Double bookings, lost arrangements, no-shows, and salon schedule clashing or overlapping, are some of the reasons why your customers are not having the perfect visit to your salon. This can be an owner's awful, bad dream. In the salon business, client connections are significant to keep your business going and thriving. In many cases, customers recall the little moments of their visit rather than the entirety of the service and their whole salon trip. These little subtleties impact their choice to stay with your salon or not. Recurring issues with arrangements can ruin customer connections. With that being said, by what method can salon owners keep issues like this from occurring and make a definitive client encounter?
Some salons stick to the old methods of using paper and pen booking, others have their own business mobile phone where customers can send a text message to book their appointments, while other salons schedule the next visit right after the treatment is done as the customer leaves the store premise. Other salons, especially the big ones already have a toll free number where customers can call and book their salon appointments. However, the big trend for salon owners nowadays – with their businesses growing and technology rapidly dominating the world – are booking software. With the use of booking software for online booking, it is indeed more efficient as you would already be able to get rid of double bookings and schedule overlapping. The booking software would definitely cut short the receptionist’s long list of things to do. Plus, your customers can actually book their own appointment by themselves.
Of course, there are always advantages and disadvantages for every situation. So here are a few pros and cons in using a salon booking software.
Advantages:
- It is in a 24-hour operating schedule
Internet booking systems draw in new clients, oversees existing ones, and takes appointments online 24 hours every day, seven days a week. It is open at any time of the day, and even during at night when you and your workers are in deep slumber. It is helpful for customers as they can book an appointment from the comfort of their homes, in the wake of a difficult day at work. The fastness and straightforwardness of steps or the buttons that they need to click when booking online could be the primary reason a potential customer may pick you instead of your rival.
- It is so easy to cancel things online
It might appear to be shocking, but numerous individuals don't feel great when they have to call and drop their arrangements as they feel that it gives their name a negative connotation. An online reservation or an online calendar offers them the chance to do this without having a talk via telephone or eye to eye interaction with the specialist. Anyway, the entrepreneurs have no reason to whine either, as an internet booking system decreases the number of situations when a prearranged customer does not show up in the salon.
- Online booking lower down errors which cause a lot of problems for business owners
With the use of a web-based booking framework, you evade all the probable causes of miscommunication that can happen when setting up an appointment over the phone. You can tweak emails and text messages that will automatically verify the reservation and send your clients all of the necessary details concerning their visit to your salon, such as the time and the day. Other messages being sent using an online booking time sometimes even contains the specific treatment that they will be getting when they go to the salon. In this way, your customers would be aware of the date and the time that they selected when booking online, so in case they selected an incorrect date or an incorrect time, they can easily go back to the online booking site and make the necessary changes if applicable.
- It provides convenience to both the owner and the customer
Having a web-based booking system may be a smart move as there sufficiently aren't hours in multi-day to deal with every single telephone reservation coming through. With more clients booking on the web, you're not stuck to a telephone taking note of their schedules and request. Instead, you now have more room, schedule-wise, to make your customers look great. It is advantageous for your clients also in light of the fact that they never again need to look out for a hold to book arrangements when your salon is occupied. They get moment fulfillment of having a guaranteed slot on your salon for a time that is most convenient for them, no problem of remaining in lines and sitting tight for adaptation. Also, this allows you and your customers to prepare ahead of time without worrying that your schedules may be delayed due to issues that you will encounter during your "pamper day".
This also lessens the probability of your customers being stressed thinking that their salon schedules might change abruptly without them being notified, as this booking software already has the capability of sending either an email or a text message to notify your customers for any changes. This also allows them to plan ahead and make sure that they are still able to finish everything that they need to do at the end of the day.
5.”Last minute” reservations can easily be made online without a hassle
Studies show that 40% of the reservations made online are placed or entered just a few hours before their preferred schedule. Internet booking systems make it simple to arrange "last minute" appointments for the services that customers would like to get. Customers can see your ongoing logbook and calendar availability, self-select the time that works best for them, and effortlessly book their own arrangements ahead of time. There are no unused openings! Clients who book their very own reservations are bound to appear. in this way, you also have this chance of your salon being fully booked on certain days which means more satisfied customers and more money for the business.
