my salon desk
MEDSPA OUTSOURCING

3 Ways to Operate your Salon or Spa without a Front-Desk Receptionist

March 12, 2022 12:07 AM

Learn how salons + spas have successfully ditched their front desk.

My Salon Desk and Jennifer Alvarez

How My Salon Desk Phone Answering Service supports Modern Salons + Spas

Because of this virtual call center, I personally have experienced a RETURN ON MY INVESTMENT by converting all new clients who are calling and freeing up my time to work on growing my business as opposed to being on the phone all the time with people and answering questions.


- Current Client

Staffing the front desk is proving to be an enormous challenge for salons + spas post-Covid 19. Many would-be receptionists have opted to pursue higher education or advanced training in other fields, while others have transitioned into full-time gig workers. This leaves many beauty businesses at an impasse that may redefine our industry in perpetuity - do we simply move forward without any front desk support at all? How will that impact client retention? Will new clients feel unappreciated?


There is no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions, but one thing is clear: many functions of front-desk staff can be fully automated WITHOUT causing a reduction in service quality, thanks to recent innovations in salon + spa software. Clients will not mind checking out virtually using mobile card-readers and apps, and competent salon + spa staff should be perfectly capable of greeting + upselling their own clients. Cleaning tasks should already be evenly divided among the entire team. However, this does leave one critical function unaddressed: who on earth will be responsible for answering the phone?


While some smaller, established suite renters may be able to get away with a text-only business, up-and-coming + mid-large businesses will certainly falter without instant customer service. Today's consumer is more entitled to immediate contact than ever; if you don't get their call, they'll simply keep calling other businesses until somebody actually picks up. My Salon  Desk's skilled remote Receptionists have successfully supported hundreds of beauty professionals across the US and Canada since our initial launch, and we've proudly earned a following of loyal salon, spa + medspa brands. 

How to Run and Operate a Salon Without a Receptionist - outsource, Outsource, OUTSOURCE!

Any MBA grad can tell you the importance of the following quote: "If it's not your core business, OUTSOURCE it". It's always a bad idea for a growing business to over-extend itself with tasks that aren't adding true value directly to your clients. Our clients have found that they couldn't justify the $50,000+ a year price-tag for a receptionist, especially since providing reception is not the core business of a hair salon! Seeking out an external  + remote live call answering solution, they've ultimately chosen My Salon Desk often after poor experiences with other services.

Outsource Your Call Handling
Outsource General Tasks via Technology
Outsource Business Processes
Outsource Your Call Handling


My Salon Desk can answer your calls, texts, emails + webchats remotely! We integrate seamlessly into your current tech stack to answer your client's questions and book appointments directly into your software without interrupting your typical workflow.

Appointment Booking

We can book + reschedule appointments directly into your booking software.

Quick + Timely Service

We answer most calls within just 1 ring - and say "goodbye" to your callers being placed on extended holds.

White-Glove Service

Our associates are all required to hold at least 2 years of experience in high-end client service.

Free Follow Up

We relay messages from your clients at no extra charge. Select a phone call, encrypted SMS or email-based delivery.

Beauty-Trained

Our US-based Receptionists are licensed estheticians, students, or beauty professionals.

Custom Integrations

The My Salon Desk platform is fully API-enabled, powering an unlimited range of integrations and supporting advanced automations.

Small Cohorts

Our Receptionists work in small cohorts, enabling them to become more familiar with your business practices.


Reliable 7 days / wk 

No more flaky, "sick" employees. We are open for business almost everyday 8 am to 9 pm!

Outsource General Tasks via Technology


Selecting high-powered and advanced software options can help alleviate your task-load immensely. A good booking software will automate: 

- Online booking

- Appointment reminders

- Confirmations 

- Arrival notifications 

- Client check-in + forms

- Marketing outreach

 - Inventory management and re-ordering

- And more!

💡 Some software even help you greet + manage the flow of clients arriving to your business via an iPad app that you can place in your lobby. Ensure that your staff receive arrival notifications and can quickly meet clients shortly after they arrive. Use the newly opened lobby space to showcase retail offerings - consider setting out samples + testers to keep clients busy!

Outsource Business Processes


Is your current receptionist responsible for performing general business processes? Consider outsourcing tasks like bookkeeping, social media management, advertising, photography, and even salon cleaning. Other smaller tasks can be divvied up among your current staff; you can even designate a staff member to receive any requisite additional training.     


Our Salon + Spa Specialty Virtual Answering Service has proudly supported salons + spas as they've sought to eliminate the front desk position from their businesses. Why would a salon or spa seek to go front desk-less? A few reasons:


✓ New + Modern Salon Software options make it more feasible

Many salon software allow staff to checkout clients from the apps on their phone or using iPads strategically located at the front desk. Online booking has also significantly reduced the call volume, which makes it less cost-efficient to pay for a full-time staff member.

✓ Controlling Expenses + Payroll Costs

A decent receptionist will likely cost around $4500+ a month when factoring in fringe benefits, payroll taxes, absenteeism + training. To make matters worse, few receptionists remain in the business long enough to make the HR + training process worth it. While a Receptionist can also help with small tasks + cleaning, it doesn't justify this high expense.

✓ Staffing Challenges

Does anyone want to work anymore?? Gig jobs and remote opportunities ave removed a LOT of young workers from the traditional workforce - which means it's even more difficult now to find good staff who will stick in for the long haul. 

✓ Retail Opportunities

Eliminating your front desk area will help open up your salon or spa for more strategic retail placement, which could boost an important source of revenue for your business.

How a Salon + Spa Specialty Answering Service Can Help You!

We know the ins + outs of the beauty industry and provide white-glove service.

 We are OMNICHANNEL- we support voice calls, texts, emails, web-chats and more!

 We can BOOK APPOINTMENTS for you, helping you capture new leads.

 We provide affordable month-month Plans.


Many beauty businesses are now seeking alternatives to the traditional front desk model for these aforementioned reasons. It can be nerve-wracking to outsource the function of your business to a third party, but our skilled Receptionists and advanced training requirements should put your mind at ease: all receptionists are required to have at least two years of experience within a luxury beauty services industry and must undergo an additional 3-Week Internal Training prior to handling any calls. We've seamlessly supported high-end and luxury salons + spas across the region without ever damaging the branded client experience they seek to provide.


The greatest part about our service is that we can answer treatment + service related questions without needing any follow-up from you! We don't just answer calls and pass-along messages - we HANDLE them. 85% of Missed Callers will NOT ultimately book an appointment with you. Missed calls literally translate into missed opportunities for revenues - new clients are often reluctant to book appointments without connecting to a human on the other end (ESPECIALLY for new Med Spa clients!). 


Did we mention that we can also book appointments DIRECTLY into your chosen salon or spa software? Yes, we absolutely can! Here are a few of our compatible software options:


  • MindBody
  • Booker
  • Square
  • Acuity
  • Fresha
  • Gloss Genius

  • Vagaro
  • Aesthetic Record
  • Aesthetic Pro
  • Envision
  • Orchid Spa Software
  • Salon Iris

  • Zenoti
  • Boulevard Salon Software
  • Mangomint
  • Phorest (in some cases)
  • Jane App
  • And More!

The 1st Virtual Receptionist Service Custom-Designed for Salons, Spas, Medical Spas, Massage Therapists and more. 

Excellent on TrustPilot

Learn More

My Salon Desk