Phorest Salon Software

The typical implementation process for Phorest Salon Software is designed to help salons, spas, and clinics get up and running quickly and confidently. Here’s how the process generally works:

1. Initial Consultation & Setup

• Personal Onboarding Specialist: You’re assigned a dedicated onboarding specialist who guides you through the setup, customizes the platform for your needs, and helps import your data from previous systems.
• System Setup: Phorest handles the migration of client, staff, service, and product data. Essential features like appointment calendars and point-of-sale systems are configured for your business.

2. Comprehensive Training

• Phorest Academy: You and your team have free, ongoing access to online training covering both basic and advanced features.
• Additional Training: Extra sessions can be scheduled for new team members or for more in-depth learning as needed.

3. Go Live & Support

• Guided Go Live: Your onboarding specialist supports you during your “go live” phase, ensuring the team is comfortable with daily tasks, marketing, reporting, and client management.
• Continuous Support: After launch, Phorest provides access to industry-experienced support staff and a business advisor. Help is available by phone or online for any questions or technical issues.

4. Onboarding Timeline

• Quick Employee Onboarding: For payment and point-of-sale features, many employees can complete onboarding in just a few minutes.
• Full System Implementation: Most businesses can expect full implementation—including data migration, training, and going live—to take anywhere from a few days to 2-3 weeks. Larger or more complex operations may take slightly longer, but the process is built to minimize disruptions.

Key Features of Phorest’s Implementation

• Data Migration: Experts handle importing data from your previous system.

• Tailored Setup: The platform is customized for your workflows.

• Ongoing Training: Lifetime access to online training for all staff.

• Continuous Partnership: Regular check-ins and ongoing optimization are part of the partnership beyond initial onboarding.

Phorest offers a high degree of customization to meet the specific needs of different salon, spa, and clinic businesses. Here are the main ways the software can be tailored:

• Business Settings: You can customize your business name, address, VAT number, opening hours, special working days, and more in the system’s general settings.

• Appointment Setup: Appointment configuration options include setting patch test periods, preferred staff per client (both for online and in-person booking), course information display, and customizable booking types.

• Client Setup: Customize data retention policies, client credit limits, and how client data is handled.

• Facilities & Resources: Customize machines, rooms, and departments to match your unique setup.

• Financial Settings: Adjust payment types, payment processor integration, set service/product taxes, and configure discounts or cost-of-service fees.

• Point of Sale (POS): Personalize receipt formats, voucher/gift card settings, and device prompts for in-salon transactions. Hardware integration options are also customizable for printers, cash drawers, and terminals.

• Marketing & Branding: The branded booking app, online booking menus, and online gift cards are all customizable with your colors and imagery. You can regularly update visuals and branding elements from within the platform.

• Online Store: Edit product details, images, and pricing; each location can have its own unique product configurations.

• Digital Consultation Forms: Create fully custom digital and visual consultation forms tailored to your services and regulatory requirements.

• Staff & Goals: Set unique staff KPIs, targets, and create individualized bonus/reward systems. Performance metrics and reporting dashboards are flexible and can be customized for each role.

• Prompts & Automation: Turn on/off calendar prompts, set up automation for birthdays, reminders, client reviews, and more.

Phorest’s pricing structure covers a wide range of services, but here are the primary additional costs to be aware of (all values are examples—contact Phorest directly for an exact quote for your region and business size):

• Setup Fees: Phorest often provides setup and data migration as part of their initial package, though additional fees may apply for complex onboarding or custom integrations. Always confirm with your account representative.

• Monthly/Annual Subscription: The core cost for Phorest is a recurring subscription that covers software usage for unlimited users and devices. Different price tiers (Starter, Grow, Complete, Elite) offer expanded feature sets.

• Transaction Fees (PhorestPay): Using Phorest’s integrated payment terminal typically incurs a card transaction fee. In some regions, this is around 1.4% + $0.10 per transaction, with an additional flat monthly fee for terminal access (e.g., $30/month for Australia; other regions vary). In-house deposits may have fees as well (for example, 1.2% + €0.20 + VAT for deposits over €50 in some markets).

• Online Booking Fees: For online booking, Phorest charges variable booking fees based on the total value of the booking (e.g., for non-PhorestPay users: $0.60 for bookings under $20, $1.00 for $20–$39.99, and so on).

• SMS Messaging Costs: While some plans include free SMS credits or discounted rates, excessive SMS usage is billable. Typical rates range from 4–5 cents per message, with larger plans including bundles of free SMS messages monthly.

• Support & Training: Localized customer support and ongoing online training are typically included in your subscription. Some advanced or in-person training, special integrations, or bespoke development may incur additional costs.

• Maintenance: General software updates and cloud hosting are covered by your subscription; no separate maintenance fee is typically required.

• Other Potential Extras: Additional costs could apply if you add more physical terminals, require custom API development or unique reporting, or purchase hardware accessories.

Phorest offers comprehensive training and support to ensure new users quickly become confident with the system:

• Phorest Academy: Provides free, lifetime access to online training for all users. Training is available as on-demand courses, short modules, or live sessions, allowing users to learn at their own pace or participate in real-time with experts.

