Merry Christmas from The Salon Tracker Team x

 

It’s that time of the year again! And what a year this one has been.

It’s been great to expand our Salon Tracker family this year and we’re so glad that you have all remained or joined us as customers, allowing us to help you with your businesses. We’ve also seen two new additions in our team, who have been a great help and I’m sure many of you have had the chance to speak to them by now.

We want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your consistent support and patience throughout the year. This year we introduced online payments which has been a huge development for our system. We have also been planning for next year and have some new exciting features which we are hoping to release in 2023.

And now, Christmas is only a few days away, we also want to thank all of you who entered our Xmas giveaway competition by leaving us some really wonderful reviews. They have been so lovely to read, our team have really enjoyed getting your feedback and it’s been great to have some Xmas fun & give away some fabulous prizes! We have revealed the winners over on our Instagram story, if you missed these please visit our highlights to see if you have been a lucky prize-winner! We will however also be in contact with you for you to be able to claim your prize.

We know that the rising energy prices and after effects of COVID have been difficult for many but we will always try and support our existing customers as much as possible in these times. Our subscription prices have remained the same for the last 10 years and as we go into 2023, they will continue to stay at this price. Also, we often have offers available for new customers signing up so keep your eyes peeled on our social media for those.

Christmas opening hours: We will be open until 5pm on 23^rd December, and then our offices will be closed throughout the Christmas period until Tuesday 3rd January.

If you do require any urgent licensing assistance during this time, please telephone our support line on 0113 350 8232 and someone will get back to you as soon as possible with your activation code.

On behalf of everyone here at Salon Tracker, we’d like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a happy & healthy New Year, see you in 2023!

Salon Tracker x

Christmas Marketing Tips

It's that time of year again and we know how busy you must be in the festive season. Have you been so busy getting ready for Christmas that you haven't had time to think about your Christmas marketing techniques? No need to stress, we have you covered. We have come up with some great marketing tips and tricks for your Salon this Christmas. 

Christmas competition

Do you want to increase your social media interactions this Christmas? We have a great idea for you, how’s about running a Christmas giveaway. This idea is always fun and easy to do. You could give away prizes such as 20 free minutes on a sunbed for the festive season or a cut and blow dry ready for the annual work party. All you need to do is create a social media post with your chosen prize and get your customers to comment or share on their stories to enter the competition. This Christmas trick is a great way to engage with your customers over Instagram or Facebook whilst still promoting your Salon at Christmas.

Christmas opening hours

We know that Christmas is a busy time of year, and you will be up to your ears in bookings. If your Salon has decided to have extended Christmas opening hours, make sure people know about it. A great way to make people aware of your extended hours is to do a social media post displaying your new Christmas hours. This will ensure that all of your customers are aware of your extended Christmas hours and will help to boost your bookings.  

    Window Display

    A great way to engage your customers and increase the sales of retails products is to create your very own festive window display. A window display is the perfect way to grab your customers attention and create a desire to buy your products for themselves or as presents for others. At Salon Tracker we think the best way to create an engaging Christmas window display is to have a theme. For example, Winter Wonderland or Santa’s workshop. Having a theme will make sure that your display is not overcrowded and keeps your products at the focus of attention.

    Gift vouchers

    Another marketing tip for this Christmas is to use Christmas gift vouchers. If you are wanting to have an offer on this Christmas how’s about using a gift voucher. Creating a gift voucher with festive images on is a great way to entice customers into your salon and make use of your offers. You can post on your social media accounts to make everyone aware of your gift vouchers and get them lining up to book in with you. 

    Christmas countdown loyalty card

    We have a great marketing trick to increase your bookings in the lead up to Christmas. This year how's about creating a loyalty card for the Christmas countdown. This will urge customers to come into your salon repeatedly to claim their free festive reward. We think it would be a great idea to do a 12 days of Christmas loyalty card. For example, the customer would use a sunbed 12 times and get their last session free. This Christmas trick would help to bring up your bookings and will give your customer a Christmas reward for their loyalty. 

