Booking platform with keyless check-in for serviced apartments
- 72+
- weekly self check-ins via mobile app
- 7x
- growth in self check-ins after launch
Hair Salon Booking System
Built to cut no-shows and fill the calendar
A salon or barbershop running on phone bookings and DMs has two problems: every booking call is five minutes of front desk attention that could have been self-serve, and a client who booked by DM two weeks ago has no friction preventing a no-show. The solution is enforcing a deposit or card pre-authorisation at the point of booking, sending a reminder sequence that keeps the appointment top of mind, and giving the stylist the client's history before they sit down.
Online booking with stylist and service selection
Deposit and card pre-authorisation at booking
Automated reminder sequence to cut no-shows
Client history with preferences, formulas, and notes
Bring the problem, the current workflow, or the existing code. We reply with a practical next step within one business day.
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The brief
Start with what is not working.
Good software decisions begin with the constraint, not a list of features or a preferred technology.
01
Booking managed by phone and Instagram DM, front desk spending the morning on calls?
02
No-shows and last-minute cancellations quietly eating a fully-booked week, with no deposit or card-hold to back the calendar?
Plain answer
RaftLabs builds a custom hair salon booking system for salons and barbershops: online self-booking by stylist and service, a deposit or card-hold at booking to cut no-shows, client records with colour formulas and treatment notes, stylist calendars with buffer time, and point of sale with commission tracking. A first version launches in about 12-14 weeks at a fixed price; a focused build starts around $20,000-$45,000 and grows into a full platform from there.
What to remember
- Deposit enforcement turns a booking from an informal arrangement into a transaction - most no-show reduction comes from making the appointment cost something to skip.
- Colour formulas, patch test history, and before/after photos are structured client data any stylist can access, not paper notes tied to one person's memory.
- Multi-stylist appointments (a cut with one stylist, a treatment with another) run as linked bookings with combined duration calculated automatically.
- A first version - online booking, deposits, stylist calendars - starts around $20,000-$45,000 and launches in about 12-14 weeks; it grows into a full platform with POS, loyalty, and multi-location for $60,000-$110,000 as you add scope.
Proof
- Since 2015
- shipping production software across regulated and consumer sectors
- RaftLabs delivery record
- 4.9/5
- average client rating across delivered projects
- Clutch, verified reviews
- Fixed price
- scope and cost agreed in writing before any development starts
- Every RaftLabs engagement
Hair salon booking system built to cut no-shows and fill the calendar
A salon or barbershop running on phone bookings and Instagram DMs carries two hidden costs. Every call to the front desk is five minutes that self-service would have saved. And a client who reserved a slot by DM two weeks ago has nothing on the line if they skip it.
Deposits and card holds change that. No-shows stay high wherever skipping an appointment costs the client nothing, which is why card-on-file at booking is now a default on the major salon platforms like Fresha and Square Appointments. A custom build lets you set that policy on your own terms: which services need a deposit, how large it is, and what happens on a late cancellation. Add a reminder sequence that keeps the appointment top of mind, and give each stylist the client's history before they sit down.
Capabilities
What we build
- 01Online booking widget
Service and stylist selection with real-time availability, bookable from the website, Instagram, and Facebook profile links. Redis-backed slot locking prevents double-booking during checkout, and a new-client intake form captures sensitivity and preference data before the first visit.
- Built with
- Stripe · Square
- 02Stylist scheduling
Individual calendars with configurable buffer time and blocked periods for lunch, training, and meetings. Substitute assignment for unexpected absences notifies clients automatically, and commission calculates per completed service at each stylist's configured rate.
- 03Deposit and no-show management
Deposit amount configurable by service risk, with card pre-authorisation held and captured only on a no-show or late cancellation. Automated 48-hour and 2-hour reminders include a confirm/reschedule/cancel link, with no-show tracking flagging repeat offenders for a higher deposit requirement.
- Built with
- Twilio · SendGrid
- 04Client records and history
Colour formulas, treatment notes, patch test records, and before/after photos attach to the client profile, visible to any stylist before and during the appointment. Allergy flags surface at booking and on the appointment card, and LTV tracking identifies high-value clients at risk of lapsing.
