At the Phorest Salon Owners Summit 2025, Paddy Monaghan, the Chief Product Officer, and Rich Cullen, the Lead Product Designer at Phorest, unveiled hidden features that help salons, spas, and clinics maximise efficiency, empower their staff, and elevate business performance.
This keynote highlighted Phorest’s deep connection with our clients, five powerful tools that salons, spas, and clinics can start using today, and an incredible real-life story of resilience and transformation from Luisa Garcia, owner of Soleil Salon and Spa.
Phorest’s Connection Goes Deeper Than Software
Paddy opened with a story that perfectly captures the spirit of the Phorest community.
He recounted a trip where he was meant to attend an event in Palm Springs, but due to a booking mix-up, he accidentally flew to Palm Beach instead – on the opposite side of the country. Stranded, exhausted, and still facing a four-hour drive from San Diego to his final destination, he reached out to David Linde, a long-time Phorest client.
Instead of hesitation, David’s response was instant: “Do you want wine or beer when you get here?”
It took Paddy a moment to process – was David really inviting him to stay at his home? As a Phorest client, this felt like an unusual offer. But David and his wife, Gail, made it clear: “Don’t ever call me just a client again, because if you do, I’ll call you just a vendor.”
The moment summed up something deeper about Phorest’s mission – our connection with salon, spa, and clinic owners goes beyond transactions. It’s not just about business; it’s about real relationships, real people, and a shared passion for the industry.
Phorest in Numbers: 2024
The keynote also covered how 2024 was a big year for Phorest, with our growth and impact encompassing:
- 11,000+ salons across 7 countries
- 400 Phoresters
- 78 million clients served
- 320,000 five-star reviews received
- 5000+ Client Experience Awards given
- 89,000 queries answered by Phorest Support
- 140 hours saved with PhorestPay terminals
- 200,000+ staff goals set and achieved
- €5 million in revenue generated through Phorest Ads Manager.
5 Hidden Gems to Transform Your Team
Paddy then revealed the five powerful yet often overlooked Phorest features that can make a huge impact on a salon, spa, or clinic’s success. These tools aren’t just about making your operations smoother. They’re about helping you motivate your team, improve client retention, and drive growth in ways you might not have realised were possible.
1. Smarter Online Booking Configurations
Key Benefit: Take full control of your bookings to guide new clients to the right stylist.
With Phorest’s Online Booking feature and configuration tools, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can:
- Adjust staff visibility in online bookings, showcasing team members you want to highlight.
- Control how far in advance clients can book appointments, helping you manage your schedule more efficiently.
- Decide whether specific team members can accept new clients based on performance or availability.
Paddy also described a real-life example of this: one salon used this feature to boost client retention. If a stylist wasn’t retaining clients, the owner simply disabled new bookings for that stylist until their retention rates improved. This example is a great way to motivate staff and ensure clients are matched with stylists who can deliver an exceptional experience.
2. Advanced Report Visibility for Staff
Key Benefit: Give your team the data they need to succeed – without oversharing sensitive information.
Salons, spas, and clinics love Phorest’s Reporting feature… but did you know you can oversee who sees what. Staff can view their own performance without seeing other team members’ stats. Additionally, clicking numbers on the Phorest Dashboard provides a detailed performance breakdown, helping you make smarter business decisions.
According to Paddy, this is a game-changer for staff coaching. Staff can see client retention reports, identifying who isn’t rebooking and how much that’s costing the business. For salon owners, it means the ability to drill down into every number and use data to fuel growth and performance improvements.
3. Digital Loyalty & Referrals – A TreatCard Upgrade
Key Benefit: A fully digital loyalty programme, seamlessly integrated into your salon, spa, or clinic’s branded app.
Paddy gave the audience what they wanted – you asked, and we delivered. Based on client feedback, Phorest is now taking the TreatCard digital.
- Clients can now view their loyalty points directly on their phones.
- The TreatCard is fully integrated into your salon, spa, or clinic’s branded app, customised with your colours and logo.
- Research shows higher client retention rates with digital loyalty programmes and referrals, making this a must-have feature for any modern salon, spa, or clinic.
4. Next-Level Marketing & Ads Manager
Key Benefit: High-performing ad campaigns with easy, trackable ROI.
Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. With Phorest Ads Manager, salons, spas, and clinics are generating some serious revenue.
- €5 million in revenue was generated by businesses using Phorest’s advertising tools last year alone.
- Some businesses are seeing an incredible $500 return on just $5 ad spend, outperforming industry benchmarks on Meta ads.
New features include:
- Story and video ad placements for higher engagement.
- Direct and indirect revenue tracking, so you can see how ads are influencing bookings – not just the ones that come through immediately, but also future services.
- A “set and forget” option for automated campaigns that run themselves, so you can focus on running your business while your marketing works in the background.
