A practical booking-message workflow for salons and studios, with replies you can adapt for new and returning clients.
Start with the service the client needs
Imagine a lash studio receiving an Instagram message: “How much, and do you have anything on Saturday?” Before sending a link, establish which service the person needs. A full set and an infill have different prices, durations, and preparation.
Answer the question, recommend the right service, and then give the client one next step. Keep the conversation personal while your booking page handles the current details.
Five replies you can reuse
New enquiry: “Hi [name], thanks for getting in touch. [Service] includes [scope] and takes [duration]. The price and current appointments are here: [booking link]. Let me know if you need help choosing.”
Availability question: “You can check Saturday’s current appointments for [service] here: [booking link]. Choose a time and complete the booking steps. The page shows any payment due before you confirm.”
Returning client: “Lovely to hear from you again. You can book your next [service] here: [booking link]. Please check the service details, as prices or durations may have changed since your last visit.”
Price question: “Hi [name], [service] costs [price] and includes [scope]. You can check the details and payment due when booking here: [booking link]. If you need [extra], let me know before choosing.”
After hours: “Thanks for your message. We reply during [hours]. You can view services and available appointments here: [booking link]. We will answer any questions when we are back.”
Make the page answer the next question
Show what the service includes, how long it lasts, where it happens, its price, and the payment due at booking. For a nail appointment, explain whether removal is included or needs its own service.
Use the same current link in your Instagram bio, WhatsApp replies, and website. Sharing a link is a handoff to your booking page; it does not require a WhatsApp or Instagram integration.
Follow the same journey your client will use
Open your public link on a phone, ideally from the channel where you will share it. Clients book as guests, so they should be able to move from a service to a time without creating a Citruss account.
| Client step | What the client needs | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| Choose a service | A recognisable name, scope, duration, and price. | The correct service is active and its details are current. |
| Choose a person and time | A suitable teammate and an available appointment. | Service assignments and weekly hours match what you can deliver. |
| Enter details and pay | Clear contact fields and the amount due. | Your payment rule and any required phone field are appropriate. |
| Receive confirmation | The appointment details and confirmation email. | The booking is confirmed in Bookings; a message or unfinished checkout is not enough. |
Build the booking page before sharing the link
For the lash studio in this example, the link should already offer the right appointment. Build the full set and infill as separate services so a price question does not become another conversation about what the client selected.
Work through these settings in order. A good message cannot fix an inactive service, missing working hours, or an unclear payment rule.
- Open My Page, then Services. Add the name, price, supported duration, delivery format, and description. For an online service, add the meeting link clients should use.
- Save the service and check that it is active. Review the public page before announcing the offer, because active services are visible to clients.
- Open Availability and set the working days, hours, buffer, minimum notice, and advance booking window that fit the service.
- Open Income, then Payment. Choose full payment or the 30% deposit rule for bookings, and check whether you need the client’s phone number.
- On a team account, open Profile, then Team. Assign the service and appropriate weekly hours to the people clients can book.
Troubleshoot the step where the client stopped
Ask what the person can see before changing your prices or sending a different link. “I cannot find the service” needs a different response from “I selected a time but did not finish paying.”
- Service missing: check its active status and whether the right teammate has it assigned.
- No suitable times: check weekly hours, duration, buffer, notice, and how far ahead clients can book.
- Payment unfinished: review the booking’s visible payment state before promising that the appointment is confirmed.
- Client unsure what to choose: explain the difference between the relevant services, then send the same current booking page.
See how Citruss can help.
Share one link for clients to choose a service, book an available time, and pay.
Explore bookings