Salon Software Q+A: What you need to know if you’re thinking about salon software for 2016!

Why do I need a computerised system in the salon?

It is important to computerise your business and keep up with modern technology to compete effectively. Salon software will make operations cleaner and more efficient as it implements a certainty element. It also allows your calendar to be accessible 24/7 with online booking, therefore aiming to improve the business and increase profit, even in your absence.

As well as bookings, what else can they do?

Salon software systems effectively manage every aspect of your business allowing you to store endless information, track appointments and communicate with clients under one easy to use, personalized system. There are also services such as marketing, automated stock management, performance reports and online and Facebook booking. Software allows you to incorporate everything as a combined impact so that you are saving time and money in other areas of your business.

What are the business benefits of using a salon software system in general?

There are numerous business benefits of using salon software but most of all it will save you time that you can be spending elsewhere. Managing figures, reports and cash flow can be a tedious process, which is where software management can give you a helping hand. All you are required to do is generate a customised report and your figures are complete.

The marketing function will also be beneficial for your business. Salon Tracker’s marketing suite encourages regular contact with clients via SMS and email marketing, whether this is showing thanks for their custom or offering a promotion tailored to the client profile. Contacting clients on a regular basis heightens familiarity which leads to increased customer loyalty. The features also enables you to contact customers directly which can help turn around last minute cancellations. In addition, the tool can be used for appointment reminders, consequently reducing the amount of missed appointments.

How easy are they to use?  Do you need to be a computer whizz? Is training available?

Our Salon Tracker system has been designed so it is easy for clients to use. Even someone who has hardly operated a computer before will be able to use it with ease. We offer free training, support and updates for all employees within the salon so if any problems do occur through usage, we will be on hand free of charge… there are no hidden costs.

What is the single biggest advantage of having a dedicated software system?

It is very important to have a dedicated software system provider in order to ensure you have the reliable support you require to develop your business. Salon Tracker is constantly evolving with new features, releases and updates which should be available to every user free of charge. This will help constantly improve your service and help you build positive relationships with clients. We are so confident in the software that we offer a free trial, free support and free training. All of the features within our system have been designed to help us fulfill our mission of making salon life easier.

How is your system different to competitors?

Salon Tracker prides itself on its customer service, support and updates being FREE. We are so confident in our product that we even offer a free two week trial beforehand with no obligations to ensure our software suits your business goals.

What are the costs involved?

Salon Tracker offers three flexible packages with software and hardware options to suit salons of all sizes. Our ‘Standard’ package is £499, the ‘Professional’ £899, and ‘Enterprise’ £1299. There are no additional monthly costs but an annual license fee of £199. We also offer the above packages on a monthly subscription at £30, £60 and £90 PCM with no upfront or additional fees.

Salon Tracker Software: How to plan for Jan!

After the busy Christmas period, we all know that sales throughout Jan deplete a little, as everyone is a bit strapped for cash and tend to tighten their purse strings. However, during the quieter months whilst you have some spare time, there is no better time to analyse previous business years, evaluate, and plan for the year ahead. Here at Salon Tracker we have thought of a few things that salons can take in to account moving forward in to 2016!


Evaluate Previous Years

Some of you may have salon software and therefore can run reports and charts for analysis at the click of a button, others of you may still be using paper KPI trackers and reports. Whichever it is, January is a good time to observe the reports, to see what worked well, and what maybe didn’t. You can then use this data to forward plan and identify any key areas that may need work or any sections of the salon where improvements are no longer necessary.


Run Over Pricing

During your analysis of previous years, you need to ensure that you are evaluating your prices and also comparing those to that of competitors. Also, make sure that your prices reflect your services. For example, there may be certain technicians that have worked in the salon for some time and your loyal clients don’t mind paying that little bit more for their treatments. Having said that, you don’t want to offer your services at too low prices either, as the last thing you want is clients believing that your work isn't up to par and also you don't want to be labelled as a cheap-salon service. However you also have to make sure that you aren't charging so much that clients find your services too un-affordable that they go elsewhere for their repeat treatments.


