The problem
A first-time client fills in a paper form at the table, the tech types or files it, and the answers get read, if at all, after the client is sat down. If a salon sees 80 new or returning forms a month at 5 minutes each, that's 400 minutes, 6.7 hours.
What the AI does
Booksy's pricing page lists custom forms and liability waivers among the features in its £40 a month plan, with each extra user £5 a month, plus VAT. The page doesn't say how clients complete them, so check with Booksy whether clients can fill them in before arrival; if they can't, they complete them on a tablet when they arrive. Build a short form that asks about previous reactions to gel, acrylic or adhesives, skin conditions and medicines. The tech reads the answers before starting and decides whether to proceed, whether a patch test is needed and whether to refer the client to their GP. The form records what the client says; it does not decide anything. Never let a person or an AI assistant tell clients that a treatment is safe for them.
A worked example
A four-tech nail salon in Leicester sees about 80 new clients or returning clients who need a form refresh each month, currently on paper at the table.
Before
80 paper forms a month at 5 minutes each (fill, type, file): 400 minutes, 6.7 hours
After
If clients complete forms before arrival, about 1 minute reading each: 80 minutes, 1.3 hours. If they complete them on a tablet at the desk, about 3 minutes each with no typing or filing: 240 minutes, 4 hours
What it's worth
About 5.3 hours a month saved (320 minutes) if clients fill the form in before arrival, worth around £96 if tech time is worth £18 an hour. If they complete it on a tablet on arrival the saving falls to about 2.7 hours (160 minutes, 80 x 2 minutes), worth around £48, which is below the cost of Booksy if you are not using it already. Cost is Booksy at £40 plus 3 extra users at £5 = £55 plus VAT, or £66 with VAT you can't reclaim. If you already use Booksy for bookings, the forms cost nothing extra.
How to set it up
- Create a short history form in Booksy asking about previous reactions, skin and nail conditions and medicines.
- Add a line that the tech will check the answers and may recommend a patch test or decline the treatment.
- Check with Booksy whether clients can complete the form before they arrive; if not, put a tablet at the desk, and keep a paper copy for anyone who prefers it.
- Brief the techs: read the form before the client sits down, and talk through any 'yes' answer.
- Check with your insurer what records and forms they expect.
What goes wrong
- Skin and health answers are health data under UK GDPR. Booksy would process that data for you, so get a data processing agreement and check where it is stored before you collect it, and tell clients how you use the answers.
- A signed form or waiver doesn't replace your own judgement or remove your duty of care; the tech still decides on the day.
- Patch tests and allergy decisions belong to a trained person, not to software or an AI assistant.
- A form completed at home can be out of date; ask again at the appointment.