Phorest

Pros

- Easy multi-location implementation and support.
- Consistent updates that continue to improve the software.
- Meets all of our booking and POS needs.
- Includes an excellent built-in rewards/points system, that has customizable features.
- Very comprehensive reports that make it easy to track the performance of the business, as well as, track the personal performance of each employee, allowing the management to set goals with employees and track their progress.
- Online booking system works seamlessly with Phorest's application and works with our business website/facebook page.
- Reasonable pricing.

Cons

- We wish the reviews could be listed directly as a Facebook review instead of something we have to post ourselves on our business page wall.
- We also hope to see a better system for employee categories in the near future. If I want to change the price on one service an employee does, I have to create a new category for them specifically, and there is no way to copy and past the old category. It makes a 1 second change into a 15-20 minute ordeal.

Pros

The versatility of the software and the use of campaigns, and marketing tools reach a wide variety. the software is easy to use and you can always find what you are looking for. The support is also always helpful.
New Staff can also take part in the videos helping to alleviate some of the onboarding.

Cons

Waitlist. It is the only thing that needs improvement, but please don't take the lead from Milano.

Pros

The staff goals is the only thing that stuck out to me. I liked the idea of having an app but they weren’t able to do that.

Cons

Customer service is bad. They don’t follow through on anything. Onboarding was horrible. Unable to downgrade plans.

Pros

The availability of our service manager to jump on a call and help us navigate and use successfully use Phorest. [sensitive content hidden] is amazing, she helped us go paperless, automate marketing and helped us save 5 hrs a day by helping us use Phorest better. She is amazing and we are super grateful to her and the team

Cons

So far it has been a pleasant experience.

Pros

The user-friendly aspects of the entire system- on computer and the app! The ever evolving newness! The great support staff!

Cons

At this moment in time, we cannot think of anything we dislike or would change. We are loving the new updates so far.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

Ease of use, all you need in one software.

Cons

Multi-Site functionality could improve. Would love custom report creation that is saved and you could use specific to what you coach and just email to team.

Pros

I love that everything is customizable. Need a report? They got you. Integration for an online store? Done. How can I save time, and promote our great reviews on facebook? Ummm Phorest can do that for you.

Cons

I wish it would double as a payroll system

Pros

It seemed great at first, especially the fact that I can have as many people without paying extra.

Cons

I do NOT like the fact that you cannot designate 2 staff members to perform one treatment, I do NOT like the fact that when you cancel, you can NOT get ALL you data, they hold it hostage making you pay them $295 to export your data, and even that won't allow you to take ALL your data. This should be Illegal! I own it not Phorest!

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Phorest

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

User friendly for front team, service provider and guests for online booking.

Cons

There is that stands out that i don't like. There are features i would like to see that could make phorest even better.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Phorest

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

Working with [sensitive content hidden], my Salon Success Manager! She helps me navigate the software with confidence. It has a lot of capabilities and that can feel overwhelming at times! Working with her helps me understand the features and move forward with a better understanding so I can properly train my team.

Cons

I don't like that I cannot do more than one Cashup in a day.

Pros

Easy to use for staff and good visually.

Cons

quite limited with reporting, cant store credit card details, can have only one confirmation email and can't re-send it.

Pros

I like that everything is easy to find. Big buttons, does what it says on the tin really. Easy to input data, maybe too easy that people just don't input anything else apart from name, tel and email and still saves it? I like the email functionality which is free, SMS functionality but it is paid. Also can link to social media, which is good for salons with less than 3 branches (easier to manage the content).

Cons

Reports are not as easy to do, if you do not want the standard stuff. I would personally improve that bit and make clever reports. Also, I would prefer the app to be improved as it looks very dated and old and it is not as personalised as you would need. Additionally, push notifications on the app for appointment reminders should come as standard and at the moment this function is not available. Everyone does push notifications, even for pushing content on blogs and social media.

Pros

The support team are brilliant and always happy to support and help where they can. Customer service excellent too. I like that its iCloud based . I like the reports too when they work!!

Cons

We can not book colour online because we can't book across three chairs !! Was promised we would be able to do this in the sales pitch - yet to happen and have resigned myself to accepting that it wont work as I don't think there is a way for it to happen. We are very happy we moved over to Phorest anyway and 4 years on, we like it and have just purchased another license for you new salon ( so it cant be bad!! )

Pros

Easy to use. A complete system. Great support

Cons

None

Pros

Online bookings, Reports, photos & marketing

Cons

Unable to upload your own consultation forms from other companies

Pros

Everything, it's easy to use, very convenient, gives me access to the salon 24/7. Very professional & the customer support is excellent.

