Using Customer Badges

8 minutes

Tutorial 3.5: Using Customer Badges

Introduction

Customer badges are visual indicators that help staff identify important customer traits at a glance. Badges appear on customer profiles and help personalise the service experience by highlighting things like VIP status, preferences, and behavioural patterns.

Who this is for: Owner, Admin, Manager, Staff, Receptionist What you'll learn:

Understand the available built-in badges
Toggle badges on and off for customers
View badges on customer profiles
Configure badge settings (Owners/Admins)
Create custom badges for your salon

Time to complete: 8 minutes

Prerequisites

Logged in with at least Staff permissions
Complete Tutorial 3.1 (Adding and Managing Customer Profiles)
Owners/Admins should complete this to configure salon badge settings

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Understanding Built-in Badges

Luminate includes these built-in customer badges:

Badge	Colour	When to Use
VIP	Amber	High-value customers deserving special treatment
Prefers Silence	Blue	Customer prefers quiet during appointments
Often Late	Red	Customer has a pattern of arriving late
Often Early	Green	Customer tends to arrive early
Frequent Visitor	Indigo	Regular customer who visits often
New Customer	Teal	Recently added to your salon

Each badge can be enabled or disabled by salon Owners/Admins.

Step 2: View Badges on a Customer Profile

Navigate to Customers in the sidebar
Click on a customer to open their profile
Click the Details tab
Find the Badges section

The Badges section displays all available badges for your salon. Selected badges appear coloured with a checkmark; unselected badges appear grey.

Step 3: Toggle Badges On and Off

To add or remove a badge:

Open the customer profile
Go to the Details tab
In the Badges section, click any badge to toggle it

How it works:

Click an unselected (grey) badge to apply it
Click a selected (coloured) badge to remove it
Changes save automatically - no save button needed

Note: A customer can have up to 10 badges at a time.

Step 4: Strategic Badge Usage

VIP Badge:

Apply to your top customers (top 10-20% by spending)
Staff should provide premium service: drinks, extra time, personalised attention
Define clear criteria: "VIP = £500+ annual spend OR 20+ visits"

Prefers Silence Badge:

Apply when a customer explicitly requests quiet service
Staff should minimise chat and focus on the service
Still provide excellent service, just with less conversation

Often Late / Often Early:

Apply when you notice a pattern (3+ occurrences)
Helps receptionists prepare appropriately
For late customers: call 15 minutes before appointment
For early customers: prepare station sooner

Frequent Visitor:

Apply to loyal, regular customers
Staff can acknowledge: "Great to see you again!"
Consider loyalty rewards

New Customer:

Apply to recently added customers
Staff should be extra welcoming and explain processes
Remove after 2-3 visits when they're established

Step 5: Configure Badge Settings (Owners/Admins)

Owners and Admins can control which badges are available:

Click the salon name in the top navigation bar
Select Salon Settings from the dropdown menu
Click the Badges tab
Click the Customer Badges sub-tab

Enable/Disable Built-in Badges:

Toggle the switch next to each built-in badge
Disabled badges won't appear for staff to use

Add Custom Badges:

Click Add Badge
Enter a Badge Name (e.g., "Ambassador")
Choose a Badge Color from the 12-colour palette
Click Add Badge

Edit Custom Badges:

Click the Edit button next to a custom badge
Update the name or colour inline
Click Save

Delete Custom Badges:

Click the trash icon next to a custom badge
Confirm deletion in the modal
Warning: This removes the badge from all customers who have it

Step 6: Creating Custom Badges

Common custom badge ideas:

Badge Name	Colour	Use Case
Ambassador	Orange	Customers who actively refer others
Staff Family	Violet	Family members of staff
Influencer	Pink	Social media influencers
Accessibility	Blue	Customers with accessibility needs
Colour Sensitive	Red	Known sensitivities to colour products
Price Conscious	Green	Customers who appreciate value

The available colours are: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Teal, Cyan, Blue, Indigo, Violet, Pink, Stone, and Gray.

To create:

Go to Salon Settings > Badges tab > Customer Badges sub-tab
Click Add Badge
Enter name and select colour
Click Add Badge

Where Badges Appear

Badges are visible in several places:

Location	What Shows
Customer profile header	"Has Allergies" indicator (auto-applied if allergies are recorded - this is separate from customer badges)
Customer profile Details tab	All customer badges in the Badges section
Appointment views	Customer badges may appear on appointment details

Note: The main customer list doesn't show badges - you need to open the customer profile to see them.

Common Pitfalls

"Badge changes aren't saving"

Badges save automatically via the network. Ensure you have a stable internet connection. If a badge shows animation for too long, refresh the page and try again.

"I can't see the badges section"

Your salon may have disabled all built-in badges. Ask the salon owner to enable at least one badge in settings.

"Staff are using VIP badge inconsistently"

Define clear criteria and document them. Share with all staff: "VIP = £500+ annual spend OR 20+ visits"

"Too many badges cluttering the view"

Owners can disable unused built-in badges. Delete custom badges that aren't being used. Aim for 6-10 total badges maximum.

"Customer was marked 'Often Late' unfairly"

Be careful with negative badges. One late arrival doesn't make a pattern. Apply after 3+ occurrences.

"I can't add more badges to a customer"

Customers can have a maximum of 10 badges. Remove less relevant badges before adding new ones.

Tips and Best Practices

Review badges during check-in - Glance at badges before greeting to personalise the interaction
Update badges promptly - If a customer mentions they prefer quiet, add the badge immediately
Don't over-badge - Not every customer needs badges; use them for notable traits only
Remove outdated badges - A "New Customer" who has visited 10 times is no longer new
Colour code strategically - Red for caution, green for positive, blue for preferences, amber for VIP
Train staff on meanings - Everyone should know what each badge means
Combine with notes - Badge: "Accessibility" + Note: "Uses wheelchair, prefers station #3"
Review VIP criteria quarterly - Customer spending patterns change; update accordingly

Frequently Asked Questions

Can customers see their badges?

No. Badges are internal tools for staff only. Customers don't see badges in any communications.

How many badges can one customer have?

Up to 10 badges. However, we recommend using 3-5 for clarity.

Who can toggle badges?

All staff members with access to view customers can toggle badges. Badge configuration (adding/removing custom badges) is restricted to Owners and Admins.

Do badges appear on the calendar?

No. Badges appear when you view a customer profile. They're not visible on the calendar grid.

What happens if I delete a custom badge?

The badge is removed from all customers who have it. This cannot be undone.

Can I create badges for products or services?

Products and services use Categories (not badges). See the Categories section under Products or Services.

Will badges sync across multiple salons?

No. Each salon has its own badge configuration. Customers visiting multiple salons would have separate badges per salon.

Is there a badge for allergies?

Allergies are handled separately in the Preferences section with the Allergies & Sensitivities toggle. When enabled, a "Has Allergies" indicator appears automatically on the profile.

Last Updated: January 2026