Hotseat Help Center

Answers about booking, checkout, getting paid and more.

Getting started

Setting up your shop - The few things to do before your first booking: services, hours, team and bank.
Adding stylists to your team - Invite each stylist so they get their own login, calendar and booking link.
Bringing your clients and appointments over from Vagaro - Export from Vagaro, drop the files into Hotseat, check the preview, done.
Your booking link and website button - Every shop and every stylist has a link clients can book from.

How clients book - Pick a stylist, a service and a time, then name, phone and a card to hold the spot.
Blocking off time (and removing a block) - Lunch, a day off, a doctor's appointment: block it so nobody books it.
Lunch breaks in your hours - Add a break to any working day; clients can't book it and it shows grey.
Moving or changing an appointment - Drag it on the calendar, or tap it to change the time, service or stylist.
Processing time: booking during a colour - While colour processes, that gap can be booked with a quick service.
The waitlist - When a day is full, clients can join the waitlist and hear when something opens.
Rebooking at checkout (and the price lock) - Book the next visit before they leave, and they keep today's price.

Checking out a client - Charge the card on file, take payment on your device, or send the bill to their phone.
Apple Pay and Google Pay - Clients can pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay anywhere they'd enter a card.
Saving a client's card on file - Saved once, used for one-tap checkout and to hold future appointments.
Tips - Tips are asked once, on the same screen as payment, and go to the stylist.
No-shows and late cancellations - Set a cancellation policy, and a no-show fee can charge the card on file.
Receipts - Every sale sends an itemised receipt by email.

Finding a client - Search by name, phone or email, from the Clients page or when booking.
Stylists: your own clients - Bring your book with you, and download the clients you brought.
Client ratings and Google reviews - Receipts ask how the visit was; happy clients are invited to review you on Google.

What clients receive (emails and texts) - A confirmation, a reminder the day before, a note if anything changes, and a receipt.
Why didn't my client get a reminder? - The usual reasons: no email on file, an appointment brought over from Vagaro, or texts not on yet.
Text messages are optional for clients - Clients choose texts with an unticked box when booking; without it they get email.
Your alerts: hearing about bookings and payments - Choose which bookings, changes and payments you hear about, by email or text.

Connecting your bank (Get paid) - Connect once through Stripe and card payments land in your bank.
Commission stylists and booth renters - Commission sales go to the shop; renters can be paid straight to their own bank.
Switching someone to booth renter - The shop owner makes the switch, in the person's Money tab. Then the renter connects their own bank.
What Hotseat costs - $19 per chair a month, never more than $149 a shop, plus a small share of what Dynamic Pricing earns.
Your code: 2 months free for them, 20% for you - Share your personal code; shops that join get 2 months free and you earn 20% for a year.

How Dynamic Pricing works - Quiet times ease below your price, in-demand times rise a little, inside limits you set.

Signing in with Face ID or fingerprint - Skip the password on your phone or computer.
Forgot your password - Reset it from the sign-in page.
Getting help from a person - Ask Hotseat Helper first; if it can't help, send it to the Hotseat team.

Rescheduling or cancelling your appointment - Use the link in your confirmation email to change or cancel.
Why does the shop ask for a card? - Your card holds your appointment. Nothing is charged until your visit.
Adding your appointment to your calendar - Tap Add to calendar on your booking page, or use the Google Calendar link.