Customers & Automation
Managing Customers
Last updated 19 May 2026
Managing Customers
Your client list is the heart of OpenChair. Every person who books, online or in person, is added automatically, and you can create records manually for walk-ins or existing clients. From the client list you can search, filter, segment, and open any profile to view visit history, health insights, treatment details, and contact actions.
Where to find it. Web: Sidebar → Clients. Mobile: Clients tab in the bottom navigation bar.
TL;DR
- Clients are added automatically when someone books online; use the Add Client button for walk-ins.
- Segments (New, Regular, VIP) are assigned automatically based on visit count and lifetime spend.
- The Overdue and Due Soon cadence filters require a PRO plan and Owner or Manager role.
- Duplicate detection warns you when a new email or phone matches an existing client record.
Cross-platform unification (May 2026)
The clients list now uses the same data model and primary actions on web and mobile. Highlights:
- Virtualised table (web) and virtualised FlatList (mobile) handle 10,000+ client lists smoothly.
- Must-know strip at the top of each client row surfaces the highest-priority info (cadence, health, patch test status, treatment note) without expanding the row.
- Pattern labels — automatic indicators like Loyal, At risk, New, Lapsed derived from booking cadence.
- Cadence and health filter chips above the list (see also Segments and retention).
- Treatment photo timeline lives on the customer detail and dedicated client detail page — see Treatment Photos.
The dedicated client detail page (/clients/[customerId]) replaces the in-list sheet for navigation-heavy workflows.
The client list
When you open Clients you see three summary cards at the top:
| Card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Total Clients | Everyone on file for your venue |
| New Clients | First-time or recent clients (fewer than 3 visits) |
| Returning Rate | Percentage of clients who have rebooked (2 + visits) |
Below the cards is the client table (web) or card list (mobile).
Columns and fields
On desktop the table shows:
| Column | Sortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Yes (by name) | Customer name |
| Contact | No | Email and phone; italic "No contact info" if neither is set |
| Last Visit | Yes | Date in d MMM yyyy format, or "-" if never visited |
| Visits | Yes | Total completed bookings |
| Total Spend | Yes | Lifetime spend, or "-" if zero |
| Status | No | Badge , New, Regular, or VIP |
Click any column header to sort. Click again to reverse direction. The default sort is Last Visit descending (most recent first).
On mobile each card shows the client name, status badge, relative last-visit date (e.g. "3 days ago"), and visit count.
Search
The search bar at the top filters the list in real time as you type. It matches across name, email, and phone (case-insensitive).
- Web placeholder: "Search clients…"
- Mobile placeholder: "Search clients…"
- Results appear after a short debounce (300 ms).
Segments
Segment chips sit below the search bar. Each chip shows a count so you can see the size of each group at a glance.
| Segment | Icon | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| All | Users | Every client on file |
| New | UserPlus | Fewer than 3 visits and not flagged VIP |
| Regular | Star | 3 to 9 visits, under $500 lifetime spend, not VIP |
| VIP | Crown | Manually flagged VIP, or 10 + visits, or $500 + lifetime spend |
Tap a chip to filter the list to that segment. Tap it again (or tap All) to clear.
Note
"Returning" appears in the metrics card (2 + visits) but is not a separate chip. The Regular chip covers the overlapping group.
How status is assigned
Status is calculated automatically, you do not set it manually (except the VIP flag). The thresholds are:
| Status | Rule |
|---|---|
| New | Fewer than 3 completed visits |
| Regular | 3 to 9 visits, under $500 total spend, not VIP |
| VIP | Any of: manual VIP flag · 10 + visits · $500 + lifetime spend |
Contact filters
Two additional chips let you narrow by contact data:
| Filter | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Has email | Clients with an email address on file |
| Has phone | Clients with a phone number on file |
These are useful when preparing campaigns or checking SMS/email reachability.
Sort options
Click a sortable column header on web, or tap the sort chip on mobile to open the sort sheet.
| Sort option | Default direction |
|---|---|
| Last Visit | Descending (most recent first), this is the default |
| Visits | Descending (highest first) |
| Spend | Descending (highest first) |
| Name | Ascending (A → Z) |
Tap the direction indicator to toggle between ascending and descending.
