3490: How Zenoti Is Redefining Guest Experience With AI

Nov 18, 2025

Sudheer Koneru, founder and CEO of Zenoti, transitioned from a tech career at Microsoft to revolutionizing the wellness industry. In a fascinating discussion, he highlights how AI can enhance guest experiences by standardizing service and reducing missed calls. Sudheer emphasizes the impact of staff turnover on guest trust and shares success stories of increased revenue via AI-driven upselling. He believes that balancing automation and human interaction is key, ensuring that technology empowers rather than depersonalizes the service experience.

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ANECDOTE

From Microsoft To Wellness Founder

Sudheer Koneru left a successful software career to run wellness centers and discovered the industry's software gaps.
That experience led him to found Zenoti to serve multi-location spa and salon brands.

INSIGHT

Turnover Undermines Guest Trust

High staff turnover erodes guest trust because clients value familiarity with providers and reception staff.
Zenoti's data shows better staff retention correlates with substantially higher growth over three years.

ADVICE

Use AI To Never Miss Calls

Deploy AI receptionists to answer every call and reduce call time by around 50%.
Use AI to surface guest context so even new staff can provide a personal experience immediately.

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What happens when a former Microsoft leader walks away from tech, immerses himself in personal wellbeing, and accidentally discovers one of the biggest blind spots in the global spa, salon, and wellness industry? That question sat with me as I spoke with Sudheer Koneru, founder and CEO of Zenoti, who has shaped one of the most influential platforms powering beauty, wellness, and fitness operations in more than fifty countries.

This conversation takes an interesting path. Sudheer began his career inside Microsoft during its high-growth era, then built and exited a successful enterprise software company, only to step away from the industry entirely. Those two quiet years focused on health and family revealed something surprising.

The spa and salon sector he was engaging with as a customer lacked modern tools, consistent experiences, and operational systems that could help both staff and guests thrive. That realisation moved him from passive observation into building Zenoti, a platform designed for large brands with multi location operations. Today, Zenoti supports more than twelve thousand businesses and processes millions of bookings each year.

Across our discussion, Sudheer explained why staff turnover shapes guest trust far more than most of us realise. He shared the emotional aspect of returning customers wanting familiar faces, the operational pressure this creates, and the measurable business impact when those connections are lost.

We also talked about the role of AI. Unlike many narratives that focus on automation replacing creativity, Sudheer was clear that AI is strengthening the personal side of the industry. He described how tools like Zeni and Hyperconnect reduce missed calls, increase upsells, support new staff with real context, and free human teams to offer better on site care.

Hearing how Zenoti has grown as a profitable unicorn while staying selective about its customer base added another layer. Sudheer credits this discipline as one of the company's strongest decisions, along with a willingness to focus on brands that truly benefit from the platform's depth.

As the wellness and beauty sectors move further into AI supported operations, the question becomes whether businesses can adopt new capabilities without losing the warmth and familiarity that keep guests returning. After listening, how do you feel about AI supporting personal service industries, and where do you see the right balance landing? I would love to hear your thoughts.

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