Salon Tracker: Feature of the Month

Need to improve security in the salon, perfect your business organisation and also ensure that no one is tanning fraudulently or illegally in your absence?

Then read on to see how our Feature of the Month - The Fingerprint Reader can help you to achieve those improvements.

Our salon software has a unique fingerprint recognition built in, which enables a fingerprint login security for all clients, and on top of that, allows staff to clock in and out of their shifts. An essential feature for all salons, and especially those in the tanning industry.

The beauty of fingerprint reading is that no one can replicate another’s fingerprint and sign in as someone else, like what unfortunately may happen with pin logins and barcode readers. This applies to both clients and staff, as before we introduced the fingerprint feature we used to hear stories of clients who would try and tan using a friend’s login, in which if the friend was underage then tanning salons could be allowing people to tan illegally without actually being wise to it.

Not only however does this stop clients tanning fraudulently, is also eliminates the chance of malicious behaviours, for example if staff were using fake client record cards to tan mischievously whilst on a shift in the salon owners absence. We know that this probably isn’t a usual occurrence, but unfortunately we have had feedback of this happening in some salon businesses, and therefore you just want to make sure that your salon is as secure as possible, and you are using your salon software to its full potential.

Further benefits include being able to accurately track your staff rota, in which this is the feature that is really beneficial to salon owners that are away from their salon locations for long periods of time. Our salon system has permissions that force the use of a fingerprint before a staff member can be logged in to a shift, which means lateness can be identified and followed up quickly and eliminates other colleagues from signing in for other staff members at false times.

The fingerprint clock-in and out report is updated continuously and this can be accessed by salon owners when they are away from the salon via Salon Tracker’s site view app, in which ensures that staff are still being punctual in their salon owners absence.

For owners of multi-sites, the fingerprint reader ensures full salon security across multiple locations, as we understand that it is difficult to split time across several sites to maintain salon management to a high expectation. Salon Tracker’s HQ feature allows multi-site business owners to track fingerprint reading reports for all salons from one main headquarters. Saving salon owners stress, time and ensuring that each site is as secure as it can be.

For more information on our Fingerprint Reader head to www.salontracker.co.uk or call our office on 0113 350 8230 and speak to a member of our team who will be happy to run through a software demo with you.

And don’t forget, you can also trial Salon Tracker FREE of charge for 2 weeks, so don’t miss out on improving the efficiency of your salon and let us help you out today!

Salon Tracker x

How we can help businesses of multiple sites

Being a salon owner isn’t an easy task. You have to overlook the business, your staff, finances, stock and many other tasks. Keeping track of every aspect of your salon business can become very time consuming and stressful. Especially if you have more than one site to handle. You can’t be at multiple places at the same time and probably spend a fair amount of time away from the salon or rushing between each site. If you are using salon software to get organised, great, but did you know here at Salon Tracker, we can support all the needs multi-site business owners have?

In general, salon software is a great addition to any hair, beauty or tanning business, whether you have one salons or a whole chain of twenty establishments. It helps you to get rid of all those excess papers and client cards and make more space for other things. All your information will be stored electronically, from info such as client records and stock control, meaning everything can be accessed in just a few clicks. Over the last year, we have made significant advances to our software that especially support multi-site salon owners. Our overall goal was to create features that can maximise business potential to those who have to manage more than one salon. From research, we have found that communications can be one of the biggest hindrances between each salon. As an owner, one of the biggest concerns is to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

But what features can salon owners use to maximise their multi-side potential? Have a look at our three main features:

HQ (Headquarters)

We have designed HQ alongside other features. It is designed for salons with multiple sites. HQ allows salon owners to link all of their sites from one main "headquarters” to oversee all of its activity in one go. This can either be an office within one of the salons, a home office or another location. HQ provides you with a separate version of Salon Tracker on a preferred computer that allows you to switch between all business sites. Meaning, salon owners have full access over booking calendars, staff, stock, marketing, reports and management. Furthermore, HQ allows you to share client data across all sites and customers benefit from stored information, meaning they wouldn’t have to register or go through a patch test again if they visit one of your other sites. Stock can be overseen for all sites and be reordered if levels are running low.

