How to Maximize Revenue and the Client Experience with Modern Salon POS Software

Having a dedicated self-care software solution streamlines operations and helps you meet your business goals

Running a self-care business comes with no shortage of important business decisions: Where is the ideal location? Who should you hire? What services should you offer? But while you’re staffing your salon and carrying out your business plan, don’t forget about the software you need to keep the whole salon running.

There’s no shortage of point-of-sale software on the marketplace, but most of it wasn’t designed with your industry or business model in mind. On the other hand, dedicated salon POS software goes beyond performing financial transactions to streamline operations, enhance the client experience, and help you meet your revenue goals. Here’s how the right salon POS software can take your business to the next level.

Why you need dedicated salon POS software

Anyone who’s ever spent an afternoon in a salon can tell you that it’s a far different experience than other consumer activity. Because self-care businesses are built on repeat visits and building loyal relationships, a transaction begins before a client even steps foot in your door — and continues long after they’ve paid up.

Yet a casual search reveals that many of the top POS options on the market were created with the retail environment in mind. Adapting more general software to meet your needs can be extremely challenging, often requiring additional solutions for client and schedule management. Having your front desk and service providers navigate various software platforms increases the odds of decreasing client and employee satisfaction.

Think of salon POS software as a comprehensive, all-in-one solution made specifically for the way you do business. It doesn’t just process client payments (though that’s an important feature); it also encourages tipping, automates payments to service providers, leverages client profiles for more personalized service, and optimizes your calendar without skipping a beat. Why utilize several ill-fitting software solutions when a single platform can do it all?

Beyond the register: Getting the most out of salon POS software

Streamline the appointment process with online self-booking

First things first: When it comes to getting new clients in the door, you want to make the process as frictionless as possible. Online self-booking allows those seeking hair services to make appointments on their own time, whether that’s through your website or via social media. The best booking software for salons offers customizable self-booking options, so you can stay on brand, get specific with service categories, and even encourage upsells.

Optimize your calendar with precise scheduling

While clients are self-booking their appointments, you need a way to manage your calendar. You want to avoid overbooking your providers, but you also don’t want long periods of downtime. Without one of the best salon scheduling apps in your toolbox, managing all of this can feel like playing a game of scheduling Tetris.

On the other hand, the right hair salon scheduling software puts this process on autopilot. For example, Boulevard’s Precision Scheduling feature shows clients the ideal appointment times first, encouraging automatic schedule optimization and increased productivity.

Build deeper relationships with client profiles

In the self-care industry, the client experience is everything. One awkward conversation or subpar experience can send clients straight to your competitors and tarnish your reputation. To make clients feel like they’re a star (and not just another to-do on your ever-growing list), you need to be able to reference their history and preferences before and throughout the appointment.

Using salon POS software that automatically creates client profiles makes this seemingly Herculean task much easier. Rather than having your providers create a mental repository of every service they’ve ever performed and every client attribute, you can easily keep track of past transactions and reference them as necessary, including any necessary special accommodations. As a result of this personalized approach, clients feel like they’re one of a kind, not another face in the crowd.

Breeze through the checkout process

You can’t have salon POS software without the POS! Your chosen platform should make checkout as breezy as possible in a few key ways. Selecting a platform that offers blended rates goes a long way to ensure you’re not paying more for one credit card brand or another. You’ll also need it to accept a variety of payment types, including contactless transactions via card or mobile. In other words, make it as easy for clients to give you money as you can.

This includes tips! Your software should make it easy for clients to tip their providers with a tap of a button during checkout. Some platforms even allow you to offload credit card fees and make them part of the transaction, reducing your financial burden.

Follow up after the appointment

As any experienced stylist or colorist will tell you, the client relationship doesn’t end with checkout. It’s important to keep the conversation going with email check-ins and campaigns — and yes, this is yet another area where a comprehensive software solution can help. Look for platforms that provide customizable email templates and automate as much of the process as possible.

Whether you’re reminding an individual client that it’s time to schedule a follow-up or alerting your most loyal fans to a new promotion, email delivers an incredible $36 ROI for every dollar spent. Don’t let this opportunity to unlock new revenue streams pass you by.

Whether you’re just opening your doors or just hoping to replace your clunky, outdated software, there’s never a bad time to invest in modern technology. The results of modern salon POS software speak for themselves; our own customers have reported increases in services sold, service value, and booking rates, just to name a few benefits. By choosing the right platform, you’ll be better able to run your business while keeping employees happy and clients satisfied.