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Softalon
Instagram & WhatsApp AI Booking Assistant for Salons
14 followers
Instagram & WhatsApp AI Booking Assistant for Salons
14 followers
Most booking software sends clients to external booking pages. Softalon lets them book directly inside Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger using AI, while also providing a branded booking website for clients who prefer traditional online scheduling.
One thing that would be a big help is adding a built-in reminder system that sends a follow-up message a day or two before the appointment through whatever channel the client originally booked on. A lot of no-shows happen simply because people forget, and having that nudge sent automatically in the same chat thread would feel way more natural than a separate email.
@atakandeftsjbn I completely agree - we actually wanted to do exactly that at first.
The biggest limitation is the messaging platforms themselves. Instagram and Messenger only allow businesses to send messages within a 24-hour messaging window after the customer's last message. So if someone books an appointment a week in advance, we're simply not allowed to send a reminder in that same chat.
That's why we ended up using dedicated reminder channels (SMS, email, push notifications, etc.) for scheduled reminders instead.
WhatsApp is a bit different. If a salon connects its own WhatsApp, reminders can be sent directly from the salon's WhatsApp number, so they appear in the same conversation (assuming the client originally booked through WhatsApp). We also offer a no-friction setup that uses our own WhatsApp integration, but in that case the messages would come from our number instead of the salon's.
That’s actually the ideal experience, and exactly what we wanted to build from day one. Unfortunately, platform limitations prevent us from delivering it consistently across all messaging channels right now.
honestly this looks super useful, been waiting for something like this. one thing that would be great is a built-in payment option right inside the chat flow, so clients can pay a deposit or full amount without having to leave the conversation or jump to the website. would save a lot of no-shows too
@veysel981611 That would be awesome, but native payment processing isn't supported inside messaging platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. Even if it were possible, having money flow through Meta instead of going directly to the salon's payment processor would just complicate payouts, fees, and accounting for business owners.
That's why we handle it cleanly:
If a salon allows offline payment at the time of service, the appointment is confirmed 100% inside the chat. But if a deposit or prepay is required, the AI assistant sends a direct, secure payment link right in the DM. As soon as the client completes the payment assistant immediately nudges them back in that same chat thread to confirm the payment and lock in the appointment.
A small thing that would make this even more useful: a built-in way to detect time zones automatically from the chat platform so clients never get confused about which slot they are booking. Right now a lot of people mix up AM and PM when booking across regions, so handling that natively inside Instagram or WhatsApp would be a nice touch.
@leylaclgd That makes total sense for global products! Platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp actually have built-in ways to detect the client's time zone, and behind the scenes, Softalon has full multi-time-zone support built in as well.
However, since we specifically focus on local, brick-and-mortar salons, we deliberately anchor bookings to the salon’s physical time zone to eliminate any local vs. remote confusion.
To solve the AM/PM mix-ups you mentioned, salons can easily toggle between 12-hour and 24-hour formats depending on what their local clientele is used to. On top of that, if a client ever gets confused during the chat, they can simply ask the AI assistant to clarify the time format or slot details in plain text, and it will explain it right in the conversation!
Booked a test appointment through Instagram in under a minute, no app switching or weird redirects. The AI handling availability and confirmations felt smoother than I expected for a chatbot flow.
@metenzts Appreciate the feedback! Glad you enjoyed the in-chat booking experience - that frictionless flow is huge for salon owners. Thanks for checking us out!
The real unlock here isn't the booking itself, it's catching the client inside the DM where they already are instead of bouncing them to an external page, that's exactly where salons lose the appointment. Curious how you handle an ambiguous message, is there a confirmation step before the slot is actually locked or does the AI book straight from the chat?