Beauty & wellness
AI receptionist for hair salons
The short answer
Last updated
Calls we handle
Calls hair salons get, answered.
- New client booking for a cut, colour or balayage, including "who's free Saturday?"
- Colour consultation or skin patch test booking before a colour
- Reschedule, cancel or running late
- Price enquiries (foils, toner, colour correction, bridal hair)
- Stylist-specific availability and waitlist
- Retail product enquiries and stock holds
- Gift vouchers
Urgent calls
Escalated to you.
- Scalp or skin reaction after a colour service: tell the caller to seek medical care, call 111 if severe, and alert the owner.
- Complaint or colour-correction request.
- Bridal-party changes on the day.
- Client stuck in the chair with a stylist absent.
Software
Works with Phorest, Square Appointments, Zenoti, Vagaro and more.
Phorest
Books directlyBooks appointments straight into your Phorest calendar during the call, looks up returning clients by phone, and adds notes to the booking, using Phorest's own API.
How it connects to PhorestSquare Appointments
Books directlyBooks appointments straight into Square Appointments during the call, checking live availability first, using Square's public Bookings API (Australia only).
How it connects to Square AppointmentsZenoti
Books directlyBooks appointments straight into Zenoti and looks up callers by phone during the call, using Zenoti's public API.
How it connects to ZenotiVagaro
Partner accessVagaro has a public API reference covering appointments and customers, but read/write access requires contacting Vagaro Enterprise Sales — not yet confirmed for FirstVoice.
What a missed call is worth
Typical hair Salons prices in NZ.
Rules we script around
Regulations for hair salons.
General information, not legal advice.
- NZ Privacy Act 2020 IPPs: collect only what's needed and tell the caller why.Source
- NZ Consumer Guarantees Act: services must be done with reasonable care and skill.Source
- No-show and cancellation fees in standard terms can be challenged as unfair contract terms under the Fair Trading Act.Source
- Deposits: send a payment link, never take card numbers by voice (PCI DSS).Source
Australia
- AU: most businesses with turnover of A$3m or less are exempt from the Privacy Act, with exceptions.
- AU marketing SMS must meet Spam Act consent, sender-ID and unsubscribe rules.
Does an AI receptionist work with salon software like Kitomba, Timely or Fresha?
FirstVoice books directly into Phorest, Square Appointments and Zenoti. It works alongside Kitomba, Timely and Fresha by texting callers your booking link and emailing you a summary of every call. Vagaro needs partner access.
Will clients mind an AI answering the salon phone?
Some prefer a person, especially regulars and anyone booking a colour correction or a bridal party. But a call that rings out while you're mid-cut is often a lost booking. Use an AI receptionist for the calls you can't get to, and keep complaints and complex bookings with your team.
What does FirstVoice do with urgent calls for hair salons?
It flags scalp or skin reaction after a colour service, complaint or colour-correction request and bridal-party changes on the day to you straight away, or transfers the call live on Growth and Scale. Emergencies are directed to 111.
Does FirstVoice work with Phorest?
Books appointments straight into your Phorest calendar during the call, looks up returning clients by phone, and adds notes to the booking, using Phorest's own API. It also works with Square Appointments, Zenoti, Vagaro and Kitomba.
How much does an AI receptionist cost for hair salons?
Connecting Phorest is included from Growth at $597 a month. Starter is $297 a month with calendar booking.