Therefore, this is the perfect solution to overlook all your sites' activity from one head office and make your life easier and stay organised.

Homeview 

Owners get a second version of Salon Tracker on any preferred PC or Laptop to use at home or on the go, meaning they can check salon activity even when they’re not present. This is possible either from home or even on holiday, as long as there is an internet connection. This feature is aimed at salon owners that spend a fair amount of time away from the salon but still want to have full insights of what is happening on a day-to-day basis. Same as with the HQ feature, stock ordering can also be done over the "Homeview" feature and furthermore, sales can be tracked without the salon owner or manager needing to be present. Reports can be exported via email and into different formats, making the administrative side much easier for owners and to stay on top of everything.

Site-View

This is a great feature for both the owner as well as the salon staff, especially when you don’t have accessed to the salon PC or Laptop. Site-view can be accessed on the go from a tablet or smartphone that has the ability to connect to the internet. You can ensure that your salon is running smoothly even when you are absent. It gives you the ability to oversee your business and monitor activities such as takings, refunds and stock management. You can also access staff performance charts to maintain authority in your absence. Site-View is an essential for those salon owners who hold multiple sites and need to split themselves between sites, especially those business owners that are constantly on the go. It allows you the opportunity to access your current business activity from your smartphone, iPad, tablet or a PC. Furthermore, your staff will get their unique log-ins to view their upcoming appointments for that week.

Overall, our features support salon owners with their time management and organisation. Now, owners don’t have to rush around and try and split their time across different locations. Multi-site features are available on our Enterprise Package for £90 + VAT a month, including other great features such as online booking for your salons and a mobile web app for your customers to book their appointments from.

If that sounds like exactly what you need then why not get in touch today for a FREE consultation & trial http://ow.ly/tWd2302mfic 

We offer a no-obligation 14-day trial period, for you to ensure that the software is right for you before signing up to anything.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Salon Tracker x

This Year's Valentine's Marketing Tips!

Okay, so January always feels like the longest month ever (thank goodness it’s over) and especially after your Christmas buzz! Everyone can’t wait for another reason to generate some marketing, get footfall flowing and boost those sales back up again. So thank goodness for Valentines and that it’s here once more.

It’s a great novelty event to utilise every year, especially with your younger adult market if you make your Valentines offers affordable. You’ll always get your ROI on any Valentine’s promotions, as the beauty is you can appeal to men & women of all ages and even create couples treatments too! So, here are our top-tips on how to capitalise on the romantic period this Feb.

Appeal to the girls post-valentine’s, with ideas along the lines of ‘Pre-pamper before your Valentines Date’

Especially for couples who are due to go on a first date, these are the types of customer that you can really advertise your pamper packages to. Simple little treatments such as Mani’s, Pedi’s, waxing, threading, brows and great lashes, all of these are the types of mini essential treatments that most clients will look to purchase before their Valentines date. To boost those sales a little bit more, offer a couple of little extra’s on the packages like complimentary prosecco or a free sample gift with each purchase. Also, look at re-naming your packages to make them stand out and to also give you something fresh to advertise, our ideas were ‘Prosecco & Pedicure’ or ‘Bubbles & Brows’?

Owner of a male salon? Appeal to guys with grooming packages – a great month to push your deluxe facials and hair-cuts!

As we all know, it’s not just the girls that require pampering. The male beauty market has boomed over the past couple of years, so as much as the girls want to impress their significant others, this is just as true with the men! Same rules apply, your mini treatments like facials, massages, haircuts, these are all Valentines seasonal winners. So flower them up a little bit by either re-naming them something quirky, or even in this instance offer a 10% discount or a discount for re-booking, as the whole ‘bubbles & barbering’ doesn’t have the same ring to it, and probably won’t be as appealing to the male market!

