Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about SMEE
What is SMEE?
SMEE is an appointment booking and business management platform designed specifically for small service businesses like barbershops, nail salons, spas, and beauty studios. It helps you manage appointments, staff, customers, and payments all in one place.
How do I create an account?
You can sign up for free at withsmees.com. Simply click 'Get Started', enter your email and password (or sign up with Google), verify your email, and complete your business profile with your business name, address, and contact information.
Is there a free plan?
Yes! SMEE offers a free plan forever. The free plan includes up to 3 staff members, 1 location, online booking, calendar management, customer database, multi-language support (6 languages), and basic reports.
What information do I need to register?
To get started, you'll need your email address, business name, and business address. Your EIN (tax ID) is optional during registration but is required if you want to set up SMS notifications later.
What's included in the Free plan?
The Free plan includes: up to 3 staff members, 1 location, online booking page, calendar management, customer database, multi-language support (6 languages), basic reports, and API access for embedding the booking widget.
What's included in the Plus plan?
The Plus plan ($29/month or $24/month billed annually) includes everything in Free plus: unlimited staff members, up to 3 locations, SMS notifications and reminders, email reminders, advanced reports and analytics, and priority support.
Is there a free trial?
Yes! All paid plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start your trial.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time. There are no long-term contracts. Your subscription will remain active until the end of your current billing period.
Are there annual discounts?
Yes! When you pay annually, you save approximately 18% compared to monthly billing. The Plus plan is $24/month when billed yearly instead of $29/month.
How do customers book appointments?
Customers can book appointments through your online booking page. You'll receive a unique booking link that you can share on your website, social media, or directly with customers. Customers select their service, staff member, and preferred time slot.
Can I embed the booking widget on my website?
Yes! You can embed the booking widget on any website with a single line of code. Go to Settings > Developer to get your embed code. The widget automatically matches your business branding.
Can customers cancel their appointments online?
Yes, if you enable online cancellations in Settings > Booking. You can set a minimum notice time (e.g., 24 hours before) after which customers cannot cancel online.
How do I prevent double bookings?
SMEE automatically checks for scheduling conflicts. If you try to book an appointment that overlaps with an existing one, you'll receive a warning. You can choose to proceed anyway if needed (e.g., for walk-ins).
Can I book multiple services in one appointment?
Yes! When creating or editing a booking, use the 'Book Next' button to add additional services to the same appointment. The total duration and price will be calculated automatically.
What languages does the booking page support?
The booking page supports 6 languages: English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. Customers can switch languages on the booking page, and the entire interface will be translated.
How many staff members can I add?
On the Free plan, you can have up to 3 staff members who accept bookings. On the Plus plan, you can add unlimited staff members.
What are the different staff roles?
SMEE has three roles: Owner (full access to everything), Manager (configurable permissions set by owner), and Staff (can view calendar, manage their own bookings, and message customers).
Can staff members manage their own schedules?
Staff members can view their calendar and see their appointments. Managers can edit schedules based on the permissions set by the owner. Staff can also request time off through the system.
How do I track staff commissions?
You can set commission rates for each staff member in their profile under Staff settings. SMEE will automatically calculate commissions based on completed bookings, which is useful for 1099 reporting.
Can staff work at multiple locations?
Yes! When editing a staff member's profile, you can assign them to multiple locations. They will only appear in the booking widget for locations they're assigned to.
How do SMS notifications work?
SMS notifications are automated text messages sent to customers for appointment reminders, booking confirmations, reschedules, cancellations, and no-shows. Messages are sent through Twilio and require a Plus plan.
Do I need a Plus plan for SMS?
Yes, SMS notifications require a Plus or higher plan. Email notifications are available on all plans, including Free.
What types of notifications can I send?
You can send: appointment reminders (before appointments), booking confirmations (when booked), reschedule notifications (when changed), cancellation notices (when cancelled), and no-show alerts (when marked as no-show).
Can I customize when reminders are sent?
Yes! In Settings > Phone, you can customize reminder timing. Options include 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours before, or you can set a custom time.
What is A2P 10DLC compliance?
A2P 10DLC is a US carrier requirement for businesses sending SMS messages. SMEE handles the registration process automatically when you set up your phone number. This ensures your messages are delivered reliably.
Can I use my own Twilio account?
Yes! In Settings > Phone, you can enter your own Twilio Account SID, Auth Token, and phone number. This option is available if you prefer to manage your own Twilio account and billing.
What payment methods are supported?
SMEE supports card payments (through Square or Stripe integration) and cash payments. You can record both types in the system for complete transaction tracking.
How do I accept credit card payments?
Connect your Square or Stripe account in Settings to accept card payments. Once connected, you can process card payments directly through SMEE when completing appointments.
Can I record cash payments?
Yes! When completing an appointment, you can select 'Cash' as the payment method and record the amount. This helps you track all revenue, regardless of payment type.
How do tips work?
Tips are tracked separately from service payments. When recording a payment, you can enter the tip amount, and it will be associated with the staff member who provided the service. Tips appear in reports and staff earnings.
How many locations can I manage?
The Free plan includes 1 location. The Plus plan supports up to 3 locations. Premium plans support up to 7 locations. For 8+ locations, please contact us about Enterprise pricing.
Can I have different business hours per location?
Yes! Each location has its own business hours settings. Go to Settings > Business and select the location from the dropdown to configure hours for that specific location.
Do I need to set up SMS separately for each location?
Yes, phone numbers and SMS settings are configured per location. This allows you to have different phone numbers for different locations. Go to Settings > Phone and select each location to configure.
Can I import data from Square?
Yes! SMEE offers Square import functionality. You can import your locations, services, staff members, customers, and booking history from Square. Go to Settings > Import to get started.
What integrations are available?
Currently, SMEE integrates with Square (for data import and payments), Twilio (for SMS), and Stripe (for payments). Google Reserve integration is coming soon, which will allow customers to book directly from Google Search and Maps.
Do you have an API?
Yes! SMEE provides a full API for integrating with your website or other applications. API documentation is available at /docs. You can get your API key in Settings > Developer.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Settings > Profile and scroll to the bottom to find 'Delete Account'. You'll need to type 'DELETE' to confirm. Warning: This action is permanent and cannot be undone. All your business data, bookings, customers, and settings will be permanently deleted.
Can I export my data?
For data export requests, please contact our support team at admin@withsmees.com. We can provide you with an export of your business data.
Is my data secure?
Yes, your data is hosted on secure cloud infrastructure with encrypted connections. We follow industry best practices for data security and never share your business or customer data with third parties.
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