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A practical guide to setting up a 24/7 booking system for your shop

Round-the-clock booking, set up in an afternoon. Here is exactly how subba turns your shop into a business that books itself, day and night.

7 min read

What "24/7 booking" really means

A true round-the-clock booking system does two jobs at once. It lets customers book themselves in online whenever they want, and it answers the ones who still call or message instead. subba does both: a booking page and widget for self-service, and an AI receptionist that catches every other enquiry and books it too.

Step 1: add your services and prices

In the subba dashboard, open Settings, Booking and add each service with its length and price. These feed everything: the booking page, the confirmation emails, and the answers the AI gives when someone asks "how much for a skin fade?". Get them right once and subba quotes them correctly everywhere.

Step 2: set your hours and your lanes

Add your opening hours and your bookable "lanes" (chairs, rooms, staff, tables). Two barbers means two lanes, so two appointments run at once without double booking. subba only ever offers slots that are genuinely free.

Step 3: connect Stripe for deposits

Under Settings, Payments, connect your own Stripe account. Now subba can take a deposit or the full amount at the point of booking, paid straight to you. This is the single biggest lever on no-shows, and the money is yours the same day.

Step 4: put booking on your site

Copy the one-line embed from the Booking settings and paste it into your website, or add the [subba_booking] block if you use WordPress. No rebuild, no developer. If you do not have a website, subba can build you a booking site and register your domain on the Managed plan, usually live in about five working days.

Step 5: turn on the after-hours answer

This is what makes it 24/7. subba answers web chat and forms out of the box, and with the AI phone add-on it answers your calls too, quoting prices and booking appointments at 2am the same way it would at 2pm. Reminders then go out automatically before each appointment to keep your slots filled.

Frequently asked

Do I need a website to use subba booking?

No. You can share your subba booking link directly, embed it on an existing site, or have subba build you a booking website and domain on the Managed plan.

How long does setup take?

Most shops are taking bookings the same afternoon: add services, hours and Stripe, then paste the embed. Managed website builds are usually live in about five working days.

See subba answer and book for you.

Answers every enquiry in seconds, books straight into your diary, takes the payment. In your voice, day and night.