Phorest’s average global Net Promoter Score (NPS) climbed from 47 in 2023 to a peak of 69 in May 2026 – a world-class result for B2B software. The gain came from a deliberate, company-wide client experience programme, not a single fix. Here’s exactly what changed.
Key Takeaways:
- NPS rose from 47 (2023) to a peak of 69 (May 2026).
- Median first reply time fell 81% year on year, to 21 minutes.
- Phorest recorded 99.999% uptime in 2025 – its best in 22 years.
- Customer satisfaction (SgH) average 96.91% in 2026, peaking at 98% in April.
What is Phorest?
Phorest is a salon, spa, clinic, and barbershop management software founded by CEO Ronan Perceval in Dublin, in 2004. A Deloitte Fast 50 company, it serves more than 12,000 premium hair, beauty, and aesthetic businesses across Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, DACH, Finland, and the UAE.
How did Phorest raise its NPS to 69?
The turnaround was anchored by the “Happy Salon” strategic pillar: a company-wide commitment to improve every touchpoint for salon owners, their teams, and their guests. Rather than one initiative, it was a structural approach embedded across product development, onboarding, support, and client engagement.
How fast is Phorest’s customer support?
In February 2026, Phorest introduced Live Chat to give clients a quicker, more convenient route to its team. Measured against the same dates in 2025, the impact was clear:
- First reply time (median): 21 minutes, down from 116 – an 81% improvement.
- Full resolution time (median): 1 hour, down from 2.3 hours – a 57% improvement.
- Calls answered: 70.1%, up from 64.1%.
A dedicated premium support tier now routes enquiries from premium clients straight to qualified specialists for a more tailored experience.
What does Serbhís Go Hiontach mean?
Serbhís Go Hiontach (SgH) is Irish for “wonderful service” and is Phorest’s own term for its customer satisfaction (CSAT) score, captured after every support query. Scores rose 2.87% year-on-year across the UK and Ireland, and 2.8% globally, averaging 96.91% from January to May 2026 and reaching 98% globally in April. SgH is so central to the culture that candidates are assessed against it during hiring.
How reliable is the Phorest platform?
Uptime is the foundation of trust for any software provider, and in 2025, Phorest recorded 99.999% uptime – the best in its 22-year history. It also completed the largest successful migration in salon software history, moving 12,000 clients to Phorest 10 without a single major disruption, at a time when competitors lost between 5,000 and 7,000 clients attempting the same.
How does Phorest build products with clients?
Phorest builds with clients, not just for them. Product teams run discovery conversations before a line of code is written, share interactive prototypes early, and gather structured feedback through research communities – including a Slack focus group with its Product Advisory Council.
“Phorest is the first system I’ve used that’s actively evolving to meet the real-world needs of our industry. It’s incredibly rewarding to work with a team that doesn’t just hear you – but actually builds with you.” –Tiffani Mitchell, EVRI Aesthetics
What AI tools has Phorest launched?
At the January 2026 Phorest Summit, the company launched three AI products designed to amplify people, not replace them:
- CheatSheet AI – Summarises a guest’s full history in seconds; over 3,000 were generated within 12 hours of launch.
- Reporting AI – A conversational agent giving owners instant access to their performance data.
- FrontDesk AI – Handles inbound booking queries at an 89% completion rate, freeing front-of-house staff to focus on guests.
How does Phorest support salon, spa, and clinic staff?
Phorest also builds for the people behind the chair. Its Vaults savings tools helped distribute over €63m in tips and save more than €9m, while Staff Goals drove a 700% rise in goals created. Businesses using Staff Goals saw 220% higher retail sales and 79% staff retention, versus 46% for non-users.
What’s next for Phorest?
In 2026, Phorest is rolling out Bedrock, an overhaul of onboarding and internal operations to create a single client view across every customer-facing team. This reflects a belief that exceptional service at scale needs equally excellent internal foundations.
For Phorest, customer service isn’t a department – it’s a philosophy reflected in every line of code, every support chat, and every “Magic Moment”; Phorest’s initiative for sending surprise gifts to clients, from babygrows to a hand-painted portrait of their salon, celebrating milestones or offering support through tougher days. An NPS of 69 and 99.999% uptime are the proof.
Frequently asked questions about Phorest
What is a good NPS score?
Any score about 50 is considered excellent, and above 70 world-class. Phorest’s peak of 69 sits firmly in the top tier for B2B software.
How many clients does Phorest have?
Phorest serves more than 12,000 salon, spa, clinic, and barbershop businesses worldwide.
Where is Phorest based?
Phorest is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and was founded in 2004.