Marketing & Offers

January is always a great time to market and offer discount, as every company is renowned for doing this early on in the New Year, especially as everyone is a bit strapped for cash. On the days that you’re quiet, for example a Monday/Tuesday, offer discounts on a few selected treatments, as by doing this it will make the offer seem a little more exclusive as a pose to discounting your entire treatment list.  In terms of marketing and promotions, run monthly email and SMS campaigns, for example a good idea would be to start a monthly newsletter promoting new services, information on new staff members and any special offers. Another fab idea for some extra salon promotion would be to partner with local photographers or universities who may need hair stylists for their shoots.  If you're currently training new technicians, you could advertise for 'styling models' then collaborate with the local photographers & students, as you then should receive a copy of the artwork for free which you can use for salon display!


Salon Aesthetics

Clients who are impressed with the experience that they receive when visiting your salon are more likely to return and also spread the word to friends.  As we have said before, the experience starts when a client walks through the salon door. Your salon décor, layout and level of cleanliness is therefore really important.  If all of this is up to scratch, it instantly impresses a client and should encourage them to recommend your salon. Your digital aesthetics is also something to think about.  How is your salon website and social media accounts looking?  Use January to give these a little re-vamp...post client photos online, select the best photos of your salon technicians' work and share these on your social network accounts.  You could even create landing pages for each of your technicians' on the website, so when clients are booking online they can see an example of certain technicians' work.  This being especially beneficial if it is a first-time client, as reviews and testimonials are key in terms of winning that client over and getting that sale.

Improve Business Presence

Create a blog and let your staff members share their beauty stories with clients. A great way to improve SEO (search engine optimisation) for your website and also beneficial in terms of offering advice to clients. Reviews are another great technique, as again you can hashtag the brands of the latest products, contributing again to the SEO for your site and also, the sales of your retail products. Something else to think about, how many places is your salon listed on the web? Ensure that your salon is listed on all the top local business directories to make sure that you have as much publicity as possible. If online isn't for you just yet, produce and hand out some business cards.  You can get bulk cards printed for quite a small cost at places such as Vista Print, and this is a simple and effective way to gain added exposure for your business.  Hand them out at reception after treatments so that clients can pass them to friends.  You can also ask local businesses if they wouldn't mind displaying one in their shop window, as you might just gain a little extra local business by doing this. 

Complimentary Promotions

Mini promotions on your website, Facebook page and other social media accounts are great in terms of networking and word-of-mouth promotion for the salon.  These don't have to be anything too costly either.  You could just have a competition running throughout January where for each person that enters, there will be a daily winner that is entitled to a free £5.00 voucher of a 25% off coupon for their next treatment. Followers who subscribe to your feeds can stay informed of any businesses competitions and will be more likely to book an appointment with you.  Complimentary gifts are also a great way to win clients over in terms of their loyalty towards you, as little extras after appointments are the things that make your salon stand out from the crowds. These could literally be something as simple as a free product sample or sweets in reception.  A little gesture goes a long way. 

January Return Vouchers

Introduce vouchers that can only be used from 1st to 31st January 2016.  These are a good way to promote a 'bounce-back' in custom and improve the footfall in the salon during quieter periods. Start handing them out now throughout the busy Christmas season and promote them on your social media pages to ensure that your salon starts off the New Year with a bang. 

We hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and that some of our ideas will come in useful for a great start to the New Year!


Salon Tracker x

Salon Tracker Software: How to plan for trade shows and why you should think about it now

Christmas is in full swing and I’m sure all of your salons are bustling with clients coming for their festive treatments all ready for the big day. Some of you may know, however some of you may not, that we are exhibiting at the Professional Beauty London show next February at the Excel. Even though it seems ages away with all the Christmas hustle beforehand, February will come around fast. Therefore when you have a spare minute, do a bit of research in to the potential trade show events that you may want to visit after the New Year, as Jan and Feb are great months for future planning! For those of you who are thinking of attending the February Professional Beauty show, we can’t wait to meet you all and so we just thought we’d give you a few tips on how to prepare for a trade show & why it is so useful to attend one.

There are two types of trade show goers. The first are people who know that they want something, the second are people that are there to enquire and browse. However, trade shows are always busy and there is so much to see, so it’s handy before to download a floorplan and gage the companies that you may want to visit before you actually attend. So having said that, the first tip is;

Do your Research!

