An older survey shows that online booking adoption was low. It does not establish a current national paper-diary percentage.
What the source actually says
An NHBF article about online booking for barbershops cites a 2017 survey by Mojo and The Bluebeards Revenge. It reported that 8% of surveyed barbershops offered online booking.
That is a useful historical finding, but it has limits:
- it is from 2017
- it measures whether online booking was offered
- it does not say every other shop used a paper diary
- shops may instead have relied on walk-ins, phone calls or a mix
- it should not be presented as a current 60% paper-diary statistic
The pandemic and later product changes may also have altered behaviour. Without a newer directly comparable UK survey, we should not publish a replacement national percentage.
Why paper still works for some shops
A paper diary is immediate. It does not need a login, connection or setup. A solo barber with a small number of advance appointments may find that enough.
Walk-in-led shops have another reason. If most customers arrive without booking, an appointment system is only one part of the day. Software must sit beside walk-ins rather than pretend they do not exist.
Cost matters too. A price that rises with staff, add-ons or qualifying marketplace bookings needs comparing with the practical value the shop receives. The right comparison uses the current plan and the shop's own booking sources, not an estimated national average.
Where paper has limits
Paper cannot send a reminder, release an appointment online or produce a customer export. It also makes it harder to compare cancellation, no-show and rebooking patterns over time.
That does not prove a guaranteed revenue gain from software. It shows which tasks remain manual. An owner can decide whether those tasks are frequent enough to justify changing the setup.
Questions to ask before moving online
Can customers book directly?
Test the Booking Page on a phone. Check that customers can choose a service, staff member and time without downloading an app.
How are walk-ins handled?
Setora lets a staff member record a walk-in in kiosk mode. It does not provide customer self-check-in or a customer-facing queue.
What do reminders cost?
With Setora, email reminders are included. Optional SMS reminders use separately purchased credits. Other providers use different packages, so check current terms.
What can you export?
Check the exact fields and format, not just the word "export". Setora provides a customer CSV and CSV exports for available reports.
What is the full price?
Setora is £39/month per location, before VAT where applicable. SMS credits and card processing are separate when used. When comparing another provider, use its current plan, team size, tax basis and any qualifying marketplace charges.
A gradual change is still a change
A shop does not need to stop taking walk-ins or phone calls on day one. It can share an online link, keep existing routes open and see what customers use.
Track what changes: how many customers book online, how many cancellations arrive early enough to refill and how much staff time is spent answering booking calls. Those shop-level numbers are more useful than an unsupported claim that every barber should work the same way.
Where Setora fits
Setora provides one Booking Page per location, staff schedules, staff-operated walk-in entry, included email reminders, optional SMS credits and customer CSV export. It does not put Booking Page visitors into a consumer marketplace.
If those tools fit how your shop runs, start a 14-day free trial. No card is required.
Source: NHBF, Go digital: online booking for barbershops, citing a 2017 Mojo and The Bluebeards Revenge survey. The 8% figure is historical online-booking adoption, not a paper-diary percentage.
Common questions
- How many UK barbershops offered online booking in the cited survey?
- An NHBF article reported that 8% of barbershops in a 2017 Mojo and Bluebeards Revenge survey offered online booking. The remaining shops were not all paper-diary users; the article also discusses walk-ins and phone bookings.
- Why do some barbershops keep a paper diary?
- Paper can feel familiar, quick and adequate for a small appointment book. Other shops mainly use walk-ins or phone calls. The right approach depends on how the shop runs.
- What should I look for in barbershop booking software?
- Check the full price, reminder costs, booking source, customer export fields, staff permissions and how walk-ins are recorded. Test the real customer journey before changing public links.
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