Bernice Brennan, VP of marketing at Boulevard: At a minimum, you’ll want to make sure that any spa software you select offers core functionality like appointment booking, automatic scheduling, marketing automation, client management and reporting. Ideally, it also offers payment processing and point of sale transacting as well. More than anything, make sure that it’s easy to learn and use. You don’t want to spend a lot of time training your staff and getting new employees up to speed. Remember, software is there to make your life easier, not harder.
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What important components should spas look for in their software?
Bernice Brennan, VP of marketing at Boulevard: At a minimum, you’ll want to make sure that any spa software you select offers core functionality like appointment booking, automatic scheduling, marketing automation, client management and reporting. Ideally, it also offers payment processing and point of sale transacting as well. More than anything, make sure that it’s easy to learn and use. You don’t want to spend a lot of time training your staff and getting new employees up to speed. Remember, software is there to make your life easier, not harder.
Roger Sholanki, CEO of Book4Time: A spa’s software should have marketing tools, boost revenue and yield management and staff scheduling capabilities, while improving your ability to manage guest experiences, customer relationships, inventory and gift card sales. In a hotel or resort setting, integrations with other systems are critical. A comprehensive reporting dashboard is key to tracking KPIs and making smart business decisions.
John Harms, founder and CEO of Millennium Systems International: Contactless features, such as touch-free check-in and mobile payment options, are very important. Built-in marketing tools can help you engage existing clients and attract new guests. There are also features that allow spas to easily manage and configure memberships, along with flexible packages and series functionality, which are key to success.
Online booking is becoming more essential for growth, especially for attracting new clients. Our data shows that on average, 32 new clients per salon book online each month and spend $112 on their first visit. Resource, room and equipment management functions can help spas save time, improve efficiency and elevate the overall client experience.
What are the business benefits?
Harms: All-in-one spa software helps businesses improve efficiency and employee productivity through intuitive, easy-to-use features. It also frees up time for managers and owners; they can reinvest that time back into the business.
Software that offers advanced tools like email marketing, reputation management and automated social media posts helps spas attract new guests while improving retention. Goal tracking allows owners and managers to define, set and monitor business and employee goals to keep the spa on track for success, as well as identify areas for improvement.
Sinead Carroll, product marketing at Phorest Salon Software: Some benefits include: streamlining processes and saving you time for smoother business management; going paperless and reducing the number of touchpoints in the spa; real-time reporting and dashboards so you can keep your finger on the financial pulse of your business; and being able to communicate with and service your clients in a more personalized way.
Brennan: Your spa software should be able to carry out administrative tasks better than any human ever could, leading to an increase in productivity and efficiency. It also helps improve guests’ lifetime value for increased profitability.
How has spa software changed during the pandemic?
Carroll: Since Covid-19, software has become essential for optimizing processes and servicing clients in a time-efficient and safe manner. Some of the most valuable tools include pre-send digital consultation forms, a marketing suite for effective client communication and acquisition, check-in notifications for service providers, touchless checkout, and features that allow guests to share reviews highlighting the spa’s Covid-safe practices.
Brennan: For many spas, software enabled them to remove much of the friction for clients by creating contactless experiences for check-in, payment and other processes. At the same time, it also helped drive a lot of operational efficiencies that some spas hadn’t experienced before, such as automatic and precise scheduling, marketing automation and simplified payments reconciliation. One great example of how software helped spas survive the pandemic is by providing discounted memberships that were stored on the client’s profile for when the business reopened.
Sholanki: Since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, contactless options that allowed for minimal person-to-person interaction became necessary. Virtual intake forms that can be filled out before arrival create less crowding at the reception area and free up front desk staff. Plus, cloud-based software can allow management to accomplish some of the back of house work from home. For spas currently operating with fewer staff, optimizing schedules is also crucial.
How can software elevate the spa experience?
Brennan: It can make the experience altogether more personal. For instance, good software should keep a detailed profile of every guest, with their complete history and any relevant details that lets you build your relationship with them in a more personalized way. Spas are essentially human-to-human businesses, and software can help make those connections stronger and longer lasting.
Harms: The right spa software can provide a much easier booking experience for clients—especially around memberships and packages—and simplify the check-in process. This helps improve their experience and boost retention. Cloud-based software gives service providers quick, anytime access to visit notes and past treatment information, so they can make stronger recommendations for future visits and retail products. Offering a loyalty program can increase retention while setting up a potential referral source. When it comes to checkout, securely storing credit cards speeds up the process while automating membership billing.
Sholanki: Software frees up management and staff time so that everyone can focus on the guest. A function that allows staff to collect and save client information for personalized experiences is a must. Integrated and streamlined systems should create an uninterrupted journey for guests from start to finish, and every aspect of this journey can be exquisitely planned and executed.
Carroll: By offering 24/7 online booking, you make it easier for clients to book, rebook and manage appointments at a time that suits them, rather than having to call the spa during opening hours. Additionally, by utilizing predictive AI, spa-goers can be reminded of when to rebook. The spa can then pre-send digital consultation forms that guests complete prior to their arrival. After their visit, they can have a touch-free checkout and receive custom retail recommendations, which can be purchased directly from the spa’s online store and delivered to their door.
