It’s a fact that 20% of small businesses fail in their first year, and 50% fail in their fifth year. (source) So, what makes a small business successful? Successful organizations are those that are eager to adapt to the changing business environment.
Gone are the days when salon owners would note down appointments or perform inventory checks with pen and paper. If you are still one of those that use these obsolete manual processes, you need to stop immediately.
Companies are now rapidly adopting new technologies that help them automate and streamline operations, which results in smooth business operations. A great example of this is hair salon software. They are affordable, reliable, and can do wonders for your salon business.
A hair salon software can perform the role of your assistant, as well as your marketing manager. From managing employees to executing all your marketing activities, maintaining inventory, and attracting clients, it can do it all.
Benefits of Using Hair Salon Software
Let’s discuss some of the different ways in which choosing the best hair salon software solution for your business can help it thrive and rise above the competition.
1. Books Appointments 24/7
One of the significant advantages of implementing hair salon software is that it allows your customers to book appointments around the clock. They are no longer bound by your working hours or wait on a busy phone line to schedule an appointment. Your clients can schedule appointments according to their convenience from their own handheld devices.
Salon scheduling and management software also enable customers to get a view of all the available empty slots. They can book a slot as per their preferences and minimize their wait time at the salon. They can also cancel or change their appointment schedule without any hassle.
Spa scheduling features allow you to take online bookings on your website or even include the option to book appointments on your social media pages. Some salons also have their own mobile apps.
While all these features enhance the customer experience, they also increase the profitability of your salon.
2. Reduces No-Shows or Late Comers
Did you know that SMS appointment reminders reduce no-shows by up to 70%? (Source) Imagine the impact of that on the revenue of your salon.
Every salon dreads no-shows. Sometimes, customers forget about their appointments, especially when they were made a while ago. In many cases, customers even show up on the wrong date or time.
However, this problem can be solved with automatic appointment reminders. A hair salon software automates the process of reminding customers about their upcoming appointments. It sends out alert notifications either via SMS or email, which reduces the scope of no-shows. At the same time, it also frees you up to do other things.
Instead of calling every client, which can be time-consuming, you can dedicate that time to serving more clients and interacting with them. Most importantly, the reduced number of no-shows can significantly improve your bottom line.
All you have to do is fill up the software database with the client’s contact information, and the system will automatically send out periodic appointment reminders.
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3. Improves Customer Experience
A hair salon software ensures the highest quality of customer service, even as it reduces your effort. It helps you meet your client’s expectations consistently.
This software acts as a database where you can store all the information related to your clients. It notes things like the last time they visited the salon and the services they have availed previously. It also helps you identify who are your regular customers. You can use such information to serve them better.
For instance, you have a client who visits your salon every month to get her hair done. You can send her gentle reminders for follow-up treatments. You can also use the information available in the system to find out which client hasn’t visited you for a while and send out a ‘We Miss You’ text. Customers are bound to feel special with such treatment.
In other words, you no longer have to make an effort to remember these things and worry about forgetting vital details.
Also, another area that the system helps you with is the widely common issue of double bookings. Double bookings can be a great source of inconvenience for you and especially your clients. Making your clients wait after giving them an appointment almost always leads to disgruntled customers, which can be terrible for your business. An online booking system helps you handle complex schedules and improve your client’s experience.
4. Never Run Out of Stock
Sometimes a client can walk into your salon, only to find that a product is missing.
For example, a client wants to get her nails done. However, you don’t have her preferred color of nail paint in stock. Such situations are bound to disappoint your client. Moreover, nowadays, it only takes a few seconds for clients to leave negative reviews on your social media pages.
This is why inventory management for salons is crucial. A hair salon software can help you effectively manage your stock, ensuring that you never run out. Most hair salon software solutions automatically raise a purchase order based on your purchase history before you run out of products entirely. The software also ensures that you don’t block your capital by unnecessarily stocking more products than required.
Furthermore, the system can also provide insightful information such as which products are your best-selling ones and also which ones are your least selling items. You can use such information to optimize your inventory levels. Moreover, the system also gives you real-time updates about your inventory levels anytime you want.
Conclusion
Hair salon software can improve the productivity of your staff, to the point that you might not even have to be present in the salon all the time. Hair salon software solutions store information on a cloud server that syncs with your system in real-time. It allows you to access the system from anywhere using any internet-enabled device.
A hair salon software automates various tasks which can free you up to focus on your core business and make it more profitable.
A digital marketing and content curator at SoftwareSuggest, a software recommendation platform. I am passionate about Digital Marketing, and all things digital. Also interested in technology and innovation. In my spare time, enjoy playing cricket, and Badminton.
