Pros
I consider MindBody on the computer, and a mobile device two different software experiences. What I enjoy the most about MindBody on the computer, is the ability to resize the window, which allows you to control the amount of information on the screen. What I like most about the MindBody software on a mobile device is the ease of use, and straight to the point UI.
Cons
What I like least about the MindBody software on the computer is the outdated feel and UI. Some menus feel cluttered, while other menus are mostly blank and could contain more information or a drop-down menu and some tabs feel hidden too. A lot of our staff members state that they can not understand the software at first glance and have a difficult time navigating the UI. Simply put, the software should be as easy as, I want to do A, B and C, and should be able to not have to dig through tabs and menus to do it.
Another thing I like least about the software is location management. Our business has two locations using Mindbody, and there is not an easy eay to switch between both accounts, without having to completely log out of the account and log back into the other one.
What I like least about the MindBody software on a mobile device, is the business app, it can sometimes look outdated as well. The schedule tab in day view looks cluttered at first glance. The client tab is mostly blank when it could have a "most recently added" tab, or "clients that checked in today" or "Clients that checked in this week" tab.
Overall. Our experience is a positive one.
We certainly have our frustrations and have been met with dead ends on more than one occasion.
We have been continually researching and discussing with peers the use of other similar products to see if there would be a similar and more cost effective fit for us.
Pros
-visually, it is simple and appealing
-The customer service team is responsive and intelligent and we appreciate the remote controlling of the screen to learn while issues are resolved
-Mostly it has accommodated the needs of our business
Cons
-It is clearly most functional for a class-based business, we would love to see improvements and functionality for appointment based (one that stands out, is being able to schedule through our Google Business listing)
-The fact that you raise your rates and do not grandfather in your current subscribers to stay at the same rate is really sneaky and I do not respect that at all. Just because you add features that we did not ask for or need, does not mean that your happy clients should be forced into higher cost for services they do not want. Some customer loyalty would be nice.
-There are features that we "cannot change" at all that would make our business run more smoothly (how the check out options are arranged, the way that clients are able to book certain times using your software through our website, and using a GC to pay for a service when booking online...to name a few)
-When mind body is down, our business is DOWN, and we have seen first hand how horrible of an impact this can have for us
Hi Amanda-
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. Our recent acquisition of Booker Software was aimed at improving the experience for appointment-based businesses like yours.
In addition, we apologize for the impact that we have on your business when our software has an event, but know that we are actively working on solutions to prevent that from happening in the future.
Own a hair salon? This might be important to you too: I've been using MindBody for nearly 2 years at my salon for its online booking. I have nothing bad to say about how the online booking functions on MY end... meaning that when I log in and manage my appointments, it's pretty easy for me. It's actually REALLY easy for me and I love the way MindBody allows me to manage my appointments. So I do recommend it for this very important reason.
HOWEVER, what I don't love about this service is that, according to my website designers SetMySite (these guys are incredible btw), there's no "customizable embed code"... in business owner terms that means, when the client wants to book their appointment through the website, they click on a link on the website that takes them OUT of your website and ON TO MindBody's website. There are other salon booking applications that allow you to create a custom look and feel to the appointment booking application and "embed" it onto your website, so that your clients can actually book ON your website. MindBody offers no such feature. So why does this ruin the experience so much?
1) It looks unprofessional! We consider ourselves a very high-end salon. Sending our client to another website that doesn't match the same look and feel of our website looks amateur and unpolished. Especially since our website uses dark colors, and MindBody's is all white - it's a very ugly contrast.
2) It's not very user friendly for the client. Originally I wanted a "book now" button under each service offering on my website and I wanted to have that button automatically take the client down the path to book that specific service once they clicked on it (obviously). But I guess that wasn't so obvious for the MindBody peeps as when someone clicks on the "book now" button on my website, it just takes them to a general page where the client has to fish around for the service they JUST TRIED to book on my site and re-add it so they can book! SMH.
3) When the client is taken to the MindBody booking page, they aren't greeted with a list of services to choose from. They are greeted the the need to "sign in" to an account. How could a first time client already have an account? MindBody should know that many many clients that book online are actually first time clients! Why not make it as easy as possible for them to book online? I feel like MindBody makes it as HARD as possible for them to book the service they want through the website itself.
