Treatwell launches AI receptionist for salons across Europe

Treatwell has launched an AI Receptionist for salons, which will be available to its partners across European markets.

The product targets businesses that spend up to four hours a day on administrative work while staff are also serving clients. It handles calls, bookings, cancellations, scheduling and client queries, with subscriptions starting at £69 a month across three pricing tiers.

The launch also coincides with the appointment of Massimo Chieruzzi as Chief AI Officer, a new role overseeing Treatwell's approach to AI integration. The company, which works with more than 75,000 salons, said the service is part of a broader push to bring more automation into day-to-day salon operations.

For salon owners, one of the main problems is missed calls during treatments, which can lead to lost enquiries and unbooked appointments. The AI Receptionist is designed to answer calls at any time, keep searchable transcripts, manage appointment changes directly in a salon's Treatwell calendar and provide records of each conversation.

The system also uses a salon's treatment menu, staff information, opening hours and knowledge base to answer customer questions. If a query needs a person, it can transfer the call or take a message, with alerts sent through WhatsApp and Treatwell Connect.

It also covers some profile administration, including staff biographies, treatment lists and salon information. The tool tracks call volumes, bookings created, conversion rates and time saved on administrative work.

The effect could extend beyond answering phones. Junior salon staff often spend much of their time on routine front-desk tasks, and reducing that workload could free up more time for practical training and skill development.

Treatwell sees a large installed base for the product. Its platform supports more than 2.5 million bookings each month, giving it access to a wide pool of partner salons that already use its booking and calendar software.

AI strategy

Chieruzzi linked the new tool to a broader shift in how small businesses use digital systems. "Alongside the rest of the world, the beauty industry continues to evolve digitally. What we want to achieve is supporting our partners to join this innovation trajectory and further develop their own independent businesses - but this requires thoughtful, practical digital tools that are easily integrated and truly intuitive. We designed the AI Receptionist with this in mind, ensuring it is seamlessly onboarded across partners' businesses and adds real-time value, while staying true to what matters most in this industry: the human craft, care and connection that technology can support, but never replace," said Massimo Chieruzzi, Chief AI Officer, Treatwell.

The creation of a Chief AI Officer role suggests Treatwell wants formal oversight of how automation is built into products used by small service businesses. In this case, it is introducing AI into a sector where customer interactions are closely tied to personal service, repeat bookings and local reputation.

The beauty and wellness market has been digitising for years through online marketplaces, calendars and reviews, but many independent operators still rely on small teams to handle phones, diary changes and walk-in questions while carrying out treatments. That has made reception and scheduling one of the clearest targets for automation.

Salon feedback

Treatwell included feedback from one partner salon already using the system. "The best part of being a salon owner is working with my clients and helping them feel their most beautiful. I love getting creative and fully immersing myself in each treatment. But when I'm focused on a client, it's not always possible for me or my team to answer every incoming call, which can mean missed enquiries and potential bookings. The Treatwell AI Receptionist has helped with this. It gives me confidence that calls are still being answered even when my team and I are busy with clients. After spending some time training the tool and uploading the relevant information, it has significantly reduced the pressure of managing calls and admin, while helping us capture enquiries that we may otherwise have missed," said Huynh.

The product is now available across Treatwell's European markets. Direct responses to clients on WhatsApp are planned as the next step for the receptionist service.