Phorest Reviews

“Bait and Switch

Pros

Roster functions effectively for scheduling appointments.

Cons

The reports are too numerous and overly complicated, definitely not intuitive. It seems like they don't understand what's required for back-office reporting in a salon. When I download payroll to CSV, the information is useless, disorganized, and reads top to bottom instead of left to right, which is standard for most systems. There are differences in functionality between the desktop and web applications, so I'm constantly toggling between the two to get the information I need. Most importantly, the sales team didn't fully disclose that I'd be locked into a 1-year contract with automatic renewal unless I provide at least 2 months' notice in writing to cancel. Most systems don't have contracts. Be cautious of the SMS texts and what's included versus extra. Features that are standard in other systems cost extra with Phorest. I've had to reach out multiple times to get a function added that should've been available from the start. Every time I try to use the help function, the instructions don't match the functionality we have in our system.

“Unlock Your Salon's Potential with Phorest's Comprehensive Management Platform

Pros

Phorest offers a comprehensive set of features tailored specifically for salon businesses. Its intuitive interface simplifies appointment scheduling, client management, and staff organization. The software's robust marketing tools, including automated SMS and email campaigns, help attract new clients and retain existing ones. Phorest's integrated point-of-sale system streamlines inventory management and transactions. Salon owners can gain valuable insights into their operations and make data-driven decisions thanks to detailed reporting and analytics. The Phorest mobile app enhances the overall customer experience by providing convenience and flexibility to both salon staff and clients.

Cons

The price of Phorest is a drawback because it can be too costly for smaller or independent salons. I found the learning curve high initially, and it was challenging to get familiar with all the functions and customization options. Although Phorest offers a wide range of capabilities, some unique needs or specialty salon operations may require further customization or integration with specialized software. Also, occasional technical issues or downtime can negatively impact salon operations and inconvenience clients.

“Terrible customer service

Pros

I have very bad experience with phorest. They never return my phone calls.

Cons

I was supposed to get a free trial, but now they're charging me. The software looks outdated, like it's from 1980, and it's neither compatible nor does it do what they claimed. I had to cancel my card because they said I'm in a contract, which wasn't how it was sold to me. Try Vagaro Pro; it's much better and more professional.

“Facilitates online booking and avoids time on the phone

Pros

Clients can schedule appointments at their convenience without waiting in line, even outside office hours.

Cons

It's less effective when I want to select multiple services in one appointment it still works but is a bit more confusing.

“Man kann jeden vor warnen

Pros

Nichts.... I'm very disappointed! Tried it for 2 months... still don't have all my data... very poor service.

Cons

Very poor service, very expensive, and I can only warn everyone against it.

“User Friendly

Pros

I use Phorest to book appointments at my salon. It is very easy to navigate. I can effortlessly select the service type, choose the stylist, and pick the date and time. It lists the available days and times, which I prefer over a calendar view. I receive email confirmations when I book appointments and email reminders as the date approaches. I also get text message reminders and a survey after my appointment. The system keeps a record of my previous appointments with details like date, time, and stylist, and I have the option to rebook the same type and stylist with a single click.

Cons

I can't set up reminders for my appointments.

“Ehhhh

Pros

It's fantastic if you have multiple locations. The software is continuously updated and works across multiple platforms.

Cons

The marketing is inferior, sharing reviews is difficult, and modifying existing prices and services is challenging.

“no longer a costomer

Pros

The reports were excellent, showing retention, new clients, and sales.

Cons

It's hard to train, and online booking was messy for clients and always felt off.

“Very Happy

Pros

I run a small salon by myself, so I use Phorest to the extent that I need. It is incredibly simple to navigate and offers numerous features tailored to your business. Everything needed to grow and support your business is accessible with a few clicks. The ease of personalizing settings and marketing tools within Phorest stands out to me.

Cons

I really like this software and its features.

