New Feature: Online Chat

We have exciting news! With our new update, online chat is available straight from your desktop as well as from the Salon Tracker application.

At Salon Tracker, we are always striving to create a seamless experience for our customers, and with the advancement of technology comes the advancement of Salon Tracker, with online chat.

Online chat is a great way to contact us for any questions or support that you may need! Our trained technical team monitor the chat during our working hours, making sure to answer any queries that you may have! Since it launched, the online chat has been successful at quickly resolving any questions that you may have, meaning that you can focus your attention on your customers!

As the busy season begins, you may find yourself too busy to be on the phone, so you may want to just drop a message in the chat, making it easier for you to continue serving your customers, keeping them happy.  You can even use our online chat through your smartphone by going to our website and clicking the chat icon, making it easier than ever.

Studies show that 63% of consumers prefer using online chat as a channel of support communication. Online chat is a more convenient way for you to get in touch with us, with fast response times so that you won't need to wait on hold! Having the messages written out can help with having a better understanding the information given, resolving your query faster and more efficiently!

If the online chat icon does not appear on your desktop or in the help section in Salon Tracker, please contact us to update your software.

If you haven't tried our online chat already, try it next time!

Salon Tracker x

Stepover x Salon Tracker Software

The success story of digitalisation in beauty, spa & hair salons with Salon Tracker Ltd and StepOver is an impressive example of how innovative technologies can optimise the workflow and increase the efficiency of companies.

The desktop and laptop-based salon management solution from Salon Tracker is used in many stores to make everyday tasks easier. This includes, for example: saving time as salon owners and their employees will no longer need to keep paper records for their clients, increasing security with local and cloud backups of customer data and building profits with features such as online booking and payments, meaning salon customers can book and pay for their services 24/7!

One challenge that existed, however, was the large number of paper documents such as terms and conditions or disclaimers that still had to be signed by customers on paper. Salon Tracker recognised this and approached StepOver to integrate a digital signature solution into their software solution. This was the start of a successful collaboration.

With the implementation of StepOver’s duraSign Pad Brilliance, tedious paperwork has become redundant. Documents can be signed electronically and managed seamlessly in the Salon Tracker software. For example, customers no longer receive a hard copy of the terms and conditions. They can conveniently view them directly on the signature pad and approve them with their signature. This not only saves printing costs, but also a lot of time for the salon teams - there is no need for time-consuming scanning and archiving of signed documents for compliance and auditing.

The seamless integration of the StepOver solution into the Salon Tracker software provides a smooth signing experience. The sleek design of the StepOver pads perfectly matches the aesthetics of the Salon Tracker Point of Sale (POS). The simple installation made it easy for Salon Tracker to support the StepOver pads. The success was obvious. Within a very short time, the solution was adopted by customers in large numbers.

“We would definitely recommend StepOver to other companies, as the feature has been so seamless and successful for our clients, the customers' signature clearly transfers on to their disclaimers - so this is a great solution for obtaining information.”
- Leah Cave (Senior Sales and Marketing Executive at Salon Tracker)

In the future, Salon Tracker plans to expand the types of documents that can be signed on the signature pads to further increase the benefits of this seamless solution. This includes, for example, consultation forms or treatment waivers.

The StepOver signature pad has established itself as an integral part of Salon Tracker's success by providing an efficient, modern and aesthetically pleasing way to capture client information. Overall, the partnership between Salon Tracker and StepOver has not only saved time and resources, but has also set a new standard for elegance and efficiency in the beauty, spa & hair industry. To learn more about the Salon Tracker software, click here. To learn more about StepOver and their electronic signature solutions, click here.

Level up your business with online bookings

Want to make instant bookings, reduce no shows and make money outside of your salon hours? Well this blog will discuss how our online booking system can do all of that plus more!

Feature of the month-

Level up your business with online bookings

In the tanning industry, timing is everything. Making bookings and boosting revenue beyond regular salon hours is the brilliance of online bookings. With this feature, your tanning salon can continue to thrive and shine, catering to clients whenever they crave that golden glow that your shop can provide them.