Aside from having a look at the show plan before the event, you should also research into places to stop for breaks, where all the local facilities are and also, your transportation! There are so many different stands that you may wish to see and you have to take into account the traffic of those stands and where they are positioned in relation to one another. Plan breaks throughout the day, as this gives you time to reflect on the companies that you have already seen and allows you to alter your questions accordingly for the next brands that you are to visit. If you are one of those show-goers who isn’t sure what they are at the event for, then a good idea would be to plan exactly what it is that you want to get out of your visit. It is important that you make an itinerary for the time that you are there, whether it be one or two days. Trade shows are busy and time is limited at each stand due to the high volume of traffic, therefore work out which stands you need to visit and for how long.

Improving your Retail Product Range

At the majority of trade show events, you’ll bag yourself a couple of free goodies. A brilliant way to trial and test the products that are on offer. You can take samples back to the salon and do some first-hand primary research with your clients by seeing what they think of the product samples. This is great in terms of choosing your retail product selection, as by getting client feedback before you go to the suppliers, you have more knowledge of the products that are going to be popular. Obviously the other benefit is you get a couple of freebie gifts for yourself, winner!

Team Building Exercise

One of the biggest challenges in any business is maintaining a happy and motivated team, and a great way to do this is to give staff members’ ownership of a project. After creating a vision for your event (which show you will attend, the purpose of attending and what you wish to get out of the event) why not select a few staff members to go with you to the show and give each a certain area to focus and gather research from. After the visit, organize a team meeting to discuss the show findings. This could just be something at the salon with some nibbles, or a meal out somewhere. Whichever it is, employee bonding is really important within any business and it is a great team building exercise to allow employees to present back to one another what they discovered from the event.

Take Notes

When at a trade show, you retrieve so much information and your head will be bombarded with information from the day, in such a short space of time. So, to ensure that you remember everything, take some notes along the way. 9 times out of 10, you will receive leaflets from the stands that you visit and therefore you can make little references on those alongside the brand information. This will help to prompt the subject of your call, should you contact a particular company after the show.

Network!

Take your own business cards, as after all you may be there to view the likes of salon software and retail samples but remember that the staff on the stand are still normal salon-goers. You never know, you might just bag yourself a bit of business too!  Another benefit is that companies will remember you if they can attach something like a business card to your lead form, which is great in terms of call backs after your enquiry.

If you are a salon and it is your first time visiting a trade show this February, drop by our stand J1 and we will be happy to give you advice on how our salon software will work for you. For further info, visit our website www.salontracker.co.uk where you can also request a no-obligation FREE demo and trial.

You can register for your Professional Beauty London ticket FREE using the link below https://registration.n200.com/survey/0njm506qcs1za?actioncode=NTWO000194OBY

Hope to see you soon and a very Merry Christmas!

Salon Tracker x

Some of our favourite looks for Christmas 2015!

 

 

How important is customer service at the salon to you and your staff- REALLY?

This is a true but anonymous example of a friend who encountered a bad experience at a salon which in turn neglected her need to return. Make sure this isn’t you or your colleagues...

The hair salon in question was visited by one of my friends Caitlan* who was due to spend £475 for luxury micro ring hair extensions. As one would assume, with quite a large investment, she had high expectations. Caitlan* really values customer service. She’s one of those kinds who religiously tips over 10% at restaurants, more if it’s great service.

Firstly Caitlan* arrived at the salon and was not greeted until she had been sat down for about 15 minutes. When she had finally been greeted, there was no further engagement except who she was and what she wanted. Now she loved/ loves her extensions and the treatment itself went great. However, she seemed really distressed as we discussed the event.

Caitlan’s biggest problem was she found that the salon were constantly nattering about other clients, the state of their hair and the things they complained about. She also said her hairdresser texted her friends back about 9x throughout the 4 hour stint which elongated the process somewhat. She found this irritatingly uncomfortable and afterward, and was therefore, anxious about her return for maintenance. Her hairdresser was the salon owner.

Needless to say, Caitlan* researched another hair extension specialist and never returned to the salon after this experience. She has had the hair extensions in for 2 years and they have lasted well. This means the original hair extension specialist who charged £80 every 10-12 weeks for maintenance has lost at least £640 in maintenance costs from this one client.

