We recently hosted a live webinar all about Pabau 2, where clients had the opportunity to get a first look at Pabau 2 and ask any questions. We had SO many questions we ended up staying on for an hour and a half to answer them all.
With that in mind, we’ve collated the highlights from the Q&A in this handy blog. Read on to hear about what you can expect from Pabau 2, which features you’ll be hyped about right now, and what’s coming soon.
The hosts of the live Q&A were:
- Pabau CEO & Founder, William Brandham
- Pabau Marketing Manager, Oliver Sherrington
Watch the webinar in full below or read on for our recap…
- Why have you created Pabau 2 from scratch?
- Is there going to be a new online booking platform?
- Do you need beta testers for Pabau 2?
- When will Pabau 2 be launched?
- Will data from Pabau Classic be migrated onto Pabau 2?
- Will there be an Android App for Pabau 2?
- Can Klarna be integrated with Pabau 2?
- Is Pabau 2 going to be focused on medi-aesthetics business?
- Can external reviews be linked to Pabau 2?
- Have there been any changes to reporting in Pabau?
- Can you trial Pabau 2 and go back to Pabau Classic? Will Pabau Classic be phased out long-term?
- What’s the pricing plan for Pabau 2? Will there be a price increase?
- Will there be improvements to the Stock features?
- Are you planning to launch in the US?
- Will injection plotting be available with Pabau 2?
- Are there any improvements to the newsletter section?
Why have you created Pabau 2 from scratch?
Pabau 1 was built over 10 years. We know that a lot of our clients have grown to love Pabau 1, and some of you may even be thinking, why are we even rebuilding it? Primarily, it’s about user experience.
A product with a better user experience can make a significant difference in terms of patient satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately business success. If we can build a product that looks visually a lot better, it’s a win-win for everyone all around.
That is the main goal with Pabau 2 – to build something that looks a lot cleaner and is easier to use. Pabau Classic often requires some hand-holding and training [but] I think the way that software is going these days is people almost have an expectation that you can jump on something, have a trial, and get cracking.
Is there going to be a new online booking platform?
Everything is being rebuilt from the ground up. For online bookings, there’s going to be some features in Pabau 2 that Pabau Classic doesn’t offer.
The first change that we have in Pabau 2 is the ability to cross-sell items. It’s not all about what services can people book. You can sell packages, gift vouchers, and people can put money on their account as part of the booking process.
It’s important to stick with the times, and that was a core principle we held when designing the Online Booking platform for Pabau 2.
Changes to the client portal
Each service has a description available, and you can display your reviews related to it, which can be filtered based on most read, best, etc.
If you’re a multi-location clinic, people can look up the clinic closest to them.
One thing I really like is when you’re seeing the list of availability, you can organise the bookings based on morning, afternoon and evening availability.
Upsell and cross-sell clients as they book
One thing we really want to do is to stick with the times.
If you imagine if you have clients going in and booking a laser treatment or a hydra facial treatment and they’re booking a single treatment. The bill is going to pop up and say, hold on a minute, you’re booking a hydra facial, that’s £50.
Did you know if you were to book six larger facials, that’s actually going to give you this discount? So they can go ahead and book that appointment but also be upsold or cross-sold a package at the same time.
Card details aren’t needed
When you’re ordering your takeaway from Deliveroo, you don’t have to put your card details in every time. That’s something you do have to do on Pabau Classic, put your details on each time. With the way the market is moving, people expect to put their card details in once, and have them available on the next checkout.
If you want to see what online bookings look like in Pabau 2, feel free to check out our Pabau Academy video about it.
Do you need beta testers for Pabau 2?
Pabau 2 is currently in its alpha phase, which will be followed by beta, before finally going live. In the alpha stage, we’ve handpicked clients for the initial testing. If you’d like to participate in the beta phase, you can register on our webpage.
One of our colleagues will be in touch to arrange a pre-screen if you’re suitable for a beta tester. The criteria is oriented around the features that are currently available in Pabau 2.
When will Pabau 2 be launched?
There isn’t a set date, but the transition to Pabau 2 is intended to be gradual. Pabau 2 isn’t going to have all features available from the get-go.
For example, Pabau 2 isn’t going to have the Xero integration from day one, so users that rely closely on it might prefer to delay moving over to Pabau 2.
At the same time, users will have to weigh in what’s not available yet against the newest features that aren’t in Pabau Classic, and base their individual decision around what suits them best.
Will data from Pabau Classic be migrated onto Pabau 2?
Whilst we’ve rebuilt the entire frontend, and we’ve done a lot of work on the backend, the database itself is going to remain the same. There is no data import, everything that is in Pabau Classic will be in Pabau 2.
There is an exception list, and we’ll be identifying what the user will need to set anew. Permissions are a great example – they’re completely different, so they’ll have to be set from scratch.
Will there be an Android App for Pabau 2?
A lot of work was done on the web platform of Pabau 2 so that’s it’s responsive on mobile devices – Pabau 2 will work on any mobile device, and tablet.
Development of both an Android and a new iOS app was started alongside Pabau 2 from day one, but it was put on pause. The app is [more unusual] because it’s intended to be used by a patient, so the risk is higher when things go wrong.
It is in our plans long term, but for now, we’ve decided to stay focused Pabau 2. In the meanwhile, the current application is fully compatible with Pabau 2.
Can Klarna be integrated with Pabau 2?
It’s on our radar.
The Stripe integration will be available from day one. You’ll be able to perform your card terminal payments, actual card payments, and online payments.
