8 Reasons to Switch Your Spa or Salon Software Now
April 18, 2024
Whether you've reopened your salon(s) or spa(s) or are still temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, you’re already thinking of ways to make up for lost time.
Many salons and spas were operating on razor-thin margins before COVID-19, and with new social distancing guidelines and increased time required for cleaning your salon or spa, there's even more pressure on your bottom line.
More than ever, you need the best salon software or spa software to support your business. You can’t afford to have software that doesn’t. Not anymore.
Here are eight reasons why now might be the time to switch your salon or spa software.
1. Your spa or salon software doesn’t make it easy for you to communicate with your clients
There’s a lot more you need to communicate with your clients now. It’s vital that you’re readily able to share time-sensitive updates and let your clients know about any new protocols at your salon or spa. It's critical that you share your reopening waitlist they can join, too.
With Booker, you can send your clients updates without getting bogged down in the details yourself. Marketing Suite lets you automate your customer marketing and works on retaining your clients in the background.
Marketing campaigns are better in Marketing Suite, too. You can whip up emails (automated or not) easily with templates that reflect your salon or spa's needs AND brand. With smart lists, you can slice and dice as much as you want to reach precisely the right clients for the right message.
Check out our Marketing Suite Playbook for Salons, Spas, and Wellness Businesses and see how it can help your retention strategy as you navigate reopening your spa or salon business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Your software isn’t keeping up with how you need to do business now
Let’s face it, as a spa or salon owner, you're in a high-touch business. As you're reopening, you need to reduce risk everywhere you can. You need spa or salon software that helps you minimize physical contact in your business. Booker has a low-touch journey for your clients today. What does that mean? Businesses using Booker protect both their clients and their team from unnecessary physical contact. Even better? It’s a seamless experience for clients; they don’t need to download anything new or opt into extras.
The Booker and greater Mindbody team are dedicated to learning what matters to consumers as salons and spas reopen and are creating additional functionality accordingly. As the new normal changes, so should your software.
3. Your spa or salon management software doesn't offer mobile-friendly online booking or virtual check-in
The low-touch journey starts with online booking. The more you can prepare for your clients, the better. Let clients book wherever they want, giving them a great experience no matter what. Make it easy for them to book appointments on your website, on the Mindbody app or Mindbody.io, or even your own user-friendly branded mobile app. Take things to the next level and have Mindbody's AI receptionist, Messenger[ai], handle appointment booking for you.
You can ditch crowded waiting areas, too. Clients can check in virtually when they're outside your salon or spa. By simply texting, “I’m here,” clients set things in motion. Your software automatically checks in the client in your calendar and even texts the staff member assigned to the service to notify them of the client’s arrival. When you're ready for them to come in, someone on your team can simply text back.
You want more than just basic spa or salon management software, though. Have waivers or forms you need clients to take care of before any services? Booker can prompt your clients to fill them out before they come in, and it’s one less thing for you to worry about (and another way for you to reduce time in your service cycle).
4. Checkout is a hassle on your spa or salon management software
Just as you need to reduce risk when you're checking your clients in, you want to streamline the checkout process as well. You don't want clients waiting on a clunky POS (point-of-sale) system. With Booker spa and salon software, clients provide a form of payment when they book, making contactless checkout a breeze. You can even require a 100% deposit for services at the time of booking.
With Booker, you can take payments directly through your software, making it your one-stop-shop, simplifying the process for your team, and giving you important insight into the health of your business.
5. Your spa or salon software doesn't connect you to a network of beauty and wellness enthusiasts
Booker customers gain new clients—simply through listing on the Mindbody app and Mindbody.io. Over 1.8 million active clients* are eager to book their next service and can't book at your business if you're not listed. See why Mindbody app users are precisely the demographic you want coming to your salon or spa.
6. Your spa or salon management software doesn't support your whole team
Whether you run a hair salon, a day spa, or any other type of beauty or wellness business, your software needs to amplify the efforts of your employees—not hinder them. Booker takes care of your employee management needs, handling a wide range of compensation structures (hourly wages, salary, varying commission tiers on retail, etc.).
Just as you want to minimize contact at your salon or spa for your clients, your software should help you do the same for your staff. With Booker, employees can check in for their shifts from their own phone when they arrive at your salon or spa. No more shared devices.
7. Your spa or salon software makes retail a front desk nightmare
Retail has become a vital part of your revenue stream during the coronavirus pandemic. If your spa or salon software doesn't support your retail endeavors, it's time to switch to software that does.
With Booker, service providers can add products and add or adjust services from the business app to avoid adjustments at the front desk.
It's not just an on-premises game. Earn retail revenue outside of your business, too. Booker also has a new Shopify integration, giving your online store a streamlined, sleek look and an easy-to-use interface for your clients. Promote must-have products through email with Booker’s powerful marketing tools.
8. Your spa or salon software doesn't encourage clients to rebook
Don't let your clients forget to rebook with you. It’s imperative that your software minimizes friction in this part of the process. With the business app, staff members can readily rebook clients the moment the service wraps—there's no need for clients to even visit the front desk.
If your clients do make it out the door before rebooking, you need software that automatically reaches out to set up the next appointment. Thirty minutes after clients leave the salon or spa, Messenger[ai], Mindbody’s AI receptionist, sends a follow-up text and asks if they'd like to book again. You can customize the text to make sure it's the perfect messaging for your brand.
If they're not ready to rebook straight away, with Booker you can automate emails and texts to check in and remind them to book their next appointment.
Now's not the time to stick with software (cloud-based or not) that doesn't work for you. Booker supports small businesses, multi-location businesses, and franchises by providing the tools they need today and building what they'll need tomorrow. When you're running a business, you need software on your side.
*Data reflects Monthly average Mindbody app usage globally from October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