 

Harness the power of social media to enhance your tanning salon's success. By seamlessly integrating our customised booking link into your social media, you're creating a direct pathway for clients to schedule their next bronzing session as they scroll their favourite platforms. By linking your online booking it effortlessly connects your online following and customers to real-time bookings.

 

Life is fast-paced, and your clients are always on the move. Online bookings allow them to schedule their tanning sessions on the go anytime, anywhere. They can be the first to book their favourite bed before they get off work with a click of a button. Convenience at its golden best!

Avoid the fade-out caused by no-shows. Implement deposit payments to ensure commitment. A small deposit not only minimizes the chances of last-minute cancellations but also keeps your tanning beds occupied and profitable.

How does this work?

Once you're assigned to the Enterprise package we will create your custom online booking site using your salon theme colours, logo and all your salon services. Your customers can register in store or online and create their 4 digit pin to log in and book from their phone. 

So there it is! Embrace round-the-clock availability, leverage the power of social media, cater to your on-the-go clients, and bid farewell to no-shows which is all included in our Enterprise package (£90+VAT per month), call 0113 350 8230 to either upgrade or start today. 

Salon Tracker x

Feature of the month - Online payments

We know how busy you can be in your Salon, why not make things that little bit easier by having your customers purchase their services online beforehand. With our online payments feature you can have customers pay deposits prior to their appointment's or pay the full service amount to speed up the check in process. What's not to love?

How do online payments work?

On our Enterprise package you will have access to your very own personlised online page with the options of booking and shop. This means that your customers can select what they would like to book in for and see what days and times are available. You can then choose whether you want your customers to pay the service in full or just a deposit. If you prefer the use of walk ins at your salon you can still benefit from an online page as clients can still pay for services online and then come into the salon with that service stored on their account ready to use. Salon Tracker's online payment feature gives customers the options of entering bank details manually or they can use Apple pay, Google Pay and Klarna. Once a payment is completed online it automatically syncs with your Salon Tracker so that you don't miss a thing. 

 

Online Bookings-

On your very own customised booking page you can list all of your available services and times for your customers to look through and select. They can then pay for this booking whilst they are online using our different payment options. This payment feature is guaranteed to streamline your payment process leading to lower wait times and higher customer satisfaction. 

Deposits -

Are you wanting to reduce no shows? Online deposits are the way to go, you can set either a percentage amount or a flat rate, such as £10, for each service that you offer. When the customer comes in for their appointment they just have the remaining amount to pay, which Salon Tracker will work our for you. This deposit feature is proven to reduce your customers no shows and ensure your salon is always booming. 

 Shop - 

Online payments isn't just useful for bookings, you can also set up a shop feature where your customers can purchase a service in advance without making a booking. If you offer a walk in service at your salon this would be a perfect option. Having your clients purchase their service in advance will speed up your check in time so that you can focus solely on the customers experience. 

 

How would online payments benefit your Salon?

• Online payments can increase your customers experience as they can make a payment from the comfort of their own homes and provides 24/7 accessibility to your services so that they can fit in with their own schedules. 

 

• It reduces both staff and customers time as payments can be handled in advance meaning they can enjoy their experience and you can focus on providing an amazing service. 

 

• Using online payments means you can finally go cashless. The past few years has seen a shift from cash to contactless with increase in Apple pay, online shopping and Klarna. Now your Salon can do the same!

 

• Our online payment feature gives you the option to use Apple pay, Google Pay and Klarna. These flexible payment options gives your clients a wider variety of payments and can pay using a platform that suits them. 

 

How do I set up online payments?

Step 1 - Ensure that you are on Salon Tracker's Enterprise package

Step 2 - Create a Stripe account - https://dashboard.stripe.com/register

Step 3 - Call us on 0113 350 8230 and we can do the rest. 

Step 4 - Enjoy all the benefits of online payments!

 

If you would like to make full use of Salon Tracker's online payments feature or just want to find out a bit more information just give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us at info@salontracker.co.uk

Salon Tracker x

Meet the Team!

 

It has been over two years since our last ‘Meet the Team’ blog and a lot has changed since then. Whilst some people who you were introduced to in that blog have moved on to other parts of the company, with Joe who was previously a member of our support team becoming one of the main developers working on improving the software, we also have some new faces in the team. We thought that because of all these changes we would give you an update on the team I’m sure many of you have spoken to about the software.

