Boulevard

The typical implementation process for Boulevard, the client experience platform for appointment-based self-care businesses, follows a structured, collaborative approach to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption:

Implementation Process Overview

• Assigned Onboarding Specialist: Every new client works with a dedicated Boulevard Onboarding Specialist, who acts as project manager, consultant, and educator throughout the process. This specialist manages onboarding from contract signing through full adoption and addresses all your business needs and questions.

• Pre-Launch Collaboration: The onboarding begins with joint discussions involving your business, the Boulevard Sales team, and your Onboarding Specialist to confirm platform fit and plan your launch.

• Setup & Customization: The specialist guides you through configuring the platform for your unique operations—including setting up service menus, staff accounts, payment processing (merchant application), and business-specific dashboard settings. If needed, hardware ordering and installation are also facilitated.

• Training: Comprehensive training is provided via Boulevard Academy and additional resources to ensure both management and staff are confident with all features before going live.

• Data Migration (if applicable): If migrating from another platform, Boulevard’s engineering team oversees a secure transfer of existing data. You’ll be able to review and cleanse data before and after migration to ensure accuracy.

• Online Booking Implementation: The team assists with installing and configuring online booking tools for your website.

• Ongoing Support: Regular check-ins with your Onboarding Specialist continue until you’re fully operational, typically including a couple of weeks post-launch for troubleshooting and optimization.

Typical Timeline

• The entire implementation generally takes about 3 to 4 weeks, requiring an estimated 15 hours of active involvement from your team. This encompasses meetings, submissions, configuration tasks, and staff training. Most businesses experience a smooth transition with minimal disruption, thanks to the platform’s intuitive design and guided support.

Boulevard’s software offers extensive customization options to fit the specific needs of businesses, particularly those in salons, spas, and medspas:

• Service Customization: You can tailor services at both the service and staff levels. This includes customizing pricing, appointment durations, applicable tax rates, and online booking availability. Adjustments can be applied system-wide, by staff role, for individual staff members, or specific locations. All changes update immediately for new appointments.

• Appearance and Branding: Businesses can modify the platform’s look and feel with various visual themes, font choices, window sizing, invoice layouts, and the addition of custom logos and images.

• Reports & Documents: Reporting tools are flexible, allowing you to filter, group, and save custom reports. You can also customize forms, event invitations, and invoices to fit your branding and operational needs.

• Business Workflows: Settings like sales tax rates, invoice details, birthday and loyalty discounts, and even terminology can be adjusted to match your business processes.

• Third-party Integrations: Boulevard offers integration options for payment processors, accounting systems, and marketing platforms. Some plans also include access to an API for deeper customization or integration needs.

• Industry-Specific Features: The platform accommodates the unique workflows and terminology of salons, spas, medspas, and other appointment-driven businesses.

• Setup or Onboarding Fees: Some customers may be charged a one-time fee for onboarding or setup, which typically ranges from no additional charge up to about $495. The fee can vary based on the size of your business and the extent of hands-on support you require.

• Data Migration Fees: If you need to transfer existing business data into Boulevard, the cost can range from around $295 to $895. The lower end usually applies for simple spreadsheet imports, while the higher end reflects “white glove” service for more complex migrations or full data conversion.

• Payment Processing Fees: Boulevard charges transaction fees for credit card payments processed through the platform. These typically range from roughly 2.65% plus 15 cents up to 3.65% plus 15 cents per transaction. Larger businesses or those processing high volumes may be eligible for discounted rates.

• Point of Sale Hardware: If you need the Boulevard Duo POS system, it costs about $149, though you’ll also need to supply your own iPad, which is not included in that price.

• Additional Features and Add-ons:
  • Text marketing tools start at around $25 per month for each location.
  • Automated email features cost about $2 for each completed appointment.
  • Email blasts are free up to a certain volume per month, but there’s a charge of about one cent per email if you go over your plan’s quota.
  • Integration with services like QuickBooks or advanced custom forms cost between $45 and $65 per month for each location.

  • Specialized medspa bundles with enhanced features are available for roughly $421 to $468 per month per location.

• Maintenance and Support: Ongoing software maintenance and access to standard support are typically included in your subscription at no extra charge. However, highly specialized support or premium features might result in added fees on a case-by-case basis.

Boulevard provides a robust suite of training and support options for new users:

• Boulevard Academy: This is a comprehensive online learning platform featuring complete training courses, quick lessons, and expert product webinars. All staff can access on-demand modules covering front-of-house, back-of-house, and reporting tools at their convenience.

• Custom Training: New clients are offered personalized onboarding and training programs, curated by the Boulevard education team to suit specific business needs. This may include live feature-focused webinars and expert-guided, custom training sessions.

• Weekly Office Hours: Boulevard hosts weekly live Q&A sessions where users can interact directly with product experts, ask questions, and get specialized tips to maximize the platform’s capabilities.

• Ongoing Support: After onboarding, new users continue to have access to the Boulevard Support Center with guides, troubleshooting resources, and real-time assistance from support staff. Most businesses report that even staff with minimal prior experience can get up to speed with just a single training session due to the intuitive user interface.