“Ok System with horrible customer service and no follow up

Pros

The POS system is efficient. Product setup is straightforward.

Cons

The worst customer care I've dealt with in a very long time. The online store is subpar, the marketing looks horrible, and the system and app don't work well together. It's way too expensive for the service you receive.

“Very basic, would not recommend for large operations

Pros

It is simple for staff to use and visually appealing.

Cons

The reporting is quite limited, I can't store credit card details, there can only be one confirmation email, and it can't be resent.

“Unprofessional Company with hidden charges and poor data management

Pros

The appointment diary is simple and visual but basic. The online reputation manager helps manage reviews, but after seeing other systems, I find it basic and only available in their most expensive package.

Cons

The company has hidden charges they deduct at source, making them invisible and unauditable. They consistently overcharge, applying higher charges to bills than the original contract, and insist on payment by direct debit, making it hard to detect these issues. They manipulate my data without knowledge or consent, for instance, opting many of my clients out of marketing without my knowledge. I discovered this by accident, and it turned out to be an issue in their software, which they initially denied but eventually admitted. I don't know if they corrected the fault just in my account or if other customers are still affected but unaware. A few years ago, they made a major change to how their online booking system worked without informing clients, causing all our online bookings to go down. It took weeks for them to admit the mistake was theirs, costing me thousands in website redesign to overcome their change. This reflects poor change management and a lack of understanding of how customers use their software.

“Phorest Experience

Pros

The most crucial aspect of Phorest is its easy accessibility to everything you need. You pay a premium for convenience, which is why it's so successful.

Cons

The cost of Phorest is very high, but as I mentioned, you pay for convenience. Another thing I disliked was that customer service never aimed to fix a situation, just to make an issue right. Many issues occur, and eventually, preventive actions would be more preferred than accommodations.

“Only good as a diary- old fashioned software

Pros

The diary features provided are excellent, offering a robust and intuitive way to manage appointments, and the staff rostering capabilities are also impressive, making it easier to organize and schedule employee shifts efficiently.

Cons

Useless for marketing, their upgraded' marketing suite is frustrating and not at all intuitive. It takes hours to produce a simple newsletter, making it not worth using. If I want to save a draft to revisit later, good luck finding it. Customer service doesn't really want you to call, so I've been cut off again. They do respond to support tickets, but only on another day, making it all slow. If you're a busy salon, it's not the best.

“We Don't love it anymore

Pros

I appreciate the simplicity of use, the dependable support, and the innovative ideas for future enhancements.

Cons

It's not keeping up with the times; features we thought would have progressed by now are still lacking, especially emails. The support is nothing like it used to be.

“Phorest is the best option on the market

Pros

Easy implementation and support for multiple locations. Regular updates improve the software continuously. It meets all our booking and POS needs and includes an excellent built-in rewards system with customizable features. The comprehensive reports make it easy to track business performance and individual employee progress, allowing management to set and monitor goals. The online booking system works seamlessly with Phorest's app and integrates with our business website and Facebook page. The pricing is reasonable.

Cons

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

“Poor customer care

Pros

The software excels in client management, fostering strong client connections, and providing robust email marketing capabilities.

Cons

US customer support is awful! Absolutely terrible. When they were in Ireland, it was amazing. I can't wait to leave as I've tried to communicate with their teams for months, but nothing has improved. The software doesn't have YouTube tutorials to help problem-solve, and many features are not easy to find or use. When a client is a no-show and I collect the deposit, it goes to billing instead of my bank account. That's just ridiculous.

“Good soft ware

Pros

I organized my appointments, centralized my information, stock, staff, etc.

Cons

It has not improved my no-shows, it's expensive, and it can be complicated at times. I love the gift card system, but again, it's expensive. I can't upload enough photos per treatment, still no consents available, and recently there have been a lot of service disruptions.

“The best receptionist ive ever had

Pros

The online booking option is very helpful as we include it in our automated email response. The ability to fully charge no-shows is also an excellent deterrent.

