Case Study: Prestino Personal Training

Snapshot

The before

Jon tried Google Calendar for booking and dropped it within two weeks. On Square Appointments, he had to upgrade to Square Plus just to sell prepaid packages. Even then, packages were a black box:

• Clients couldn't see their own balance. Jon could, five clicks deep, so he had to remind each client when they ran out.
• Square didn't allow class packages at all, and classes and 1:1 sessions needed separate booking pages. Clients who did both had to check out separately.
• When a client cancelled and wanted their money back, Jon lost fees on both the charge AND the refund.
• A client bought a package for her husband, but Square couldn't link his bookings to her payment, so Jon tracked his sessions on paper.
• One client prepaid using Venmo and never booked. Jon is still nudging them to schedule.

“I could never find a booking and payment system that backed up my business.”

Why Decal

"I didn't think my business was completely unique," Jon says, "but I could never find a booking and payment system that really backed up my business. Decal did that for me."

Two things: one simple checkout and lower fees. "In the exercise world, the number one thing you're trying to do is eliminate barriers to entry," Jon says. "If there's any friction, they're not going to sign up. They're not going to show up."

On Decal, clients book classes and 1:1 sessions together, in one checkout, from the same Muscle Money balance. Every client sees what they have left, so topping up is their call, not a reminder from Jon. Cancellations go back to the client's balance as credit instead of a card refund.

“Decal has given me more flexibility to think creatively about what services I offer and how I incentivize people to show up. The platform is there to support me, instead of me designing things around my payment system.”

Muscle Money is Jon's custom name for his prepaid balance ("you're using your money to build muscle"). He set bonus amounts by benchmarking small independent gyms and trainers in S.F.

Jon's also loving Decal Treasury: in month one, he earned more interest than he did in 10 months at his credit union (which also charged him $15 wire fees). He now reviews his balance weekly, adds to Treasury and has withdrawn from it only once.

Results after 30 days

• Clients who had never purchased packages bought Muscle Money right after the switch, "without me even having to do a hard sell."
• A higher share of his regular clients now prepay. Around 10 clients hold a balance, and the circuit class 6-pack sells best.
• Clients book classes and sessions in one checkout from one balance.
• Admin time is off Jon's plate: clients manage their own balance, so Jon no longer chases them.
• Next: Jon plans to use Muscle Money around the holidays for acquiring new clients.

“The clients who sign up for packages in advance show up super regularly, super consistently. They're financially committed, and that financial commitment makes them more mentally committed.”

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