Pros
Excellent admin management. Wonderful for managing appointments and worth the money based on this alone. You pay more as your business grows. I have found the support to be excellent. I'm not sure why so many people here are complaining about the support. Everyone I've talked to has been really knowledgeable and helpful.
Cons
No way to book appointments directly on your own website. This is a pretty big one for me obviously. The booking page for the customer is stark, confusing, and unnecessarily cumbersome. There needs to be a way to make the integration more seamless and pretty. I guess it's just very disappointing because the software and company are otherwise very good. This seems like such a no-brainer and I feel like I'm losing business because of it. This needs to be addressed.
Middling. The only reason we are still with MindBody is because it took a long time to set it up how we want it, and our clients are familiar and understand how to use it.
Pros
It is reasonably fully featured, and you can usually find a work around to achieve what you want or need to do, but it isn't all that intuitive.
A lot of our clients seem to have used MindBody before, so it is familiar to them. Clients like that they can book quickly and easily through a mobile app.
Cons
MindBody has become horrendously over-priced. They increased subscription rates by a huge margin (almost double, in some cases!), and justified it by shoe-horning in a bunch of extra features that we did not want or need, or which were not available to us outside of the US - yet we were still expected to pay for them! Our only option was to downgrade our subscription package to one left us about a quarter of the features we were used to, and removed some very common-sense "features"(such as the ability to mask instructors full names from the client-facing interface - thus leaving our instructors open to potential stalking from people not even signed up to our system) - and yet we still had to pay more for this poorer functionality! The fact that they did not grandfather in current subscribers to stay at the same rate is appalling - we've been using MindBody for six years. Some recognition of customer loyalty would go a long way.
I am investigating other options for our booking software.
Overall, my experience has been great - I actually remember being excited when my current studio, OrangeTheory, switched over to MindBody, because it was something I was familiar with from other studios. So I liked the idea that I wouldn't have to be stressed about learning a whole new platform because it had been so simple when I used it previously. It would be great if more studios would use this app to establish continuity across app usage and make our lives easier.
Pros
I love that this software updates so quickly, is responsive, straightforward, and easy to use. I have used apps for a ballet barre studio and OrangeTheory that have been powered through mind body. My experience has been great - signing up for classes has never been easier, and I love the option to see my history, how many classes I have left in my package (would like a way to see when those expire as I don't always remember billing date), what package options are available, and even instructor photos and names in case I couldn't remember that one instructor whose class I enjoyed. The dashboard is also useful as I feel it displays useful at-a-glance information and helpful tips that have actually changed my approach to the workout.
Cons
I get that it needs to be password protected as you can buy additional classes, but in the past it's been a bit annoying to have to sign into the app - it's not always straightforward what e-mail & password I used. Would be much better with a PIN / 4 digit passcode sign in or Face ID or something. If it takes me too long to sign in, I get annoyed and do something else instead of signing up for that class. I will say, though, that recently, I haven't had to sign in too much, as my account opens when I open my app for OrangeTheory, but sometimes in the past I've gotten logged out and it's a pain to get back in.
Our overall experience has been truly great. The customer service staff are excellent and they almost always have a good answer for us and a way to make business easier for us when we need to call to get help from them. The app is beautiful and the Mindbody team really does an excellent job supporting it's customers and marketing them all (from little guys like us, to huge brands worldwide).
Pros
It is fairly user friendly, and there are a lot of tutorials which are great for helping my staff and I find the answers for questions without needing to call and contact a customer service representative. I like that you can use it for multiple types of appointments/services all in one place, instead of needing different software to support each one.
Cons
Some things are not super user friendly. There seem to be places where there are quite a few "work arounds" that need to happen in order for us to achieve the outcome we are looking for, and that makes it confusing for the client and for our staff. I feel there isn't always just ONE single way to do something, which makes training new staff a bit more difficult. The price is also a little high. With the increase this year it has been an adjustment for our business since we are a pretty low priced fitness studio, but overall it has still been worth the investment for having everything managed in one place.