Cons

It crashes every once in a while, usually for no more than 60 minutes, and probably only a handful of times a year. They are very quick to address any problems.

“Own a saloon, or beauty spa, you should try this

Pros

What I like the most is that Phorest Salon Software is a one-stop shop for hair salons, beauty salons, and spas.

Cons

It's a great software for salons, by far the one I like the most. The pricing can feel a bit expensive for some people.

“Really great well thought out software

Pros

We chose this software after a demo walkthrough for our salon. It has almost everything we need. We particularly appreciate the built-in review features for major sites like Google and Facebook, helping us get more reviews. We like the drag-and-drop features for rescheduling appointments, and the text or email notifications with confirmation links for clients to confirm appointments. There are plenty of reports available.

Cons

A little pricey for the top level. Not a huge selection of integrated hardware. I was hoping they'd have a card reader similar to the Square reader, but they don't.

“Stressful, hectic, traumatic

Pros

I loved the reports, the ease of using it on a mobile device, the communication it maintained with our clients, and the simplicity of rebooking clients.

Cons

I can't book clients for the correct time frame, can't book tanning appointments or packages, and have to schedule training during my business hours to learn how to operate the software. Customer support is not always available.

“Great Software, Great Support but could be improved

Pros

This software is fantastic for any salon. We use it in our Worthing branch, and it makes managing appointments very easy! No training is needed because it's so intuitive. The drag-and-drop interface simplifies employee scheduling, and it offers a staff-by-staff view of their day plan, which is helpful in case of absences.

Cons

To give clients complete control, we've integrated this software into our website, allowing them to see all available options and times for treatments. What I'd like to see soon is the ability for clients to book a specific appointment with a staff member. The system is closed to the outside world, making it hard to grow my business using this software. It's limited by its own design, so before you invest, make sure you're not looking for any additional features before committing.

“Brilliant cloud based solution

Pros

I really appreciate how the system confirms appointments and manages the entire inventory. You can monitor the entire staff, which helps attract more clients.

Cons

When conversing with clients, there's nothing specific to maintain their requested data, which could be noted.

“It is a good software, easy to use and quick.

Pros

The automated client outreach is a significant time-saver. I also like the loyalty scheme feature, which I believe will support further growth along with the integrated social media marketing.

Cons

I think the training sessions would be much more beneficial in smaller groups. With Phorest, there appear to be many add-ons to the original purchase price and monthly fee, but hopefully, as Phorest's software encourages growth and client retention, these will be an investment.

“Makes salon administration easy

Pros

I love how convenient it is and how it gives me access to the salon 24/7. It's very professional, and the customer support is excellent.

Cons

The software has a cost, and there are fees associated with online booking. Sometimes, access issues occur because it's cloud-based, affecting our ability to process clients and make bookings, though these instances are very rare.

“Amazingly easy transfer

Pros

The mobile app's convenience and the access it provides our clients are fantastic. User feedback within the system helps improve services, create new possibilities, and ensure the actual user's voice makes a difference. Great customer support! Switching from our old salon software to Phorest was very easy.

Cons

It's still a bit quirky, but the support line is very helpful and always available for troubleshooting.

“Makes life easier for client and company

Pros

I admire the app for staff access, the ease of online bookings, and the reports that save me time on accounting.

Cons

I've been trading for 11 years but have no financial reports ported over to Phorest, so I can't compare year to year. A lot of the clients' notes were missing too.

“So far has been great. Everyone is very helpful

Pros

What I like most about the software are the customizable marketing texts that I can send out as needed.

Cons

What I like least about the software is that it needs to be installed on your computer instead of just signing in from a website.

“I have this software for last 7 years and think it is the best in the market

Pros

This system is simple, and I like that it gets regular updates to improve it. The support is very good too.

