Short answer
Show who can take a client today and when, what each pro does, which suite they're in, and a QR code to book. Skip ads and slideshows nobody reads. A lobby screen earns its place when a walk-in can go from looking to booked in under a minute.
The four things that matter
- Who's open today, sorted by the soonest opening.
- Each pro's main services in a few words (hair, color, nails, lashes, brows).
- Their suite number, so a walk-in can knock right now.
- One QR code that opens the same list on a phone, with a Book button for each pro.
What to leave off
Long bios, price lists and promotional slides. People in a lobby glance for a few seconds. If a pro has more than the screen can fit, rotate pages every 10 to 15 seconds rather than shrinking the text.
Keep it current without work
A screen that shows someone who already went home costs more trust than no screen at all. The only version that stays right is one fed by the pros' own booking calendars, refreshed every minute. Your Next Chair's lobby screen works that way and tells the owner's dashboard when the screen is on.
Hardware
A smart TV with a browser works. An iPad on a floor stand works better if you want customers to tap a pro and book right there. See the lobby screen setup guide for the stands and tablets we'd buy.
Related questions
Should a salon suite lobby screen be a TV or a tablet?
A TV is readable from across the room; customers book from the QR code on it. A tablet on a stand lets them tap a pro and book on the spot. Both work if the screen is a web page that updates itself.
How often should a lobby availability screen update?
Every minute or so. Openings change as pros book clients, so a screen that updates once a day will show times that are already gone.
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