It's like being provided a Mercedes, but owners should determine if they need that Mercedes when a Ford might do just as well. The Mind Body Certification process that has recently been implemented is SOMEWHAT helpful, but it still comes up short. Now we are "married" to Mind Body and pay the Mercedes price for resources that we do not use. My recommendation to anyone considering this software is to investigate it thoroughly before making the purchase and determine if all of the bells and whistles are needed. The more bells and whistles, the more complicated the setup.
Pros
Mind Body software has a vast amount of capabilities to support a small med spa business. There are many tools.
Cons
Mind Body is NOT user friendly. I believe, because it does so much, it's hard to touch on everything that it can do for the business. There are many tools but the instructions on how to use those tools are difficult to find. Likewise, the screen shots used in the tutorials or instructions are sometimes out of date which also make it difficult. The person who set up this software for our medspa did a poor job; she's gone, and it's left the remaining staff struggling with why things work they way they do. We could pay to have a complete overhaul but that would be an added expense we do not wish to incur.
Having been a loyal customers for 3 years, and having accepted without complaining the numerous price increases, I feel cheated.
Pros
It was a robust software until they decided to cancel all the great features in my package.
Cons
Consistent price increase without additional features or software upgrades. This time, with a two months notice, they announced that if you wanted to keep the same features as before, you had to pay more- which I refused. So I stayed with a monthly package and lost most features which made me choose Mindbody from the first place. The functionalities now are those of a very basic online booking software, and for the price I'm paying, I'd rather look for cheaper alternatives. It took me 3 months to set up the software, what a waist of time.
HI Maika-
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your experience with MINDBODY. We value the years you've spent with us.
In early 2018, we repackaged our software based on the common features that our customers used to ensure that no business was paying for features they didn't use or need.
We do see that you were able to connect with a member of our team to select our Essential package, but if you do need any of the features of our Accelerate package, we do encourage you to consider moving up to that tier.
I don’t know how I would run my business without MBO. It makes my whole operation run more smoothly and takes care of so many details that I simply would not be able to manage. Thank you MBO!!!
Pros
I love all of the value. Added from MBO. On the home page I’m easily able to see how many. New customers have found my business and purchased services through the MBO app. Every month that number is higher than the cost of the software so I’m actually making money by not switching to one of the less expensive services. I also LOVE the MBO support staff and how easy it is to get someone to help with any problems or questions. Every year more services and programs are added that have helped my business grow since I first started 5 years ago.
Cons
When I first started learning how to use MBO five years ago I found it difficult and not intuitive. I believe that the platform has improved since then and, as I said, the support team is very good at helping you to figure things out. That said, there is a learning curve for new employees simply because there are so many features and it can take a while to find your way through to do what you need to do.
My experience with MindBody has been amazing and I can't recommend this company enough! From the sales people who listened to what we wanted to do to the training that can't be matched anywhere else - to the ease of the software use.....I love this software and it's well worth the price because you get SO much more than just a software package.
Pros
I love the flexibility and detail of this software. There isn't anything I can't do - even if it's not directly named as it is in my particular business, there is usually a module or screen that I can use for my purpose. And, I love the reports and the wealth of articles that I can go to if I find something that I need help with! I think what I love most though, is that the company is invested in my business success and they actively look for ways to help and have great suggestions. Not, only that, there are places to interact with other business owners to get even more ideas. And, that training is top notch - personable, caring people who truly want to help and ensure success. Amazing product - Amazing company. Oh - did I mention the branded app! Our customers think we're SO cool because we have this!
Cons
There isn't much I don't like, frankly! I wish the credit card reader worked a little better. It seems to have issues more often that not and makes me hand enter the credit card information - which costs more. I have tried getting another reader but have the same issues with both.
My clients love using Frederick to schedule their appointments with me. It's easy for them to use, and they also like the text reminder feature, especially. They also like to receive reminders to book their appointments again, as not all of my clients can book an appointment at checkout because they're busy and have varying schedules. I also enjoy the feature because there are times when I don't have time to schedule their next appointment because another client is waiting.
