Booker Review (Jan 2023)

About Booker

Booker is a cloud-based software platform that provides a comprehensive solution for small and medium-sized businesses in the health and wellness industry. It was established in 2011 in New York City, New York, and currently has over 400 employees.

Booker is designed for businesses such as spas, salons, and fitness studios, and it offers a variety of features to help them manage their operations more efficiently. One of the main features of Booker is its appointment scheduling system, which allows businesses to easily book appointments with their clients, manage staff schedules, and even offer online booking options.

Another key feature of Booker is its point-of-sale system, which allows businesses to process payments, track inventory, and manage customer data all in one place. This system also integrates with popular payment processors like Stripe and Square, making it easy for businesses to accept payments from their clients.

In addition to these features, Booker also offers marketing and CRM tools to help businesses promote their services and build relationships with their clients. With Booker, businesses can create and send email campaigns, manage social media accounts, and even track analytics to measure the success of their marketing efforts.

One of the things that set Booker apart from other software platforms is its focus on the health and wellness industry. The company understands the unique needs of businesses in this industry, and it has tailored its features to meet those needs. For example, the platform allows businesses to manage multiple locations and services, which is essential for companies that operate in multiple locations.

Overall, Booker is a powerful tool for small and medium-sized businesses in the health and wellness industry. With its comprehensive set of features, including appointment scheduling, point-of-sale, marketing, and CRM tools, businesses can streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and grow their customer base. It was established in 2011 in the city of New York, New York, and now has over 400 employees to serve its growing customer base.

Who Uses it?

Booker is a cloud-based software platform that helps businesses manage their appointments, customer information, and point-of-sale transactions. The platform serves a variety of industries, including:

• Beauty and wellness (e.g. hair salons, spas, massage therapists)
• Health and fitness (e.g. gyms, personal trainers, yoga studios)
• Home Services (e.g. cleaners, handymen, landscapers)

Examples of five companies that use Booker include:

• Drybar, a chain of hair salons that specializes in blowouts
• SoulCycle, a boutique fitness company that offers indoor cycling classes
• Handy, a platform that connects customers with local home service providers
• nail salons like Julep,
• Yoga studios like YogaWorks

How it can help your practice?

Booker can help your business in several ways:

1. Appointment scheduling: Booker allows customers to book appointments online, which can save you time and help you fill open slots in your schedule.
2. Customer management: Booker stores customer information, such as contact details and appointment history, in one place. This can help you personalize your interactions with customers and improve customer retention.
3. Point-of-sale (POS) transactions: Booker enables you to take payments online and in-store, and track sales in real time.
4. Automated Marketing: Booker can help you create and send automated email and text message campaigns to promote your business, retain customers and increase sales.
5. Reporting and Analytics: It will give you access to real-time business insights, such as sales data, customer demographics, and appointment statistics, which can help you make data-driven decisions about your business.
6. Employee management: Booker allows you to schedule employees, track their time, and manage their pay.
7. Mobile App: Booker provides a mobile app for both Android and iOS to help you manage your business from anywhere, at any time.

Overall, Booker can help you streamline your business operations, improve customer satisfaction, and increase revenue.

Booker Vs Competitors

Booker is a cloud-based software platform that helps businesses manage their appointments, customer information, and point-of-sale transactions. Here are five alternatives to Booker, along with their key differences and similarities:

1. Acuity Scheduling: Acuity Scheduling is a scheduling software that allows businesses to book appointments online and automate their scheduling process. It is similar to Booker in terms of features, but it is generally considered to be more affordable.
2. Mindbody: Mindbody is a business management software that is designed specifically for the wellness industry. It offers similar features to Booker, such as appointment scheduling and customer management, but it also includes additional features such as class scheduling and membership management.
3. Vagaro: Vagaro is a scheduling software that is designed for small businesses, such as hair salons and spas. It offers similar features to Booker and Acuity Scheduling, such as appointment scheduling and customer management, but it also includes additional features such as inventory management and employee management.
4. Appointy: Appointy is an online scheduling software that allows businesses to manage their appointments and customers online. It offers similar features to Booker and Acuity Scheduling, such as appointment scheduling and customer management, but it also includes additional features such as reviews and rating management, and appointment reminders.
5. Bookeo: Bookeo is a scheduling software that is designed for service-based businesses, such as tour operators and activity providers. It offers similar features to Booker, such as appointment scheduling and customer management, but it also includes additional features such as resource management and multi-language support.

All these software have different pricing and implementation cost, it will depend on the size of your business, the number of employees, and the specific features you need. It’s recommended to try a demo or a free trial of these software to compare and see which one fits better for your business.

Booker Pricing in 2023

Booker offers different pricing plans to fit the needs of different types and sizes of businesses. Here is a general overview of the pricing plans that they currently offer:

1. Starter: This is the most basic plan that Booker offers. It includes features such as appointment scheduling, customer management, and point-of-sale transactions. This plan starts at $129/month.
2. Accelerate: This plan includes all the features of the Starter plan, plus additional features such as automated marketing and reporting, and analytics. This plan starts at $269/month.
3. Ultimate: This is the most comprehensive plan that Booker offers as it starts from $429/month. It includes all the features of the Professional plan, plus additional features such as employee management, custom integrations, and dedicated account management. The price for this plan is negotiated with the vendor based on the specific needs of the business.

