You know her: the client who has been coming back every six weeks for years, always with the same team member, never a discussion about the price. Or the laser client who completes a full course and whom you deliberately schedule a little more generously because you know her treatment takes slightly longer than standard.
Those arrangements do not belong in your head or on a post-it behind reception. They belong in the client file: a fixed price per service, a customised duration, extra processing time where needed. So every next appointment is automatically correct, even if another team member schedules it or the client books online.
In Salontailor you manage this via client preferences per service. No loose discount codes for everyone, but a personal setting for those who deserve it.
Read more: Recurring appointments in your salon: schedule a full series in one go
Why a special price per client?
Not every form of loyalty calls for the same approach. One salon gives regular clients a fixed 10 percent discount on everything. Another salon only adjusts the price for one specific service that client consistently returns for. Both are valid, as long as you apply them consistently and transparently.
A fixed client price per service has three advantages over ad-hoc discounting at the till:
- Fewer mistakes. The right price is already set when scheduling, not only at checkout.
- Less discussion. Everyone on the team sees the same appointment values in the file.
- More retention. The client feels recognised without you having to explain every time why the amount is different.
For salons that work with treatment courses or regular maintenance visits, that is especially relevant. The client who returns every month for gel polish deserves different treatment than a one-off walk-in. With client preferences you capture that difference, without lowering your entire price list publicly.
Read more: From one-time visitor to regular client: the first 90 days are everything
Difference from discount codes and promotions
Salontailor also supports discount codes and promotional prices via online booking. Useful for campaigns, peak periods or a temporary promotion on your website. But that is different from a personal price for one client.
A client preference is:
- linked to that client's email address;
- fixed as long as you do not change it, independent of temporary promotions in your service catalogue;
- visible and manageable in client management, not public for other visitors.
A discount code, on the other hand, is meant to be used broadly: on social media, in a newsletter or on your booking widget. Both have their place. For regular clients, the personal setting is usually the neater solution.
Read more: Online booking for your salon: set deposits, access rules, and discounts smartly
What can you adjust per client?
In the client file you set three things per service: price, duration and processing time. That follows the same logic as your service catalogue, but specifically for that one client.
Special price
You save a fixed price that replaces the catalogue price for new appointments for that client. No stack of discounts on top of a promotion: one clear amount that everyone on the team sees. Useful for regular clients, team members with personal rates or long-standing arrangements you have applied verbally for years.
Treatment duration
Some clients consistently need more time: thicker hair, a more complex colour technique, an extra consultation moment. You adjust the main duration so your diary stays realistic and your team does not fall behind.
Time before and after (processing time)
Just like with services in your catalogue, you count time before and after the treatment for the diary block. For that client it may be slightly different: extra preparation, longer processing time or buffer to finish calmly. In the dashboard, the sum of those three parts counts for planning. In the online booking widget, the main duration determines which time slots are visible, exactly as with your standard services.
How does it work in practice?
You manage client preferences in two ways:
- In the client file, under adjustments per service. Ideal for setting up existing regular clients correctly in one go.
- When creating an appointment in the calendar. Adjust your price or duration and tick that you want to save that setting for this client. Useful the moment you notice a treatment consistently deviates.
From then on, the saved values apply to new appointments in the dashboard and in the booking widget, as long as the client books with the same email address. You do not have to keep correcting at reception or afterwards at the till.
Want to know what a loyal client earns you in the long term? Combine those settings with your figures on return behaviour and revenue per client.
Combine with recurring appointments
Client preferences and recurring appointments complement each other. Set up a series for a laser course or nail maintenance, with the right price and duration already linked to that client. Every appointment in the series takes over those values. The client receives one confirmation email with all dates, you do not have to recalculate or estimate how long you need for each session.
That is how you build a professional journey: clearly planned, correctly priced and consistent for the whole team.
Read more: Recurring appointments in your salon: schedule a full series in one go
Tips for a fair and clear policy
- Be selective. Not every client needs a different price. Link it to real loyalty or an agreed treatment course.
- Record it in the file. Verbal agreements disappear when the team changes. Saved preferences do not.
- Review periodically. When your catalogue prices change, check whether fixed client prices still fit your margin.
- Train your team. Everyone should know where that different price or duration comes from, so it is not a surprise at the till.
- Combine with service, not just discount. Sometimes extra time or a fixed team member is more valuable than 5 euros less on the invoice.
Conclusion: loyalty deserves structure, not improvisation
Regular clients are the backbone of your salon. Reward that loyalty with prices and planning that are right, every time, without manual work at reception.
With client preferences per service in Salontailor you set price, duration and processing time once. After that the system applies it automatically, including for recurring series and online bookings.