Appeal to the Men with gift ideas

If this is an early relationship, guys might get a little stuck when it comes to what gift to purchase, if they want to something a bit more than the classic gift of ‘flowers & chocolate’. Especially if you are a multi-sex salon, you are going to get lots of male customers through your doors on a daily basis, so a perfect opportunity to promote those pressie ideas to them. Easy options are vouchers or gift cards, which if you offer a rewards scheme then perfect, you could hit your yearly voucher target in one month! However, thinking a little bit further outside the box, why not create little Valentines gift packages? These could consist of a voucher and some sample minis? Or even retail product gift sets, which with a bit of cellophane and some streamer you could create these yourselves in the salon quite quickly. By also creating the gift sets in-house you are then saving the men on their gift-wrapping, which is another massive selling point! Showcase these at your cash desk, or create a little gift-table at the front of the salon and you’re sorted.

Couple’s Services

If you’re a multi-sex salon then this is a definite for you. The best way to entice couples here would be to generate special offer packages on your most popular treatments. A great one if your salon is based in a spa or hotel, as you can also offer voucher for treatments as present ideas if the couple have booked to spend the weekend at that particular hotel. Massages are a great joint treatment package, as you can advertise around the whole idea of ‘relax and enjoy the day together’. If both members of the couple are regulars at your salon, filter out your data to see which treatments they often purchase and personally advertise to that them through SMS or Email marketing. This will make them feel extremely valued and also show the couple that you recognise their custom.

Single Celebrations

For those of your clients that are still in the single market, this time of year can be pretty drab, so why not mix things up a little bit and advertise to the singles as well, that way you’re generating yourselves more sales by altering the stereotypical Valentine’s day promo’s. You could advertise on your social media by first off mentioning your actual Valentines promotions before then saying ‘Single? Then don’t worry we’ve got lots of packages for friends to visit and enjoy the day as well’. A great USP as 9/10 every other salon, restaurant, bar and retailer will be advertising to the couples’ scene, so make your business stand out!

Salon Tracker x

One month until Professional Beauty London – Our New Releases and Offers

It is that time of the year again, where we gather our things and travel all the way to London. We are excited to be exhibiting at Professional Beauty in London again this year. After last year’s success, we are hoping to continue our journey and meet old, existing and potential customers there. The Salon Tracker team will be available on Sunday and Monday all day for any questions, demonstrations or general inquiries. We are specialists in our field so do not worry if it all seems new to you. Find us at Stand P2 and have a look at what we do. There is plenty to see at the show and the city as well. What better excuse to visit the capital a bit more often.

What new features can you expect from Salon Tracker at the show?

Smart Rota – Clocking in/out

This feature is designed for busy salons to stay on top of clients and as well as your staff. It should be a given that staff start/end their shifts according to the weekly rota. To ensure that your salon runs smoothly and your staff is acting professional, we have integrated a Smart Rota feature. This lets you take control and ensure your staff arrive and leave on time. Each staff member will receive their unique log in details or log in with their fingerprint (you would need to integrate with one of our Fingerprint Readers). When staff sign in on the system, it will automatically log their hours at the beginning/end of their shifts and then provide salon owners with accurate reports of your staff's working hours.

Online Booking & Mobile App

Online booking offers a 24/7 booking service to all your clients. This means clients can register and book their appointments even when the salon is shut, giving the owner & staff peace of mind that the salon is still functioning even out of business hours. This allows your clients the freedom to contact you at their own convenience. You can enable customer to book through your website, your Facebook page or a salon-branded mobile app.

HQ/Homeview

We offer a Homeview version on any preferred PC/Laptop, meaning owners don't have to be constantly present to overlook the salon. Stock ordering can also be done over the HQ/Homeview feature and furthermore, sales can be tracked without the salon owner or manager needing to be present.

This is also the perfect solution for owners of multiple businesses, as now you can overlook all your sites' activity from one head office or the comfort of your home. It allows salon owners to link all their sites from one main "headquarters". This ensures that salon owners have full access over bookings, staff, marketing, reports and management. 

Happy Hour 

Why not offer a happy hour during quiet periods of the week. Our Happy Hour feature enables all customers to get treatments & tanning minutes to a discounted price. This can help drive revenue forward. Instead of making less sales, you encourage customers to visit because you do offer a discount every day. Create offers such as 10% off minutes and services for an hour a day. Instead of manually discount every customer, the system will automatically detect the happy hour promotion and do it for you. Once the time is up, the system will turn the Happy Hour promotion off again. 

