Groomers are artists; wonderful artists. However operating a grooming enterprise takes a lot greater than being simply an artist. As a small, medium or giant enterprise proprietor, how a lot time do you and your workers spend on all the things however your craft? How a lot time do you spend reserving, confirming and following up on appointments, taking cellphone calls, amassing buyer funds and all the opposite important however not enjoyable administrative duties?
Ask your self this: If you happen to might spend subsequent to zero time on these duties, would your small business be extra worthwhile?
In as we speak’s surroundings, there are such a lot of instruments that salon homeowners and their groomers can make the most of to work extra effectively…but many don’t. This article will clarify how one can develop your small business with 4 easy expertise options to get you out of the day-to-day enterprise monotony, make you extra money and refocus your power on the duties you care about.
Are you utilizing an off-the-shelf reserving, consumer administration or bank card system not particular to the grooming {industry}? Or perhaps even pen and paper? In that case, we get it. You’re operating your small business the easiest way you know the way.
However think about this thought: Would you employ an outdated pair of kitchen scissors to form a topknot? Positive, the kitchen scissors may go; however are they going to provide the identical outcomes that utilizing a pair of freshly sharpened curved shears would provide you with? Positively not going!
To be truthful and supply a sensible analogy, the identical goes for utilizing any form of software program system that isn’t designed particularly for the grooming {industry}. It could work, however not in a means that may get the job achieved quicker, higher and smarter.
So, should you don’t use kitchen scissors, why would you use a non-specialty software program product? You most likely wouldn’t should you knew the true advantages that industry-specific software program has to supply, identical to you realize the distinction between kitchen scissors and that pair of shears you splurged on at Groom Expo. The appropriate industry-specific software program with options like on-line reservations, automated appointment reminders/confirmations and text-to-pay may also help you’re employed smarter, not more durable.
1. On-line Reservations. I do know what a few of you’re considering; “Clients scheduling their very own appointments is one thing I’ve had precise nightmares about, NO THANKS!” However on-line reserving expertise has grown a lot up to now few years, and with all of the totally different customizations and safeguard choices obtainable, there is no such thing as a motive you can not have the schedule you need with out the effort of doing the scheduling your self.
Arrange your software program to require your approval earlier than an appointment is added to your schedule. This fashion you continue to get the ultimate say, however spend simply 5 minutes a day approving your purchasers’ reserving requests vs spending hours doing all of it manually. Wouldn’t you’re keen on to chop down on time spent flipping by way of the calendar, on the lookout for open appointments when you might be grooming?
If you happen to might improve your retail/add-on service gross sales by as much as 80%, would that cash assist your small business? When a buyer calls in to make an appointment, you most likely don’t have time to clarify all of the totally different further companies and upsells your salon provides; or, in lots of instances, your entrance desk employees might merely not be comfy attempting to promote different companies or gadgets. With on-line reservations, most software program does this for you. Ten-dollar enamel brushing? Twenty-dollar luxurious spa bundle? 5-dollar nail grinding? These numbers add up quick!
Are you aware what else provides up quick? The quantity of money and time misplaced on no-shows. On-line reservations provide the choice to cost a deposit on the time of reserving, which has been confirmed to drastically cut back the speed of no-shows and preserve your prospects accountable. Most on-line reserving programs additionally include a customer-facing portal, rushing up the brand new buyer consumption course of and permitting present prospects to see their appointment historical past, add vaccination information and extra.
2. Automated textual content messages. Cling up the cellphone and say goodbye to reminder calls. By utilizing software program with built-in textual content messaging, you possibly can ship out automated appointment reminders with out lifting a finger. Textual content messaging provides extra flexibility than a standard cellphone name as a result of it permits prospects to reply shortly and in conditions the place they could not be capable to speak on the cellphone. In most software program, prospects can conveniently reply “YES” to computerized reminder texts and their appointment can be marked as confirmed in your software program system.
With automated textual content messages and on-line reservations, you possibly can simply cut back your administrative work by hours every day. All of us love the comfort of getting these texts from our medical doctors, dentists and hairdressers, so why not supply this identical nice expertise to your purchasers, whereas additionally saving you time?
3. Built-in bank card processing. Built-in bank card processing permits you to preserve observe of your funds and funds in a single place, making it simple to remain organized. By utilizing built-in funds, it can save you a mean of 60 minutes of employees time per day (30 appointments x 2 minutes = 60 minutes SAVED!). Moreover, you’ll be capable to enhance the consumer expertise, forestall the prospect of guide entry errors and cease losing time evaluating invoices together with your batch studies, attempting to trace down that lacking 5 {dollars}.
4. Textual content-to-pay. With text-to-pay, it’s simple to streamline your checkout course of. Not solely will you save employees time, however you’ll get your purchasers out and in of your facility a lot quicker. One of many many advantages of utilizing text-to-pay is that it’s a safe technique to ship invoices and obtain funds by way of textual content message. All transactions are encrypted so you possibly can make sure that your prospects’ info is protected and sound. And since it’s so handy, text-to-pay is ideal for busy pet groomers who’re at all times on the go.
Think about having the ability to go into your software program, examine a field that reveals your groom is completed, and a textual content goes out to your consumer letting them know the pet is prepared for pick-up with a hyperlink to pay their bill and the choice so as to add a tip. The consumer can then merely stroll into your facility, seize their pet with zero paperwork or funds to finish, and you may each get again to your days.
Many grooming software program suppliers additionally can help you securely retailer buyer bank card info within the type of encrypted tokens. Holding buyer fee info not solely hastens the check-out course of, but additionally protects your small business by guaranteeing you’re compensated for no-shows and last-minute cancellations (that is particularly useful in the course of the vacation season).
The underside line is that this: All of us need to work exhausting and earn cash, however most of us received began within the pet care {industry} for the pets, not for the bookkeeping and administrative chores. However with as we speak’s progressive software program and expertise, you possibly can automate so lots of the duties that interrupt your workflow and devour the precious time you might spend doing what you love.
Expertise is continually enhancing, so store round, ask for demos and ensure no matter system you’re utilizing to handle your small business is the appropriate match on your distinctive wants.
Keep in mind, working smarter, not more durable will prevent money and time. Leverage what’s on the market as we speak and get again to doing what you’re keen on! ✂️
www.hello-groom.com
Erin McCarthy
Erin McCarthy is Kennel Connection’s Advertising Supervisor/Software program Design Marketing consultant, {and professional} pet groomer for practically a decade. After 28 years within the {industry}, Kennel Connection launched Hiya-Groom, web-based software program designed particularly for groomers. The crew is stacked with pet care professionals who construct software program primarily based on their hands-on expertise and invaluable suggestions from folks such as you. Hiya-Groom provides best-in-class software program, bank card processing, enterprise insurance coverage, cellphone programs, and 2-way-SMS, supported by a devoted customer support crew.
Jeff Brodsly
Jeff Brodsly, proprietor/CEO of Kennel Connection and 100GROUP, provides 15 years of expertise listening to purchasers’ ache factors and offering them with expertise options to enhance their companies. After 28 years within the {industry}, Kennel Connection launched Hiya-Groom, web-based software program designed particularly for groomers. The crew is stacked with pet care professionals who construct software program primarily based on their hands-on expertise and invaluable suggestions from folks such as you. Hiya-Groom provides best-in-class software program, bank card processing, enterprise insurance coverage, cellphone programs, and 2-way-SMS, supported by a devoted customer support crew.