 

Nicki

Hi, I’m Nicki, and I’m Head of Operations at Salon Tracker and have worked at the company for almost 8 years! I started out here in 2015 as a Sales and Marketing assistant, before becoming Sales & Marketing manager in 2016 and recently I moved into Operations. I have seen the product rebrand from our legacy software Studio Tracker to Salon Tracker and watched the business grow extensively throughout my time here. My current role includes formulating strategy, overseeing company marketing, sales, accounts and analytical evaluations. I really enjoy working as part of the team here, it’s a very friendly company to work for!

Naomi

My name is Naomi, and I am a Senior Support Executive here at Salon Tracker. I started working here over 5 years ago now and I have had the opportunity to speak to many of you over the phone in that time. My day-to-day role consists of speaking to our lovely customers and helping out with any technical issues they may have, both with the software and also any hardware they may use within the
salon. I also work closely with the development team and have weekly meetings with them to discuss how we can i
mprove the software further. I am also starting to learn C# coding language so hopefully in the future I will be able to contribute to adding in new features that our customers have requested into the software.

Christie

Hi I’m Christie. I’ve been here for just over 5 years now and have taken on the role of ‘Senior Sales Executive’ following my CMDA degree at Sheffield Hallam University. During my time here, I have worked in different roles such as support and as a result of this I now know the software like the back of my hand which allows me to excel in my Sales role as best as possible. I work closely with the newest member sales and marketing team, Elyse, and have been guiding her in her day-to-day duties. I am also Elyse’s university mentor, and it is really nice to be her point of contact whilst she goes through her journey at Sheffield Hallam.

You may also recognise Stanley in the photo from our Instagram account, he is often featured on there so be sure to give us a follow for more Stanley updates. (@salontrackersoftware)

 Leah

My name is Leah and I’m a Senior Accounts Executive here at Salon Tracker. I have worked here for just over 4 years now and in this time, I have worked in Sales, Marketing and support. My day-to-day job role now is to manage customer accounts which means I speak to a lot of existing customers and answer any questions they have and offer them support for the software. I have also just graduated from Sheffield Hallam with a degree in Professional Practice in management which I studied for alongside working at Salon Tracker meaning I have learnt many transferable skills which I use at work. 

Ellis

My name is Ellis and I’m a Senior Accounts Executive here at Salon Tracker. I have worked here for just over a year now and in this time, I have worked in Sales, Marketing and Support. My day-to-day jobs include managing current customers' accounts and dealing with any support that they may need. Alongside this, I have also been doing some work re-designing our website, transferring some skills that I gained during my time at university prior to starting at Salon Tracker.

Mia

My name is Mia, I am currently working with the support team which I have been in for 6 months. My role is to solve any technical issues that a customer may have. I am also in my first year of my Business Management degree apprenticeship at Sheffield Hallam University, which I am enjoying as I have the opportunity to learn more about the business, and how it works also how I can grow within it. I am really loving my time at Salon Tracker and working in within a team who support each other in every way they can.

Elyse

My name is Elyse, I am the newest member of the Salon Tracker team, I have been here for nearly 3 months. I am currently learning the ropes in the Support and Sales teams to see which role suits me best. I have taken on the project of running our social media campaigns to ensure that we are always engaging with our customers. I am in my first year of my Business Management degree apprenticeship with Salon tracker. This helps me to learn different business strategies and apply them directly to my work.

As well as all of us customer facing members of the Salon Tracker Team, there is also a group of developers who are constantly working on improving and updating the system. 

If you would like to get booked in with one of us to have a look at the software or would like any more information at all, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0113 350 8230.

Salon Tracker x 

Feature of The Month - Online Tanning Payments

We know a lot of our customers have been waiting for this feature for a little
while, and we’re happy to announce its almost here! We recently released our online deposits feature for hair, beauty, clinic and spa deposits and have since been working hard to get our release ready for tanning salons. The salon world is ever changing and the post-Covid era is making online payments one of the most popular forms of payment for customers.

How Will Our Online Payments Work?

As with our online deposits, our online payments will work through our seamless integration with Stripe, allowing customers to pay with card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Klarna.