This really is something to think about! You might wonder why we are writing a blog on this, stick with us! Salon management software isn’t only for booking services and treatments. You can improve your staffs abilities and attitude with the endless access to reports, targets and performance. Here are a few ways you can manage your staff and really help them succeed in your working environment.

First of all you need to prioritise and make a plan of what it is you would like to improve at the salon with regards to staff, be it their attitude, retailing or overall performance. Consistency is key so if you start with a new development programme, make sure you are managing expectations.

KPI’s and Performance

Even if your employees have regular clients and are always booked out, this doesn’t mean they are underperforming on other business fronts. Are they selling retail or ensuring they rebook clients before departure? Are they, like the above, using their phone midway through doing treatments? With Salon Tracker you can not only delve into overall business KPI’s but individual staff strengths and weaknesses. These features are so important since as a business owner, it’s also your responsibility to encourage training and development. Everyone has an ‘Achilles Heel’ when it comes to work, but it is essential that salon managers know what this is and how to nurture it and in turn, motivate and turn this into a positive.

Aim with targets

Researching your KPI’s is great but not if you aren’t going to put anything into action. Key point indicators are exactly that, indicators of what to do next! A salon management system will allow you to track targets and monitor consistency through your reporting function. As long as you know the catalyst for underperformance and how to develop this, you are being a great manager. 

Don’t let them get stuck in ways

Not many people like change but switching things up is so important once in a while to prevent complacency. Junior staff who haven’t been with you as long can usually be trained to a result you require, and are usually looking for ways to improve and deliver. Ensure that all staff respect your decisions with training development, regardless of their serving time. If they are insulted, why not use them to train in strong areas to improve overall performance of the team.

Countdown to Christmas: How to keep the atmosphere alive at Advent

Hasn’t the year flown by! Tomorrow we’re officially in December and the countdown to Christmas is real. So, 24 days to go until the big day, we bet you guys are gonna’ be jam-packed at the salon. But just remember, in the hustle and bustle of the busy period, it is so important to keep your customers satisfied and to also get them in the Christmassy mood. As after all, the happier the customer the healthier your tills!

Here at Salon Tracker we’ve thought of a few ways that you can have a bit of fun throughout the month of Advent and also how to manage clients during peak season.

Daily Advent Social Media Tips

Many of you will have a salon page on Facebook and at Christmas, there is no better time to use it as everybody is online bagging cyber deals, keeping up to date with friends and sharing their Christmas pictures. Why not for every day of December in the lead up to Xmas post a little beauty tip? If you feel like you might be stuck for time, you can always use a social media management site, such as Hootsuite or Spredfast? Spend an afternoon planning your posts, schedule them using one of the mentioned sites and away you go. And make sure to #hashtag! The benefit of posting a beauty tip everyday means that you can hashtag key words and brands to ensure that as many people see your post as possible, which also equals an increase in brand awareness for your salon, cost-free!

Salon Advent Calendar for staff & clients

As well as keeping your clients satisfied, it’s important to ensure that your staff are also just as upbeat, as happy staff is the key to appreciative clients. Personalities and moods rub off on others so to ensure an ‘atmosphere of Christmas cheer’ all round, why not introduce some little Xmas freebies for staff and customers. Theme it to Advent and for staff, maybe it is that you create a large Advent calendar and keep it in the tea room? Then every morning when your technicians come to work they get to pick a sweet out from whichever day of Advent it is. It doesn’t need to cost much, the calendar could literally be a make-shift collection of 24 little jars or bowls with the letter 1-24 stuck on them and you could just fill them with sweets or Christmas choccies? Similarly, this could also work for clients, but instead of having the whole Advent calendar on display (as it may be a bit too big for the front desk of your salon), you could have a jar of goodies in reception and have a ‘__days till Christmas’ sign displayed alongside it. Again, this doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, you can pick up small Christmas themed black boards for under £5.00 online, so you can chalk the message and alter it each day of Advent.

