We know we're not the only ones who've snapped a photo on a night out only to get hit with the realization that our roots are in desperate need of a touchup. Or, in the midst of our nighttime routine, catch a glimpse of our brows in the mirror and remember they're way overdue for a thread. "I'm calling the salon first thing in the morning," we think and, of course, totally forget to do it. The cycle continues...
Well, now it doesn't have to. Thanks to Booksy, a life (and looks) saving app, you can book your next beauty appointment the instant you think, "Hmm... I need a trim." The app allows users to lock in everything from haircuts to manicures to facials directly, without having to call or email the business and waste time going back and forth about the next available appointment. And not only does Booksy make getting beautified easier and quicker than ever, it also lets customers discover new salons and deals in their area - perfect for the jet-setter who needs a refresh wherever they land.
We caught up with Booksy's founder Stefan Batory to learn all about this must-have app for always looking and feeling your best.
What inspired you to create Booksy?
Through personal experience I recognized there was a huge opportunity to improve the process of booking beauty appointments. Traditionally, appointments were made by telephone and this can be inconvenient for beauty professionals who are working with their hands all day and need to stop what they’re doing in order to take a call. It’s also inconvenient for customers who may not be able to call to book an appointment during the salon’s working hours. The idea was that customers could book appointments at any time of day and night and that salon staff can focus on what they do best, without the interruption of the telephone and the need to manage bookings.
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What were some of the challenges you faced when launching the company?
When we started in 2014, developing a booking solution on a mobile app wasn’t as obvious as it is today. Many of the incumbents in the industry focused on desktop software, so we took a big risk with development of our mobile-first solution. We are fortunate that our strategy to be mobile-first has been so well received in the market by both beauty professionals and consumers. We operate in 7 countries, so there will always be challenges running a global company. However, we strongly believe that this diversity of our employees and our beauty professionals adds to our strengths as we can incorporate different perspectives and features into our product roadmap and bring them to each of our providers.
Customers can book and manage their own appointments with Booksy - why do you think self-service for beauty appointments is so popular?
We have become accustomed to using our phones for self-service across many of our daily decisions (e.g. ordering a taxi, meals, groceries, hotels, etc.), so booking a beauty appointment is another logical application for self-service.
It’s also really frustrating when you just want to book an appointment and you have to stop what you’re doing to make a call - often ending up being put on hold if the salon is busy.
What is the one most important qualities that a beauty professional should have?
In my opinion, a beauty professional should focus on what they do best and deliver the highest customer service possible. Whether that’s cutting hair, styling nails, or giving massages, we’ve found the best providers focus on their customer-first. Booksy empowers our providers by giving them time back in their day to focus on their customers, not on arranging appointments, and allows them to stay in touch with customers with our automated marketing systems.
How important do you think beauty appointments are for our wellbeing?
Absolutely essential - when we look good, we feel good. Feeling great about how we look boosts our confidence and helps us to face the world each day.
As we all remember, salons were forced to close their doors and faced restrictions during COVID lockdowns - how did this affect your business?
I’m not going to pretend it was easy. When our providers suffer, we suffer too. During the lockdown, we stood by our providers and our providers that stuck with us benefited the greatest when the lockdowns ended. We’ve seen an enormous rebound from our providers and consumers looking for a solution that gives them booking peace of mind.
What are your future plans for Booksy?
The future is bright at Booksy! We are always looking to improve across all facets of the business. Our technology roadmap is full of incredible opportunities to help our providers manage their business even further, and really take it to the next level. As we are scaling, we are hiring the best and brightest across the globe to make Booksy a household name.
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