When a customer goes to book, they will see any remaining minutes they have in a services drop down and any available to purchase for that bed. If a customer wishes to purchase some new minutes, they can select the course or minutes package they want to purchase from the drop down. This will then take them through to Stripe where they will pay with their chosen method, once the payment has gone through, they will see a payment successful screen and then have the option to continue with their booking.

Once they have completed their booking this will show in your Salon Tracker system as an online booking, with the customers purchase being stored on their account. With online payments being activated for tanning, customers won’t be able to create a booking without purchasing minutes, helping to boost your sales!

Why Should You Implement Online Payments?

The main benefit of introducing online payments into your salon is that it makes
the customers salon experience much more seamless! Giving them the ability to book and purchase minutes online not only improves their customer journey, but also makes your lives much easier in the salon with reduced waiting times.

Customers are now using cash a lot less frequently, and it’s estimated that in
2026 the UK will become a cashless country. Many people prefer the convenience and ease of use of being able to pay for a service online. By integrating with Stripe, we have been able to offer a secure and safe payment method, so you and your customers are able to use our payment platform without the worry of information being at risk.

Revenue generated from online payments goes directly into your bank account through Stripe, and with any customers that opt to pay through Klara the full amount is sent directly to you. So, you don’t have to worry about following up on any payments, as there are all dealt with through Klarna.

How Do I Get my Online Deposits Set Up?

Our online payments feature is expected to be released for tanning salons shortly. If this is a feature you are interested in, we are looking for a handful of customers to test this for us, so feel free to give us a call or email on info@salontracker.co.uk and we will be happy to add you to the waiting list.

The feature is only available for our Enterprise Customers, if you wish to upgrade, please contact us and we will be able to arrange this with you.

If you would like to see this feature in person, we will be exhibiting at the Professional Beauty London Show on the 3^rd and 4^th of April on stand Q32! Feel free to come down and visit our stand for an in-person demo and to meet the team, we look forward to seeing you there.

Salon Tracker x

Feature of Month - Salon Tracker Data Conversions

Although we might not like to admit it, there are other software companies out there. Here at Salon Tracker were happy to convert your data free of charge from any other software company.

We understand that the process of switching software providers can be stressful and sometimes over complicated, you’ve probably got months or years’ worth of customers information on your current system and the last thing you want to is re-enter all your clients into a new system. That’s where we come in.

Our data conversions typically allow us to bring across:

•  Customer names
•  Customer notes
•  Products
•  Customer services (Such as existing minutes)

There are 3 simple steps involved in us converting your data:

Step 1

First, we need a copy of your data. Sometimes this involves us connecting to your PC and taking the data ourselves, other times the data can be encrypted or stored within a location we don’t have access to. If this is the case you would need to speak to your current provider and ask them to get the data for us, hopefully they’ll be nice enough to let you have it!

Step 2

We will test the data on our end to make sure we can definitely convert the data, if this is the case we will go ahead with the full conversion. Once we have completed the conversion, we will test import it into Salon Tracker and compare it to the existing data to ensure that it has copied over correctly. This step will often take up to 3 days, it just depends on the scale and size of your database.

Step 3

Finally, we will import the data onto your new Salon Tracker system and then check it through with you again to make sure its all correct! It works best if we can do the conversions at the start of the week and import before the end of the week to ensure that you have a couple of working days to use and test the data.

If you are interested in moving over to our software from your current provider, we offer the data conversion free of charge and you will also get 30% off the first 3 months of your subscription for moving over to us! Feel free to call on 0113 350 8230 to discuss your data conversion and see all the benefits of introducing Salon Tracker software into your salon!

Salon Tracker x

Feature of the Month- New Tanning Features

Feature of the month is back! To celebrate this month, we’re doing a three in one of new tanning rules that we have added into the software over the past couple of weeks all in one place!

