Using Computer Software To Connect Salons

Posted : 07/01/2002

Computer Connections

A Link Ahead Of The Competition
Using Computer Software To Connect Salons

Why have multiple salons if your customers can't tan at every location or your salons can't share information? Linking your salons with computer software programs allows operators to interactively share customer information. This is an invaluable tool that customers will appreciate.

Frank Vierling, co-owner of Cabana Tans in Raleigh, N.C., says there are two main issues associated with linking salons.

"One issue depends on your business model," he says. "Do the salons share a customer base and do you want them to share a customer base? For example, if you signed up at one of my salons you can tan at any four of our locations. We can share customers very effectively. It's a good thing for us to do because nobody else in our market can do it. It is a real perceived value to the customer when they work near one store but they live near another store so they can tan at one place on weekdays and at another place on the weekend."

The other issue is for an operator who doesn't need to allow tanners to tan at every location, but wants shared analysis, Vierling says. If you have salons in three towns that are 30 miles apart, they probably aren't going to share customers but, for reporting and analysis, an operator may want to be able to look at the information as a whole. Operators can call in the data, merge it and look at it with this model. It's nice because they can see the total picture. It's up to the operators to decide how often they want to compare and contrast the information.

"They are two very different models," he says. "The first one is the best but it isn't always cost-effective because running a network involves a lot of complexity. It's expensive just to set up the telecommunications and, on the whole, it requires a level of sophistication that is hard to get. You have to be ready to hire an expert to support the network over time."

Using software to link salons is important because sharing information without computer assistance is an administrative challenge, requiring staff to phone other locations daily to verify customer status.

"This commits--for the time involved--two employees that would otherwise be serving customers," says one industry veteran. "By linking their salons with salon software, the client information is synchronized on a scheduled basis. This provides the benefits related to a WAN (wide-area network) without the costs, administration and exposure of a WAN. In a traditional WAN, all locations connect to master files at a central location. Can you imagine the chaos if communication is lost to that central server and all your locations cannot access the client master file to serve clients?"

Customer service is the largest issue related to linking locations. It is also important to allow operators to have improved administrative control over customer accounts, EFT drafts and in-house charges. This approach also allows the operator to reduce his or her administrative work and travel time to maintain employee files, service and product master files. It further provides Web-enabled reporting of salon operations from any location from which the operator can establish Internet access.

For those salon operators who aren't computer-wise, it's important to not let your comfort level with computers dictate your decision.

Using software to link your salons will strengthen your business results and customer service. Look for proven reliability of software, technical expertise of the development and support staff of the vendor, and commitment of the vendor to assist and guide the installation of the application.