- 05Automated reminders
Confirmation on booking, a 48-hour reminder, and a day-of reminder with directions, all configurable by service type. Rebooking prompts fire at the right interval, colour at 7-8 weeks, cuts at 5-6 weeks, with a direct link to the same stylist.
- 06Point of sale
Retail sales and service billing in one transaction, with stylist commission tracking by category. End-of-day takings reports reconcile by payment method, prepaid package credits deduct automatically, and loyalty points earn and redeem at checkout without manual entry.
- Built with
- Xero · QuickBooks
How we work
From scope to live booking system
- Week 101
Service and stylist scoping
We map your service menu, stylist structure, and current no-show rate. You leave week 1 with a written scope document and a fixed-price quote.
- Weeks 2-302
Deposit and reminder design
Deposit rules, cancellation policy, and client-record structure designed against your actual service mix.
- Weeks 4-1103
Build and integrate
Booking widget, stylist calendars, and payment integration built in parallel, tested against real scenarios.
- Final 2-3 weeks04
Launch and monitoring
Live rollout with no-show rate tracked from day one.
Why us
Why salons and barbershops choose RaftLabs
- 01Senior engineers build what they scope
The engineers who assess your booking flow also build the solution. No bait-and-switch, no offshore handoff after the contract is signed.
- 02Fixed price before development starts
We scope the work, calculate the cost, and lock it in writing before any development starts.
- 03A decade of shipped products
We have built booking and POS-integrated platforms for hospitality and retail, including a keyless check-in booking system running in production. Real engagements across SaaS, fintech, healthcare, and logistics, not every one published as a named case study.
- 04We'll tell you when Fresha or Treatwell is enough
Custom software is justified by specific deposit, record, or multi-location requirements, not recommended by default.
- 05Client history any stylist can use
Colour formulas and treatment notes are structured data, not paper files tied to one stylist's memory.
What clients say
What our clients say
Three-year average engagement. Founders and operators describing the work in their own words. No marketing varnish.
Charles E.
USAEntrepreneur at Aggie Technologies
All of the sprints were completed on schedule and on budget. We highly recommend RaftLabs!
Proof
Case studies
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Read moreFrequently asked questions
Fresha and Treatwell handle core appointment booking well for most single-location salons. Custom software makes sense when your deposit policy enforcement needs to be stricter than the platform's built-in options, when your colour and treatment client records need to be accessible to any stylist in a structured way, when you're operating multiple locations and need shared client records with centralised reporting, or when your loyalty programme mechanics go beyond what the platform's built-in tools support.
No-shows stay high wherever skipping an appointment costs the client nothing. A deposit set at 20-30% of the service value gives them a financial reason to show up or cancel in advance, which is why card-on-file at booking is now a default on the major salon platforms like Fresha and Square Appointments. A deposit turns the appointment into a transaction rather than an informal arrangement. Card pre-authorisation achieves the same result without upfront payment, by holding the card and charging only on a no-show.
Yes. Each stylist has their own service menu, pricing, and availability. A senior colourist can offer services that a junior stylist doesn't, at a higher price point, with longer appointment durations. The booking flow shows the client only the services available for their chosen stylist and the correct price for that stylist. Commission rates are also configured per stylist. Multi-stylist appointments, for example a cut with one stylist and a treatment with another in the same visit, are handled as linked appointments.
A first version covering online self-booking, stylist calendars, deposit enforcement, a reminder sequence, and client records launches in about 12-14 weeks, so you can start taking bookings and validate the workflow before adding more. From there it grows: a full point of sale with commission tracking, retail inventory, loyalty, and multi-location support extends the build to 16-20 weeks. A first version starts around $20,000-$45,000; the full platform grows to $60,000-$110,000 as scope expands.
Work with us
Have a salon or barbershop booking software project?
Tell us your stylist count, locations, and the specific operational challenge you're trying to solve, no-shows, client records, or deposit enforcement. We'll tell you what we'd build and how.
- Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
- Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
- Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
- 60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
- All conversations are NDA-protected.
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