1. Get More New Clients
The internet is the new word of mouth and people search out new salons online. But this can be at any time of the day or night. And if they find one they like - they need to be able to book it there and then - strike while the iron is hot. Forcing them to write down your number to ring tomorrow or leave a voicemail now is not an option because a salon down the road is offering online booking so the person can book and move on.
2. Get Rid Of No Shows
As was discussed on a very popular blog post here, people are liable for their whole booking if they fail to show up for their appointment. Using Phorest's online booking tool the customer's credit card is stored securely at the point of booking.
3. Reduce the Pressure on Reception
If you have a small salon where all the staff share the reception duties then online booking is a godsend. Basically you no longer need to worry about leaving your treatment room in order to answer the phone because the customer will be able to book themselves. If you have a big salon - again the reception area can come under huge pressure when there are lots of people booking. Moving these bookings online will reduce this pressure and ensure clients who do ring get a better service.
On average 30% of phone calls to salons are unanswered- a lot of people do not like leaving voice mails or do not have the time to receive a call back later (later is often too late). Your salon will inevitably loose business by not giving an instant response to a phone call at all times. For your busy clients online bookings is an alternative way of being able to "get through" to a salon at any time which means your clients are satisfied and you won't loose out on this revenue.
4. Facebook
Facebook is fast becoming the marketing tool of choice for salon owners. Click here to read a good post on advice for making Facebook work better for you. But if potential clients are discovering you on Facebook - you must let them book this way as well if you want to get the maximum benefit from it.
5. Get More Revenue by Filling Free Slots in your Calendar.
Online booking offers you a whole host of extra promotional tools to help grow your business. One of the best ones is Early Bird. Do you struggle to fill empty slots in your calendar and find that your staff book deals or special offers during your most valuable slots? The Zanadoo Early Bird puts you in control by allowing you to create deals that targets free slots in an unprecedented way. By controlling which slots (date, times and even staff) you make available for the deals you can fill your spare capacity without affecting your profit margin on the busy days like Saturday!
Facebook is fast becoming the marketing tool of choice for salon owners. Click here to read a good post on advice for making Facebook work better for you. But if potential clients are discovering you on Facebook - you must let them book this way as well if you want to get the maximum benefit from it.
5. Get More Revenue by Filling Free Slots in your Calendar.
Online booking offers you a whole host of extra promotional tools to help grow your business. One of the best ones is Early Bird. Do you struggle to fill empty slots in your calendar and find that your staff book deals or special offers during your most valuable slots? The Zanadoo Early Bird puts you in control by allowing you to create deals that targets free slots in an unprecedented way. By controlling which slots (date, times and even staff) you make available for the deals you can fill your spare capacity without affecting your profit margin on the busy days like Saturday!
Sue Maguire is Sales and Education Director for phorest.com, a leading salon software provider in the UK and Ireland.