5. Staff Goals – A Breakthrough for Performance & Motivation
Key Benefit: Salons, spas, and clinics using Staff Goals consistently outperform those that don’t,
According to Rich Cullen, the Lead Data Analyst at Phorest, only 40% of businesses use Phorest’s Staff Goals feature, but those that do are seeing amazing results. In fact, the numbers speak for themselves. Businesses that use Staff Goals see:
- +18% in average ticket size
- +41% boost in average retail sales
- +141% growth in the retail-to-service ratio
- +9% improvement in rebooking rates
- +50% increase in upselling
Rich also detailed the hidden gems in the Staff Goals feature, primarily that it’s accessible through the PhorestGo app, so teams can track their progress anytime, from anywhere. There are also five key performance metrics to track: service sales, rebooking percentage, retail sales, client visits, and total revenue. Salon, spa, or clinic owners and managers can customise and backdate goals to fit their business needs.
And finally – there’s a fun, gamified mascot system that keeps your team motivated, whether they’re aiming to escape the Grumpy Cat or hit that elusive Unicorn status! Over the past year, 60% of all goals have hit 80% completion or higher, showing some incredible progress. Plus, one in five goals achieved Unicorn status (over 120%+ of the target)!
A Story of Resilience – Luisa Garcia & Soleil Salon and Spa
With the audience already feeling the power of community, Paddy set the stage for an incredible story of resilience. He welcomed Luisa Garcia, owner of Soleil Salon & Spa in New Hampshire – a million-dollar salon and a seven-time winner of Salon Today’s Top 200 Salons in the US.
Luisa’s journey over the past few years was nothing short of extraordinary. In February 2023, just as the world was emerging from the challenges of COVID-19, Luisa faced a crisis that would test her mettle. One day, during a routine meeting, she noticed water gushing from a closet and the pedicure chairs.
What she initially thought was a water heater issue was far worse – sewer water flooding her entire salon. “A literal s**t-show,” as Luisa herself said. If that wasn’t enough, it happened twice. Things took another unexpected turn when a builder she hired to help with repairs stole $30,000 from her, leaving her without a contractor – and with a salon space in ruins. To top it all off, Luisa discovered her business was facing a 60% revenue deficit.
But Luisa refused to let these setbacks define her.
Instead of giving up, Luisa decided to rebuild the salon herself. With no construction experience, she turned to YouTube tutorials, learning everything from drywall installation to plumbing. She called on the demolition crew who had helped clear the salon, whom she fondly referred to as her “11 angels”, and together, they began the process of reconstructing the space. Luisa worked seven days a week, 10 to 11 hours a day, determined to bring her salon back to life.
Remarkably, the salon only closed for two days, as she put up tarps to allow employees to continue treating clients, even amidst the chaos. Rebuilding the physical space was only half the battle – Luisa still needed to revive her business financially.
With little time for traditional coaching, Luisa turned to Phorest Staff Goals. She launched the Unicorn Challenge: a fun, engaging way to motivate her team to hit their targets without constant supervision. The impact was immediate. Despite the lack of hands-on coaching, losses dropped by over two-thirds, and her team became united and driven.
By December 31. 2024. Luisa had transformed a 60% deficit into a 10% profit – an extraordinary turnaround that showcased not just her resilience but the strength of her team, and the power of the right tools.
Luisa’s story is one of grit, creativity, and heart – and she’s just getting started. Stay tuned for her upcoming guest blog, where she’ll share the entire journey and the invaluable lessons she learned along the way. You won’t want to miss it!
Even More Staff Goal Features to Look Forward To!
Before wrapping up, Rich took to the stage once more to unveil some exciting new features designed to make managing and motivating your team even easier – and a lot more fun!
- Repeating Goals: Salon, spa, and clinic owners and managers can set staff goals once and run them automatically every month. It’s a huge time-saver that ensures consistency and keeps your team focused on growth without the hassle of manual updates.
- Multi-Staff Goals: Set targets for multiple employees at once. Whether you want to encourage healthy competition or foster a spirit of collaboration, this tool makes it simple to align your team’s efforts and drive performance across the board.
- Upgraded Mascot System: Gone are the days of just five mascots; there are now 15 fun mascots to celebrate your team’s progress! Tracking goals has never been this engaging. Your staff will love seeing their progress reflected – for a small touch that brings a big boost in motivation.
- Leaderboards: Leaderboards give you a clear, dynamic view of how your team is performing. It’s a fantastic way to create excitement, build camaraderie, and celebrate success together.
Key Takeaways: Uncovering Phorest’s Hidden Gems
The keynote from Paddy and Rich was all about uncovering Phorest’s hidden gems – the tools and features that can help salons, spas, and clinics streamline operations, boost revenue, and strengthen teams in unexpected ways. But more than just software, the session reminded us of the power of community, connection, and resilience.
Luisa’s story is proof that with the right mindset – and the right support – you can overcome even the toughest challenges. Her journey showed us that when you pair determination with the right technology, you’re unstoppable.
So, as you head back to your business, we leave you with one question: Which hidden gem will you start using first?
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