Look for medspa booking software with real-time online booking, automated appointment reminders, and user-friendly design

If you own or manage a medspa, the question of which medical spa appointment software to use has probably crossed your mind. Perhaps you’re about to have your grand opening, or maybe your old software is due for an upgrade. Thanks to smartphones and online scheduling systems, it’s easier than ever for clients to book and manage their own medspa sessions. The right software can put your clients in a good mood before they ever set foot in your office.

Granted, there are dozens of solutions on the market, and no two platforms are exactly alike. To find the right system for your practice, you’ll have to do a little research, so let us give you a head start. Here are nine indispensable features that help separate the best medspa appointment software solutions from the rest.

9 medical spa appointment software features to look for

User-friendly design

The best tool isn’t the one with the most features, it’s the one that people will actually use. Look for software with an intuitive, logical design that puts as few taps as possible between clients and an appointment. You also want to make sure it can integrate with your website — on both laptops/desktops and mobile devices — and your social media accounts, so that clients don’t have to stop interacting with your brand at one location to book an appointment at another. The easier it is to book an appointment with you, the more likely a client is to do it, and the more inclined they’ll be to come back for a follow-up.

Real-time online booking

People used to appreciate the personal touch of a phone call, but those days are long gone — at least when it comes to booking their self-care appointments. About one-third of Gen Z clients actively avoid talking on the phone, and Millennials aren’t big fans, either. If you want to appeal to the widest variety of clients, you need a platform with real-time online booking. This is convenient for clients since it lets them book their preferred slots with just a few taps, either via your website, an app, or social media. It’s also simpler for your staff, since they don’t have to spend their valuable time hunting down open slots during long, tedious phone conversations. 

Automated appointment reminders

Missed medspa appointments are bad for everyone. Clients are frustrated because they lost their slot — and possibly their payment. Staff members are frustrated because they have to scramble to fill the slot, or see the time go to waste. Automated appointment reminders can help. Clients who get reminders via text or email are less likely to miss their appointments. Reminders also give clients a chance to reschedule while it’s still convenient for everyone involved. Some software can even communicate with clients while you’re out of the office or closed for the evening. 

Staff calendar management

At the risk of stating the obvious, clients can only schedule medspa appointments if you have staff available to treat them. If you have too few staff members on some days and too many staff members on others, you’re not working as efficiently as you could be. Look for software that makes it easy to optimize schedules, allowing enough buffer time in between appointments for clean-up and admin. 

Waitlist functionality

Good software can minimize last-minute cancellations, but they’ll still happen occasionally. When they do, you’ll want a waitlist in place. If a client’s preferred appointment spot is already taken, they can sign themselves up anyway, just in case the original client cancels. Your software should let clients sign up for waitlists and make it easy for your staff to see how many people are waiting for any given appointment. It should also notify clients right away if their preferred spot opens up.

Integration with EMR

Medspas are not just beauty and wellness centers — they’re also medical facilities. That means you’ll be dealing with electronic medical records (EMRs). These contain lots of useful information, such as clients’ names, addresses, and medical histories. You’ll want a software suite that integrates with EMRs and draws data directly from them. That way, you can keep track of each client’s medical needs alongside their clerical information. This can speed up the process of making appointments, especially if another doctor has referred your clients. Just remember that because EMRs contain sensitive data, you’ll also want a platform with a protective cybersecurity framework.

Payment processing

Paying for their services is probably the last thing a client will do before leaving. You’ll want that procedure to be as simple and seamless as possible. Look for a medspa software package that can also process credit card payments by swiping, inserting, or tapping the card. Some software can even store credit card information online, meaning that clients can pay for their treatments before they ever set foot in your office. 

HIPAA compliance

In the United States, medical spa appointment software has to meet a higher cybersecurity standard than most other beauty business platforms. That’s because medspas must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards, which regulate how medical organizations can store and share sensitive patient data. Only authorized parties can access a patient’s clerical information, and that information also needs to be secured against possible cyberattacks. Your medspa software of choice needs to be HIPAA compliant.

Mobile accessibility

One huge advantage of real-time booking is that clients can schedule appointments pretty much anytime, anywhere. That means they’ll often be booking treatments from a smartphone rather than a computer. To make bookings as easy as possible, you’ll want a software platform that looks just as good on mobile devices as it does on larger screens. Easy navigation, big booking buttons, and text-message confirmations make mobile booking feel like a first-class experience. 

Every medical spa appointment software suite has different pros and cons, so do your research before you commit to one. Look for a platform with an intuitive design, automated communications, and strong cybersecurity standards, and you’ll be off to a good start.