What hair clients need before they book
Colour work breaks every simple booking system. It takes anywhere from ninety minutes to five hours depending on length, density and what was done to the hair last time — so a fixed slot is either wasted or overrun, and a "from" price is read as a trap. Clients know this, which is why they ask for a consultation first and then disappear into a chat thread about photos. Meanwhile the salon blocks a whole afternoon on a verbal promise, and a single no-show costs more than a week of cuts.
What we build for a hair salon
First, service durations that vary by the same inputs as the price — length, density, technique — so the calendar blocks what the work actually needs. Second, an honest price range built from those inputs, shown before the booking rather than at the chair. Third, a consultation step that is itself bookable, short and often free, which is how long colour jobs really start. Fourth, deposits and confirmations on long services, because an unconfirmed four-hour slot is the most expensive empty space in the salon. Stylist portfolios filter by technique, which is how colour clients choose.