Exclusive Show offers and Pricing

3-Months FREE Subscription on all our packages*

Choose between three packages to suit your needs:

Standard Subscription £30 (+VAT) PCM
Professional Subscription £60 (+VAT) PCM
Enterprise Subscription £90 (+VAT) PCM

*(based on a minimum of a 12 months signup)

An incredible 20% off all Hardware from Salon Tracker

We have some great offers on all of our hardware if you purchase from us. Here are just a few examples and prices for hardware packages we do. 

POS Hardware Bundle £499 (including barcode scanner, cash drawer and receipt Printer) Easy to set up retail POS, making it easy to keep track of all your takings.

Touchscreen All-in-one PC £899 having touchscreen capabilities on your monitor enhances its usability and provides a high-tech feel.

*(POS Hardware Bundle and Touchscreen All-in-one PC can be purchased together at a discounted rate)



Stay tuned for even more updates coming in the next couple of weeks and follow us on Social Media for live updates from Professional Beauty London 2017.

For more information on what our software packages include and what other hardware option you can choose from please visit our website http://www.salontracker.co.uk/Packages.aspx  
If you are thinking of attending the show, why not register for a FREE ticket here http://bit.ly/2jBRDdb

Salon Tracker x

Effective Ways to Utilise a Quiet Period in the Salon

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed ways in which to capitalise on Christmas, how to promote in the lead up to it and also how to reward your staff during busy peak seasons. What a contrasting time January is, where business is much quieter and actually you may need a few marketing tips to generate sales in a time where they’re not as guaranteed as they were back in December.

And maybe this isn’t just a time to create sales & new customers, this could also be a time to refresh your salon interior, update your services list and even re-evaluate your company prices. Competitor research is key here to understanding what else is on offer to your clients in the surrounding area and how it is that you can compete with these businesses.

Back to restoring those sales. Rewarding your loyal clients is a number one priority here, as many of them will have spent quite a lot with you over the Christmas period and may be feeling the back-lash of their Christmas spending throughout Jan. But, a great market space for you to sweep in with some promo materials that number 1 - make the client feel valued and number 2 - fill those start of the year calendar gaps. If you are a current software user of ours, great, as you can use our marketing suite to filter out your best-spending clients from November & December. You can then have a look at those clients’ history logs to see what it is they were buying from you over the festive period and also what services they purchase from you regularly. This provides you with an indication of the types of offers that you could promote, especially if there is a pattern with certain popular services. Something like "20% off <certain treatment> before 31st Jan would work, or "visit us in Jan and get your next booking half price"? Throw a little freebie sample in there and this is sure to boost some sales!

VIP event nights are another great way to re-attract clients, and also another way to increase your customer database if you recommend that clients bring along a friend. The aim of the event could purely be to sell as many retail products as possible, and you may offer a couple of treatment tutorials or mini-services throughout the night. Whichever it is, by creating something as a ‘VIP’ event, this instantly makes a client feel rewarded for their custom with you and also elevates their client status by referring to them as 'VIP', as it creates reason for them to hopefully keep spending a lot more with you in the future.

Now we’ve talked about clients that visit you a lot, but what about clients who you haven’t seen for a while? Maybe this is a good opportunity to reach out to those customers and try to get them back-in, especially as in Jan everyone’s social calendars are a bit quieter and we are all in need of a bit of a pamper-month.

With the Salon Tracker marketing suite, you can search for your customers that haven’t visited you in a while with our targeting filters and then maybe it is that you come up with a welcome-back offer to persuade them to revisit? This initially might be something as simple as offering them a free consultation and then 10% off their next booking if they come for a consultation in Jan. These mini 15-20 minute consultations then fill up any smaller calendar gaps that you may have, get some older-faces back in the salon and equally, to an outside view, make the salon seem much busier as well.

Running back over refreshing your salon décor, not only does this create uplifting energy for staff by having everything renovated, it also gives you something to talk about on social media - think of it as a little FREE PR technique. You could write a blog post about 'why you chose to renovate the salon', or simply shout about it on your Facebook & Twitter feeds; “head down to <salonname> to see our beautifully new decorated salon”. Post some Instagram photographs of it, throw a little Champagne/Prosecco reception in there and you’ve created yourself some PR and an event out of it!

