Online Booking

What's the difference between processing time and buffer time in salon software?

Processing time is when the client stays but the team member is free to work on someone else (e.g., colour development). Buffer time is setup or cleanup time before and after appointments that blocks the team member and is invisible to clients.

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Processing time explained

Processing time is a bookable gap during a service where the client is still present but the team member can step away.

Think of colour development: after applying the colour, the client sits for 30 minutes whilst the colour processes. During that time, the stylist is free to do a quick blowdry, a fringe trim, or any short service for another client. The chair and basin are still occupied by the colour client, but the stylist's time is freed up.

Client stays in the chair — the resource (chair/room) remains blocked
Team member is free — they can take other bookings during this window
Visible to clients during online booking as part of the service duration
Common for: colour services, chemical treatments, masks, drying time

Buffer time explained

Buffer time is blocked time before or after an appointment for setup, cleanup, or transition.

A 10-minute buffer after a facial gives the therapist time to clean the room, sanitise equipment, and prepare for the next client. A 5-minute buffer before an appointment lets the team member review client notes and set up their station.

Team member is blocked — they cannot take other bookings during buffers
Resource is blocked — the room or chair is unavailable
Invisible to clients — buffers don't appear during online booking
Common for: room turnover in day spas, sanitisation between clients, equipment setup

Side-by-side comparison

	Processing Time	Buffer Time
Client present?	Yes — client stays	No — between clients
Team member available?	Yes — free for other bookings	No — blocked
Resource (room/chair)?	Blocked	Blocked
Visible to clients?	Yes — part of service duration	No — invisible during booking
Example	Colour development (30 min)	Room cleanup (10 min)

Setting defaults at the location level

Rather than configuring processing time and buffer time on every individual service, set defaults at the location level. All services at that location inherit the defaults automatically. Then override only where needed — a colour service might need 30 minutes of processing time instead of the default 0, whilst a facial might need 15 minutes of buffer after instead of the default 5.

Location-level defaults save significant setup time, especially when adding new services. The default values flow through automatically, so new services are correctly configured from the start.