Why investing in this software can be a business game changer

In case you didn’t know, the world is in the middle of “Industry 4.0” or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This era is defined by automation and big data–businesses cannot do without the internet and technology.

We are in the midst of a tech dispensation where you have to rely on cyber-physical systems to run your business.

Businesses stand to lose big in terms of revenue generation and growth opportunities if they refuse to leverage mobile apps in marketing and user experience, as well as management software in staff and customer management. 

In the case of salon businesses, salon software has taken over tedious repetitive tasks from the front desk. Your software will, among other things, help you streamline both your internal processes and customer interactions.

It will make booking and managing appointments easier and, consequently, make it easier for your salon to penetrate and thrive in the online marketplace. This is, without a doubt, a business game changer.

Here are 5 more reasons why investing in salon software would be a game-changer for your salon business:   

1. It’s key to salons bouncing back in the “new normal” 

This goes without saying: The beauty and hair industry has for almost two years now been among the hardest-hit victims of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Beauty clients have changed how they consume services and products, with many still skeptical about crowded closed spaces such as salons. You must now get creative, change tact, and adapt your salon to the “new normal” if you are to succeed in 2021 and beyond. 

Online booking salon software is one tool that has come in handy for the hair and beauty industry.

Firstly, it makes booking easy for clients by giving them the freedom to self-book your services at their most convenient time.

Secondly, you can even use the software to automate email or text reminders to clients as a way of minimizing no-shows and late coming. Late coming and in-person appointments are the top contributors to unnecessary crowding in your premises.

Thirdly, investing in scheduling software is one way of streamlining day-to-day processes in your salon. It improves efficiency in your team, makes your management job easier, and frees up time for you to strategize for the “new normal”. It is hard to be creative and innovative when you spend your day sending emails or answering phone calls, after all. 

Perhaps the biggest reason for investing in salon booking software in the new normal is to improve your customer experience. Studies show that the significance of customer experience has grown from 35% before the pandemic to 59% Post-COVID in terms of influencing customers’ purchasing decisions.

A good online booking system makes it easy for clients to read feedback on your website, give feedback, make appointments, cancel appointments, and access your contact & location address. Easy access to such info and features is good for customer experience.   

2. It is one way of earning the trust of new clients 

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is anchored on efficiency and convenience. That’s exactly what your salon clients expect when booking appointments with you.  They want instant gratification. They have no appetite for phone tags with your receptionists, or the patience to wait for email responses after making inquiries. Such customers will not trust a business that makes them do most of the work when booking a service; a service that they will then have to pay for. 

There is more: Phone appointments are ineffective because there is no guarantee that someone will always be available to answer incoming phone calls at your salon. Sometimes you will take longer to answer or forget to respond to voicemail messages, and that is a recipe for distrust. 

3. Out goes manual diaries, enter centralized databases 

Collecting, analyzing, and storing customer data is critical to digital marketing. Salons need to at least know their customers by name, their physical and email addresses, phone numbers, products’ purchase history, feedback records, and transaction history, among others. You can use this info to create targeted ads, understand your clientele better, improve your services, attract new customers, and generally make intelligent online business marketing decisions. 

Traditionally, salon owners saved this information on excel files or even manual diaries. None of the two storage options is safe from physical theft or cyber-attack. Salon booking software is a game-changer here because it is by itself a centralized, secure database for salon customer data. It will collect and analyze the data for you, making it easy to retrieve and consume.

Furthermore, the software creates databases on the cloud; authorized individuals can access it from any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

4. Employee management hasn’t been easier 

Do you know which one of your employees is the most hardworking? Who is the “celebrity” stylist at your salon? Who misuses beauty products and who is most vigilant?

These are questions that quality salon management software will help you answer. It will, for example, tell you which stylist brings you the most money by analyzing how many times each stylist is booked. That enables you to create an informed, unbiased employee recognition program.

On the other hand, the software’s scheduling features will tell you which employee is engaged and to whom extra tasks should be assigned. Your employee management work becomes so much easier as a result. You can even manage workflows at your salon from a remote location.   

5. Revolutionizing inventory management for salons   

Poor inventory management leads to disappointments and lost business. Think of a situation where a hair client wants to get her hair colored, but you realize at the moment that you don’t have her preferred color. She will probably seek services elsewhere and write a negative review online.

Your software will save you such embarrassments and bad press by analyzing your purchase history and notifying you about inventory levels in real-time. Your stock will never again completely run out and blindside you in front of clients. It will also tell you which products are fast-moving and the ones gathering dust on the shelves so you don’t overstock on products you don’t need. 

Investing in an online salon management system can just be the game-changer you need to stay afloat in 2021 and beyond. It can boost your revenue collection in so many ways and help you manage your salon better and more professionally. What remains now is for you to find reputable booking software for your specific current needs and budget.