Technology continues to play a major role in our lives. As a beauty business, if you’re still reluctant about incorporating new-age tools and technology, you won’t be able to offer your clients the experience they desire. Running your business without hair salon software can lead to missed opportunities and frustrated clients. In today’s day and age, if you don’t offer your clients the comfort of scheduling an appointment at any time and from anywhere, you’ll lose them forever.
Problems Faced by Beauty Salon Owners
Let’s look at a few challenges salons face with regard to appointment booking:
Underutilisation of staff time
Problem: Your staff is the backbone of your business. They’re a valuable resource whom you should be using wisely. A common challenge most salon owners cite is that their staff is spending most of their time answering phone calls, jotting down appointments in the register and handling client queries. Owing to this, they’re unable to serve clients or execute other important tasks.
Solution: With a hair salon booking system, your clients can book at their convenience thereby saving time for both you and your clients. This not just improves the overall efficiency of your business but your staff gets to concentrate on what matters the most that is offering excellent customer service.
Loss of bookings due to being understaffed
Problem: Let’s admit that a lot of salons still have receptionists and managers. While it’s not a bad thing, salon owners start relying on them too much. They’re the ones handling the appointment register and when they’re not there, you end up losing out on appointments.
Solution: With an online booking system in place, you will never lose out on a booking. Even when you’re understaffed, your clients can schedule an appointment themselves and visit your salon. Your dependence on human talent decreases with the right technology. Your overheads also significantly reduce.
Scheduling conflicts
Problem: The chances of double-booking are higher if you’re still using the old pen and paper method of scheduling appointments. This can also lead to a large number of scheduling conflicts. For instance, on a busy day, it’s easy for your staff to forget to note down a client’s appointment and in the bargain, they might end up taking another booking. This leads to utter chaos and dissatisfied clients.
Solution: Hair salon online booking software updates the availability in real-time. This prevents double-bookings and no-shows. Salons can be rest assured of smooth operations while the client is happy and satisfied too.
Missed or forgotten appointments
Problem: When a client forgets or misses an appointment, it can result in an expensive no-show. Also, for you or your staff to manually keep a track of every appointment can be quite a task. Most salons describe this as their biggest challenge.
Solution: When you invest in hair salon software, your clients receive automated reminders via text and email. They get a notification on appointment confirmation and on the day of the service. Salon owners have found this feature pretty helpful as no-shows and last-minute cancellations are reduced.
Poor client experience
Problem: A primary reason a client visits your salon is because they want to be pampered. When they’re paying a premium to avail an exceptional service, the last thing they’d want is a poor experience. Without a centralised online booking system in place, it can be quite annoying for the people on the salon floor if the phone keeps ringing incessantly. As a new-age salon, you need to completely stop taking appointments over the phone.
Solution: Keeping in mind that clients no longer like to walk-in to schedule an appointment, it’s ideal to invest in a system that gives a client the freedom to choose their preferred stylist, time and service. They can do this from the comfort of their home or when they’re on the move. Customers prefer convenience over everything these days. This further enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Higher spends on marketing
Problem: Several salon owners end up spending a lot on marketing. This is because they lack valuable data that can help them run targeted promotions. They don’t have any system in place which can tell which service is being availed the most and which is not.
Solution: The hair salon booking system offered by Salon360App is not just an appointment scheduling tool but also a centralised software that enhances and changes the way your salon is run and managed. The software captures valuable customer data by way of booking history, stylist preferences and most-availed services. This data is then used to create personalised marketing campaigns which can target each and every client individually. Without doing anything or spending on marketing, you can send out personalised promotions, automated reminders, memberships and loyalty offers. It’s the best way to enhance customer retention without burning a hole in your pocket.
Why your Hair Salon needs Salon360App to Compete?
To keep up with changing trends and technological needs, it’s imperative for salons to invest in salon scheduling software. It also helps them stay competitive. Today’s modern clients prefer convenience and efficiency in everything and when you use an online booking tool, your growth trajectory changes positively. Discover how Salon360 can transform your salon into a well-operational business.