Pros
Ease of use and the options with the smart marketing. I can control what things are sent out and turn them on and off at will.
Cons
Sometimes the text reminders don't work. When someone posts a review, they are unable to change it later if they want to, without assistance from customer service.
Hi Lancer,
Thank you for your review. It's great to hear that both you and your clients are loving the Frederick Platform. We look forward to helping you continue to grow your business.
Re: text messages not working, if you are ever experiencing issues with this, please reach out to support: https://support.hirefrederick.com/hc/en-us
Thank you!
Aly
Used this software for 5 years and had excellent results. When our locations downsized it was overkill for us. If you are willing to pay the money it is a lot of product.
Pros
This software is perfect for those who are marketing large quantities of products or services. Very customizable. If you learn all the functions of the product it can be very helpful. Reporting is top notch. You can almost pull any metric that you can think of. Ability to link to bar code scanner. Can link multiple locations together. Can also easily transfer inventory between locations. Very good scheduling functions that are available by person or by resource. Excellent online scheduling features.
Cons
Pretty expensive in the long run especially if you have multiple locations. You have to purchase a separate program for each location. This system can be overwhelming with all the bells and whistles. If you don't set up every product just right with reorder quantities and minimums and maximums, you cannot use several of the features. Definitely requires a very detail-oriented, intelligent person to set this up correctly.
Pros
Streamlines sales of products and services which is a big win for our business. Most reporting features are intuitive and easy to use/apply. The business app tied to the software allows for some functionality when working events or out in the community.
Cons
The price is over the top if you have multiple business locations. You cannot host software features for specific locations that need them - it's all-or-none which forces you to pay extra for things you don't use on smaller locations.
The app has big limitations on what you can see and do in the system so it is cutting off your ability to run your business on-the-go unless you can still access the desktop version.
We'd love to be able to have an automatic rewards system but MBO doesn't allow - you have to track it manually.
We'd also love to post workouts and have a way for clients to sign in and log their info but it's not a supported feature.
Hold times for tech support are LONG but it's the most effective way to get questions answered since the online forum doesn't address most of our specific questions.
Pros
My wife and I used MindBody for her yoga studio for 12 years. For most of that time, it was the go-to software and one of the only options on the market. We learned how to use the software by attending their MBUniversity two times so we were completely committed to learning the software over the years. For the most part, it helped us run the studio much better than our former one and paper method (ha ha) and I loved the reports.
Cons
Once MBO became public, they changed completely. Customer service became awful. The staff seemed irritated and it would take hours to get to speak to someone. There were always weird glitches that we had to create work-arounds for and the mobile version was awful. I also disliked their Mind Body Connection app where students would see all of your competitors when they were signing up for classes. It really made no sense. We switched to WellnessLiving 2.5 years ago and while we had about 6 months of stress, it has been much better, and it much less expensive. MBO is seriously overpriced.
We are in the Automotive business and we have been using Frederick for over a year. Once you get it all set up, it just does it's thing. Someone else said, "set it and forget it" and it is really true. Also, if we want to send out something like a mid-week special at the last minute, it takes me about 5 minutes to get it done. Very easy to use.
More importantly, in the last 6 months, we have had 5 customers return to see us from a Frederick "lost customer" email and the average ticket is $964.40! Not only is the customer spending money, but we also have another opportunity to WOW that customer and keep them coming back.
Pros
You can use the parts of the program that work for you and turn off items that you don't want to use.
The lost customer portion of the program is really working for us.
The reporting section has lots of information.
Cons
Frederick won't allow you to send out an email to everyone at once, like if you had a big announcement that you wanted all your customers to receive at the same time. I do hear that they are working on incorporating this feature into the program.
Hi Jackie,
Wow - thank you for the incredible review! It makes us so happy to hear that Frederick is helping Precision Auto with customer retention and ROI. And yes you are right, regarding sending an email to all clients at one time - this feature will be released very shortly! Stay tuned :)
Thank you,
Aly
Pros
It's a complete software package aimed at the Salon/Health/Fitness industry. It does a lot of unique things that no other software is set up to do. We use MindBody for everything: scheduling, staffing, payroll, credit card processing, creating promo codes, managing our client database, and more. We even have a custom branded app in both the iTunes and Google Play store.