Overbook

One new feature which is in the final stages of completion is our new overbook feature. This feature is more for the tanning salons who take prebooking’s for their beds.  This feature allows you to book customers onto a bed, even if they don’t have the minutes pre purchased on their account. For example, if one of your customers wanted to get booked in for a sunbed in a few days’ time for 15 minutes, but only had 6 minutes remaining on their course card, you would be able to book them a slot for 15 minutes, with the 9 extra minutes being classed as an over booking. If you do this, you won’t be able to confirm the booking until those extra 9 minutes have been purchased. This means that you can effectively book people in for more minutes that they have remaining but means that you won’t be able to put them onto the bed unless they have paid, meaning you’re less likely to give away any free

minutes by accident.

Course Rules

Another new feature that we have recently added to the system is course and single minutes rules. The way this works is that when you add a new booking or single minute service, you can add some course rules onto it. For example, with your single minute services, you can add the rule that it’s got to all be used in one session. This means that people can’t buy 15 single minutes and use 9 minutes one day and then 6 the next. This feature can also be used for courses. For example, if you have a course where a customer can go on 20 sessions for a set price, you can set the number of sessions available for that course to be 20. As well as the number of sessions per tanning service, you can also set it so there are only set numbers available to take off. For example, with the 15-minute single session there would only be a -15 option or if you had a course which allowed 10 minutes per day for a set amount of time, the only option available would be -10. You can set these numbers and the number of sessions as to whatever works best for you.

Online Security

We have also improved security for your salon when it comes to online bookings. Now all booking rules that are set on Salon Tracker will pull through to the online account. This means that whilst customers were never able to go on the bed more than once a day, this will also stop customers booking more than once a day meaning there will be more space on your calendar. Any other booking rules will be pulled through too, for example if you want fairer skin types to only be able to book once every 48 hours of if you only want your customers to only be able to book a set number of sunbeds per year. This again is totally customisable to your salon and just means you have even more control of what goes on in your salon at all times.

 

If you would like anymore information on any of these features or would like any help getting them set up, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  Also, if you would like to see these features in action come visit us at Professional Beauty London on the 17^th and 18^th of October and we will be able to give you a demonstration of how they work!

 

Salon Tracker x 

Feature of The Month – Online Registration

It’s back! Now that salons are all reopen and we’re getting back in to the swing of normality, we’re bringing back our Feature of the Month! So, for June, we thought we’d use our most useful features from over the past few weeks, and that is; 'Online Registration'.

Our online features have proved to be so popular as the lockdowns were lifted, with many salons requiring these features as they opted to pause walk-in appointments for now, due to number restrictions in the salons. Our online booking and registration has helped salons to keep on top of their maximum appointment schedules so much, but not only that, it has also helped them to gain new customers and retain them. As for any salons that used to offer walk-ins, they are now having to take the details of their clients for bookings, which means then they have these stored in the database for future marketing purposes too.

So how does our online registration work? If you have our Enterprise software package, you are able to implement an online registration form, which means that clients can register an account and make bookings for your salon, even when the salon doors are closed.

We implement an online form, that has all the required registration fields for your customers to fill out, which is instantly then sent through to the software system at the salon as soon as the client hits the ‘register’ button.

Another great benefit of online registration, is that we can add extra fields on to the form based on the information your salon is required to take. Not only that, we are able to also implement terms and conditions to the bottom of the form, in order for clients to read and sign the terms before they actually visit the salon. All of this information is then automatically synced and then stored in the Salon Tracker system so clients then don’t have to register at the salon reception – saving time for the salon employees.

By having registration online and digital, this also saves on time and resources, as your employees are no longer having to use paper client cards or go through registration forms at the salon, as it can all be done in the clients’ own time, even when your salon doors are closed. They can also register on any device that has the internet, making it so convenient that clients can now register for your salon from their mobile phone whilst on the move!

The registration form can be solely branded to suit the theme of your salon, as we can add the salon logo and implement your brands colour theme, to ensure everything is cohesive for you and clients recognise the page as your salon brand.

So, if you’re not already a user of our Enterprise package, but this sounds like it could suit you, our sales team are on hand to give you a demo of how this can work for you. Already an Enterprise customer? We can activate this feature for you so that you can start gaining new clients and building up your client base!

Want to have a quick demo, please just give our team a call on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email at info@salontracker.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

We look forward to helping you to enhance your salons!

Salon Tracker x

Feature of the Month- Post Delay

Another month, another feature!

