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When you think of automation, what comes to mind? Is it images of robots and machines balancing every mind-numbing human chore? Well, that’s not the whole story of business automation. In fact, business owners across industries are using simple automation tools to save time, increase employee retention and satisfaction, and improve their bottom line.
Given the volume of repeat customer interaction in most beauty businesses, there are more ways than one to leverage automation tools that save time and enhance the employee and customer experience. According to Square Future of Commerce data, 63% of customers would prefer automation in at least one area at the beauty businesses they frequent.
With the majority of customers looking for automations that make their experience more seamless, here are five simple ways that beauty businesses can start using automation today.
Appointment reminders for clients
Appointment reminders can make all the difference between a client showing up for their appointment or not. In fact, according to the Square Future of Customers report, a full 90% of clients want appointment reminders, and 50% expect them.
When it comes to the type of appointment reminders that clients want, 62% prefer a text reminder, while 31% prefer email. Younger clients (including Gen Z and millennial customers) are slightly more interested in text appointment reminders, so keep your customer base in mind as you decide on your appointment reminder type.
Using tools like Square Appointments, it’s easy to set up automated text and email reminders for clients. Clients can easily book, confirm, cancel, or reschedule their appointments with automated scheduling software, which responds to clients 24/7 and syncs with your calendar for a seamless customer experience.
PRO TIP:
Need to remind clients about your booking and cancellation policies? We’ve got you covered with these six cancellation policy templates.
Customer relationship management
Repeat, loyal customers are the backbone of the beauty industry. Want proof? Seventy-three percent of women and 65% of men book the same beauty provider each visit, according to Square Future of Customers data. So time invested in customer retention and relationship-building is crucial.
Luckily, the time-consuming administrative portion of customer relationship management can be automated. Square Appointments auto-creates customer profiles for each client, which can help track client information, visits, and purchase history. You can add your own notes and reminders to each client profile, as well as contracts and files with key client information.
Automatically generated customer profiles make it easier to track services and spending patterns, see clients’ favorite treatments or items, save their card on file for a seamless checkout, and even segment customers for loyalty programs, promotions, or special offers.
Inventory tracking for products and retail sales
Inventory management is essential for both internal business supplies and any retail items you sell in-store, but manually tracking inventory can lead to errors and oversold items. If you have more than one location or sell across multiple platforms (like an online store or social media), multichannel inventory can become particularly hard to manage manually.
Automating inventory management at your beauty business helps you sync all items, products, and sales and can give you and your staff considerable time back. Square Appointments automatically tracks and syncs inventory and provides low-stock alerts, so you know when it’s time to refill orders. If you also sell retail products, inventory is synced no matter where the sale was made — whether that’s in person, through your online store, or on social channels.
DID YOU KNOW?
Customers are spending on retail at their local beauty businesses: 63% of customers have purchased retail items from a local beauty business in the past year, according to Square Future of Customers data.Staff management for your team
Managing staff can be one of the trickier components of running any business and can vary depending on your business structure and the type of employees you hire. But some foundational elements of managing a staff can be set up and automated. That means you don’t need to dedicate hands-on time for things like payroll, scheduling, or commissions.
With Square Appointments, your clients can book multiple services with different staff members, but tips will automatically be split among staff after the customer pays in a single transaction. You can preassign flat-rate or tiered commissions to each staff member, which will sync with your automated payroll. And when clients want to book with their favorite staff member, they can use your free booking website to select a provider and a date, and a preassigned station or room will automatically be booked for their service.
Marketing to loyal and lapsed customers
Word-of-mouth marketing is critical for beauty businesses, which is why it’s essential to provide an efficient and seamless experience for all clients. But marketing doesn’t end there — customers want to hear from their favorite businesses on a regular basis, especially if they have something to offer. Thirty-seven percent of customers want loyalty program updates or alerts for special promotions, and the majority (63%) want businesses to communicate with them via email over all other channels.
Based on your auto-created customer directory, you can set up automated email marketing campaigns that go out to your entire customer base or a segmented group of customers. Whether you have a new service or offering, want to promote your loyalty program, or need to re-engage customers who haven’t scheduled their next appointment, automated marketing campaigns are a quick and efficient way to reach active and lapsed customers.
PRO TIP:
Looking for new strategies to get clients in the door? Here are five ways beauty businesses can expand their offerings based on customer preferences.Simple automation solutions can help beauty businesses of all sizes free up time, improve the customer experience, and streamline operations. Whether your focus is on new clients or expansion, Square tools built specifically for the beauty industry integrate with all parts of your business so you can work smarter, automate for efficiency, and open up new opportunities for growth.