All plans include a free trial period and a mobile app for both Android and iOS.

It’s worth noting that Booker also offers add-ons to their plans such as Appointment Reminders, Gift Cards, and Marketing Automation.

Booker – Cost of Implementation

The cost to implement Booker will vary depending on the specific needs of your business and the plan that you choose. In general, the cost of implementation includes the following:

1. Subscription fee: This is the monthly or annual fee that you pay to use the software. The subscription fee will vary based on the plan that you choose.
2. Training and support: Booker offers different levels of training and support, which will affect the cost of implementation. For example, if you choose the Enterprise plan, you will have access to dedicated account management, which will be more expensive than the self-service options.
3. Customization: If you need to customize the software to fit the specific needs of your business, this will add to the cost of implementation.
4. Data migration: If you need to migrate data from your current system to Booker, this will add to the cost of implementation.

It’s worth noting that the cost of implementation can change based on the number of employees and the size of your business. It’s recommended to contact the vendor to get a quote that fits your business needs.

Booker Pros

1. Automated marketing: One of the main advantages of Booker compared to its competitors is the built-in automated marketing feature that allows businesses to send automated email and text message campaigns to promote their services, retain customers and increase sales.
2. Reporting and analytics: Booker provides real-time business insights, such as sales data, customer demographics, and appointment statistics, which can help businesses make data-driven decisions. This feature is not available in all competitors.
3. Mobile App: Booker provides a mobile app for both Android and iOS to help businesses manage their operations from anywhere, at any time. This feature is not available in all competitors.

Booker Cons

1. Price: Booker’s pricing plans may be higher compared to some of its competitors, depending on the features and level of support that a business needs.
2. Customization: Some businesses may find that the customization options available in Booker are more limited compared to some of its competitors.
3. Limited Industry-Specific Features: While Booker provides a broad range of features for managing appointments, customers, and transactions, some businesses may find that it lacks certain industry-specific features that are offered by some of its competitors. For example, businesses in the wellness industry may find that Mindbody offers more specialized features.

How To Use Booker

Booker is a cloud-based software platform that helps businesses manage their appointments, customer information, and point-of-sale transactions. Here is a tutorial on how to use some of the specific features of Booker:

1. Appointment scheduling:

• Log in to your Booker account.
• Click on the Appointments tab.
• Click on the New Appointment button.
• Select the service and the employee you want to schedule.
• Select the date and time of the appointment.
• Select the customer or add a new one.
• Click on the Save button.

2. Customer management:

• Log in to your Booker account.
• Click on the Customers tab.
• Click on the New Customer button.
• Enter the customer’s contact information, such as name, email, and phone number.
• Click on the Save button.
• To view or edit a customer’s information, click on the customer’s name in the customer list.

3. Point-of-sale (POS) transactions:

• Log in to your Booker account.
• Click on the Sales tab.
• Click on the New Sale button.
• Select the service or product you want to sell.
• Select the customer or add a new one.
• Enter the payment amount and select the payment method.
• Click on the Save button.

4. Automated Marketing:

• Log in to your Booker account
• Click on the Marketing tab
• Click on the Create Campaign button
• Select the type of campaign, for example, an email campaign
• Select the audience, for example, all customers
• Write the content of the campaign, and add images and links if needed.
• Schedule the time and date of the campaign
• Click on the Save button

5. Reporting and Analytics:

• Log in to your Booker account
• Click on the Reports tab
• Select the type of report you want to view, for example, a sales report
• Select the date range and the filters you want to apply
• Click on the View Report button
• The report will be displayed in a new tab

6. Employee management:

• Log in to your Booker account
• Click on the Employee tab
• Click on the New Employee button
• Enter the employee’s information, such as name, email, and phone number.
• Select the services that the employee is qualified to perform
• Assign the employee to the schedule
• Click on the Save button

How it Integrates with Other Software

Booker is a cloud-based software platform that can integrate with a variety of other healthcare technologies. Some examples of integrations that are available or can be developed are:

1. Electronic health records (EHR) systems: Booker can integrate with EHR systems to allow the sharing of patient information, such as medical history, between healthcare providers.
2. Payment gateways: Booker can integrate with payment gateways, such as Stripe, Authorize.net, and PayPal, to enable online payments and automate billing processes.
3. Online booking and scheduling: Booker can integrate with third-party booking and scheduling platforms, such as ZocDoc, to allow patients to book appointments directly from the provider’s website.
4. Telemedicine: Booker can integrate with telemedicine platforms, such as Zoom and Doxy.me, to allow patients to have virtual consultations with their healthcare providers.
5. Clinical practice management software: Booker can integrate with Clinical practice management software like AthenaHealth, Cerner, and Practice Fusion, to allow the scheduling, billing, and claims processing functions to be managed in a single platform.

