Consultation-Led Booking for Customers

Consultation-led booking is for appointments where the venue needs to understand your goal before deciding the right service, timing, professional, or price. You describe what you want; the venue reviews the details and recommends what to book.

TL;DR

• You do not need an OpenChair account.
• Your request can include your goal, relevant history, broad availability, professional preference, and private photos.
• The venue may ask a question before sending a recommendation.
• A proposal contains one plan and up to two temporarily protected appointment options.
• A proposal is not a booking until you confirm and complete any required deposit or card step.
• Estimated proposals show a binding maximum for the proposed plan.

Send a consultation request

Open the venue's booking page and choose the result or consultation experience that fits what you want. A direct-booking service may still take you straight to available times.

For a consultation path:

1. Describe the result you want.
2. Add relevant current-state, history, risk, deadline, and availability details requested by the venue.
3. Choose a preferred reply channel and, if offered, a preferred professional or Anyone suitable.
4. Add any requested photos. Labelled Current and Inspiration photos help the venue understand their purpose.
5. Review the private-use notice and send the request.

Your progress is saved as you move through the request. After submission, the confirmation shows the venue's expected response time and your secure return path.

Privacy and photos

Consultation photos are private and are not portfolio permission. Consent to use a photo for this consultation is separate from keeping it on your client record or publishing it in a public portfolio.

Submitting matching contact details does not expose an existing client history. Your secure request link is scoped to this consultation and does not grant access to a wider customer record.

Questions and replies

The venue may ask for more information, recommend a consultation or patch test, prepare an appointment proposal, or explain that it cannot safely offer the requested work.

Keep replies in the same request conversation so the venue retains the original brief and any later clarification. Team-only notes are never included in the customer conversation.

Review an appointment proposal

A proposal shows:

• the recommended service plan;
• the professional or split-provider plan;
• location and duration;
• a fixed price or estimated range and explanation;
• the amount due now or exact card-protected amount, if applicable;
• relevant policies and expiry time; and
• up to two complete appointment options.

The proposed options are temporarily protected from other bookings. Selecting an option is reversible; the final button states the commitment, such as Confirm appointment, Pay and confirm, or Save card and confirm.

Deposits, card protection, and confirmation

If a deposit is required, it is credited toward the appointment total. If card protection is required, no payment is taken at confirmation; the page shows the exact amount that may be charged under the accepted policy.

OpenChair shows confirmation only after the booking exists. If payment succeeds while the final response is delayed, the page enters a recovery state and does not ask you to create a second payment or booking.

Estimated prices

An estimated proposal shows a minimum, maximum, and reason for the variation. The maximum covers the mandatory services, provider pricing, included allowances, tax, and required fees in the accepted plan.

The venue cannot raise that maximum or materially change the plan, time, duration, location, or disclosed provider without sending an amendment for your approval. Separately accepted retail, tips, and additions you request later remain itemised outside the original plan maximum.

Expired or changed proposals

• Expired: The protected times are released. Use Ask for new times or reply to the venue.
• Superseded: An older link takes you to the latest safe proposal revision.
• Withdrawn: The proposal can no longer be accepted; return to the conversation for the next step.
• These times don't work: The venue is notified and can prepare different options.

Changes after confirmation

Consultation-origin bookings use a request-led change process when the technical service, provider plan, location, duration, time, or accepted maximum needs to change.

The venue may send an amendment comparing Accepted and Proposed terms. Your original appointment stays in place unless you accept the amendment. If the amendment expires or fails, the original booking remains unchanged.

If the venue cannot honour the accepted terms, you can cancel without penalty and receive a full refund of the consultation deposit.

Troubleshooting

Issue	What to do
The secure link says the proposal expired	Return to the conversation and ask for new times.
Payment is processing	Leave the page open or return through the same secure link. Do not start another payment.
The proposed times do not work	Choose These times don't work or reply in the request conversation.
A photo will not upload	Reconnect, confirm the file type and size shown by the upload control, then retry. Saved text and completed steps remain available.
You need a different service after confirming	Contact the venue through the request or booking link so it can prepare a protected amendment.

Related Articles

• Booking an Appointment Online
• Manage Your Booking
• Booking Deposits and Card Protection