Industry Glossary

An additional service that can be booked alongside a main service. For example, a deep conditioning treatment added to a haircut.

Instructions or products provided to clients after a service to maintain results. Common in tattoo, skincare, and hair treatments.

Time added between appointments for setup, cleanup, or breaks. Prevents back-to-back booking stress.

Reserving multiple consecutive time slots for a single long service (e.g., a full sleeve tattoo session).

Business model where stylists rent a station/chair from a salon owner rather than being employees. Common in salons.

Embeddable calendar that allows clients to book directly from your website or social media.

A workstation assigned to a stylist or technician. Salons often have multiple chairs that can be booked independently.

Self-service area where clients can view appointments, history, purchase products, and manage their profile.

Percentage of service revenue paid to the service provider. Typical rates range from 40-60% depending on experience.

Legal document signed before certain services (especially medical spa treatments and tattoos) acknowledging risks.

Partial payment required at booking to secure an appointment. Helps reduce no-shows.

Scheduling two clients at the same time, often used when one service is processing (e.g., color developing).

Shortened version of a standard service for quick visits. E.g., express manicure, quick trim.

Pre-designed tattoo art available immediately without custom design. Popular for walk-ins.

Flexible time blocks that allow staff to be assigned to different services as needed.

Prepaid credit that can be redeemed for services or products. Popular for holidays and special occasions.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. US regulation for protecting medical information. Required for medical spas.

Questionnaire completed by new clients to collect contact info, medical history, preferences, and consent.

Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados. Brazil's data protection law, similar to GDPR in Europe.

Rewards system where clients earn points or credits for bookings that can be redeemed for discounts or free services.

Recurring subscription where clients pay monthly for discounted services or included treatments.

Businesses operating multiple physical locations under one account with shared or separate inventories.

When a client misses an appointment without canceling. Industry average is 10-15% of bookings.

Charge applied to clients who miss appointments. Often collected from the booking deposit.

System allowing clients to schedule appointments through a website or app without calling the business.

Intentionally scheduling more appointments than capacity to account for expected cancellations.

Bundle of services sold together at a discounted rate. E.g., wedding package including hair and makeup.

System for processing payments at checkout. Modern POS integrates with booking software.

Automatically scheduled appointments at regular intervals (e.g., every 4 weeks for a haircut).

System rewarding clients who bring new customers to the business.

Any equipment or space required for a service (chair, room, machine) that needs to be scheduled.

Complete list of services offered with descriptions, durations, and pricing.

Available time period for booking. Slot duration is typically based on service length.

Text message sent to clients before their appointment to reduce no-shows.

Gratuity added by clients for service providers. Usually 15-25% of service cost.

Private room for services requiring privacy (facials, massages, waxing, medical treatments).

Suggesting higher-tier services or add-ons to increase ticket value.

Queue of clients wanting appointments when no slots are available. Notified when openings occur.

Client arriving without a prior appointment hoping for immediate service.