The other amazing thing is that their training and customer support are phenomenal. I've been using them for five years and I have called in numerous times to tech support when I couldn't figure something out. They've always been helpful. They even have a MindBody University that you can attend for even more in depth training, which I am grateful that I attended three years ago.
Cons
It takes a while to set up and learn the terminology. Because it does so much it's not something you can sign up for an implement in one day. I'm five years in and I am still learning how to use it more efficiently to improve my business.
Overall I've had an excellent experience as a gym member with MindBody. It makes the gym more organized and helps me enjoy the classes without being overcrowded!
Pros
Since the gym that I've been going to for about three years was relatively new, at first we did not have any sort of class booking system. This was a bit hectic when there were many people that wanted to join a class and then got there and found out they would have to wait for the next one. Once the gym started using MindBody, the whole organization was way better. I was able to reserve the class I wanted to attend directly from the app off of my phone and knew that I wouldn't be unsure if I had to wait for another class. What I like most about MindBody was the easy to use booking system. I could just find the date and time slot and reserve. Then I would arrive at the gym and confirm my presence off their iPad and done!
Now that the physio clinic opened upstairs, they have also used MindBody and it's been an overall great experience.
Cons
I honestly don't have any negative experience with the software since it's very up to date information and super easy to use.
At the time we began working with MindBody (5 years ago!), we had been managing our student database with Excel. At that time, we had about 350 students. I was running credit cards individually each month - for hours! We now have 550 students and I wake up on the 15th of the month and my work has been done for me!
Pros
MindBody has endless possibilities. Every time we decide to do something new or extract reports, we are pleasantly surprised that MindBody already has that feature built in! The support is phenomenal. The video support is fantastic and I can usually answer my own question without having to get on the phone or wait til morning. We are so pleased with every aspect.
Cons
Took lots of time to learn and customize to our own way of doing business. Most of the time was spent with an extremely patient personal assistant. I am not tech savvy and not young. They took time with me and I never was made to feel inept (something I wish my kids could learn!). They answered endless questions and made absolutely sure that I was well versed.
Over the years there have been frustrations and incredible successes using the software. I sum up by quoting my wife who’s statement was used in a previous Mindbody promotional campaign when the Online Scheduler first went live....
“I go to bed and wake up to money in the bank and clients in the studio....what’s better than that?”
Pros
The versatility of the product is unmatched. When we started with Mindbody 15 years ago we asked “it would be nice if it did..... whatever”. Within short order the ability to accomplish the task, operation, filter, exclusion, inclusion was integrated into the software. Now I call Support and ask “Is it possible to ...... and how is configured?” Almost always the solution is has already been solved. If it hasn’t, the development team seems to make it happen. While not every time, so often it feel as though it is.
Cons
As with most things the increasing cost of the software. Despite this, the value is still so high that we share and refer all the studios we come to work with worldwide.
Pros
A few years ago the MInd & Body software was introduced to our office at the dance studio I helped run. OUr team saw the great benefits of adding an easy to use system that would help eliminate paperwork during the dance registration season. Our team was really receptive to the new technology, as it helped generate lists and streamline communication. The customer service team also helped build a database that was very customized to our dance programs (even though the program has several elements of setup due to complexities).
Cons
Although this system was very useful for us (as we were more experienced using technology), it was very difficult to use by many of our clients (due to lack of technology knowledge or experience). This caused clients creating multiple profiles in attempt to register their children for classes... which ultimately caused my work for us in the back-end. Also, when clients were to register for an incorrect class, they were unable to remove this class on their own. It would have been very helpful was available for clients before they submit their final class list.
I have been looking into Frederick for over a year now & have just recently activated it. We have been thrilled with it's performance so far! Our rep, Robert was great with helping us set up everything up. We have had great response from our clients so far & have recovered many clients who had not been in for a long time. Frederick is easy to use, pleasing to the eye & the reports are great! We love the net promoter part & are getting great reviews from our clients which we are putting up on our website & using in our marketing. The fact that the discount automatically applies & that there is a note on the appointment so you can see it is a Frederick booking really helps our desk staff. If you are looking for a boost to your business or realize that we all have to get in front of people more & more now days, this is the product for you! I highly Frederick, it's great!