Cons

The software comes at a price & there are fees that come with online booking etc. There are occasionally issues with access as it is cloud based which affects our ability to process clients & make bookings but these are very rare.

Pros

Quick and efficient support by experts.
Easy to use software.
Lots of reports
Makes running the business that bit easier!

Cons

Doesn't integrate with merchant services unit- have to cash up twice, once on system and once on merchant service terminal and hope the two match!
No stats on emails which makes me still prefer Mailchimp

Pros

The most important thing about Phorest is it's ease of access to everything you need. You pay a premium for convenience, hence why it is so successful.

Cons

The cost of Phorest is very expensive but like I said - you pay for convenience. Another thing I disliked was the customer service never wanted to fix a situation, just to help make an issue right. Many issues occur and eventually preventive actions would be more preferred than accommodation.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

The automated reach out to Cilents is such a time saving feature. I do like the loyalty scheme feature this I feel will support further growth together with the intervertebral social media marketing.

Cons

The training sessions I feel would be much more beneficial in smaller groups. With Phorest there does appear to be a lot of add ons to your original purchase price and monthly fee but hopefully as phorest's software encourages growth & Cilent retention these will be an investment.

Pros

It allows clients to schedule appointments when it suits them without any queueing and even outside of office hours.

Cons

It is less powerful when you want to select multiple services in one appointment - still works but a little more confusing.

Pros

Simple and easy to use. A good way to monitor what is going on.
It is easy to manage appointments. The support team is always on hand to support and advise with any potential issues that may arise.

Cons

Tricky having the initial training before the software was installed in the Salon. So some of the functionality that exists around permissions and betters ways of using the system was hard to take in at the time.

Pros

The software is very user friendly. Common sense approach, easy to find your way around. I like the layout and the color coding. I love the social media being tied to the software to help boost client interaction. The automatic text reminders are nice.

Cons

A lot of my information did not transfer over from my old Millinneum system. My product line, my client account balances. I would like to have the option to send single text reminders when the occasion calls for it.

Pros

Appointment scheduling, sales reports, and time keeping

Cons

Unable to open multiple screens at a time. Can only view one screen of information.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Phorest

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

Technology and willingness to always update

Cons

The cost/charge per text. And the text line not being able to go to just one employee.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Phorest

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

I love Phorest it makes my job as an owner and manager so easy! The reports and the online booking system is awesome!

Cons

I would like a way to go through the client list to monitor 1 time visits from a few years a go to the rest of the regular clients that have maintained visits to archive them for a better idea of traffic.

Pros

The support I receive is awesome! As a busy salon owner I need to be able to have support quickly when things arise.

Cons

I love it all, I would like a wait list guests can self add too, that would be a great feature

Pros

Phorest is very versatile, so it offers options that work with each salon's specific needs. I also love the customer service. They quickly answer any questions that I have.

Cons

Some of the technology is is beyond me, but again, they are there to help!

Pros

user friendly, and the reports are amazing

Cons

how slow the software works. stalls alot or freezes

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

Phorest is very intuitive and easy to manage and understand.

Cons

Adding retail products to a ticket is too many steps.

Pros

Roster works well.
Appointments scheduling

Cons

Too many reports that are too complex and not user-friendly. It looks like they have no idea of what is needed for back-office reporting in a salon. Payroll download to CSV with useless information, data not in any logical order, and it reads top to bottom instead of left to right which is how most systems work. There are differences between the desktop and web applications as far as functionality, so I find myself toggling between the 2 to get the information I need. And most importantly, there was not honest full disclosure from sales on what was included AND that we would be locked into a 1-year contract that will be automatically renewed unless you give no less than 2 months notification in writing to cancel. Most systems do not have a contract. Be careful of the SMS texts and what is included versus extra. Things that are included in most other systems are extra with Phorest. On multiple occasions we had to reach out to get a function added that we should have had from the beginning. Each time I try to get do something and I use the help function, go to our system and we don't have the functionality that their instructions give.

