A CRM for salons, spas and restaurants that keeps every slot full

On a Thursday evening a salon's stylists are all with clients and the phone rings out four times. Two Instagram messages ask about bridal packages. One gets a reply on Saturday. Meanwhile, a client booked for 6pm does not come, and the chair sits empty for an hour that could have gone to one of those callers.

Restaurants know the same pattern. A table for eight is held on a Friday night and the party never arrives. Regulars who came every month stop coming, and nobody notices until the quiet season. The guest list lives in a reservations book that nobody uses for marketing.

Guests book from a link on your Instagram profile, your website, a QR code on the counter or inside a WhatsApp chat. The chat assistant answers questions about services, published prices and opening hours, then books the slot. Each stylist, therapist or seating area has its own calendar. Calls you miss during service get a text back with the booking link.

Reminders are the simplest fix. A confirmation goes out at booking, a reminder the day before and another a few hours ahead, each with a link to reschedule. WhatsApp reminders use approved templates and go to guests who opted in. For peak slots or large tables, you can ask for a deposit at booking. If someone cancels, the slot opens again on the booking page.

• Guests who miss a booking can be tagged so that a deposit is requested next time.
• Guests can reschedule from the reminder itself, without calling the front desk.
• Appointment reports show no-shows by day, service and staff member.
• Staff see the day's bookings and changes on the mobile app.

Once you know your guests, you can invite them back for a reason. A birthday trigger sends a greeting and an offer. Seasonal campaigns are scheduled ahead: an iftar set menu in Ramadan, a Diwali pampering package, a gift card for Mother's Day. Gift cards are sold online and redeemed in person. A loyalty programme rewards regulars, and review requests follow each visit.

Euro Digital Technologies, an Abu Dhabi company since 2016 and an official Meta WhatsApp Business Partner, handles the set-up. We build your service menu and calendars, connect WhatsApp, Instagram and your phone line, link a payment gateway for deposits and gift cards, and get your message templates approved. Your front-of-house team is trained in a short session, and we provide support afterwards.

Most of what we need is already on your price list or in your reservations book. Gather it before the first session and set-up moves quickly. It also helps to decide early how strict you want to be about deposits and cancellations, because guests will see those rules on the booking page.

• List your services or seating areas, with durations, prices and which staff provide them.
• Export your guest list, with birthdays and opt-in status where you have them.
• Decide your deposit and cancellation rules for peak times.
• Plan the offers you want to run over the next three months.