Attention summary
Requires: Owner or manager role. Cadence items (Overdue, Due soon) require PRO.
An expandable banner appears above the search bar when clients need follow-up. Tap the banner to expand it and see counts for:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Overdue | Clients past their expected rebooking window (3 + visits required for cadence tracking) |
| Due soon | Clients approaching their rebooking window |
| Birthdays this week | Clients with a birthday in the next 7 days (must have email or phone) |
| New clients to follow up | First-visit clients from the last 72 hours (must have email or phone) |
Tap any item to filter the list to that group.
Cadence filters (PRO)
Requires: Owner or manager role + PRO plan.
Two additional filter chips appear after the contact filters:
| Chip | Icon | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Overdue | AlertTriangle | Clients past their expected rebooking cadence |
| Due Soon | Clock | Clients approaching their rebooking window |
When a cadence chip is active the standard segment and contact chips are hidden, and the list switches to the retention view (see Retention view below).
Bulk selection and actions
Tick the checkbox on any client row to enter selection mode. A sticky selection bar appears at the top of the list with a count and action buttons.
Selecting
Two modes:
- Select all on this page — selects every visible client (50 by default)
- Select all N matching this filter — selects every client across all pages that match your current filters
Selection state is held in memory; navigating away clears it.
Available actions
| Action | What it does | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Archive / Restore | Move clients to / from the archived view | All plans |
| Export CSV | Download a CSV of selected clients with full profile fields | All plans |
| Tag… | Apply a tag to all selected clients (open a tag picker) | PRO |
| Compose | Open Bulk Compose — one-shot SMS/email to up to 500 clients | PRO |
| Save as audience | Create a Saved Audience for reuse in campaigns | PRO |
| Add to campaign | Attach selection to an existing draft or scheduled campaign | PRO |
PRO-gated actions show a Lock icon when on FREE. Clicking opens the upgrade prompt.
Telemetry
Bulk actions fire PostHog events (clients.bulk.action, clients.bulk.gated_attempt) so you can track adoption and which gated actions FREE venues try most.
Mobile parity
Mobile has the same selection bar via a bottom sheet (BulkActionSheet) with the same actions — Bulk Compose, Save as Audience, Bulk Tag all work on phone.
Adding a new client
Clients are added automatically when someone books online. Use this flow for walk-ins or clients you want to add ahead of time.
- Web: Click Add Client (+ icon) in the top-right corner or via the floating action button. Mobile (tablet): Tap New in the search bar area.
- Fill in the form:
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Yes | Minimum 2 characters |
| One of email or phone is required | Used for confirmations, receipts, and campaigns | |
| Phone | One of email or phone is required | Used for SMS reminders and notifications |
| Postcode | No | Suburb auto-fills after entry |
| Birthday | No | Enables birthday automation and insights |
| Notes | No | Internal notes visible to your team |
- Click Create Client.
Duplicate detection
If the email or phone you enter matches an existing client, a warning appears showing the matched client's name and how they matched (email or phone). You can tap Use existing to open that client's profile instead of creating a duplicate.
Customer detail view
Tap any client to open their profile. The detail view has three tabs:
| Tab | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Overview | Contact info, contact actions, client health insights, suggested actions |
| Details | Client card (skin, hair, allergies, formula, medical notes), patch tests, forms, owner notes |
| History | Contact history (outreach timeline), booking history |
On tablet and iPad the profile opens in a side panel (master-detail layout). On phone it opens as a full screen.
Overview tab
Contact information
Editable inline fields for Email, Phone, Birthday, and Postcode. Tap the pencil icon to edit, then confirm with the tick or cancel with the cross.
- Postcode auto-looks up the suburb name for AU, NZ, and UK postcodes.
- Birthday uses a date picker (iOS spinner, Android modal).
Contact actions
If the client has a phone number or email on file, quick-action buttons appear:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Call | Opens the phone dialler |
| Text | Opens a new SMS message |
| Opens the default email client |
Card on file
If the client has a saved payment card, a badge shows the card brand and last four digits (e.g. "Visa ····4242").
