Why Your Salon Needs a Salon Scheduling Software
By Space Coast Daily // December 17, 2021
Curious about the benefits of salon scheduling software for your beauty or hair salon business? Above anything else, online booking is now simply expected by our always-online, always-mobile clients, especially in this post-COVID-19 era. However, do you actually need to invest in one?
Here, we will learn why you need salon scheduling software for your salon, and why your clients can also benefit from one.
Without further ado, let us begin.
Why Do You Need Salon Scheduling Software
Is investing in a salon scheduling platform a good deal for your business?
To really answer this question, we have to assess the benefits or advantages of having the online booking and scheduling system for your salon from two different points of view: your salon business and your clients’.
Benefits of salon scheduling software for your clients
Happy, satisfied clients will ultimately result in more business for your salon: they’ll come back for more appointments, and with the right nudge they just might recommend your salon to their friends and family, growing your clientele.
Here are 5 different ways salon scheduling software can help improve your client’s satisfaction:
1. More accessible information
With the right implementation of a salon scheduling and appointment platform, potential clients will have an easier time finding all the information they need on your website: your location, the different services you offer along with their prices, available time slots, and even information about your service providers and what makes your salon unique.
2. Book anytime, anywhere
Arguably the biggest benefit of having an online booking system for consumers is the versatility provided by the 24/7 online booking. In 2019, more than a quarter of salon bookings happened after the salon’s business hours, and many potential clients are now exclusively using mobile devices.
In short, if you don’t offer an online 24/7 booking function, you are going to lose a lot of your clients.
3. Easily compare options
If both your salon and your competitors are available online with respective salon booking systems, then clients can easily compare different available time slots between different salons, different prices, reviews, and other details. Potential clients can have more transparency in choosing the best possible service for their needs.
4. Automatic reminder and notifications
Advanced salon scheduling and appointments solutions will automatically send an appointment confirmation message once the online booking is confirmed by your salon, and before the actual day of the appointment, can send another automated reminder. Clients don’t need to manually update their calendar, and as a result, this can help your salon reduce no-shows.
5. Better control over the overall experience
With online booking, potential clients can go through all of the details themselves, check reviews, and compare different options before they finally hit that book now button. So, there’s no chance they are booking something that they aren’t 100% sure of. Ultimately, this will result in reduced no-shows and cancellations.
Benefits of salon scheduling software for your business
For your salon business, however, a salon scheduling platform and especially an online booking system will offer the following advantages:
1. 24/7 appointment taking
The reality of today’s always-online world is that consumers who just remembered to book a salon appointment do not want to wait until your salon is open. If, for example, they suddenly wanted to get a haircut in the middle of the night, they’d want to book it right away.
If your salon isn’t available at this moment, guess what, they’ll simply move to your competitor, which is one tap away on their mobile device.
2. Reduce no-shows and maximize reservations
Since with online booking, the clients are the ones booking their own reservations, they are more likely to show up. Features like automatic reminders and notifications have also been proven effective in reducing no-shows.
Also, even when a client still needs to cancel, with the real-time online calendar, the spot automatically opens for other clients, giving you the chance to maximize reservations.
3. You can get clients to pay upfront
With salon schedule software that offers online payments integration, you can require clients to pay your services upfront (partially or fully). This feature has two potential benefits: first, is that you can get money faster, which can be useful in managing your cash flow.
Second, by requiring them to pay upfront, you can further minimize the risk of no-shows. It can also make sure that on the day of the appointment, the customer can enjoy your service without having to worry about payment.
4. Manage your schedule anytime and anywhere
With an appropriate salon schedule software solution, you can easily check your salon’s reservations and availability even on a mobile device when you are away from the salon. This allows you an easier time to monitor your salon’s performance and manage your schedule anytime and anywhere.
5. Real-time insight about your salon business
Advanced salon scheduling software like Bookeo offers a dashboard of analytics and useful reports that will provide valuable insights into how you can grow your business.
You can, for example, track who your most popular hairdresser is this month, most requested time slots (so you can schedule staffing accordingly), and so on. By knowing your client’s behavior and preferences, you can grow your salon business more effectively.
6. Increase your revenue
One of the biggest reasons why salon businesses, as well as other service businesses like spas and health clinics, invest in online booking is the fact that it has the potential to significantly increase revenue.
You can potentially get more business from happy, satisfied clients, and they may also recommend your salon to their friends. Also, by maximizing reservations and reducing no-shows, you can maximize the profitability of each available time slot.
Conclusion
Now that you know how a salon scheduling software solution is great for both your salon business and your clients, it’s definitely time to invest in one.
Online salon booking is simply a must-have function in today’s salons that is expected by today’s always-online clients. By investing in an appropriate salon scheduling and booking platform, you can offer reliable 24/7 online booking and grow your salon business.