Pros
The fact that the system is "smart" is amazing! It's very cool how Frederick learns what people respond to, trys a lesser discount before offering your set max discount and considers clients service history to choose the best offer for them. I also like the fact that not all campagins offer a discount! We have "recovered" many clients just by reminding them that we are here & that they haven't been in for a while.
Cons
There are a few limitations to how much you can customize each campaign. For example we would like to adjust the expiration date for the referral campaign, but that is not available yet. Other than that, we have not found anything we don't like about the system.
Hi Kate,
Thank you so very much for your wonderful review! We love to hear about your success with the Frederick platform and we look forward to much more success in the future. We appreciate your feedback and I will be sure to send your comments to the appropriate team.
Thank you!
Aly
Terrible! Very unhappy with the value of their product.
Pros
I like that it allows you to book appointments as it’s supposed to do!
Cons
What I least like about this software is the price. I first started with them when they were smaller and it was affordable. Now it’s astronomical on how much they charge you to have a mediocre software. It’s very complex. Everything additional is an upcharge and they don’t treat you with importance. Now you are just another number that sends them money. Customer service is awful until you are ready to cancel. Then they want to treat you like a million bucks!
Hi Jay!
Thank you for leaving your feedback about MINDBODY. We are constantly working on improving our software and the experience of using it. We see that you canceled your account with us over a year ago, and since then we've built an integration with Instagram, launched a new online booking engine and acquired technology to bring fitness tracking into the studio.
We'd love to show you what's new, and if you're interested, send us an email at [email protected]
Pros
I appreciate that I have the features I need to run my business - including cc processing, external and internal sign-in, reporting, etc. The software is not always intuitive, but there is support staff that can help resolve issues. I enjoyed the Mindbody Bold conference put on this year as there were good workshops, networking and presentations.
Cons
I don't like the annual price jumps that don't reflect an increase of features or my use. Though some features have been added to my plan, I don't need them and would rather not have to pay for them. My rate increased by 50% this past year - that is way too much of a price jump. I worry every year now as to what the extra increase might be. I would be ok with a reasonable increase - like based on inflation or some formula that makes consistent sense. The random and large jumps seem quite unreasonable and have a lot of people jumping ship or considering it.
Pros
What I Iove most is the ability to use MBO for sales, reporting, and booking. The fact that this all happens within one platform is incredibly helpful. I also love that MBO has continued to improve their offerings each year. I’ve used the platform since 2013 and have loved seeing new and exciting ways to help grow my business.
Cons
1) Some of the graphics on client profiles and reports are a bit dates. The app functionality has an incredible user experience as does all front-facing technology. On the backend, it can feel a bit clunky to move through client profiles and run sales reports. If the forms were a bit elevated and modernized and provided the same UX to businesses as to customers that would be great.
2) Wish list item would be for MBO to have an automated email program directly integrated (like Infusionsoft or another CRM system) rather than having to go to an outside email system.
Overall enjoy the product. The customer service is good. I noticed the software is mainly designed for yoga studios salons Pilates mostly female oriented business is actually. There's not much representation with the martial art community. But it's all good you guys seem to make up for it. I don't agree with the left-leaning politics of the organization. customer support is a joke. I think we could have much more relevant speakers at the Bold conference who actually contributed to the business world.
Pros
I like the fact that I can manage both my acupuncture as well as my martial art business on the platform. The customer service is good. The monthly billing feature is sufficient and adequate although the fees are a little high.
Cons
I need to work on getting my fees reduced I have purchased a swiper so that all membership billing information will be swiped directly into the computer so it won't be key entered so it will reduce my fees. Hopefully I will see you reduce of fees in the future
My overall experience with Mindbody business management has been well. Customer service is really good, each department I speak with is very helpful and informative. However, I would like to see Mindbody have a department or a program that allows businesses to collaborate with the MindBody software team, to help improve the software and help the Mindbody software team understands the types of software tools different business would need.