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Built for hair salons and barbers

Meet the AI hire for your shop

You’re behind the chair. Prentice handles the phone.

Answers clients at any hour. Fills cancelled chairs. Books your regulars back in.

Talk to Prenticestart free
Prentice
Prentice Your AI hire
call
hours24/7
languagesEnglish, Spanish, French, Portuguese
notesAnswers your calls. Books your jobs. Free until you decide to hire.

By texting or calling Prentice, or giving Prentice your number, you agree to receive calls and texts from Prentice, an AI assistant, and to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Msg and data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

You're messaging an AI. Privacy Policy

Demo: A client cancels her cut at the last minute. See how I fill the spot without your input.

Working with Prentice is like working with a person.

Prentice can be reached by phone, text or email.

Prentice talks with everyone your business works with: customers, your team, even suppliers.

You’re Tasha, and you run Maple Street Hair.

You’re with clients all afternoon.

Jill’s babysitter cancelled, and she has to miss her cut today.

Nicole wants a spot sooner. You told Prentice to give her any open spot.

  1. Jill: So sorry, my sitter cancelled. I can’t make it today!
  2. Prentice: No worries, Jill. Want to come Wednesday at 3:30 PM instead?
  3. Jill: Yes please.
  4. Prentice: Done. See you Wednesday.
  5. Prentice: Hi Nicole, a spot just opened up today at 3:30 PM. Want it?
  6. Nicole: Yes! Perfect timing.
  7. Prentice: Great, you’re booked.
  8. Prentice: Jill’s sitter cancelled, so she moved to Wednesday. Nicole took her spot today.

Prentice filled the open spot without needing your input.

Demo: A stylist calls in sick at 6 AM. See how I move her clients before you’re up.

You’re Tasha, and you run Maple Street Hair.

It’s 6:10 AM, and you’re asleep until 7:30 AM.

Bianca is one of your stylists, with six clients today.

Kim is her first client, at 9 AM.

You told Prentice to move a sick stylist’s clients to another day without asking you.

  1. Bianca: So sorry, I’m sick and can’t come in today.
  2. Prentice: Feel better, Bianca. I’ll take care of your clients.
  3. Prentice: Hi Kim, Bianca is out sick today and has to move your cut. Can she see you Wednesday at 10 AM instead?
  4. Kim: Yes, that’s fine.
  5. Prentice: You’re set for Wednesday at 10 AM.
  6. Prentice: Before you were up: Bianca is out sick, and all six of her clients are moved.

Prentice moved a sick stylist’s whole day before you were up.

Demo: Everyone wants their hair done before the holidays. See how I book your regulars before you’re full.

You’re Tasha, and you run Maple Street Hair.

It’s early November. You did holiday color for twelve clients last year, and they’ll want it again.

Rachel is one of those clients.

  1. You: Text everyone I did holiday color for last year. Offer it again for $140.
  2. Prentice: Hi Rachel, I’m Prentice, the AI assistant at Maple Street Hair. Tasha did your holiday color last November. Want it again before the rush? It’s $140, and she has Friday at 11 AM or Saturday at 2 PM.
  3. Rachel: Yes! My roots are already showing. Friday at 11 AM.
  4. Prentice: Booked: your color is Friday at 11 AM. I’ll send a reminder the day before.
  5. Prentice: 9 of the 12 clients I texted have booked holiday color. That’s $1,260.

Prentice booked $1,260 of holiday color before the rush.

Made for hair salons and barbers

Prentice learns your clients, your schedule and your policies, then works in your words.

  • Regular clients

    Every client’s next visit kept on the calendar, with reminders if they want them.

  • Late cancels

    Moved to another day, with the open spot offered to someone who wants it.

  • Sick days

    A sick stylist’s clients moved to another day by your rule. Who covers stays your call.

  • The holiday rush

    Past clients texted once on your say-so, before the chairs fill up.

  • New clients

    Answered at any hour and booked into your open times.

  • In their language

    Clients texted in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

Chairs you didn’t have to fill

A cancel filled, a sick day moved, regulars booked. Prentice keeps your chairs full.

Example texts from Prentice on an owner’s phone
  • PrenticenowHoliday color: 9 of 12 clients booked. $1,260
  • Prentice1h agoNicole took Jill’s open spot. $65
  • Prentice2h agoBianca is out sick, and her 6 clients are moved. $390
  • Prentice3h agoA new client booked a cut and color. $140

Prentice will earn your trust

My word to you

  1. I’ll tell every client I’m an AI.
  2. I’ll double-check my work.
  3. I’ll ask you when I’m not sure.
  4. I’ll work within the boundaries you set.
Prentice Your AI hire

We know trusting an AI with your clients is a big ask.

So Prentice never works alone. Prentice asks you when unsure, and calls on us for backup.

The Prentice team

A client’s whole year, handled

From the first text to the next visit, Prentice keeps working.

See how I look after a new client

  • I answer a new client’s textMonday, 9:40pm
  • Most help stops hereI keep going
  • I book a first appointmentRight then
  • I send a reminderThe night before
  • I move it if they can’t make itWhen they text
  • I give the open spot to someone waitingRight away
  • I move their visit if your stylist is outBefore you’re up
  • I text your regulars, on your say-soBefore the rush
  • I follow up on a late payment, by your ruleA week after it’s due

I will keep to your policies, and start a text to your regulars only on your say-so.