These are just a few examples of the many integrations that are available with Booker. The specific integrations that are available to you will depend on the plan that you choose and the customization options that you need.

Free Alternatives to Booker

Booker is a cloud-based software platform that helps businesses manage their appointments, customer information, and point-of-sale transactions, but there are also many free alternatives that offer similar features and functionalities. Here are a few examples of free alternatives to Booker:

1. Calendly: Calendly is a scheduling software that allows businesses to create custom schedules and share them with clients. It offers a free plan that includes features such as automated email and text message reminders, calendar integration, and the ability to set up recurring appointments.
2. Acuity Scheduling: Acuity Scheduling is a scheduling software that allows businesses to book appointments online and automate their scheduling process. It offers a free plan that includes features such as appointment scheduling, client management, and automatic reminders.
3. Setmore: Setmore is a scheduling software that allows businesses to manage appointments, client information, and payments all in one place. It offers a free plan that includes features such as appointment scheduling, client management, and payment processing.
4. Google Calendar: Google Calendar is a scheduling software that allows businesses to create and share calendars, schedule appointments, and set reminders. It’s free to use and offers features such as calendar integration, event sharing, and automatic reminders.
5. Appointlet: Appointlet is an online scheduling software that allows businesses to manage appointments and customers online. It offers a free plan that includes features such as appointment scheduling, client management, and automatic reminders.

While these free alternatives offer similar features as Booker, they may lack some advanced features that the paid version offers such as automated marketing, reporting and analytics, employee management, and mobile apps. Also, the free plans may have limitations on the number of users or the number of appointments that can be scheduled.

Alternative for Small Practice

Booker is a powerful cloud-based software platform that is designed to help businesses of all sizes manage their appointments, customer information, and point-of-sale transactions. However, small businesses may find that there are other alternatives that better fit their specific needs. Here are a few examples of alternatives to Booker that are well-suited for small businesses:

1. Vagaro: Vagaro is a scheduling software that is designed specifically for small businesses, such as hair salons and spas. It offers features such as appointment scheduling, customer management, and inventory management. Additionally, it also provides employee management, which can be very useful for small businesses. Vagaro’s pricing model is based on the number of employees, making it a great fit for small businesses with a limited number of employees.
2. Bookeo: Bookeo is a scheduling software that is designed for service-based businesses, such as tour operators and activity providers. It offers similar features to Booker, such as appointment scheduling and customer management, but it also includes additional features such as resource management and multi-language support. Bookeo’s pricing model is based on the number of bookings and resources, making it a great fit for small businesses with a limited number of bookings.

All these alternatives can fit small businesses, it depends on the specific needs of your business and the features that you require. It’s recommended to try a demo or a free trial of these software to compare and see which one fits better for your small business.

Alternative for Large Practice

Here are a few examples of alternatives to Booker that are well-suited for large businesses:

1. Mindbody: Mindbody is a business management software that is designed specifically for the wellness industry. It offers similar features to Booker, such as appointment scheduling and customer management, but it also includes additional features such as class scheduling and membership management. Mindbody is particularly well-suited for large businesses that operate multiple locations, as it allows businesses to manage all of their locations from a single platform.
2. MINDBODY Business: Mindbody Business is a comprehensive business management software that is designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers features such as appointment scheduling, customer management, inventory management, and employee management. Additionally, it also provides features such as financial management and payroll management, which can be very useful for large businesses. Mindbody Business’s pricing model is based on the number of users, making it a great fit for large businesses with a large number of employees.
3. WellnessLiving: WellnessLiving is a cloud-based software that provides a comprehensive business management solution for businesses of all sizes. It includes features such as appointment scheduling, client management, inventory management, employee management, and financial reporting. Additionally, it also provides marketing and automation tools to grow your business. WellnessLiving’s pricing model is based on the number of users and the number of businesses, making it a great fit for large businesses with multiple locations.

All these alternatives can fit large businesses, it depends on the specific needs of your business and the features that you require. It’s recommended to try a demo or a free trial of these software to compare and see which one fits better for your large business.

Some Surprising Facts About Booker

1. Booker was founded in 2009 by Josh McCarter, who was then working as a hairdresser and saw the need for a better way to manage appointments and customer information.
2. Booker was acquired by Mindbody in 2016, becoming one of the largest providers of business management software for the beauty, wellness and fitness industries.
3. Booker offers a feature called “Smart Booker” which allows customers to book appointments 24/7, even if the business is closed.
4. Booker also offers a feature called “Booker Anywhere” which allows customers to book appointments from any website or social media page, making it easy for businesses to add online booking to their existing online presence.
5. Booker’s platform supports over 20 languages, making it an ideal solution for businesses with customers from all over the world.
6. Booker’s mobile app for both Android and iOS, enables businesses to manage their operations from anywhere, at any time.
7. Booker’s advanced analytics and reporting features allow businesses to track key performance metrics, such as sales data, customer demographics, and appointment statistics, which can help business owners make data-driven decisions about their business.
8. Booker’s platform is also PCI-compliant, which means it meets the highest security standards to protect