Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The benefits of using a Salon Software System

Salon managers around the world benefit from using salon management software every day. 

Using software saves you valuable time, leaving you free to spend more of the working day looking after your clients and keeping your stylists motivated. Salon software helps you with marketing, salon appointment booking and stock management. However, it’s all very well making your life easier, but what about your clients? The benefits of salon management software for your clients are both direct and indirect.

 1. Less time at the till 

 One of the most tedious parts of any shopping experience is having to queue for the till. In many salons, manual appointment diaries are still commonplace, meaning that it can take longer than it should to book a follow-up appointment, particularly if a client is requesting a particular stylist. Salon software makes it quick and easy for your receptionist to bring up details about future appointment slots with each stylist, and you can skip ahead in 1 to 8 week blocks, saving even more time. 

 2. Appointment reminders

 If your clients booked their salon appointment weeks in advance, or have to make a change from their regular appointment time, it may well slip their mind when the appointment comes around. While no-shows or latecomers are damaging to you and your salon, it’s far from ideal for a client, too. The text message reminder function that salon software provides is extremely helpful to clients. Many will appreciate the reminder about their appointment, and can double check that their other plans don’t overlap with it. 

 3. New treatments 

Here’s an indirect benefit for clients. Salon software saves you time and money, allowing you to invest a little extra in the training of your staff or purchasing equipment. It means that you’ll be able to provide your clients with new salon or spa treatments. Instead of having to travel further to try out the exciting new treatment they've heard about, your clients can come along to your salon as usual. 

 4. Products in stock 

Salon software gives salon managers real-time information regarding the stock levels of the products you sell to your customers. It can also inform you when you reach certain thresholds, ensuring that there’s always sufficient stock of each product. Clients will be pleased that their favourite products are always in stock and available to buy – again, improving their salon experience. 

 5. Loyalty benefits 

Loyalty schemes encourage clients to return for further treatments and invite their friends to come along, too. These schemes increase the client retention rate of your salon whilst boosting the number of new clients. Salon software records everything about your clients’ history – including loyalty points if you choose to offer them, making it easy to keep track of your loyalty scheme and the points collected by customers – so claiming their loyalty discounts will be a breeze.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

What a customer will pay!

As a Salon manager you may already be aware that most women view regular salon visits as a necessity rather than a luxury, and new survey results act as confirmation of the fact. The headline statistic is that women spend an average of £28,000 on trips to the hairdresser in their lifetime, with a total of 39 days spent at the salon. These figures equate to an annual spend of £600 on visits to the hairdresser, and 20 hours a year. The average UK woman will get a cut and blow-dry every six weeks, a colour session every ten weeks, and two visits per year for special occasions. There’s clearly a huge demand for salon services, even when times are tough. To ensure that you keep your clients coming back to your salon, you can use salon software to run loyalty schemes and carry out text marketing to notify clients when a free appointment slot has become available.