Start with your service menu
Choose the app by testing your services first. Add gel manicures, extensions, infills, removals, nail art, and repairs as separate services when they need different amounts of time or preparation.
A new set of extensions should not occupy the same slot as a simple polish change. If every service uses one generic appointment length, customers see the wrong availability and your day develops gaps or overlaps.
Tor lets businesses manage services, staff, calendars, and availability in one connected app. Customers can select the treatment they want while the calendar reserves the time that treatment needs. See how [appointment booking]( /appointment-booking) works for your service list.
- Set a different duration for each treatment.
- Assign services to the staff members who perform them.
- Show enough service detail for a customer to choose without messaging first.
Test the calendar against a real nail day
A useful nail salon calendar shows more than open hours. It should show the treatment, the assigned technician, and the space or station needed for the appointment.
Test day and week views with back-to-back infills, a long extension appointment, cleanup time, and a break. You should be able to block time when a station or technician is unavailable without creating confusing placeholder appointments.
If two technicians share three stations, availability must reflect both people and physical space. Run that scenario in the [appointments calendar]( /calendar-appointments) before you decide.
- Create a test day with different treatment lengths.
- Move an appointment and check whether the calendar stays clear.
- Set up recurring appointments without entering every date from scratch.
Make customer self-booking clear
Nail clients usually want three answers before they book: what the service includes, how long it takes, and when the next opening is. A clear business profile can answer those questions without a long text exchange.
The app should let a customer choose a service, view availability, book, and manage the appointment. The business should then have the client and treatment details in one record. That helps when a returning client needs an infill rather than a new set, or wants to repeat a previous appointment.
On Tor, customers can discover providers, compare profiles, save favorites, and manage bookings from [the customer experience]( /customers). This gives a solo technician or salon a booking path that does not depend on copying details from messages.
- Check whether your profile can explain services and opening hours.
- Check whether customers can change or cancel according to your policy.
- Check whether client details and appointment history stay together.
Check the work that happens after booking
A nail salon booking app should support the appointment after it enters the calendar. Review payment options, deposits, attendance, reports, and customer records. These tasks affect the register and the next day's planning.
For a salon with several technicians, look for staff roles and permissions. An owner may need reports and settings, while a technician may only need access to assigned appointments and client details. A solo nail technician should be able to keep the setup simple.
Tor connects calendars, services, customers, staff, payments, and reports. Review the [business tools]( /business-tools) using your actual number of technicians, stations, and treatments.
- Check whether you can request a deposit during booking.
- Check whether staff can mark attendance and update appointment status.
- Check whether reports answer practical questions such as revenue by service or technician.
Compare apps with the same five-minute test
Do not compare apps by feature count. Use the same real workflow in each one: add a service, book a client, move the appointment, block a break, add a technician, and mark attendance.
Notice how many steps each action takes and what the customer sees on a phone. If finding an opening or correcting a booking takes too much effort, the app will slow down the busiest part of your day.
Write five questions before the trial: Does it handle my treatment lengths? Can multiple technicians share a calendar? Can clients manage their own bookings? Are deposits and payments connected to the appointment? Can I read the reports I need? Choose the app that makes those actions easy to repeat.
- Test an infill, a new set, a removal, and a repair.
- Test two technicians using shared stations.
- Book and cancel as a new customer.
- Choose the app that reduces daily work, not the one with the longest feature list.
