
It doesn't confirm a stylist your site doesn't name
If a client asks for someone who isn't named on your website, it doesn't say that person works there. It takes the request and lets you answer.
Medical questions go to staff
Skin reactions, medical conditions and medical-spa treatments such as injectables or laser are always handed to your team.
What reaches you
What reaches your inbox
Consultation requests arrive by email for you to answer between clients.
- Name
- Jess Moreno
- Phone
- 555-0122
- Service
- Bridal hair, party of five
- Date
- June 14
- Wants
- Consultation and trial
Your tools
Works alongside your booking system
- Vagaro
- Fresha
- Boulevard
- GlossGenius
- Square Appointments
- Mindbody
- Zenoti
- Phorest
Questions
Common questions
Does it answer the salon phone?
No. It answers in your website chat, and on a chat page you can link from Instagram or Google. If most of your bookings still come by phone, a phone answering service or a phone AI receptionist covers calls, and this covers the people who look you up online at night.
What does it cost, and how long does setup take?
There's a free plan with 100 customer messages a month and no card, and paid plans start at $19 a month. Paste your website address and it reads your services, prices and policies in about a minute. To go live, add one line of code to your site or install the WordPress plugin.
Will it tell clients a stylist is free when they aren't?
No. It can't see the calendar inside your booking system, so it never says who's available. It sends clients to your booking page, where your real availability is, and only mentions stylists your website names.
Will clients mind talking to an AI?
It's labeled as an AI assistant before anyone types, it answers only from your own site, and a “Talk to a person” button sits under every reply. When it doesn't know, it says so and takes their details for you instead of guessing.
Can it book appointments into my salon booking system?
Not directly. It sends clients to your booking page to pick a stylist, service and time, so bookings land in Vagaro, Fresha or whichever system you use, as usual.
Does it work for nail salons, barbers and med spas?
Nail salons and barbers, yes: it answers from whatever services and prices your website lists. Med spas have their own setup, because injectables and laser are medical treatments with stricter rules; see the med spa page.
Can AI replace my salon receptionist?
Not entirely. For online questions, it covers the hours nobody can answer. It won't handle walk-ins, the phone or an unhappy client at the desk, and it passes consultations, complaints and anything it can't answer to you.
Similar businesses
Close to yours
- Med spas and aestheticsMed spa chatbot that answers from your own pages, books consultations and emails you each request, without promising results or asking for medical history.
- Gyms and fitness studiosFitness chatbot for gyms and studios: answers membership, price and class questions from your website, books trial classes and emails you each new lead.
Before you start
More business types
Built for other businesses too
- HVAC, plumbing and electrical
- Dentists
- Real estate agents
- Law firms
- Accountants and CPA firms
- Driving schools
- Tutors and tutoring centers
- Veterinary clinics
- Auto repair shops
- Medical clinics
- Roofing contractors
- Pest control
- Solar installers
- Cleaning services
- Moving companies
- Home improvement contractors
- Physical therapy and chiropractic
- Daycare and child care
- Insurance agents and mortgage brokers
- Online stores
- B2B SaaS companies
- Fintech companies