Pros

Easy to use, consistent support, consistent updates to accommodate users

Cons

Marketing templates is little bit limited

Pros

A whole range of features designed especially for salon businesses are available through Phorest. Appointment scheduling, client management, and staff organization are made simple by its user-friendly interface. The software's powerful marketing options, which include automated SMS and email campaigns, aid in bringing in new clients and keeping existing ones. The integrated point-of-sale system from Phorest makes inventory management and transactions simple. Salon owners may receive insightful information about the operation of their businesses and make data-driven decisions with the help of thorough reporting and analytics. The Phorest mobile app improves the whole customer experience by offering salon staff and customers comfort and flexibility.

Cons

The price of Phorest is a disadvantage because it could be too expensive for smaller or independent salons. Some users might initially have a high learning curve and find it difficult to become familiar with all the functions and customization possibilities. Despite the fact that Phorest provides a wide range of capabilities, some unique needs or specialty salon operations could call for further modification or integration with specialized software. Additionally, sporadic technological issues or downtime may have an adverse effect on salon operations and inconvenience clients.

Pros

The fact they never return a phone call

Cons

It was suppose to be a free trial and now they are charging me. The software looks like it’s from 1980 and isn’t compatible nor does it do what they say. I have to cancel my card because they said I’m in a contract which was not how it was sold to me. Try vagaro pro it’s much better and more professional

Pros

POS system is good. Easy product setup.

Cons

The worst customer care I have dealt with in a very long time. The online store is very sub-par. Marketing looks horrible. System and app do not work well together. Way to expensive for the service you receive.

Pros

The appointment diary is simple and visual but basic. There is an online reputation manager which helps you manage your online reviews but now I have seen what other systems can do I think it is basic and its only available when you are on their most expensive package.

Cons

The company has hidden charges which they deduct at source so you can't see them or audit them. They consistently over charge and apply higher charges to bills than your original contract and insist on payment by direct debit so its not easy to detect them. They manipulate your data without knowledge or consent, for example they opted many of my clients out of being able to receive marketing information without my knowledge, I only discovered by accident and it turned out to have been an issue in their software which they denied to begin with but then had to admit it was their fault. I have no idea if they corrected the fault just with my account or whether other customers who have been affected but are still in the dark. A few years ago they made a major to how their online booking system worked, but didn't inform any of their clients so all our online bookings on our website went down and again it took a few weeks for them to admit the mistake was theirs, but it still cost me thousands with my website developer to re-design my website to overcome their change which is incredibly poor change management and poor knowledge of their customers and how they use the software.

Pros

the reports mainly. was great at showing retention, new clients and sales

Cons

hard to train, online booking was messy for clients and always felt bets

Pros

Client management
Client connect
Email marketing

Cons

US customer support is awful! Absolutely terrible. When they were in Ireland it was amazing. I can’t wait to leave as I have tried to communicate with their teams for months but still nothing has gotten better.
Software doesn’t have you tube tutorials to help problem solve many features are not easy to find or use.
When a client is a no show and you collect the deposit it goes to your billing and not to your bank account. That’s just ridiculous.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Phorest

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Phorest

Pros

I own a small salon with myself as the only staff member so I use Phorest in the capacity that I require. It is super easy to navigate...has many many features that work around your business and it seems that everything to grow and support your business is covered by clicks of a button. The fact that you can so easily personalise your settings/marketing tools in the Phorest program to me is very much a standout feature.

Cons

I really like this software and it's features.

Pros

This system is easy to use, i like that there are regular updates to make its better and better. Very good support, too.

Cons

I would like if the working with the database on the pages would be easier. For example- if you work on clients database if you go from page 1 to work on page 2 to delete or archive some client the system automatically brings you back to page one. It is quite annoying if you are working on page 5 and you would like to work with more than one client on this page. You constantly have to scroll the system from page one. (I am not sure I explained this correctly :))

Pros

I had researched various clinic software , but Phorest to date has exceeded my expectations . To highlight my favourite feature ,the software simplifies Cilent engagement & retention , in a way clients feel valued & special - text emails etc . This automated reach out to Cilents is such a time saving feature. I do like the loyalty scheme feature this I feel will support further growth together with the intervertebral social media marketing . I like that the software has centralised stock ,staff Cilent and clinic management . The stock management feature is an excellent tool to save time in creating orders plus provides me with a suite of reports on all areas of your my clinic . The Phorest Go app is very useful & when I was setting up the Phorest team gave me lots of useful easy tips to ensure I receive and utilise all its key features . I starting the wonder how we managed before we installed Phorest !

