New Booksy providers have different reactions while activating an account and becoming familiar with our online appointment scheduling software for the first time. For most, it’s a wave of relief followed by questions about functionality. Others feel empowered by the different managerial tools. But for Ashley Harfield, activating Booksy meant shedding tears of joy.
Ashley owns and operates GetStyledByAsh, a small but booming business that proudly serves Columbus, Ohio residents who love longer length hairstyles. Some of her specialities include halo braids, extended ponytails, quickweaves, sew-ins, updos, wigs, and silk press styling.
A recent customer described Ashley as the “best in the city, hands down,” while another client said Ashley always “understands the assignment.” In fact, a loyal regular refers to Ashley as “Godly Hands,” because everytime she steps behind the chair miracles happen.
Despite the confidence that Ashley exudes while servicing her loyal clientele, when she first activated Booksy about six months ago, her first response was to cry. And that’s because Booksy let Ashley schedule consistent lunch breaks into her calendar for the first time in her entire career, which spans over two decades.
Discover how this master level hair stylist unlocked the resources available within our online appointment scheduling software to give herself peace of mind like never before. In one afternoon, Ashley learned to better service her clients while prioritizing her own mental and physical health using the tools available to any and every Booksy provider.
Like many beauty professionals, Ashley started working behind the chair as a teenager. Despite the ups and downs, she’s dedicated about 20 years to the beauty industry. And she hasn’t looked back since first starting out in a family-owned shop during her formative high school years.
Nowadays, there’s no doubt that Ashley brings a winning combination of customer service skills and genuine artistry to every appointment. Over the years, Columbus residents have showered her with compliments in regards to her personable demeanor and precise styling technique. But despite her gifts in the salon, juggling a busy appointment book had always been a challenge.
The closest thing that Ashley ever had to a lunch break involved devouring Pop-Tarts, finishing off a bag of queso flavored Ruffles, or snacking on a Snickers. If she was lucky, there’d be enough time to squeeze in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, in between appointments.
Just last May, everything changed. When Ashley signed up with Booksy, our online appointment scheduling software offered so much potential for change that she immediately wept tears of joy. Before Booksy, her schedule demanded working for eight to nine hours without a break. Now, she leads a totally different day to day lifestyle.
“It was a really big deal for me, because I've been doing hair for almost 21 years. And I’ve never been able to take breaks. I would just work straight through. So, it was huge to be able to have this app that lets me put aside time for myself. To look at my schedule and see that I have a moment to sit and eat lunch for the first time—it meant a lot,” Ashley said.
Now that Ashley has been using Booksy for almost eight months, her days go by much smoother. For the first time, Ashley can actually enjoy leftovers. And that means eating home cooked soul food made with love. Snacking on homemade chicken with macaroni and cheese in the afternoon has been a blessing, she said.
When Ashely doesn’t want to stay inside during her lunch break, she enjoys stepping outside to run errands, which has been great for her mental health. After mastering the scheduling features that our software offers, Ashley has become excited about the following three Booksy tools:
In addition to the online appointment scheduling software, Ashley also loves the fact that she is able to strengthen her customer relationships. Specifically, Booksy helps Ashley better stay in touch with her clients. Ashley loves being able to use Message Blasts to send out mass messages to all of her customers at once.
Sending Message Blasts lets Ashley articulate important information about her business. This online marketing method lets her better promote new services. She is able to invite regular customers to book an extra appointment during the holidays. And Message Blasts also helps Ashley inform loyal customers if her hours are going to change.
To make sure her loyal customers stay engaged, Ashley offers Memberships. Salon and shop owners offer memberships through Booksy to jumpstart their business growth. For Ashley, offering VIP Memberships through our software helps her connect with top tier, returning customers.
Through Memberships, Ashley is able to encourage loyal clients to book more frequently. And that can translate into more generous tips. Ashley also uses Memberships to set up more predictable revenue streams while focusing additional energy on customer relationships.
Additionally, Ashley plans to learn more about selling products through Booksy. Currently, she sells customized bonnets to clients, who want to support her creativity. And she also sells wigs. Through the Inventory tool within the Booksy software, Ashley is able to update or manage retail products and internal stock through a tablet or computer.
Using the Inventory feature, Ashley is also able to work more directly with customers who want to purchase her bonnets or wigs. By encouraging customer loyalty, she can use Booksy to earn additional income, which is especially useful during these challenging times.
When it comes to styling hair, the motto that Ashley has used for years is “I’m about to make you look fine!” Despite some major scheduling changes for the better, her motto will still remain the same. And that's because this is a career that she loves, which means Ashley will continue making women feel more beautiful about themselves.
With regards to her feelings on the industry, she especially enjoys being able to uplift people who are feeling down. According to Ashley, there’s no better feeling than setting the bar a little bit higher by creating a hairstyle that a person didn’t think they could wear or suggesting a more stylish look, which helps someone feel more confident.
Throughout her entire professional career, Ashley has been both a friend and a therapist to thousands of people. Regardless of their problems, clients come to her, because she is able to talk to them through tough situations. And once Ashley is done with a hair session, she sees an ear to ear smile on that client's face, because her work has the power to make people feel more confident.
Now that life is running a little smoother for Ashley, she’s more than ready to apply that positive mindset to her next big project. For her, that means taking the steps to reopen her own salon. Due to obstacles that she faced during COVID-19, she had to close down her salon and work as a booth renter for a few months. But now, she’s taking steps to return to being in full control of her own space. And she wants to add more features than ever to "wow" her clients.
“Opening a salon had always been my dream, since I was a little girl. I used to sit and watch my mom, she was a braider. At nine years old, I started braiding. Even as a little girl, I knew that I wanted to be my own boss. I knew that I didn’t want to work for anybody. And I knew that I always wanted to own my own salon,” she said.
To help make that dream come true, Ashley plans to continue using Booksy. "Because with Booksy, all it takes is a few minutes to master the online appointment scheduling software. Then clients can schedule their own appointments. It’s really just that easy," Ashley said.