Disadvantages:
- You must have reliable internet access at all times
If you do not have the means to get a solid internet connection, online booking system is not for you. These systems require a reliable and fast internet connection for you to be able to attend to the online bookings being made as soon as possible, without a sturdy connection, you won't be able to send out confirmation texts or emails to your customers which may lead to cancellations or no-shows.
- Your business has to be ready for the increase in the number of customers
An ever-increasing number of individuals incline toward working together online nowadays, so having an electronic booking system is an incredible method to pull in new clients.
In case you're running a small business and have no methods for rapidly enlisting more staff individuals or extending your assets, the sudden development can represent a test to your activities. You have to make sure that your small group or team will be ready for an influx in the number of customers. If your team is used to catering to 10-20 customers per day - with the use of your online booking option - this may increase by up to 25 percent, and as a business owner, it is your responsibility to prepare your employees for this sudden increase.
- Not all online booking systems are created equal.
Picking a web-based booking application or software that doesn't address your issues can be a genuine disadvantage to your business.
Finding the right booking system for your business can also be tiresome so it is vital to do your research before investing in one. Luckily, a little bit of research here and there will definitely spare you tremendous time and dissatisfaction later on.
Take time and learn the differences of booking software available in the market. Also, be prepared in investing not just your time but your money as well. When it comes to improving your business, there will always be money involved. Although these investments are absolutely worth it in the long run, you still have to make sure that you are making the right choice.
- Sync your paper and your online calendar
Not every person is a believer of innovation. There will regularly be somebody who might rather make an arrangement via telephone. You must synchronize your online timetable with the traditional one, you have to make sure to do to avoid errors from happening. In this way, you are saving your business from losing customers because of faulty scheduling.
- Security will always be an issue
While there is security software available in the market, the security breach would always be a possibility for businesses that use technology and innovation. Due to the requirement for trading delicate individual information, for example, personal residences and bank and credit card information, the web-based booking process is an alluring focus for digital criminals hoping to take this data. Counterfeit sites made for the sole reason for taking individual data is likewise an ever-present threat. Also, as people don't have another person to manage in the booking procedure, it is left to them to peruse and comprehend the frequently convoluted terms and conditions.
Other online booking software/applications offer online payment so that customer would no longer make a fuss about making a payment on site. Though this process may bring convenience to both you and your customers, it still has to be used with precautions. Make sure that you purchase software with very strong security as fraudulent activities may be a cause for you to lose a lot of customers.
How do you pick the right software for your business?
Here are a few pointers:
Choose an application created by the people who understand the Salon Industry
Make sure that you are choosing the software created by people who understand that industry that you are working in. In this way, you can pretty much be sure that they already know what your target customers are looking for. Without close comprehension of your one of a kind business needs, almost certainly, current and notwithstanding forthcoming highlights could come up short.
Know what features you need before booking a demo for the product
Do your homework, research about the different software and know what features your salon needs before booking for a demo. In this way, you do not waste time entertaining demos from providers who do not cater to what you need.
Make a rundown of highlights you completely require, which ones you favor, and which you'd once in a while use. Does it incorporate with your purpose of offer and client database? Make inquiries to perceive what highlights are or are not accessible with your new web-based booking framework.
Consider the amount of money you would like to invest in this online booking system
In a perfect world, you shouldn't put together your choice with respect to the expense of the product. Be that as it may, regarding genuine business, you have to figure the amount you will pay for a web-based booking programming. On the off chance that you run with a standard choice, you should factor in the expense of commissions and charges as that would influence your primary concern and net revenues.
How user-friendly is it?
One of the primary things you have to consider while searching for the privilege web-based booking framework is straightforwardness. How simple is it to utilize? Will your clients discover it easy to use and simple to book their visit? Is it simple to incorporate with alternate frameworks you are utilizing? Consider your CMS System!
Time is of the essence in your business and a decent internet booking framework ought to be straightforward and simple to utilize.
To sum things up, web-based booking – particularly by means of mobile applications – helps cultivate better customer connections and causes you to give better client benefit. It is by all accounts an unquestionable requirement for any business that is investing loads of energy noting telephone calls, sending messages or thinking about enlisting more staff. Also, adjusting an internet booking framework can help in extending organizations comprehensively.