Cons

One feature that is missing but I am aware it's a work in progress is Cilent consultation sheets , consent forms . & the storage of notes , Phorest is an excellent piece of soft ware but it does tend to be more salon orientated but I feel Phorest recognise the need to incorporate a support package more suitable to clinic . The training sessions I feel would be much more beneficial in smaller groups .
With Phorest there does appear to be a lot of add ons to your original purchase price and monthly fee but hopefully as phorest's software encourages growth & Cilent retention these will be an investment .

Pros

This software is absolutely great for any salon, we use it our self in our Worthing branch and it makes managing appointments extremely easy!

No training is needed as its very easy to use, the drag and drop interface makes scheduling our employees great, and if theres ever an absence its able to give us a staff by staff feature of their day plan (if its all booked in with Phorest)

Cons

What we have done to give the client complete control is integrate this software into our website, this lets them see all of their available options and times for treatments.

What i would like to see in the near future is staff, so someone can book a specific appointment with a member of our team!

The system itself is closed to the outside world so its quiet hard to grow your company once your using this software, its limited by its own design and before you invest i would make sure you aren't looking for any additional features before committing.

Pros

the ease of use, support and ideas for future

Cons

it's not updating with the the times, features we thought would have progressed by now are still lacking, especially emails and the support is nothing like it was

Pros

The ease of it and the reporting is excellent.
It is a simple, yet really efficient system, and does everything I need for my business. I like the fact that the brand is honest, and doesn't rip people off to get a decent system, yet offers payment programmes to enable a business to be able to afford the best system within the industry. Everything about it is brilliant.

Cons

Nothing really. Cant say I have got any cons. Anything I have suggested or requested on user voice has been implemented. The only thing I have ever found disappointing, was the tone of whoever was responding on user voice. They seemed more technical than customer focused, and came across rude and actually a bit obnoxious in their replies, which is very unlike the Phorest communication you normally give.

Pros

It is a very straight forward to use and most definitely better/easier than any other system I used over the years. The team are so friendly /helpful.. you can be very tired at the end of a 10-12 hour day and maybe your cash up isn't going to plan. I've called the support team with such silly questions, if I can't figure out something from pure tiredness and I'm always treated with such politeness/and I'm not felt in any way that I have annoyed anyone.
I also love all the reports, available to me. Just to be able to see how some staff are doing or product sales or overall takings..

Cons

I'd love to see more of an easier approach to showing if the client was new or old when they check in, and also if they have had a patch test with us or not, especially for hd brows and waxing. (I'm saying that maybe there is something that's as clear as day but I've just never been shown how to do this)

Pros

Great diary features, staff rostering also quite good.

Cons

Useless for marketing, their ‘upgraded’ marketing suite is frustrating and not at all user friendly. Take hours to produce a simple newsletter it’s not worth using, and if you want to save a draft to re visit later, good luck trying to find it.
Customer service don’t really want you to call, so I’ve just been cut off again. They do answer support tickets but on another day, so it’s all a bit slow, and if you’re a busy salon, it’s not the best.

Pros

The speed I can make bookings and changes. Clear, straight forward screens, easily understandable and visible. Great marketing features which I know will bring big changes to our salon. Great staff reports showing clear results of sales, targets and utilisation - a real help for one-to-ones. Appointment reminders and email marketing are a great feature which I am enjoing learning to use. Can wait for all the positive changes Phorest will bring our salon.

Cons

One or two niggly things on the screen but all about personal preference. I'd like a time scale on both sides of the page, and the hours to be shown in bold with the quarter past half past and quarter to in normal size. When I make a few selections of treatments for a client and she changes her mind the timings don't automatically bunch together - for example if the client selected an hour treatment followed by a half hour treatment the system would say book 3pm for the first and 4 pm for the second, but if the client then changed her mind with the first treatment and changed it to a half hour treatment the system keeps 3pm for the first appointment but leaves the second appointment at 4pm whereas it should automatically shift it up to 3.30pm. The only other thing we'd like is a page down button on the key board - out laptop isn't touch screen and the mouse is only a pad - it is difficult to slid up and down the page while holding a phone in one hand!

Pros

Wonderful if you have multiple locations. Constantly getting updated, and can be used on multiple platforms!

Cons

The marketing is inferior, difficult to share reviews, difficult to modify existing prices and services