Paradoxon Assistant is the front-counter system for beauty-tool repair shops (blow dryers, flat irons, clippers, trimmers, curling irons, nail machines) that centralizes clients, equipment, repairs, printed vouchers and order tracking in a single keyboard-first workflow.
What it solves
It replaces notebooks and manual client/equipment logs with a guided flow: equipment intake, voucher generation with QR and barcode, status tracking, and pickup. It runs locally (a Flask server in the system tray plus a SQLite database), so day-to-day operation doesn't depend on internet access.
Getting started
On launch, Paradoxon Assistant runs as a system tray icon and exposes its main interface. The top bar gives access to: SCAN (barcode/QR reading), OPEN ORDERS, EMAILS and SMS (notification queues), PRINT (print queue), Voucher History and Settings / DB (global configuration and database backup).
Clients: new or existing
The main form captures phone, first name, last name and email. If the phone number isn't in the database, the new-client flow kicks in; if it already exists, the client's full history loads automatically. The search (magnifier) tool finds existing clients by phone, first or last name without breaking the intake flow.
Client classification
- REGULAR — standard client, no special rules.
- VENDOR — automatically adds a "Reference Name" field per equipment item, useful for commissions or tracking who referred the job.
- CAUTION — visual warning flag for the technician before taking the item or negotiating price.
- CRITICAL — clients requiring priority attention or special care.
- MATRIX — central/corporate accounts (e.g. a chain sending equipment from multiple branches).
Equipment and repair intake
- Category — visual icon picker: dryer, flat iron, clipper, trimmer, curling iron, nail machine, mixer, fan, or other.
- Brand — grid with 25+ real preloaded logos (BaBylissPRO, Parlux, Gamma+, Andis, Taiff, Turbo Power, and more), with the option to create a new brand.
- Model — automatically filtered by the chosen brand.
- Color — visual picker, including a bicolor (front/back) option.
- Repair — multi-select with real part photos (carbon brushes, bushings, cables, etc.).
- Total — editable price before confirming.
Each item is added to the voucher via ADD TO VOUCHER, so several pieces of equipment can be logged in a single client visit.
Voucher and printed receipt
The label preview generates a voucher with the shop's name/branding, QR code, barcode, folio number, client data, equipment/repair detail, and total — ready to print directly or queue for printing.
Keyboard configuration
From Settings / DB → Keyboard you choose the input mode: Physical keyboard (auto-detected), Windows keyboard (opens the system's on-screen keyboard as needed), or App keyboard (QWERTY/Numpad virtual keyboards built into Paradoxon). Keyboard navigation uses ENTER to confirm the active button, arrow keys to move between buttons, and TAB to switch fields — designed to run mouse-free at a busy counter.
Notifications and queues
The system keeps visible queues for pending Emails, SMS and Printing, with a counter on the top bar, so the technician always knows if something was left unsent or unprinted.
Tablet / secondary counter access (PWA)
Besides the desktop app, Paradoxon Assistant exposes a PWA reachable from other devices on the same network via Tailscale — handy for a second intake point (e.g. a tablet at the counter) without duplicating the database.
Data backup
The shop's SQLite database (clients, equipment, orders) can be backed up from Settings / DB. Doing this regularly, especially before version updates, is recommended.
FAQ
Does it need internet to work? Not for daily counter operation — it runs locally. Internet is only needed for network features like remote PWA access or sending notifications.
Does it work for a technician working alone? Yes — it's actually one of the scenarios where it saves the most time, by removing manual client/equipment paperwork.