8 effective solutions for 8 problems faced by hair & beauty salons

Managing a salon is fraught with challenges. Paradoxically, the bigger and more successful the business is, the more difficulties it faces. Although prevention is always better than cure, it is impossible to predict every potential problem. That is why we would like to help you solve them! Very frequently, problems which you encounter in the daily management of your salon can be solved more quickly and easily than you might imagine. However, sometimes it takes a little while before you come up with the ideal formula, which wastes your precious time and subjects you to unnecessary stress. The situation is entirely different if you use the right tools on a daily basis. With them, you can overcome (and prevent) any new challenges almost naturally, without excessive effort and needless worry. This article will provide you with some perfect examples. Below you will find descriptions of 8 effective solutions for 8 problems faced by most hair & beauty salons.

Problem #1

Imagine a paper notebook, full of important client information or dates of booked visits for the coming months. And now imagine a glass of coke, accidentally overturned, which completely destroys all the notes contained in that notebook. Or what if someone accidentally threw it away along with a pile of waste paper? Solution: Use an electronic calendar. Enjoy a well organised and mistake-free schedule of appointments, and a comprehensible and always up-to-date rota with a clear division of tasks. Copy and modify your work rotas so as to minimise the time it takes to create them. Provide yourself and your employees with unlimited remote access to the electronic calendar – without the risk of data loss as a result of an accident.

Problem #2

You want to ensure that each and every client receives the perfect customer service, but with so many people you are finding it difficult to remember all the important things. Worse still, in the past you have managed to confuse two ladies with similar surnames. A ring binder with notes would be no good here either, as who has time to search through heaps of paperwork on a daily basis to prepare themselves for upcoming visits? Solution: Get to know a truly transparent database, with client records and the history of their visits. This is yet another electronic solution which gives you the ability to add notes, copies of documents, as well as before and after photos. A convenient search engine will allow you to find the information you need in a matter of seconds, so you are always suitably prepared for your client visits.

Problem #3

Having clients wait for you while you answer a phone call may leave a negative impression on them. On the other hand, an unanswered phone call may mean losing a potential customer. How can we reconcile these two aspects? Solution: Make your booking system available to your clients online. Permit them to make their own appointments and save time on answering phone calls. Employ a virtual receptionist who sells your services even outside the salon's working hours and enjoy watching your calendar fill up with no effort at all.

Problem #4

Clients are only human, and it is human to forget. When clients forget to cancel appointments they cannot attend, it has a detrimental effect on the salon's finances. Not to mention that it wastes the specialist's time. Moreover, the person who forgot about their appointment is likely never to return to your salon, as they may feel embarrassed about this whole situation. This vision is not enticing. Solution: Use automatic reminders. Do not waste time calling your clients personally to make sure they remember about their appointments. Leave this in the hands of modern technology and minimise the number of missed appointments by up to 70%!

Problem #5

The client arrives at your salon, but although the right specialist is waiting, the visit cannot take place because the equipment needed is being used by someone else. This disastrous scenario spoils your relationship with the client and has a negative impact on your company's image. Solution: A good salon management system will help you ensure that the required tools are always available at the right time. When making an appointment, the system will automatically check the availability of the equipment or premises and suggest the appropriate date.

Problem #6

Do you wish to sell gift cards, packages or memberships to your clients, but find settling accounts and recording them exceptionally difficult? Are you afraid that by doing so, instead of making money, you may lose out? Solution: Comprehensive salon software includes features that make the activities related to the management of vouchers, packages and memberships simple and error-free. Enjoy the benefits provided and do not worry about any unnecessary formalities!

Problem #7

Accounting sometimes proves extremely challenging, especially when it comes to calculating your employees' salaries and commissions. Errors or ambiguities lead to misunderstandings and conflicts, which in turn spoils the atmosphere in your salon – and such a situation is unlikely to escape your clients’ attention... Solution: And what if we could make accounting a straightforward and enjoyable task? All you need is a well-designed software that collects and compiles all the data you need for making monthly settlements. Partial automation of this process will allow you to deal with it quickly and make your employees feel confident that they are treated fairly.

Problem #8

One of the worst-case scenarios of any salon is having to send a potential client away when it turns out that the salon lacks the required products or cosmetics to carry out the visit. Especially if you were under the impression that you had placed an order only a few days before! Or maybe was it a month ago...? Solution: Get yourself an electronic system with an online inventory that will let you report sales and expenditures, send orders to your suppliers and also help you in your stocktaking. From now on, it will be easy, fast and stress-free. Although running your own hair & beauty salon is a great challenge, you do not have to have super powers to handle everything. With the help of modern solutions, such as the Booksy hair & beauty salon software, you will easily cope with any task and provide your clients with the best service possible. Discover its comprehensive features and see how many problems it will enable you to avoid. Visit www.booksy.com and start using it for free.