In this guide you will learn about Timely’s in-house consultation application, which enables you to deliver an important part of your client experience with ease. More than client consultations, Consult’s customisable forms will help you streamline your business, protect your brand, and create an exceptional client experience.
Consult is an easy to use app, on your iPad/iPhone, that’s completely free of charge! Download Consult here, or follow the instructions in our help guide: How to download the Timely Consult app.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Using Consult on Your Devices
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What devices can I use the Consult form on?
Currently, the Consult form can only be used on an iPad or iPhone using the iOS app, it also requires you to ensure your device is running on iOS 11 or above.
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The app is frozen, and I can’t find the consultation I was working on?
So long as you have not uninstalled Consult, all consultations will be saved. You can find unfinished consultations by visiting “in progress consultations” in the app.
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Can I sign in using my biometrics?
You sure can!
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Where is the consultation saved?
The consultations will be saved within the app for as long as you have the app installed. If you uninstall the app then you will lose all consultations. We recommend sharing your consultation forms to the relevant client details screen in Timely.
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Can clients fill in Consult Forms in person on Android or PC?
Not at the moment. In-person form completion is only available via the Consult app on iOS devices (iPhone & iPad).
Creating, Editing & Managing Consult Forms
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Can I add or remove questions?
Absolutely! You can add, edit, and remove questions to suit your business needs.
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Is it possible to use our own Consult Forms, rather than Timely’s templates?
Not yet. A feature to upload your own forms is planned, but for now, you can create templates directly in Timely via Setup > Library.
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How do I set it up so Consult Form fields update the client's saved details?
When creating your form, add the relevant fields under the Client Details section. Any updates made by the client will then sync to their profile.
Sending, Sharing & Printing Consult Forms
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Can I print my Consult form on my printer?
Yes! It’s important to note, that there is no direct print option as Consult is designed to be paperless; however you can use a browser extension such as ‘Full page screen capture’ in Google chrome to save the form as a PDF, and print from there.
Timely note:
Currently the only forms you can download are ones that have been filled out using the Consult iOS app not the webpage. Any forms that a customer has completed on their own device are unable to be downloaded, only viewed.
Why is this?
When a form is completed online, it is stored in your specific account / Timely's database, this cannot be downloaded. However, downloads are possible when done via the Consult iOS app, as a PDF is created - and is then uploaded to your account.
What can I do as a workaround?
You can use an extension for Google Chrome such as "Full page screen capture" which enables you to capture what is shown in your web browser and download it as a PDF (which allows you to print via your printer). You can find a link to install this extension for Google Chrome here.
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Can I send a form to a client before their booking to pre-fill?
Yes, Timely customers can send consultations to their clients to be performed at home. Completed consultations can be viewed in the client's documents section. Please note, consultations that are sent to clients do sync contact details back to Timely.
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How do I resend a Consult Form?
Head to the client’s profile and select Documents > find the form > click Resend.
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How do I manually send a Consult Form?
Head to the client’s profile and select Documents > Send Consultation and select the template you would like to send.
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Does sending Consult Forms come out of my monthly SMS plan allowance?
Yes. Each Consult Form link sent via SMS counts towards your SMS allowance.
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Can I send Consult Forms to clients with the same contact information?
Currently, no. Forms sent to profiles sharing the same phone number may not deliver correctly due to mismatching issues. You can try sending manually via Customer Profile > Document > Send Consultation, but if that fails, the form will need to be completed in person.
Working With New & Returning Clients
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What happens if a returning client has another consultation?
We recommend you perform a consultation at every visit. For returning clients, you can search their name, and select to start a new consult. There is no limit to the number of consultation forms saved or uploaded into Timely.
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Why are my Consult Forms being sent to new clients twice?
Timely defines “new” clients as those who have had one completed appointment, and no future bookings. If you’d like to stop clients from receiving the same form twice, manually update their Customer Type to “Returning” in their profile.
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Can I automatically send Consult Forms to clients who are new to a service but not new to my salon?
This is not currently supported. Automation rules can only target new clients or specific service categories, not first-time service clients who are otherwise existing customers.
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How do I only send Consult Forms to clients that are new to the business?
This can be done in Consult Automations (available on the Innovate package) by selecting the “New Clients Only” option.
How Automated Consults Work
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If my client has already returned a Consult Form, will they still get another link in their reminder?
No. If they complete and return the form before the reminder is sent, the link will not be included in the reminder. If they haven’t completed it by then, the reminder will include the link.
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Why has my client not received their automated Consult Form yet? Possible reasons include:
- The appointment was booked after SMS reminders were sent.
- SMS sending time restrictions (messages only sent during approved hours).
- An optional sending delay (up to 10 minutes) was applied.