Finally, reward the staff! You and your team will have worked extremely hard and around the clock over Christmas, and so what a lovely way to recognise everyone’s achievements during January. Organise a team day out, an evening meal or even just a fuddle at the salon. Team morale is the core of a business and therefore using your quieter months to boost this is a great way to keep your staff, as well as your clients, happy.


Salon Tracker x

PS...we're exhibiting at Professional Beauty London! To register for your FREE ticket click here http://bit.ly/2jBRDdb 

Why is customer service so important and how to be on top of that

Customer service is probably the most important part of any business that deals with clients on a regular basis. Your brand always depends on customer service. Without customers you wouldn’t be able to run your business after all. Good or poor service therefore can highly impact the success of your salon.

“To over-deliver in service to a customer is by far the most valuable thing to a business. Because there are only two ways to improve the operations of a business: increase sales or decrease costs” (Daymond John).

This not only applies to new salons that are just starting out, but any other well established salon that wants to grow their business. Not only is excellent customer service the perfect solution to improve client retention, it also works wonders for referrals and positive reviews. Happy, regular customers are more likely to tell their friends and family about their experience. This is a great way of direct marketing and results in new, loyal customers. Good customer service builds trust and loyal customers. This doesn’t only apply to salons, but many other businesses such as retailers. When clients acquire a product they want to feel that their needs and concerns are being understood. These days people will only stay loyal to a company if they have very good reason to and if they get offered a better service than at other places. There is plenty of competition and choice for customers and therefore businesses have to up their game in order to stand out. Customer service plays a big part in keeping existing customers and acquiring new ones. By providing the best in customer service, you will increase trust and that could mean the difference between loyal customer and the ones that will leave. So what can you do to improve customer service at your salon and be on top of the game? Here are five tips how you can be on top of it:

Motivate staff with rewards

This could be a special ‘Excellent Customer Service’ commission scheme. Ask customers for a review after their appointments. This can be in store, online or via the SMS Tool on the Salon Tracker system. Ask on a scale of 0-10 how likely they would recommend your salon to their friends, based on their experience with <insert staff name here> and ask why they gave that score. Don’t shy away from even negative reviews, because you can learn from them too. Through this method you can easily keep track of what customers think of individuals as well as the whole salon. You can integrate extraordinary services in monthly/quarterly staff meetings and reward staff member with little gifts or a day off. This will motivate other staff members to keep going with excellent service, in order to be eligible for a reward.

Listen to feedback & emphasise

Sometimes if a customer is dissatisfied they just want to be heard. Show them you understand their concerns. If they have a valid reason for a complaint then obviously take it serious and do everything in your power to fix it. Even if it wasn’t necessarily your fault, try to apologise. That way, if the customer feels unhappy, a simple apology often goes a long way and they feel satisfied that it is taken seriously, but try to avoid accepting responsibility. Tell the customers what you are going to do to sort out their problem. You can even offer them a discount on their next visit if you are worried about losing certain customers. Giving clients a simple way to give you feedback on their visit is fundamental to improving salon customer care. This way you keep well informed what customers enjoy and what doesn’t work that well.

Everything matters –even the small things 

If you can think of a unique way to make sure new clients enter the door and existing ones keep coming back then why not add something special for them that no one else does in the area. Your customer experience is what differentiates your salon from other competitors in your area. Everything counts when you’re creating outstanding client service – no matter how small or big your gestures are. Why not take a few minutes aside to think about things you can all improve and work on. You can have a look at your welcome are for example, making sure it’s well stocked with different magazines and activities for children. Maybe offer your guest a selection of little chocolates they can help themselves to while waiting. Or you can set up a little pampering station in the guest toilets. Why not offer some nice hand lotion they can try out and if they like it you can also promote retail sales at the same time. The little things may not seem important to you, as you don’t actively get involved with the customer but if your customers feel comfortable they are more likely to enjoy their overall experience. Remember happy customers create revenue.