    We hope that these Marketing tips will help you in the lead up to this Christmas season. We would love to see your Christmas decorations and displays, just dm us a picture @salontrackersoftware. Here at Salon Tracker, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

   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 

How to do Black Friday in the most Cost-Effective Way!

 

Black Friday is fast approaching so normally around this time of year we would be giving our best advice on how you could take full advantage of this event. However, we know that this year because of some external factors such as the cost-of-living crisis, some salons may be struggling to decide whether or not they can afford to do something this year. This is why we decided that in this weeks’ blog we are going to give you some ideas on how you can do Black Friday in the most cost-effective way.

 

Tombola

One thing that you could do in the salon is a tombola. You could charge whatever is reasonable for the prizes that you are giving out. You could include both retail products and either full services or discounted services as prizes. One great thing about doing something like this is that it gives you a way to get rid of some of the stock of the retail products that you have in your salon. By offering services or discounted prices on services, this also gives the customers who win them the opportunity to try new things that they may not have tried before. If they enjoy the service, they may then continue to get booked in for this service which would be beneficial for the salon in the future.

 

Refer a Friend

Another way you can continue to reward your customers is to offer a ‘refer a friend’ deal. This would benefit both you and your customers. It’s great for customers because by just bringing a friend in they could gain a reward such as a free small retail product, a free sunbed session or money off their booking. This would also be great for the salon as by your customers referring a friend, you’re in turn getting a new, hopefully loyal customer.

 

Utilise our Offer!

Running from the 8^th of November to the 8^th of December we have our very own black Friday offer on our software, hardware and SMS packages.

If you’re currently thinking about making the move over to a software management system from a paper based one or are thinking about swapping providers, if you sign up with us before the 8^th of December, we are offering 50% off your first month’s payment on all of our feature packages.

We are also offering up to 15% off all of our hardware. Whether this be because you’re wanting to start fresh with all new hardware, including PC’s, POS hardware, fingerprint readers and signature pads or if you’re just wanting to upgrade some of the equipment you already have, drop us an email detailing what you require, and we can send you over a personal quote.

Finally, the last offer we have on for new and existing customers alike is 15% off all SMS text bundles. These SMS credits can be used for a number of things including: Booking reminders, marketing texts, online booking PIN reset texts and finally our newest feature, payment texts. This means that if a customer is getting booked in in the salon or over the phone and a deposit is required, you can send them an SMS text with Stripe payment link for them to pay their deposit.

If you would like to take advantage of any of these deals or would like any more advice on what you could offer in your salon call us on 0113 350 8230 or email us on info@salontracker.co.uk

 

Salon Tracker x

Last Minute Halloween Lookbook!

 

Halloween is nearing, have you got your costume ready? You don’t? No need to stress, we have it covered.

I think we can all agree that 2022 has been a hectic year, but we are here to make your Halloween as relaxing and stress free as possible. We have some easy Halloween looks for you that take minutes to pull together but look like they took all year to plan.

Looking for a stress-free Halloween outfit? Just grab a red top or blazer with some red horns and you'll have the perfect Devil costume. You can even add some red eye shadow and lipstick, or a splash of fake blood to really pull the outfit together. Who says Halloween can't be scary yet stylish!

If you want a costume for you and your furry friend, we have a great idea. Just grab a couple of old bed sheets, cut a whole for your eyes and nose and become a scary ghoul.

Makeup is everything this Halloween and it can really pull a costume together, so why not make it the main part. Some red and black eye makeup is all you need to create this flawless vampire look. 

                                          

Not wanting to go solo this Halloween? Here is a costume idea for you and all of your friends. Who says Halloween has to be so scary, just pop on a cowgirl hat and YEEHA!

Back to basics! Why not stick to the classics with this simple witch outfit. All you'll need is that black dress and a witch hat hidden at the back of your closet. 

Have you got nowhere to wear that black-tie suit that you bought years ago? Here's an idea, grab some black and white face paint and be a creepy skeleton this Halloween. This is a perfect costume for everyone, it never gets old!

