Spa-booker.com - Looking for feedback

[Dragonflies]

Does anyone use Spa-Booker? I am thinking of melding my merchant service and online scheduler together and Spa-Booker seems like a pretty good fit. Currently I use Appointment-Plus (for online scheduling) and PayPal Pro (for merchant service) so I would be saving money in the long-term. Basically I need a secretary, without the cost of a secretary. Oh, and I need to access it over the internet.

Feel free to PM me - I want the good, bad, ugly, nice, whatever your experience has been please tell me all! I'm hung up on the initial sign up fee otherwise I would just give them a test-drive and see for myself.

[peacenut]

Wow!! Spabooker charges $300 to start up?? I joined them last summer and it was free because I was a spaboom customer. If I were you, I might try to make a deal with them. I pretty much taught myself the system. They gave me some training, but the best way for me to learn the system was just to use it. The training they gave me was pretty paltry.

I am paying on average $35 to $40 a month for spabooker and my credit card processing fees which are rolled into one. Spabooker charges 1% of gross each month and that isn't part of my credit card processing. If I give a free massage, spabooker still makes 1% of the session because they take their cut off of gross.

They are constantly making changes and upgrades to the system and it has improved a lot since I joined last summer. I suppose they needed some guinie pigs to start out with.

The best thing about Spabooker is the ability to sell gift certificates online through them instead of using Spaboom. Spaboom gets their % and then spabooker gets theirs on top of it. Now I can drop spaboom and go through spabooker exclusivly.

[cherpel]

I just started with Spa Booker before the new year. The signup fee increase was as of 2009. I believe it's now $50 a month w/o cc processing...I'm not entirely convinced whether I'll be staying with it. I was told when I signed up it will sync with outlook, but it doesn't sync my schedule, it does allow a customer to accept the appointment into their outlook calender, but not the client. There are several other great features that I'm still figuring out. I have Spa Boom, and I like that there is the instant gift certificate page on my website, but yes, everyone takes a cut. I was using Paypal with SpaBoom, but with Spa Booker, I would need to using another payment processer. I like that with Spa-Booker you're listed in Spa Emergency and Spa Wish, Spa Finder.... I'm not sure if this will help you in your decision, as I am testing the waters and still in the decision process. Although I also work out of different locations and do Outcall, if I were only in one location I would probably be much more content.

Peacenut if you get rid of SpaBoom will you still have an instant gift certificate page or capability?

[Dragonflies]

Thanks for the responses so far! *Very* helpful! Keep 'em coming.

[SchedulingWizard]

Currently I use Appointment-Plus (for online scheduling) and PayPal Pro (for merchant service) so I would be saving money in the long-term.

What made you choose Pro over the Website Payments Standard?

[Dragonflies]

Currently I use Appointment-Plus (for online scheduling) and PayPal Pro (for merchant service) so I would be saving money in the long-term.

What made you choose Pro over the Website Payments Standard?

Virtual credit card processing and compatibility with the shopping cart with SpaBoom's instant gift certificates. The standard version doesn't offer either of those features which I require to conduct business.

[SchedulingWizard]

I was just thinking that $30 per month is a lot for Paypal Pro.
But now it makes more sense, thank you!

[maggiegup]

I like that with Spa-Booker you're listed in Spa Emergency and Spa Wish, Spa Finder....

Just FYI, with Spa-Booker you are not listed on Spa Emergency... but yes on Spa Wish.

Maggie

[Amy]

I take payments online with PayPal Standard without going the "Pro" version.

I have a page on my site where a client can enter an amount with tip. The client then clicks the Pay Now button and is taken to the PayPal site to enter their information. They have a choice of paying with their PayPal account or to use a credit card. PayPal then returns to them notification of payment with their info.

You can see it in action here: http://www.massagetherapymn.com/contact/make-payment/

It's a real simple solution that works very well for me and my clients.

I also sell my own gift certificates online with processing through PayPal as well.

Amy

[SchedulingWizard]

Amy, I agree that your solution work very well.
Both options are very fast and user friendly.
I think that Paypal Standard is a good option for most MT's.