This month’s feature of the month is all about out ‘post-delay’ feature. This is a feature that is available on all three of our different software packages and is mainly utilised by our hair salon customers.


The way this works is that when you have a customer who had come in for a colouring and then a finish such as a cut or blow-dry, we realise there needs to be a short break in between for the colour to develop. This feature allows you to insert an automatic development time in-between each of your colour treatments so that there is a gap on the calendar for you to book another client in.


This means when one of your clients is sat waiting for their colour to develop, instead of waiting and having a gap in your calendar you can book another client in. This feature also works when customers are booking online, it will leave a gap between the colour application and the finish for you to either book someone else in in the salon or online.

This feature isn't just for our hair salons either, any salon who offer services where a break is needed in-between for any sitting time!

This also works when booking in your customers from out new and improved Siteview app. As mentioned in last months blog out Siteview app is now editable meaning you can put bookings in from your phone or any other laptop or pc even when you’re not in the salon.

If you’re an existing customer who would like some more information on these features or if you’re interested in getting booked in for a free demo and two-week trial of the system please give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk


Stay Safe!


Salon Tracker x

Feature of the Month - Editable Siteview

As things are slowly getting back to normal in salons, we thought we’d bring back an old favourite, ‘Feature of the Month’. This month out feature of the month is a new, highly anticipated, one. Editable Siteview.

Whilst siteview has always been a very popular feature on our enterprise package and has been around for a number of years, over lockdown we have finally made it even better! We previously made this available as an app, you can now add bookings in from your phone, tablet or a computer away from the salon.

For those of you who don’t know what siteview is, this is a feature that is available on our enterprise package which allows salon owners and their staff members to view their calendars and reports from home or out and about on a phone, tablet or a pc out of the salon.  This allows you to keep track of everything going on in your salon no matter where you are.

After a lot of development and testing, we can finally offer our customers an editable version of this. This will allow you to search and view your customers on your app and you’ll also be able to put bookings in for them from this feature.

This is great for a lot of different types of salons. One type of salon that has found this especially useful are the ones where their stylists or beauticians are self-employed. This means that they would all have their own log in and only be able to see their own calendar and takings. They will then also be able to put bookings in their calendar when they’re away from the salon.  This however is a feature that will be useful for all types of salons however and this is shown in the wide variety of our customers who are already using this!

 As well as this new feature, there are many more existing features on our siteview that you can use. On top of being able to view all your calendars you will also have access to view all your reports from this app. This means you can keep an eye on the salon or on top of all your finances from home or anywhere. There is then also the dashboard. This gives you a quick overview of the day including how many bookings you’ve had, how many retail sales and also your cashing up figures for the day. Perfect for when you have a day off but just want to have a quick check on your salon.
 
If you’re and existing customer with the enterprise package or even someone who is wanting to upgrade or get set up on this package please give us a call on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk and a member of our sales team will be happy to help!
 

Salon Tracker x

February’s feature of the month – Siteview app

If you already have our software, you’ll know about our especially helpful feature – Siteview. Siteview is an online platform that allows you and your staff to log in from anywhere on their mobile, tablet or laptop and see what bookings they have in for future periods, run reports, charts and a dashboard featuring useful information. Obviously with user permissions you can decide who sees what and limit their view but for the owner of the business, it is the perfect solution to being able to access the software from home giving you that peace of mind that you needed on your last break away from the Salon. 

Well now our Siteview is a downloadable app on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android! Now you can experience the ease of checking on the Salon without having to navigate through the safari and weblink first. Instead you can simply click on the app and have all your figures and bookings directly Infront of you! Perfect for you busy on-the-go Salon owners! 

To download the app, simply search ‘salon tracker’ in the search box. It is completely free to download and all you need to input once it’s downloaded is your ‘Account Name’ which will be the name of the Salon with no spaces or capitals (you will only need to input this once) and your username and password… then you’re on!

If you do get stuck with this at all just give a member of the team a call on 0113 350 8230 and we'll be happy to give you a free training session on this!

If you don't currently have Salon Tracker but sound intrigued by this, then feel free to enquire at https://www.salontracker.co.uk/FreeTrial.aspx and a member of the team will be in touch as soon as possible!

We hope you love the App as much as we do!

Salon Tracker x