Cons

I wish working with the database on the pages was simpler. For example, when working on the clients' database, if I move from page 1 to page 2 to delete or archive a client, the system automatically brings me back to page one. It's quite annoying when I'm working on page 5 and want to handle more than one client on that page. I constantly have to scroll back from page one.

“This software has changed my life!

Pros

It made Christmas at my salon run the best yet. Adequate appointments with sufficient turnaround time made us all less stressed. Love it, love it, love it!

Cons

I can't set a maximum number of treatments (like massages) per day. We have to manually monitor the diaries and cancel where necessary to ensure each therapist doesn't have, say, 7 massages in a row.

“Really good so far!

Pros

It's so much easier to navigate, super intuitive! Customer support is amazing, they're so friendly and respond ASAP. It has almost everything I need, and the training was great!

Cons

I wish it was easier for one person to pay for two different people (we have many families). Also, I would like a three-segment timing structure (Start - Gap - Finish).

“Still very new to Phorest but so far so good. Customer service is excellent and software features.

Pros

The features cover 90% of what I needed. The reports are good, and the ease of use and marketing assistance are the main pros.

Cons

Forms are not ready yet. We can't sell courses online, and it's a bit expensive for new salon owners.

“Exceedingly excellent!

Pros

It offers a better experience for our clients and has elevated our salon from good to excellent, making us stand out.

Cons

It's a bit expensive for new salon owners.

“New to Phorest they have been super helpful so far!

Pros

Phorest is easy to understand and hopefully will boost the business. The app is a great extra feature, allowing use on many devices and checking on the business anytime. The training is great for the whole team.

Cons

Commissions still need to be handled separately, which could be integrated into the software for a more comprehensive product.

“Excellent Customer Support

Pros

This software really helps me manage the business more easily.

Cons

It doesn't integrate with the merchant services unit, so I have to cash up twice, once on the system and once on the merchant service terminal and hope the two match! Also, there are no stats on emails, which makes me prefer Mailchimp.

“Pretty easy to follow. Great team to deal with

Pros

It is nice and simple to use and does a lot of things for me. It helps run a busy salon and has a much wider range of features compared to I-Salon System. I really like the features and how clear everything is.

Cons

I would add the option of popping up alerts for each online booking appointment, like "please contact the salon" for certain services if they can't be booked with the app.

“Great for innovation and new things but basics are lacking. Things to improve!

Pros

The reporting is good for managing the team at a glance. Client emailing and marketing help keep in touch, and accessing the system anywhere without extra cost is good.

Cons

Quoting prices to clients is lengthy and difficult. The user interface when taking payments isn't as fluid as shortcuts. Tracking schedules and reporting hours for payroll is not sufficient; it only tracks worked hours, not holiday hours. Support can be dismissive of these issues. The advanced features are great, but the basics are lacking. The commission taken from online bookings is too high.

“completely awesome very knowledgeable.

Pros

I love the program and its accessibility. It's very similar to programs I've used before. I'm looking forward to our next training. I have nothing else to add for now.

Cons

I wish there were more features for independent contractors. It feels like the system was built mainly for commission-based salons.

“first class training. The support and speed this was set up was fabulous .

Pros

Everything. I've used i-salon and shortcuts, and there's no comparison. The help desk was amazing, and everything was perfect. I love the treat cards and the fact that it is paperless, which is a massive advantage. Having consultation cards on the system looks very professional, and the company is very forward-thinking.

Cons

I can't change package time lengths, but that's a minor issue. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the software.

“Its a great system with lots of added benefits

Pros

The online booking tool is brilliant, and the salon apps are super easy and efficient. The marketing tools are great, with SMS reminders, SMS marketing, email, etc. The system was very easy.

Cons

A few general things are missing. While big improvements are great, it's also important to address general needs. For example, Phorest's Paymentmate software needs to be released. Please add a reprint receipt option on the appointment page and a currency calculator on cash-up. User voice needs a redesign.

