Recipe · For Med Spas & Aesthetics

Turn a first appointment into a loyal client.

The first 90 days decide the next 3 years. This recipe walks new med spa clients through pre-treatment prep, day-of care, post-treatment check-ins, and the critical rebook conversation — so they hit their second treatment before drifting to a competitor.

Install Recipe How it works
5.0 Used by med spas across 30+ cities
Receptionist welcoming new med spa client
J
Jamie
Glow Aesthetics · SMS
Now
Hi Sarah — Jamie from Glow ✨ So excited to see you Thursday. Quick prep: no alcohol tonight, and I'll send after-care instructions right after.
Thanks — anything else I should know?
Just come with a clean face. Everything else we handle. See you at 2!
2nd
appointment is the retention threshold. Clients who rebook stay 4x longer.

The single biggest predictor of med spa retention isn't the first-appointment experience — it's whether the client comes back for a second. Clients who rebook within their treatment window have 4x the 12-month retention of those who don't.

Most med spas rely on the front desk to say 'see you in 8 weeks!' at checkout and hope for the best. This recipe engineers the entire journey from booking confirmation to rebook — with the right touchpoint at each stage.

What this recipe does

Six moving parts across the first 90 days. All automated after setup.

Warm pre-treatment prep

SMS from the provider before the first appointment sets expectations and reduces anxiety.

Day-of and post-care

Detailed after-care sent day-of, plus a personal check-in 48 hours later.

Rebook conversation

Timed personally by treatment cadence — before the client drifts.

Second-treatment alert

If a new client hasn't rebooked by Week 8, the practice manager gets a heads-up.

The recipe

How the new-client onboarding sequence works

Six steps from booking confirmation to second treatment. Every one triggered by client behavior, not a schedule.

  1. 1
    Booking · Day -3

    Warm pre-treatment text

    72 hours before the first appointment, the assigned provider sends a personal SMS with prep instructions and a friendly welcome. Reduces first-visit anxiety.

  2. 2
    Day-of · +1 hour post

    Post-treatment care instructions

    One hour after the treatment ends, an SMS with detailed after-care specific to the treatment (e.g., ‘no exercise for 24 hours after Botox’). Includes the provider’s direct number for questions.

  3. 3
    48h check-in

    How are you feeling?

    48 hours later, a personal check-in SMS: ‘How’s your skin feeling? Any concerns?’ Real relationship-building. Also catches side effects early.

  4. 4
    Rebook · Week 6

    Rebook conversation

    Timed to treatment cadence (6–8 weeks for Botox, 4 weeks for facials), a warm nudge to rebook: ‘ready for the next round?’ Includes 2 available slots. One-tap to book.

  5. 5
    Alert · Week 8

    Second-appointment risk flag

    If a new client hasn’t rebooked by their expected window + 2 weeks, they’re surfaced to the practice manager’s inbox for a personal call. Highest-ROI moment for intervention.

  6. 6
    Milestone · +2 treatments

    Loyalty celebration

    After the second treatment, auto-fires a ‘welcome to the family’ SMS and offers a referral incentive — client is now statistically here to stay.

Why it works

The first 90 days is a relationship — not a series of appointments.

New clients who get warm coordinated touchpoints from their specific provider retain 4x better. Not because of the messages themselves — because of the trust the messages help build. Each touchpoint says 'I actually remember you and care.'

What your new clients actually see

Copy that reads like your aesthetician texting a friend, not a system firing at a lead.

Day -3 · SMS from Provider
Hi {first_name} — Jamie from Glow ✨ So excited to see you Thursday. Quick prep: no alcohol tonight, and come with a clean face. I'll send after-care right after our session.
Sent 72h before first appointment · Warm + practical
48h post · SMS from Provider
Hi {first_name} — how are you feeling? Any tightness or bruising? Totally normal in the first few days but I want to know. And if you love how it's coming in, tell me that too 💕
Real check-in · Catches side effects early
Week 6 · SMS from Provider
Hi {first_name} — most of my clients rebook right around week 6-8. I have Thursday at 3pm or Saturday at 11am if you want to grab one: {slot_1} · {slot_2}
Data-anchored rebook · Menu of times
Expected results

What onboarding lifts look like in the first 90 days

Ranges from med spas running this recipe on new-client cohorts. Your numbers depend on provider responsiveness and second-appointment offer strength.

4x
12-month retention

New clients completing the recipe retain 4x better than clients who received no touchpoints.

68%
Second-appointment rate

Recipe clients rebook within their treatment window at 68% vs ~35% without touchpoints.

$1,200
LTV lift per new client

Average lifetime-value increase from the retention lift, based on typical treatment cadence.

Ranges assume a med spa with dedicated providers per client. Solo-provider practices see higher retention lifts but lower absolute volume.

Everything you'll need

Five inputs. Provider responsiveness is the multiplier — the automation delivers the touchpoints; the provider makes them feel personal.

Get help setting this up
  • New-client signal
    Fires when a first-time client books their first appointment.
  • Provider assignment
    Each new client is auto-assigned to the provider they booked with. Provider owns all touchpoints.
  • Treatment-specific after-care
    Templated after-care instructions per treatment type (Botox, filler, laser, facial).
  • Rebook offer window
    Default: rebook nudge at Week 6 for injectables, Week 4 for facials. Adjustable per treatment.
  • At-risk threshold
    Default: no rebook by Week 8 fires the practice-manager alert.

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This recipe also works for

Same first-90-days engineering, tuned per vertical.

Gyms & Fitness Studios Yoga & Pilates Studios Martial Arts Schools Dance Studios Swim Schools Salons & Barbershops

Frequently asked questions

What med spa owners ask before running this recipe.

What triggers the sequence — signup, booking, or first visit?
By default, first booking triggers the pre-treatment prep text. First check-in triggers the after-care and check-in touchpoints. Configurable per practice.
What if the client's first appointment is a consultation, not a treatment?
The recipe supports variants. Consults get a lighter pre-visit text and a different post-visit flow that focuses on treatment plan follow-through rather than after-care.
How do we handle after-care that varies by treatment?
The recipe uses a treatment-type field on the appointment. Each treatment type has its own after-care template. Common ones (Botox, filler, laser, HydraFacial) come pre-built.
What if a client sees multiple providers over time?
The primary provider is set based on the first treatment. Rebook conversations come from that provider unless the client explicitly rebooks with someone else — then the sequence gracefully rotates.
What's the ideal second-appointment offer?
No discount, just a clear menu of times. Discounting new clients teaches them to expect discounts. The rebook conversation is about cadence, not price.
Does this pair with the win-back recipe?
Perfectly. Onboarding gets clients to their second treatment; win-back catches them if they drift after the third or fourth. Together they cover the two moments where med spa retention is most fragile.
What if we don't have dedicated providers per client?
The recipe still fires touchpoints but from a general 'practice' identity. Retention lifts are usually 50–60% of the provider-branded version. Adding a light provider assignment (even just for onboarding) pays off fast.
See it live

See this recipe running in your med spa.

A 20-minute walkthrough on live data. Bring last month's new-client list — we'll show what the recipe would have surfaced and predict how many would have made their second treatment.

  • No slide deck
  • Live product, your data
  • A retention lift estimate for your new-client cohort

Schedule a Demo

See how Gleantap can help your med spa grow.