Secret Santa

If you haven’t already organised Christmas goodies or awards to give out at the Xmas doo, then Secret Santa is always good for a bit of fun between employees. Create a theme with a set spend amount so that it isn’t unaffordable for anybody and then get your staff members to pick names from a hat. Some ideas for themes could be ‘everyone spends £5.00 and has to get something funny, something Christmassy and something edible’. Another idea would be to set a minimum number of presents to be bought for a certain price range, so this could be ‘5 presents for £5.00’. Have a little brainstorm with your staff but this is sure to contribute to the festive feeling!

Managing waiting lists wisely

As well as the surge in booked appointments, the demand for walk-in gaps also increases during the holiday season. Excellent for business profits and brand reputation, but equally salon staff are left with the job of managing the waiting clients so that they still have a pleasant experience from the offset of walking through the salon door. So, having said this, the best way to win clients over is to offer them a couple of complimentary freebies and ensure you have plenty of up-to-date magazines. You will always offer tea and coffee on an ordinary day but jazz this up a little throughout Advent and perhaps offer a glass of bucks fizz instead, complimented with a mince pie or mini yule log cake. These can all be bought for a small price at big-chain supermarkets and at this time of year many have bulk offers on so you can do it on a bit of a budget!

We hope some of our ideas come in handy for you in the lead up to the big day and that you have a fun-filled salon of success this Christmas…Happy Advent!


Salon Tracker x

Staff motivation and incentive in the salon leading up to Christmas!

Christmas time at the salon means all hands on deck! Staff really are expected to step up at this time of year meaning that their stress levels may well be on the increase. All of the extra pressures can sometimes lead to demotivation, but a great way to ensure alleviation and to prevent this is through incentivising staff! Not all salon owners who are starting out can offer commission on their products but we’ve come up with a great way to highlight your appreciation for your employees’ effort and hard work all year- End of Year Awards!!

First let’s address some of the most important awards and remember to insert your own “gift” to what you can afford! We’ve gone with a top three as an example but you can adapt this depending on what your salon achieves.

A great way to incentivise staff throughout December is to enlist everyone into a competition. Tell staff they will all be entered into a competition where their colleagues will nominate them for who deserves the ‘Outstanding Service’ award! Nominations will be counted up on Xmas Eve and the winner will win; (insert your gift here) a weekend away in a luxury B&B at the Lake District for themselves and a +1!

Another award could be for the most ‘Profitable Stylist’. You could use your salon software provider to delve into each staff member’s takings, both for products and services. This is a great one because it encourages staff to push as many retail products and gift sets as they can throughout the lead up to Christmas. A (insert prize here) cash bonus prize is a great incentive for this or maybe a night at the theatre and dinner at a scrumptious local restaurant.

For the one who ‘Always exceeds their target’, why not send them on a (insert gift here) spa weekend to give thanks for their efforts month on month to always hit and exceed their goals. Praise and recognition towards staff is such an underrated company value and can impact positively throughout the entire business, so you don’t just have to offer expensive prizes to your profitable stylists. Ensure everyone is awarded at least one gift! Some ideas are as listed below along with prize ideas!

‘Stressed out Sally Award’- A massage or a Jo Malone candle!
‘Clumsiest Clown Award’- A good luck charm bracelet!
‘Pretty Perfectionist Award’- 2 x MAC lipsticks.
‘Always on the phone!’- Selfie stick or personalised phone case!
‘Biggest Smile Everyday’- A big bunch of flowers.
‘Miss Agony Aunt Award’- winter warmer gifts like tea mask and chocolates!
‘Most Creative Hair Do’- An I-O-U voucher for their next hairstyle change!
Miss Clean Freeeeak’- A mani/pedi to recover those tired Cinderella hands and feet!
‘Miss Always Early’- An entire weekend off work!

As you can see with some of the above gifts, rewards don’t always have to cost an arm and a leg. For your “funny awards”, we recommend offering little gifts which match the title of the award or personality of your employee. If you really can’t afford to offer to get your team individual pressies then how about a Christmas lunch or party? This doesn’t have to be anywhere fancy and you can go to your local ‘Revolution’ for a 3 course Christmas Dinner from just £18 per head! If that fails then a Christmas card written from the heart is always a great gift to receive. A few nice words to show how much you are appreciated and how your efforts have contributed to business over the last 12 months never goes a miss!

We hope our ideas help!

Salon Tracker x