• Live Training Sessions: Regular interactive webinars and workshops are offered, where users can ask questions and get hands-on guidance from Phorest specialists.

• Personal Business Advisor: Each business receives a dedicated advisor for personalized coaching and advice to help drive business growth.

• Support Center: Extensive help resources are available, including step-by-step guides, troubleshooting articles, and video tutorials.

• Support Ticket System: Users can submit issues directly, ensuring a quick response from Phorest’s support team.

• Ongoing Education: New features and updates are accompanied by fresh training materials, helping everyone stay up to date.

Phorest uses rigorous security protocols to safeguard all business and client data:

• Cloud-Based Infrastructure: The system is hosted on secure, industry-leading cloud services, with built-in redundancies and advanced digital protections.

• Role-Based Access Control: Customizable permissions let you control what data staff can access. Logins are PIN-protected and can be set to fit different team member roles.

• Network Security: Detailed network management tools keep both internal and external access tightly controlled and regularly audited.

• Web Application Firewalls: Multiple layers of firewall protection defend against common online threats, such as attempts to hack into the system or inject malicious code.

• Activity Monitoring: Automated systems constantly check for suspicious actions or irregular activity, with alerts sent to the Phorest security team for quick response.

• Encryption: Sensitive information is encrypted both when stored and during transmission, following industry standards and legal requirements such as GDPR and HIPAA.

• Automated Backups: Both regular full and incremental data backups are performed, making data recovery quick and reliable if anything ever goes wrong.

• Secure Payment Handling: Payment processes use established, compliant methods to keep financial data safe.

• Automatic Background Updates: Phorest frequently releases new features, fixes, and improvements in the background. Updates require no manual installation or downtime, so your business operations are never interrupted.

• Collections and Feature Releases: Major updates are delivered as themed collections at regular intervals, bringing groups of new features and enhancements all at once. Users are notified within the system when these are released.

• Instant Synchronization: Changes and updates appear instantly across all devices, meaning everyone is always working with the latest version and avoiding issues like double bookings.

Data Ownership:

• As a Phorest customer (such as a salon, spa, or clinic owner), you retain full ownership of all data entered into the platform. This includes information on your clients, staff, appointments, and transactions—these are your assets and remain under your control.

• In situations where multiple owners or partners are involved, all parties are typically considered to have mutual rights to the data. If any disputes occur between business partners regarding data ownership, Phorest will not intervene or take sides.

Data Portability:

• Phorest allows you to request an export of your business and client data, providing it in commonly used, readable digital formats. This supports your right to transfer, back up, or move your data to another system if needed.

• Data portability, correction, or deletion requests can be made through Phorest’s official support procedures, and are managed with strict privacy and security standards to ensure compliance with data protection laws.

Scaling Up:

• Phorest’s subscription system is designed for flexibility—you can easily add more users, branches, or features as your business expands. To upgrade, simply communicate with your Phorest support contact or account manager; your pricing and services will be updated accordingly.

Scaling Down:

• If you need to reduce your service level—such as by downgrading your plan or removing users or locations—you can do so according to the terms in your subscription agreement. Keep in mind that some plans may have minimum contract periods or notice requirements, so it’s wise to check your original agreement for details on adjustments and billing cycles.

• Any changes to your subscription (up or down) will be reflected transparently in your ongoing billing.

Contract Renewal:

• Phorest software contracts generally start with a minimum commitment of one year. After the initial term, contracts automatically renew for additional one-year periods unless you cancel them according to the standard notice period in your agreement.

• To prevent automatic renewal, you must provide advance written notice of cancellation. The required notice period is often 30 to 60 days before your renewal date, but specific terms may vary by contract and region.

Contract Cancellation:

• If you want to cancel before renewal, you need to submit written notice within the notice period; otherwise, your contract will continue for another annual term.

• If you cancel the contract before the end of your agreed term (early termination), the outstanding balance for the full term may become due right away, and your access to Phorest can be suspended.

• Phorest may cancel the contract immediately, without any liability, if you breach the agreement, become insolvent, or meet specified risk criteria.

• Refunds are not provided when the customer cancels. If Phorest cancels for reasons other than a breach, you may receive a pro-rata refund for the unused prepaid period.

• Any adjustment to your subscription, such as increasing or decreasing users, locations, or features, will be reflected in your billing, but these changes are also subject to your contract’s minimum commitment terms or notification requirements.

• To cancel, you generally begin the process by notifying Phorest support, after which your cancellation is recorded and processed in accordance with contract policies.

Phorest complies with the General Data Protection Regulation, ensuring privacy and data protection for users and clients in Europe:

• HIPAA: The system is certified for HIPAA compliance, making it suitable for handling sensitive health data in clinical and medspa environments in the United States.

• PCI DSS: Payment transactions through PhorestPay are processed using a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment system, providing the highest level of payment card security.

• Data Retention: Phorest keeps message content and logs for at least six months to meet legal requirements, and stores data securely with strong encryption and backup protocols.

• Audit and Security: Regular internal and external audits are conducted, including penetration testing, to ensure compliance and strengthen system security.

• Consent and Transparency: The platform supports informed consent and transparency in client data usage, which is built into client workflows to ensure compliance with legal obligations.