But let's not hijack Dragonflies thread. =)

[Amy]

I wasn't trying to hijack. I was putting out an example of what works for me. It's a great alternative to paid software.

Sorry to offend anyone.

[SchedulingWizard]

I am sorry Amy, I meant that I was hijacking it. =)

I appreciate your feedback!

[Dragonflies]

I take payments online with PayPal Standard without going the "Pro" version.

This won't work for me since I am looking for both virtual credit card processing and an online scheduler. I thought I was clear in my first post about that but I'll reiterate it here:
- I need a merchant account service for manual credit card processing and the online shopping cart feature I use with Spaboom (PP Standard doesn't allow the virtual processor)
- I need an online appointment scheduler

What I'm starting to see in negatives, for my particular business, from spa-booker is:
- Not compatible with mobile technology (to add or change appointments from a PDA)
- Initial up-front cost is non-refundable with no money back guarantees if the service does not perform to your needs or standards
- No service guarantee
- Extra .5% transaction charge on each sale with a minimum of $49.95/month

So, for now it appears this service doesn't fit my particular needs and expectations. However, I'll keep it bookmarked for future reference.

[SpaBooker]

At SpaBooker, we look to our customers and potential customers to give us guidance about the features we should build. We read forums like this one to stay up to date with the pulse of the massage and bodywork industries. For the benefit of those of you considering SpaBooker, let me clarify:

SpaBooker has a $299 sign up fee which took effect at the beginning of 2009. We feel this fee is minimal as it covers the cost of setting up your system and unlimited training. After the start up fee, you are charged a monthly rate of $49.95 if you process less than $10,000 per month through the system; if it’s more than that, the cost is starts at .5% (50¢ on every $100). This transaction fee covers ongoing support, updates to the system (which happen approximately every eight weeks), and all hosting and maintenance of the system. Additionally, SpaBooker does have an option to use our partner credit card processor; however, you also have the option to use your own.

SpaBooker does not take a percentage on a free or complimentary service (not to mention taxes or gratuities). Additionally, the system has full functionality to comp services and offer promotions and discounts. The SpaBooker fee is only assessed on the final amount of the ticket, so if you don’t get paid, neither do we.

We hold ourselves to a very high standard of customer service and welcome feedback from the customers we support on their overall experience with SpaBooker.

[yoginut]

What about mindbody? they offer a merchant account solution with the management software

[RelaxandRejuvenate]

We have been using SPABIZ for several years at all of our locations. Merchant processing through their partner PAYMENTECH and some great integrated e-marketing tools from DemandForce. Great combination.

We won't have anything to do with SPA-Booker or anything even remotely associate with SpaFinder and their ridiculous, industry-harming Spa/Wellness Week promotions

[Dragonflies]

Whoa! What an old thread. Hehe.

What about mindbody? they offer a merchant account solution with the management software

Mindbody has been remarkably buggy in the last six months, or so reports my colleagues.

FWIW, since this thread I have stayed with Appointment-Plus, adjusted all the bells and whistles there to fit most of my booking needs. It isn't perfect but I am much happier with their program than the others that I have test driven over the years. I also am on my 4th month using Intuit for credit card processing and that's OK too.

[shivashiva]

I use mindbody and have been happy with the service. Yeah, in the last few months there have been a couple periods of slow/interrupted service but it hasn't affected us that greatly. Their customer service is good and they seem to fix it really quick. Maybe I give them too much benefit of the doubt but it seems like they're getting things in order. On the other hand, we don't have a HUGE number of people using our online booking. They do use it, but because we're a fairly small spa it's not like it's being used everyday all day.

[PremoMT]

Draggonflies,
I am not exactly sure of what features you are looking for, or honestly of how clickbook.com really works with virtual payments through Paypal (I do not currently take payment online) But www.clickbook.net is the company I currently use and they just came to an agreement with paypal to allow clickbook users to accept online payment through paypal.

I am currently testing another online calendar that is in very raw form that doesn't offer online payment currently, but the creators are very open to suggestions so I will mention it.
Just wanted to give my two cents.