Prentice Your AI hire

Prentice goes in your contacts

Just save the number, and you and your clients can start talking to Prentice.

Call Text Email

  • You
  • Your team
  • Your clients

Your suppliers can text or email Prentice too.

Prentice speaks

  • English
  • Español
  • Français
  • Português

Prentice

Your AI hire

hours
Any hour

Getting started

Your part is small. Prentice does the rest.

  1. Can you answer a few questions about your business?

    Then Prentice can learn it. Prentice writes the job description and shows you a demo for no cost.

  2. Can you share your calendar, services and policies?

    Then Prentice can run your schedule. Appointments, cancels and reminders, by your rules.

  3. When Prentice has earned your trust

    Then Prentice can talk to your clients. Give clients your Prentice number, or ask Prentice to text them.

Then you get your evenings back.

Get closer to your clients

With Prentice, your clients will be able to:

  • Ask the small questions they’d hesitate to bother you with

    “How long does color take?”

  • Get an answer at any hour, by call, text or email

    “Sorry it’s late, do you have anything tomorrow?”

  • Talk with you in their own language

    “¿Tienen espacio para un corte mañana?”

  • Book an appointment on the spot

    “Saturday at 10 works.”

  • Move an appointment without phone tag

    “Can we do Friday instead?”

  • Hear your prices up front

    “How much is a fade?”

When you’re easy to reach, clients keep coming back.

Dan, co-founder of Prentice Jonathan, co-founder of Prentice

Meet the people behind Prentice

We’re small business owners ourselves. We know what it’s like to lose evenings to admin work, and to wish for someone dependable to hand it to. So we built Prentice on three principles.

Honesty.
A straight “I’m not sure” beats a confident guess.
Integrity.
Treat every client the way you would.
Reliability.
Show up, every time. For 15 years our team has built software thousands of people count on every day.

And when Prentice needs backup, we answer.

Dan & Jonathan

Costs less than a person

Prentice does your admin, so compare the cost with hiring help, not with a booking app.

Hiring a Person Prentice Solo Prentice Team Prentice Crew
Works with Anyone Just you 2-3 people 4-6 people
Counts you and everyone on your team who works with Prentice. Customers never count.
Monthly cost $500 5 hours a week at $25 an hour $99 $199 $399

50% off the first month while Prentice learns your business

Messages included As many as they can handle in 5 hours a week 200 500 1,200
A message is any text or email, sent or received. Each minute of a call counts as one.
Communication methods Phone, text, email, in person Phone, text, email
Customers As many as they can keep up with No limit
Availability 5 hours a week Any hour, every day
Overtime $25 an hour $25 for every extra 50 messages
Offseason You negotiate fewer hours with them $39 a month when in Standby modePrentice stays active and will respond to customers. Max 50 messages per month.
Payroll and taxes Your responsibility None
Commitment You hire them, and give notice to let them go NoneCancel anytime.
Talk to Prenticestart free

More than 6 people? Register, and Prentice will help you set up a plan.

Works with

Anyone

SoloJust you

Team2-3 people

Crew4-6 people

Counts you and everyone on your team who works with Prentice. Customers never count.

Monthly cost

$500 5 hours a week at $25 an hour

Solo$99

Team$199

Crew$399

50% off the first month while Prentice learns your business

Messages included

As many as they can handle in 5 hours a week

Solo200

Team500

Crew1,200

A message is any text or email, sent or received. Each minute of a call counts as one.

Communication methods

Phone, text, email, in person

Phone, text, email

Customers

As many as they can keep up with

No limit

Availability

5 hours a week

Any hour, every day

Overtime

$25 an hour

$25 for every extra 50 messages

Offseason

You negotiate fewer hours with them

$39 a month when in Standby modePrentice stays active and will respond to customers. Max 50 messages per month.

Payroll and taxes

Your responsibility

None

Commitment

You hire them, and give notice to let them go

NoneCancel anytime.

Talk to Prenticestart free

More than 6 people? Register, and Prentice will help you set up a plan.

Questions salons and barbers ask

Will clients know they’re texting an AI?

Yes. On the first text, every client hears that Prentice is your AI assistant. Prentice never pretends to be you.

What happens when a client cancels at the last minute?

Prentice offers to move the appointment, then offers the open spot to whoever you said should get it. You keep working.

What happens when a stylist calls in sick?

Prentice moves that stylist’s clients to another day by your rule and tells each one. Who covers is always your call.

Does Prentice work for a barbershop?

Yes. Prentice learns your barbers, your services and your hours, the same as a salon’s. If you take walk-ins, tell Prentice, and Prentice will tell anyone who asks.

Will Prentice text my clients early or late?

Prentice answers whenever a client texts, even at 5 AM. If you’d rather Prentice never starts a text before 7 or after 9, say so once and Prentice keeps to it.

Do I need a new phone number?

You keep yours. Your business gets a Prentice number of its own. Give that number to clients, or forward your calls to Prentice while you’re with a client.

More answers on the FAQ.

Let Prentice show you

Chat or call. Prentice will ask about your services, your prices and your hours.

Talk to Prenticestart free