Short answer
Put a screen in the lobby and a QR code on the door that list every pro in the building with their next opening today, read straight from each pro's own booking calendar. Customers tap a pro and book on that pro's own page. The key is that the board updates itself; any version that relies on renters remembering to update a status goes stale within days.
Why it matters
A salon suite building has no front desk. A walk-in sees a hallway of closed doors and leaves, even when three pros inside have an opening in the next hour. Each renter books on a different app, so nobody in the building can say who's free.
Option 1: a manual board or slideshow
A directory sign or a TV slideshow listing names, services and suite numbers. Cheap and easy, but it only tells people who's in the building, not who can take them today.
Option 2: renters update a status
Some owners set up a form each renter fills in (working today, walk-ins yes or no, next opening) that feeds a sign. It works for a week or two. Then busy renters stop updating it, the board shows people who already left, and customers stop trusting it.
Option 3: a live board read from each pro's calendar
Each pro shares a read-only calendar link from the booking app they already use (GlossGenius, Square, Vagaro, Booksy or Google Calendar). The board checks those calendars every minute and shows each pro's next real opening today. Nobody has to remember to update anything, and booking still happens on the pro's own page.
This is what Your Next Chair does: one live list on a lobby screen, a door QR code and a building web page, plus an optional AI receptionist that answers the building's phone with the same openings.
What you need
- A screen: any smart TV with a browser, a streaming stick, or an iPad on a stand.
- A QR code on the front door and in the lobby, so people outside can check too.
- Each pro's booking link and, for live openings, their calendar link. About two minutes per pro from their phone.
- A third of the building connected is enough for walk-ins to find someone.
Related questions
Do stylists have to switch booking apps for a building availability board?
No. A live board reads each pro's existing calendar from GlossGenius, Square, Vagaro, Booksy or Google Calendar. Bookings stay on each pro's own page.
What does a live availability board read from a stylist's calendar?
Only busy and free times. Client names and appointment details aren't needed and shouldn't be stored.
What if some pros don't connect a calendar?
They can still be listed with their hours and a Book button that goes to their booking page or Instagram. They just don't show live openings.
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