Monitor your customer service

There is always time to reflect and improve, in order for success of your business. You can take specific time off during the week or month to reflect and to look at the little things to improve. This doesn’t have to take long. Even if you set 30 mins aside each month to focus on customer service, it will pay off in the long run. Many salons come up with an annual Action Plan in January to plan ahead for the year and to also underline how they want to improve their business. This is a great way to get everyone involved, reflect on the previous years and to look at statistics. Salon Tracker can help you with specific business reports whether you’re looking at profit, best spending customers or when your salon is busy/quiet. This not only helps with your marketing but also can assist you to determine when you have to take extra care of your customers.

Notice your customers

It all starts with a smile… How many times does a customer enter a busy salon and gets ignored for a few minutes before actually getting greeted. Salons should have a 30 second rule from when someone enters the store to being noticed by staff. A quick hello or smile in their direction will do the trick. Make sure they are aware you have seen them. Even if you’re busy with a client just smile in their direction or offer a quick “I’ll be with you in a minute”. Most customers will understand if you are busy and that you will be available as soon as you're done. If you have a receptionist, then make sure she/he is aware of this. Successful salons make sure their receptionists do this. 

So if you’re interested in building a growing business and revenue, over a long-term period, then customer service should be your top priority. To differ from your competition it will take work and you’ll have to put effort in. Find out what your customers want and offer it to them in your own unique way.

Salon Tracker x

Hello 2017!

Hello, hello, hello and Happy New Year! A BIG welcome back from all of us here at Salon Tracker, we hope you all had a fantastic Christmas with family & friends and managed yourself some well-deserved ‘me-time’ in and among handling the festive bustle in the salon.

So, a fresh New Year, a new start and business is probably a bit quieter now for you, so what a great time January is to get thinking and planning for the coming months. Maybe have a look at some new improvements for the salon? From décor, to introducing new treatments, to refreshing your marketing strategies, this is the month to do it and also we have loads of tips in our past blog posts to help you along the way, here’s a few below that you may wish 

to take a look at;

Does my Salon Need a Website?

Our Social Media Tips for Salon Owners

Why are Salon Reviews Important?

If you don’t have software already then maybe this is the time that you want to look in to how a software package could help you to progress through this year much smoother? Want a bit of inspiration, then you may want to check out our blog here about how our salon software can help to create a seamless client journey and make business management much easier for you.

Or if you’re already a current customer of ours then have a look at our latest software enhancements, and maybe you could look at upgrading your software feature set?

Saying that, what are our latest features and what can you expect from Salon Tracker in 2017?

If you didn’t know already, we are exhibiting at Professional Beauty London in February this year and therefore are releasing some new features show-ready for any of you that are visiting, so be sure to keep posted on our news feed for what's is coming up! Fancy coming along, then register for your FREE ticket here and head down to join us, we'd love to meet you!

Our most recent features however are the launch of the salon-branded mobile app, which is fantastic for salon businesses, and its clients, in ensuring that online booking is still accessible even when business doors are closed. This makes the business profitable 24/7 and enhances a salon's online profile, not to mention ensuring that it is keeping up with the ever-changing technological advances. Alongside this, we have introduced the ability for salon owners to view activity and business from the comfort of their own home, through our HQ and Homeview features. Making business management much easier, especially for those of you who are owners of a multi-site business and find it a constant struggle to split your time across multiple locations.

If you want to do a bit of Marketing or hold some promotional events, we have introduced 'Happy Hour' which means you can set offers & discounts throughout certain times of the day to entice clients to come and spend with you in your quieter periods. A great advertising technique for Jan! With this we have also recently introduced client groupings, meaning you can create certain discounting rules for a particular group of customers, such as students or friends & family, rather than having to keep a track of all your manual discounts.

We offer free demonstrations of the features mentioned above, and you can view the demo anywhere you wish as long as you have access to a PC and the internet, as we offer online demo's with members of our team. You can also trial Salon Tracker free of charge, no-obligation, for a fortnight to see for yourself how the system will benefit your business day to day. To book your demo & trial, enquire here or call our office on 0113 350 8230 to speak to a member of our team, we are on hand to answer any questions you may have and to discuss the best software options for you.


We look forward to another year of working with you and helping you to manage your salon business! Here's to 2017...


Salon Tracker x