Setting Up Your Kiosk: A Step-by-Step Guide for Salon Owners
A self-service kiosk can transform the walk-in experience at your salon. Here is how to set one up in under 15 minutes.
A kiosk takes the pressure off your front desk, gives walk-in customers a clear process, and gives you data on who is coming in and why. Here is how to get yours live.
What You Need
- Any iPad (recommended) or Android tablet — even an older model works well
- A tablet stand or wall mount at counter height
- Your Trimsy account (any plan)
That is it. No special hardware, no app installation. The kiosk runs entirely in the tablet's browser.
Step 1: Find Your Kiosk URL
Log in to your admin panel and go to Settings → Kiosk. Your kiosk URL is shown there — it looks like salon.trimsy.au/kiosk. This URL is always on and requires no login.
Step 2: Open It on Your Tablet
Open your tablet's browser, navigate to the kiosk URL, and add it to the home screen (on iPad: tap Share → Add to Home Screen). This creates a full-screen app icon your customers can tap.
For a true kiosk experience, enable Guided Access on iPad (Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access) to lock the tablet to a single app and prevent customers from browsing elsewhere.
Step 3: Configure What Appears
In Trimsy's kiosk settings you can control:
- Whether service prices are displayed
- Whether customers can choose a specific stylist
- The welcome message
- Whether the estimated wait time is shown
Start with all options visible — you can simplify later based on how customers interact with it.
Step 4: Test the Full Flow
Add a test customer through the kiosk and watch them appear in your queue. Check that the wait time estimate looks reasonable. Make sure the SMS confirmation sends.
Step 5: Position It Well
Place the kiosk where customers naturally stop when they enter — near the reception desk, not hidden in a corner. A small sign saying "Check in here" dramatically increases adoption, especially in the first few weeks.