We’ll be introducing handheld terminals with Pabau 2, which will be interconnected. Klarna is definitely on our list, but in the meanwhile, Stripe offers checkout by Klarna, so on the short-term, this is the option that we’re exploring.
Is Pabau 2 going to be focused on medi-aesthetics business?
We’ve put a lot of time and resources into sidestepping into the medical sector. A dedicated team has been building features for medical clinics.
A good example of this is the dashboard present on the client card. Giving you a customisable view of the most relevant client data is a step in that direction – each industry can cater to it to the client data that is important to them.
We’re also working on integrations for e-pharmacies – to be able to send the prescription from Pabau 2 to the pharmacy in a safe way that is compliant with the pharmacy so that they can then deliver the drugs to the clinic or patient.
"Something exciting that’s being worked on is the Pabau Network - an optional network intended to give users the ability to refer clients from one clinic to another."
If you want to learn more about the client dashboard in Pabau 2, check out our Pabau Academy video covering the client card.
Can external reviews be linked to Pabau 2?
One big change in Pabau 2 is that not only can you use the Pabau reviews, you’ll be able to integrate with Facebook, Google, Trustpilot and Doctify.
Pabau 2 will help you manage all your reviews from one place. Each review will cite its source, and you’ll also be able to respond to reviews directly from Pabau.
Check out our Pabau Academy video on reviews.
Have there been any changes to reporting in Pabau?
We still have a lot of the same reports that you had in Pabau Classic, such as the Daily Sales and Daily Reconciliation reports. These are the favourite reports that most clinics tend to use. But we’ve also made some changes to reporting.
Custom reporting
We’re expecting clients to go ahead and create their own custom reports. In Pabau 2, you choose what you want to build a report on. Pabau will give you some suggestions, but an advanced user can start from scratch.
We’ve made the building process more visual, and adding a field makes it filterable. A lot more fields are available compared to Pabau Classic.
New fields added
We’ve added a frequently requested feature – a “have they completed their medical history” or “when was the last time a client completed their medical history” field. If you know a client hasn’t completed their medical history, you may interact with them differently when they come into the clinic.
Pie charts to visualise data
In Pabau 2, you have the option to visualise your data – as a pie chart, donuts, and other graph options coming soon.
Segmenting options
There are segmenting options for how you want to view your data.
You can get really creative with reporting in Pabau 2. We’ve put a lot of work into them, and it’s going to be a huge feature comparison compared to Pabau Classic.
Check out the Reporting segment of the Pabau Academy.
Can you trial Pabau 2 and go back to Pabau Classic? Will Pabau Classic be phased out long-term?
Initially, we see the transition as a one-way street, and it will probably remain the same throughout. Before you make the transition, it’s important to ensure that you’re ready, and that your business is ready for it.
We have no plans to phase out Pabau Classic – they’re separate products built by the same company.
What’s the pricing plan for Pabau 2? Will there be a price increase?
It’s something that hasn’t been discussed yet – we’re first keen on getting feedback from the alpha and beta phases.
What we have discussed is bringing out optional add-ons. Pabau 2 will likely do a lot if not all that Pabau Classic does in most aspects. If there’s anything that’s more of an advanced feature, it may be sold as an add-on. However, for now, our drive is on building something amazing.
Will there be improvements to the Stock features?
Quite a lot. One of the big changes in Pabau 2 we have planned is related to inventory counts. The way we see this working in Pabau 2 is through an app or barcode scanner. Instead of relying on a list and typing in, you’d be scanning the products. If a product doesn’t exist in the database, you’ll be able to create it on the spot. Stock taking is a lot easier.
One of the really cool things we’re doing about ordering is, ordering is not just about ordering from your suppliers. We have plans with Pabau 2, to build a product store. In Pabau 2 you’ll be able to show retail products online as well. You’ll have your purchase orders and client orders. We’ll talk more about this soon.
When creating an order, you can build from scratch or use the “Suggest for me” feature. Pabau will use an AI to work out which products you’re low on, which ones you tend to stock high or low.
It’s a lot easier than it was on Pabau Classic.
We have a Pabau Academy videos that cover Creating A Product & Adding Suppliers and Creating & Receiving Orders.
Are you planning to launch in the US?
A big drive with Pabau 2 was the desire to make it a global product, so that’s something we’re planning around.
We have a lot of clients in the US, it’s just not as well as supported as we have it in the UK. That’s something we’re changing very, very soon. We plan to offer more support to the US and globally.
We are definitely eager to do more in the US this year.
Will injection plotting be available with Pabau 2?
The Pabau Classic app will work with Pabau 2. So the short answer is yes, injection plotting will work on Pabau 2.
It is something that we’ve planned for the desktop version of Pabau 2, but will not be available from day one.
Are there any improvements to the newsletter section?
The first change is, you can filter your newsletters by status, and they have an indicator for how many people have opened it and how many have clicked. Clicking on a newsletter will open the report, which will give you in-depth stats about your newsletter.
When creating a newsletter, there are some base templates, and our goal is to add lots of more templates rather than having to build from scratch, with some seasonal ones as well.
The one thing we have in Pabau 2 that we didn’t have in Pabau Classic is the ability to code your own as well.
In Pabau 2 there is a feature called special links. It will create a link directing the client to a particular area within Pabau, such as Reviews link.
When it comes to selecting the audience, on Pabau Classic you had to run a report and generate the list that way. In Pabau 2, you can select All Clients and then only those that opted in. Or if you want to go a step above, you can apply a filter based on labels.
One of the other big changes we’ve made is, not only can you instantly send a campaign, you can now schedule a campaign. It was a heavily requested feature.
Check out our Pabau Academy video on Newsletters to have an in-depth look.