Boulevard employs strict security protocols to protect business and client data:

• PCI DSS Compliance: Boulevard is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which mandates secure handling of credit card and payment information. Key requirements include:

  • Firewalls and advanced cybersecurity to shield cardholder data.
  • Encryption of all data transmissions over open, public networks.
  • Regular updates to antivirus and security software.
  • Strong password policies and unique user IDs for all system access.
  • Restricted and monitored access with role-based controls.

  • Scheduled security system testing and continuous monitoring/logging of network and data access.

• Data Privacy and Safeguards: Boulevard maintains robust privacy policies and operational protocols to ensure only authorized employees and contractors can access sensitive data. Regular audits, secure backups, and unambiguous internal security policies underpin their approach.

• Physical and Network Security: Access controls, monitoring, and secure storage facilities are part of the multi-layered data security posture. These measures are regularly audited and enforced to align with contemporary best practices.

Boulevard is proactive about releasing regular platform updates and feature enhancements:

• Update Frequency: Boulevard regularly introduces updates, ranging from system optimizations and security patches to new features. User reviews highlight continual improvements and quick adaptation to customer feedback.

• Update Management: Updates are generally managed and deployed centrally via the cloud-based platform, ensuring all users benefit without needing manual software upgrades. New features and changes are often accompanied by webinars, tutorial videos, and support documentation to familiarize users with enhancements.

• Communication: Announcements regarding new updates and features are typically communicated via email, dashboard notifications, and through the weekly training webinars, ensuring all staff stay informed about changes and can immediately access supporting training resources.

Data Ownership
Boulevard emphasizes that your business data and client information remain under your control. Their policy, made clear across their website and industry reviews, is that you retain ownership of your core business data—client lists, appointments, sales records, and reports are yours, not Boulevard’s property.

Data Portability
Boulevard openly supports data portability for its users and states a “data portability pledge.” This means if you ever decide to leave Boulevard, you have the right and the ability to export key business data. Unlike some competitors, Boulevard pledges not to “lock” exports or provide files in unreadable formats meant to deter switching. Data migration services (import and export) are available, though there may be costs associated depending on the complexity and support required. Boulevard’s data migration team can help you recover, transfer, or archive your data as needed, and they are transparent about export methods and any fees that may apply. The company asserts that you will always be able to take your core business records with you.

Scaling Up (Adding Locations, Features, or Users)

• Boulevard’s pricing model is structured per location and feature set, making it straightforward to add new locations, users, or modules as your business expands.

• As you grow, you can purchase additional site licenses, user seats, or advanced feature bundles. These upgrades are typically managed centrally through your Boulevard account manager or support team.

• There are no long-term lock-ins for capacity; most subscriptions can be adjusted at the start of a billing period, and added users or features are activated as soon as you need them.

• Scaling up can also include acquiring additional hardware (such as POS devices) and activating optional add-ons or higher data migration/processing tiers as your usage increases.

Scaling Down (Reducing Locations, Features, or Users)

• If your organizational needs change and you need to downsize (shut locations, remove features, or reduce staff/user accounts), Boulevard’s platform allows you to adjust your subscription accordingly.

• Typically, you can remove locations, deactivate users, or step down to a lower-tier plan by notifying Boulevard before your next billing cycle. Billing for active subscriptions will reflect the new configuration after the next cycle.

• There are no punitive fees for scaling down, and you retain access to your data and records regardless of plan size for as long as your subscription is active.

• Customer support can guide you through decommissioning hardware or exporting data during downsizing, ensuring a smooth transition.

Contract Renewal

• Boulevard’s software agreements are typically provided as subscriptions, which can be on a monthly or annual basis, depending on your chosen plan.

• Most subscriptions are set to automatically renew at the end of each term—either monthly or yearly—unless you notify Boulevard in advance that you do not wish to renew. The timeframe for giving notice (such as 30 days before your renewal date) is usually specified in your contract.

• Any updates to pricing or terms are generally communicated before renewal, and new terms take effect at that point.

Contract Cancellation

• Boulevard makes it easy for clients to cancel memberships or recurring subscriptions directly through the client portal, in line with federal regulations requiring clear and simple cancellation paths for consumers.

• For individual client appointments, Boulevard allows businesses to set their own policies for cancellation deadlines and fees. For example, clients canceling less than a specified number of hours before their scheduled appointment may be charged a cancellation fee, which can be up to the full value of the service. These rules are fully customizable by the business within the Boulevard dashboard.

• When a business wants to cancel its Boulevard software subscription, the agreement typically allows you to use the service until the end of your current billing period. There are generally no extra fees for leaving beyond what’s owed for the current term. Access to the software ends when the cycle concludes, unless otherwise arranged.
• You have the right to export your business data when you cancel, as guaranteed by Boulevard’s data ownership and portability pledge.

Boulevard adheres to several major compliance and security standards, including:

• PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): Boulevard is approved as a Level 1 Service Provider, meaning it meets stringent requirements for handling payment information. These include robust data encryption, firewall protection, strong authentication, and regular security audits.

• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): The software is designed to support HIPAA compliance, which is especially important for medspas and businesses that handle protected health information. Features to support this include encrypted data, audit logs, access controls, business associate agreements (when needed), and support from HIPAA-trained staff.

• ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Website Compliance: Boulevard’s interfaces, including online booking, are built to meet accessibility standards (such as WCAG 2.0 Level AA) so that people with disabilities can use the platform.

• Text Messaging Compliance: Tools offered for text message reminders and marketing comply with federal guidelines for communications and consent.