“This has been a pleasant and smooth process

Pros

The detailed reports, marketing options, and ease of use are fantastic. Appointments are easy to manage, and the app allows me to access my reports and schedule at home conveniently.

Cons

Phorest is expensive, and ongoing costs can be high depending on SMS usage. Treat cards are costly, and I didn't realize you don't need them as points can be added automatically.

“Love Phorest! Have used many other softwares.

Pros

It's very intuitive and specifically focused on salons. They really understand what salons need and how to reach their customers.

Cons

It's taking some time to learn it well enough to operate at its full potential. There are so many features that we are just now getting into.

“Implementing Phorest has been an excellent experience , so motivating, engaging & professional

Pros

After researching various clinic software, Phorest has exceeded my expectations. My favorite feature is how it simplifies client engagement and retention, making clients feel valued through automated texts and emails. The loyalty scheme supports further growth alongside social media marketing. The software centralizes stock, staff, client, and clinic management, saving time with stock management and offering comprehensive reports. The Phorest Go app is very useful, and the setup support was excellent. I can't imagine managing without Phorest now!

Cons

One feature that's missing but is a work in progress is client consultation sheets, consent forms, and the storage of notes. Phorest is an excellent piece of software, but it tends to be more salon-oriented. I feel Phorest recognizes the need to incorporate a support package more suitable for clinics. The training sessions would be more beneficial in smaller groups. With Phorest, there seem to be many add-ons to the original purchase price and monthly fee, but hopefully, as Phorest's software encourages growth and client retention, these will be an investment.

“lovely

Pros

When there's a misunderstanding or mistake, customer service is right there to help, patiently explaining everything step by step.

Cons

Sometimes, simplicity is hard to achieve. Also, clients using online booking find it difficult to navigate the website.

“Everyone has been really helpful, efficient and really supportive helping me set up my new software.

Pros

It's really intuitive. The staff have been amazing and genuinely want to help me grow my business. I love that all reviews can be linked in one place for easy monitoring. Managing stock is very easy, and the Treatcards excite my clients. I can't wait to use my salon app.

Cons

The fact that it's web-based is a downside, but so far, it's the only downside. It would be great to do more on Phorest Go! I do a lot from home on my day off, and it would be useful to see more on my phone or tablet rather than having to buy another computer for home or bring my work computer home.

“Great experience, very helpful and we got alot of information, a very positive experience. Motivate

Pros

Phorest is great for holding all our client information, giving easy access to everything we need at the touch of a button. It makes booking appointments much easier and stress-free. Everything is organized, allowing us to focus more on our clients. The support team is amazing, and it's reassuring to have their help for any problems or queries.

Cons

A lot of my information did not transfer over from my old Millennium system, including my product line and client account balances. I would like the option to send single text reminders when necessary.

“Best thing we ever did taking on phorest

Pros

I admire that I finally have my life back with zero clients contacting me. It handles everything, and the marketing side is amazing!

Cons

There is nothing bad I could say about the system at the moment. I enjoy all its functions, and it serves us well!

“It is a good software, easy to use and quick.

Pros

I like that everything is easy to find. Big buttons make it simple. Data input is simple, maybe too simple, but it works. I like the free email functionality and the paid SMS functionality. Linking to social media is also good for smaller salons.

Cons

Reports are not easy to create if you don't want the standard ones. I would improve that aspect and make clever reports. Also, I would prefer the app to be improved as it looks very dated and old, and it's not as personalized as needed. Additionally, push notifications for appointment reminders should be standard, but this function is not available. Everyone uses push notifications, even for blogs and social media content.

“Couldn't do without it

Pros

It's easy to use with great content, making salon management simple. Staff KPI and performance tracking are excellent, and customer service always solves any problems.

Cons

There is not anything about the software that I dislike. However, online booking can occasionally become disorganized, and I also find the stock management system to be quite challenging and difficult to handle effectively.