Do You Truly Own Your Customer Base? Insights into Online Booking Platforms

In 2024, many businesses are adept at utilizing online booking and automation tools. However, there is a significant drawback: these platforms often redirect customers to their own websites or applications, inadvertently promoting competitors. We have analyzed the top five solutions—Mindbody, Vagaro, Booksy, Altegio, and Treatwell—to determine which of these platforms engage in this practice.

Here's what most of these services offer for small business management:

• Schedule and Appointment Management: Easily manage appointments and access client profiles with detailed fields for segmentation, visit notes, and history.
• Customer Base Management: Identify and re-engage lost customers, and recognize regulars to encourage repeat visits.
• Notifications: Automatically send appointment confirmations and reminders via WhatsApp, SMS, or email, and collect feedback from clients.
• Chain Management: Managing multiple locations centrally can be challenging. Only Altegio, MindBody, and Vagaro offer this feature.
• Reports and Analytics: Gain insights into customer return rates, staff performance, occupancy rates, and more.
• Loyalty Programs: Create and manage customer loyalty programs or memberships.

Integrations:

• Maps and Social Networks: Easily integrate with your website, Google Maps, Instagram, and Facebook, allowing direct bookings.
• Point-of-Sale Equipment: Connect with POS terminals for flexible payment options and compliance.
• Communication Services: Utilize email, WhatsApp, SMS, and other messaging apps.

Altegio

Founded: 2022

Headquarters: Budapest, Hungary

Price starts from: USD 11 per month

Number of Clients: Over 10,000 clients from more than 84 countries

Business Model: Subscription for software without hidden fees

Altegio is revolutionizing the booking and scheduling app industry by providing a distinctive solution that safeguards your customer base. Unlike other platforms that inundate users with offers from various businesses, Altegio exclusively promotes your app to your customers. Consequently, they will not encounter competitors or unrelated businesses while using it.

Key Features:

• Quick and customizable online booking widgets.
• Easily tailored to match your brand’s aesthetics.
• Optimized booking interfaces for speed.
• Automatic synchronization with Google Maps, Instagram, or Facebook.
• Direct payment through the booking widget.
• Promotion of specials, discounts, and deals.
• Multi-language support.

Aunio – Free Mobile App from Altegio:

• Allows customers to rebook with just two clicks.
• Sends unlimited free notifications.
• Facilitates the purchase and renewal of memberships or gift cards.
• Displays cashback balances to enhance loyalty.
• Features promotional stories with booking buttons directly on business cards.

Chain Management:

• Centralized management of branches or service points.
• Unified online booking across multiple locations.
• Centralized customer database for tracking visits and preferences.
• Consolidated analytics and reporting tools.

Customer Service:

• Comprehensive support from registration to full launch.
• Free training for staff at setup and for new hires.
• Support via WhatsApp, phone, social media, and email.
• Fast response times, averaging just 3 minutes.

Treatwell

Founded: 2008

Headquarters: London, UK

Price starts from: EUR 30 per month

Number of Clients: Over 25,000 businesses in Europe

Business Model: Up to 20% booking commission + subscription for advanced accounting functionality

Treatwell is a comprehensive platform for booking beauty salon and spa treatments. Despite its popularity, businesses often report high booking fees and the need to offer significant discounts to attract new clients.

Key Features:

• Extensive range of services, including haircuts, manicures, massages, and spa treatments.
• Paid promotions for increased visibility.
• Online payment processing with a commission cut.
• Customer reviews and ratings for informed decisions.
• Regular promotions and discounts.

Treatwell is in lots of European countries and is always making things better for people like us who want to book beauty treatments hassle-free."

Booksy

Founded: 2014

Headquarters: Warsaw, Poland

Price starts from:  EUR 34,99 per month

Number of Clients: No information available

Business Model: Subscription for software + commission for bookings from the marketplace + commission on payments

Booksy, a Polish company, emphasizes in its investor presentations that exchanging customer bases among its users is a cornerstone of its business model. Interestingly, the company opts not to levy commissions on bookings made by returning customers. Instead, it prioritizes distributing its app freely through customer networks and promoting competitive offers.
 

Key Features:

• Find Salons Easily: You can check out nearby salons on a map and pick one that suits you best. This makes it super convenient to book services close to home or work.
• Quick and Easy Booking: Booking a service is a breeze with Booksy's mobile app or website. You can see available time slots and book in just a few taps.
• Reviews and Ratings: Customers can share their experiences by leaving reviews and ratings, which helps others choose the right professionals for their needs.
• Commission Structure: Booksy's commission rates may vary depending on the region and specific partnership agreements.
   

Vagaro

Founded: 2009

Headquarters: California, USA

Price starts from: USD 30 per month

Number of Clients: Over 50,000 businesses

Business Model: Subscription for software + commission for bookings from the marketplace + commission on payments

Vagaro offers a booking and scheduling platform designed for a variety of businesses like beauty salons, fitness studios, and wellness centers. Their main goal is to enhance user experience through their mobile app, focusing on making booking processes more convenient. Compared to other competitors in the market, we've observed that Vagaro's approach to self-promotion is less intrusive.

Key Features:

• Promoting Services: Businesses can showcase and advertise their services on the platform to attract new customers. Vagaro provides tools that enhance service visibility.
• Payment Integration: The platform seamlessly integrates with various payment systems, enabling businesses to accept payments online. Vagaro charges a commission for transactions conducted through their platform.
• Customer Management: Vagaro equips businesses with tools to effectively manage their customer base, including keeping track of appointment histories, preferences, and collecting feedback.
• Reports and Analytics: Vagaro offers detailed reports on different aspects of business operations, empowering owners to make informed decisions based on data insights.

Mindbody

Founded: 2000

Headquarters: California, USA

Price starts from: USD 120 per month

Number of Clients: Over 60,000 businesses

Business Model: Subscription for software + commission for bookings from the marketplace + commission on payments

Mindbody is a popular platform for managing businesses in the fitness and wellness sectors. It prominently features its marketplace for the beauty industry and ClassPass for fitness.

Key Features:

• Marketplace Diversity: Mindbody's marketplace spans a wide range of services including gyms, yoga studios, beauty salons, and various other businesses, offering customers a diverse selection to choose from.
• Commission Structure: Mindbody charges businesses a commission for bookings and appointments made through its marketplace. The commission rate can vary depending on factors like region, business type, and specific terms of cooperation. Typically, businesses may expect to pay between 2% to 10% of the service cost. For instance, in the USA, the commission might hover around 6-7% of the service fee.

In summary, while many platforms adopt a commission-based marketplace model to attract a broad audience, this approach can sometimes inadvertently direct customers to competitors through advertisements or favorable reviews. Altegio, however, stands out by safeguarding your customer base. It ensures your clients enjoy their preferred features without exposure to external advertisements or notifications from rival salons. With Altegio, you can nurture customer loyalty and concentrate on expanding your business without the concern of losing clients to competing services.

For more insights on enhancing your customer interactions and building stronger relationships, check out this comprehensive guide on the "Top 10 Customer Support Solutions in 2024." 

Also, for more insights on enhancing your business communications, check out our detailed guide on the Best Cloud PBX Software with Call Tracking for 2024.