Client health (insights)
Client health tiles appear once a client has enough visit history:
| Visits | What you see |
|---|---|
| 0 | "New client. Visit patterns and preferences will appear here after their first appointment." |
| 1 to 2 | "Getting to know this client. A couple more visits and we'll show visit patterns, preferences, and habits here." |
| 3 + | Summary tiles and (on PRO) AI-powered insight tiles |
Summary tiles (FREE and PRO)
| Tile | Example |
|---|---|
| Total Visits | "45 completed" |
| Total Spend | "$1,245" |
| Average Order | "$27.67 per visit" |
AI insight tiles (PRO only)
| Tile | Example | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| AI Narrative | Italic paragraph | GPT-generated summary of the client's relationship with your venue |
| Visit Cadence | "Every 4 weeks" | Average interval between visits; shows "Overdue by…" or "Due back in…" |
| Preferred Day | "Monday, 45% of visits" | Most common booking day |
| Preferred Time | "Morning (~9 am)" | Most common time slot |
| Favourite Service | "Hair Colour, 12 of 15 visits" | Most frequently booked service |
| Preferred Staff | "Sarah, 8 visits" | Most frequently requested team member |
| Reliability | "Very Reliable. Based on 15 bookings" | Completion rate across all bookings |
Suggested actions (PRO)
Below client health, personalised follow-up cards appear when the system detects an opportunity. Each card shows a title, description, and send buttons:
| Suggestion type | Example title |
|---|---|
| Overdue | "Client overdue for visit" |
| Birthday | "Happy birthday from us!" |
| New client follow-up | "Great to meet you!" |
| VIP milestone | "A little thank-you" |
| Cadence slowing | "We miss you!" |
For each suggestion you can tap Send SMS or Send Email to generate an AI-drafted message, review it, and send. If an automation is already handling that follow-up (e.g. reconnect automation is enabled), the card notes "Automation is already handling this follow-up."
On the FREE plan, suggestion buttons show "Unlock with PRO" instead.
Style preview
A Preview button (sparkles icon) in the profile header opens the AI Style Preview for the client. This is a visual tool, see your help centre for details.
Details tab
Client card
The client card stores treatment-specific information for beauty, hair, and wellness businesses.
| Field | Type | Example values |
|---|---|---|
| Skin Type | Dropdown | Normal · Dry · Oily · Combination · Sensitive |
| Hair Texture | Dropdown | Fine · Medium · Coarse · Curly · Straight · Wavy |
| Hair Condition | Dropdown | Colour-treated · Chemically-processed · Virgin |
| Allergies | Multi-select + free text | Common suggestions: Sulphate, PPD, Ammonia, Nioxin, Hydrogen peroxide, Fragrances. You can type any custom allergy and press Enter to add it. |
| Colour Formula | Text (monospace) | "6NB 1:1.5 20vol" (max 500 characters) |
| Medical Notes | Text area | "Disclosed conditions relevant to treatment…" (max 2 000 characters). Shown in an amber box labelled "Visible to authorised staff only". |
To edit, tap Edit client card (pencil icon on mobile, or the edit button on web). When finished, tap Save Card. If you navigate away with unsaved changes, a confirmation asks "Discard unsaved changes?" with options to Keep editing or Discard.
Any team member with venue access can update the client card, it is not restricted to owners.
Patch tests
Track allergy and sensitivity tests required before certain treatments.
Each test record shows:
- Test title
- Date tested and staff member
- Status badge: Passed (green) · Pending (outline) · Failed (red) · Expired (orange, shown when a passed test has exceeded its expiry window)
Tap + Add to record a new patch test. Tap an existing test to view or update it.
Forms
If the client has completed consultation or consent forms, they appear here with:
- Form name
- Signed date (or "Pending")
- Risk flagged badge (if any risk items were identified)
Tap Send Form to email or text a form link to the client. This button is disabled if the client has no contact details on file.
Owner notes
Free-text notes added when the client was created or edited. Labelled "Managed by owner", these are visible to the team but only editable by the owner or manager.
