There are two types of hair salons in the Netherlands. Salons that accept online bookings through an external platform, and salons where you still have to call to make an appointment. Both situations have a problem.
The salon bookable through Treatwell pays 30% commission on every new customer. Thirty percent. On a haircut costing 45 euros, that is 13.50 euros going to Treatwell instead of your register. And that is just for new customers. For existing customers you pay less, but you still pay.
The salon that is only reachable by phone is missing customers. Research shows that more than 70% of consumers prefer online booking over calling. Especially younger customers, the target audience you want to still have in ten years, simply will not book if they have to call. They go to a competitor that is bookable online.
There is a third option. An online booking system on your own website, without commission, without monthly fees for an external platform. That is what NoveuFlow is made for.
The Treatwell dilemma
Let us be honest: Treatwell is not bad. The platform brings you new customers, it looks professional, and it works. But there is a hidden cost.
Commission. Treatwell charges commission on bookings through their platform. For new customers, this can be up to 30%. That is an enormous amount considering margins in the hairdressing industry are already tight. A salon with 200 new Treatwell customers per month easily pays 2,000 to 3,000 euros per month in commission.
No ownership of your customer relationship. When a customer books through Treatwell, they are a Treatwell customer. Not your customer. Treatwell sends the reminders, Treatwell sends the follow-ups, and Treatwell can send that customer an offer for a competitor around the corner tomorrow.
Dependency. The more customers book through Treatwell, the more dependent you become. The moment you want to stop, you lose the booking channel through which a large part of your revenue flows.
The Calendly problem
Some salons have switched to Calendly or a similar tool. Better than Treatwell in terms of cost, but it does not fit a hair salon.
No staff scheduling. In a hair salon, you work with multiple stylists. A customer does not want "an appointment", she wants an appointment with Lisa, because Lisa knows her hair. Calendly is built for one person with one calendar. Multiple team members with their own availability and specialisations? That becomes a mess.
No salon-specific services. A cut-and-colour takes 2.5 hours. A dry cut takes 30 minutes. Full bridal styling takes half a day. In Calendly, you have to configure all of that manually, and the customer sees a list of generic time slots instead of an overview that fits your salon.
No customer history. Customer X always wants the same shade of blonde, never wants her fringe shorter than 3 centimetres, and is allergic to a certain hair dye brand. In Calendly, there is no place for that information. In a professional salon, that is indispensable.
NoveuFlow: built for salons
NoveuFlow is a WordPress plugin that combines appointment scheduling, CRM and marketing. And since version 1.4.0, the system recognises hair salons as an industry and adapts the entire interface.
Staff scheduling
Every stylist gets their own calendar. Customers first choose the service, then the stylist, and only see available times for that stylist. Lisa works Monday through Wednesday? Then the customer only sees time slots on those days.
You can set per stylist which services they offer. The junior stylist does haircuts but not colouring. The senior stylist does everything. The nail stylist has a separate service offering. NoveuFlow handles this automatically.
Services that match your salon
Set up your services the way they are named in your salon. Not "Service A" and "Service B", but "Ladies haircut", "Cut and blow dry", "Half head highlights", "Full balayage", "Bridal styling". Each service has its own duration, price, and optionally a description.
Combination services? Also possible. "Cut and colour" as one booking, with the correct total duration. The customer does not have to make two separate appointments.
Customer portal with preferences
This is where NoveuFlow fundamentally differs from generic booking tools. Every customer gets a profile with:
- Appointment history. When was the customer last in? What was done?
- Preferences. Which products are used? Which colour? Which stylist?
- Notes. The stylist can add notes after each appointment. "Always wants ash blonde, never platinum" or "Sensitive scalp, extra care during colouring."
The next time that customer comes in, the stylist knows exactly what was done before. No more "what did we do last time again?"
Automatic reminders
No-shows are the enemy of every salon. An empty chair at 14:00 is revenue you will never get back.
NoveuFlow automatically sends reminders via email or SMS. 48 hours before the appointment, 2 hours before the appointment, you configure it yourself. The customer can confirm or reschedule with one click.
Salons that use automatic reminders report an average of 60% fewer no-shows. With an average haircut costing 45 euros and two no-shows per day, that saves 90 euros per day, or nearly 2,000 euros per month.
Return reminders
An average hair salon customer comes in every 6 to 8 weeks. But life is busy and people forget. After 8 weeks, NoveuFlow automatically sends a friendly message: "Time for a haircut. Book directly online." With a link to your booking widget.
This is not spam, this is service. And it works. Salons that use return reminders see a measurable increase in booking frequency.
What does it cost?
Here is where it gets interesting. Let us compare:
Treatwell: 0 to 30% commission per booking. With 200 bookings per month at an average value of 50 euros, you pay up to 3,000 euros per month.
Salonized: From 29 euros per month, rising to 79 euros for multiple staff members.
Treatwell + separate CRM: Commission plus 20 to 50 euros per month for a CRM tool.
NoveuFlow Free: free. Full booking functionality, customer profiles and a calendar for one staff member.
NoveuFlow Pro: SMS and WhatsApp reminders, return reminders and marketing tools; the customer portal already comes with Starter. The monthly amount is on the pricing page.
Zero commission. Zero hidden costs. And all customer data stays on your own server.
Step by step: from Treatwell to your own booking system
The switch does not have to happen in one day. Here is a realistic plan:
Week 1: Install NoveuFlow on your WordPress site. Set up your services, staff members and opening hours.
Week 2: Place the booking widget on your website. Test it with a few regular customers. Ask for feedback.
Week 3: Send a message to your customer base: "You can now book directly online via our website." Add the link to your Instagram bio and your Google Business Profile.
Week 4: Evaluate. How many bookings come through your own website? How many still through Treatwell? Adjust your strategy.
Month 2-3: Build your own channel. The more customers book directly through your site, the less dependent you are on Treatwell.
The bottom line: your customers, your salon, your system
Treatwell is a middleman making money from your customers. Calendly is a generic tool that does not understand how a salon works. NoveuFlow is built for your industry, runs on your server, and costs you zero commission.
Install the free version from WordPress.org. Choose "Hair Salon" in the setup wizard. Within an hour you have a professional online booking system that is truly yours.