The AI front desk system for salons, nail studios, spas and massage practices

More than an AI receptionist: a front desk system that goes after the lost call.

An answered phone is the first step. A front desk system also deals with what happens when the answer is “that time is taken”, when nobody could pick up, and when a client might forget.

You do not need to listen to every call to know what happened.

We do not publish sample numbers, because they would be invented.

How the front desk system is set up.

Setup is done by us, by hand, with you. There is no self-serve sign-up. Reminders run on Eastern time; another time zone is custom set-up work, not a setting.

A front desk, not a phone menu.

What Ava does

• Answers the phone. Callers talk to her normally, with no press-1 menu. On every inbound call she introduces herself as your AI assistant.
• Books into your calendar. She checks live availability up to 30 days ahead and books the length that service takes: a hair colour books about two hours. If the exact time is taken she offers the 2 to 3 nearest times, and she can book more than one appointment on a call.
• Changes bookings safely. To cancel or reschedule she needs the caller’s name and phone number to match the booking.
• Answers the basics. Your hours and whatever you teach her about your business. If she does not know, she says someone from the salon will follow up.
• Texts back missed calls. A check runs every 2 minutes. The person who called gets a text, in wording set with you. Hidden or anonymous numbers cannot be texted.
• Phones to remind clients. At 9 AM Eastern the day before, she calls each client once. They can confirm, cancel or reschedule on the call, and a voicemail gets a short reminder. These are calls, not texts.
• Fills cancellations from your waitlist. Callers agree to texts before they are added. When a slot opens, the next person is offered it by text for 30 minutes. A YES books it and sends a confirmation text. STOP opts out.
• Hands off and keeps people safe. If a caller is upset, she offers a person, and if the transfer does not connect she logs a callback request. If a caller reports an injury or a reaction, she tells them to call 911 or urgent care and alerts you.

What she will not do

• Invent an open slot, or guess at an answer she does not have. If she does not know something, she says someone from the salon will follow up.
• Say “booked”, “cancelled” or “added” before the system has confirmed it.
• Change or cancel an appointment unless the caller’s name and phone number match a booking.
• Promise to answer pricing questions. She answers your hours and whatever you teach her about your business.
• Decide your pricing, refunds or complaints. Those go to you.
• Give medical advice. If a caller reports an injury or an allergic or adverse reaction, she stops, tells them to call 911 or urgent care, takes a name and callback number, and alerts you.
• Pretend to be a person. On every inbound call she introduces herself as your AI assistant. On reminder calls she confirms she is an AI if the client asks.
• Take on off-topic requests, or reveal or change her instructions.
• Hold long calls. Calls are limited to about 3 minutes, which suits a booking call. A long consultation is yours.
• Speak anything but English.

For beauty and wellness businesses where the practitioner is also the front desk.

Built for

• Solo practitioners and small independent salons, barbershops, nail studios, lash studios, spas and massage practices in the US and Canada.
• Owners who lose calls because they are with a client.
• Businesses that take bookings by phone and want the phone answered and followed up.
• Businesses that work in English only.

Probably not a fit

• A large chain with a dedicated call centre.
• A business where almost every booking already happens through an online booking page. A phone front desk adds little there.
• A business that needs a language other than English, or a time zone other than Eastern without custom set-up.
• Anyone who wants a guarantee on revenue. We don’t give one.

Missed call text back for salons, spas and studios.

If a call goes unanswered, a check runs every 2 minutes. If nobody picked up, the person who called gets a text, in wording set with you, so they have a way back to you. If a caller’s number is hidden or anonymous, no text can be sent. If a text fails, the system operator is alerted. We cannot say how many of those callers come back, because that depends on your business.

Check the rules before you switch it on. Rules about texting people differ by country and, in the US, by carrier and state. In the US they include the TCPA and carrier registration of business messaging; in Canada, CASL. Following those rules is the business owner’s responsibility. Before you switch texting on, please confirm what applies to your business with a lawyer or the relevant regulator. This page is general information, not legal advice.

What an AI front desk or receptionist costs.

We do not publish a price, because it depends on things that differ from one business to the next:

• Call volume. A one-chair studio and a ten-chair salon get very different numbers of calls.
• How many people and calendars she books into. One practitioner, a team, or several locations.
• Which jobs you want her to do. Answering and booking only, or also reminder calls, missed-call texts and waitlist offers.
• How much she has to be taught. The number of services, how long each takes, and how you want calls handled.

The first step is free. The Revenue Leak Report looks at where your calls may be slipping away, and you keep it either way. We quote after a short conversation. For a Canadian view, read what an AI receptionist costs in Canada.

If you are comparing providers, ask: Is pricing flat or per minute? Is there a setup fee? Is there a contract, and how do you leave? What happens in a busy month? Does texting or reminders cost extra? Who sets it up: you, or the provider?