History tab
Contact history
A unified timeline of all outreach sent to this client, combining:
- Reconnect campaigns (automated re-engagement messages)
- Marketing campaigns (bulk email/SMS campaigns)
Each entry shows the channel (email or SMS), a label, relative time (e.g. "2 days ago"), and a status badge:
| Status | Colour |
|---|---|
| Delivered · Clicked · Booked · Opened | Green |
| Failed · Opted out · Bounced · Unsubscribed | Red |
If the client has active conversations from reconnect messages, a link appears: "View conversations in Inbox →".
Booking history
A chronological list of all past and upcoming appointments. Each entry shows:
- Service name
- Staff member ("with Sarah")
- Status badge: Confirmed · Completed · Cancelled · No show
- Date and time
- Price
- Notes (if any were added to the booking)
On tablet the booking history displays in a two-column card grid.
Retention view (PRO)
Requires: Owner or manager role + PRO plan.
When you activate a cadence filter (Overdue or Due Soon), the list switches to the retention view. This shows clients grouped by rebooking status:
| Tab | Who it includes |
|---|---|
| Overdue | Clients past their expected rebooking cadence |
| Due Soon | Clients approaching their expected rebooking window |
| On Track | Clients who are within their normal visit cadence |
A stats row at the top shows:
- Repeat rate: percentage of clients who rebook
- Average cycle: typical days between visits
- LTV: average lifetime value
If your venue has two or more staff members, a staff filter dropdown lets you view retention by individual team member.
Retention tracking requires at least 3 completed visits per client. Clients with fewer visits do not appear in the retention view.
Editing a client
Tap a client to open their profile, then:
- Web: Edit inline fields on the Overview tab, or use the client card edit mode on the Details tab.
- Mobile: Tap "Edit all contact details" at the bottom of the Details tab to open the full edit screen.
The edit screen has fields for Name (required), Phone, Email, Birthday, and Notes. At least one of phone or email must remain filled.
Recent clients
A horizontal scroll of recently viewed client avatars appears below the search bar when no filters are active. This gives you quick access to clients you have been working with. Up to 10 recent clients are shown.
Kiosk / shared-device mode
When the venue is in locked kiosk mode, the customer detail view is restricted:
- Only the Overview tab is visible
- The Details and History tabs are hidden
- Inline editing is disabled
- A message explains: "Shared-device mode shows a reduced client summary. Unlock for notes, forms, and full visit history."
Unlock the device to access the full profile.
Platform differences
| Feature | Web | Mobile (phone) | Mobile (tablet / iPad) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client list layout | Table with sortable columns | Card list | Master-detail (list + side panel) |
| Add client button | Top-right corner / FAB | Via sort sheet | New button in search bar |
| Customer detail | Side panel | Full screen | Side panel |
| Client health tiles | Grid | 2-column flex grid | 2-column flex grid |
| Retention view | Inline in list | Replaces list with back bar | Replaces list with back bar |
| Booking history layout | Single column | Single column | Two-column card grid |
| Hover effects | Yes | No | Yes |
| Keyboard shortcut | - | Cmd+F to focus search (iPad) | Cmd+F to focus search |
FAQ
What is the VIP status threshold?
A client reaches VIP status automatically when any of these are true: they are manually flagged VIP by an owner or manager, they have 10 or more completed visits, or their lifetime spend reaches $500 or more. VIP takes priority over other segments.
How do I add a client manually?
On web, click Add Client (+ icon) in the top-right corner of the Clients page. Fill in the name plus at least one contact method (email or phone), then click Create Client. Clients added online via booking are created automatically, use the manual flow for walk-ins only.
Who can view the cadence-based retention view?
The Overdue and Due Soon cadence filters, and the retention view they activate, require an Owner or Manager role plus a PRO plan. Team members on the FREE plan see segment chips only (New / Regular / VIP).
How does the client search work?
The search bar filters the client list in real time, matching across name, email, and phone (case-insensitive). Results appear after a short 300 ms debounce. On mobile, the same search bar is available at the top of the Clients tab.