These 6 simple and easy to do looks will transform your Halloween from tiresome to terrifying. We hope that these costumes have given you some great ideas for your spooky season. We would love to see the costumes that you guys have put together, be sure to DM us your Halloween pictures on Instagram @salontrackersoftware. 

Salon Tracker X

 

Loyalty with Salon Tracker!

 

When it comes to running a successful salon business, customer loyalty and retention is one of the most important factors. The salon market in 2022 is one of the most condensed with a lot of different businesses offering the same services. In this blog we are going to talk about the features that are already implemented in Salon Tracker which can help you encourage your existing customers to keep coming back to your salon rather than opting to have the same services at one of your competitor salons.

Pack Quantities

One feature that is already within Salon Tracker is pack quantities. This feature allows you to sell your services in packs and take payments upfront. This means that customers can buy a bundle of services, often for a reduced price, upfront. By offering this customers can purchase multiple services upfront for cheaper and it will therefore encourage them to stay loyal to your salon. By doing it this way you are also able to take payment upfront meaning there’s no chance of your salon losing out if these customers decide, for whatever reason, to not come back.

 

Marketing

Another way you could encourage your existing customers to stay loyal to your salon is to market to them via text and email. Salon Trackers intelligent marketing suite, which is available on our professional and enterprise packages, can help you do this in the easiest way possible. In our marketing suite you can filter out your customers depending on who you want to send a message to. For example, if you are wanting to thank your most loyal customers from the past three months, you can go to the marketing suite and then select your filter for the ’10 Best Spending Customers in the past three months’. Once you have this list of customers you could send them a message as follows:

‘Congrats, you are one of our top customers this season! As a thank you show this message next time you’re in for £5 off your next booking’

This gives you the opportunity to keep in contact with your customers, encourage them to keep visiting and also reward these loyal customers.

 

Customer Groups

Another way you can use Salon Tracker to reward your loyal customers is to set up customer discount groups. You can set up as many different customer groups as you would like with different discounts on retail products and booking services. One way you can do this is to have different customer groups for silver, gold and platinum customers. You could offer different discounts in each group with the idea that customers can work their way up these groups to get the best discount by being loyal to your salon.

If you would like any more information on any of these things or would like to get booked in for a free demonstration and two-week trial, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us on 0113 350 8230 or email info@salontracker.co.uk

Salon Tracker x

Our New Support System

We want to make getting help from us as easy as possible, which is why we have introduced a new help section on our website for you and your staff (Help - Salon Tracker). Here you will find plenty of help videos and guides on loads of different sections of the software. Perfect for staff training or if you ever get stuck and just need a quick guide on what to do.

Help Videos (Support Videos - Salon Tracker)

Our help videos have been stored within in the software for quite a while now, so we thought it would be helpful to have these accessible at any time, even when you’re not actually in the salon. The help videos follow the menu within Salon Tracker to make them as easy to follow as possible, starting with bookings all the way through to help. On our help home page there is also a search feature that brings up any videos or guides that match your search, so if you are unsure of which section the video will fall under you can use the search instead.

Each video is around 1-3 minutes and shows a walk-through of how to complete different tasks on the software. 

User Guides

Similar to the videos we also have lots of different help guides (Help Guides - Salon Tracker) to help with issues you may come across when using the system, for example how to reconnect your receipt printer. These can be downloaded to your phone and include simple steps in order to resolve any issues you may be having with the system.

Support Chat

We also now have our support chat live, here you can message a member of our team to ask any questions you may have and they will be able to point you in the right direction. You can also email yourself any chat transcript to refer back to for future help or we can email this direct to you!

 

With all the help guides now being accessible straight from your phones, it makes it 10x easier to get support and to train your staff. Of course, we will be on hand if you do need further assistance with the software, so don’t hesitate to call us on 0113 350 8230 or drop us an email to info@salontracker.co.uk and we will be happy to help!

 

Salon Tracker x