Sometimes it’s the small things that make the biggest difference. And when it comes to running a salon, I have seen that to be very true. Just take industry rebooking figures as an example. From looking at the colossal amount of data we have from clients – over 9,000 salons and spas use Phorest – it is clear that salons who rebook their clients on the day tend to outperform those that don’t. You would think that such a simple thing as rebooking on the day should be relatively straightforward to implement in a salon, but it’s actually quite difficult. That’s why we’re introducing the predictive Rebooking SMS feature; designed to keep your salon appointment book full.
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Rebooking has a massive impact on salons and spas’ client loyalty. Reason for this being that once someone is booked in for a future service, they’re less likely to think about moving to another salon. Plus, clients who book their appointments in advance tend to visit you on a more regular cycle – say every 6 weeks – rather than waiting until the last minute to pop in – which might be 8 or 9 weeks later.
A Couple Reasons Why People Don’t Always Rebook
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- Your client isn’t ready to rebook on the day
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- It can be challenging to get your staff in the habit of always asking people to rebook
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- Maybe you don’t have a receptionist, so you’re relying on your team when they’re busy getting ready for or greeting their next client
- Asking to rebook feels salesy to you or your team
Introducing The New Predictive Rebooking SMS Feature
Good… The Rebooking Prompt
We have been trying to solve the rebooking problem for many years. To do so, we first built the orange-coloured Rebooking Prompt that appears after you have paid someone out using Phorest (or before you reach the Pay Screen if you have selected that option). These prompts have certainly helped remind your team to ask clients if they wished to rebook, but they weren’t a solution for when they weren’t ready to do so, or for when staff feels like the question is too salesy.
Better… The Rebooking SMS
Therefore, we introduced the Rebooking SMS feature 18 months ago. Targeting clients who hadn’t rebooked on the day, this feature sent them an SMS the day after their appointment, with a link to book via your salon’s online booking functionality.
Rebooking SMS helped salons get an even better rebooking rate, but a day after the appointment was still too soon and didn’t solve the issue of clients not being able to commit to a date just yet.
Best… The New Predictive Rebooking SMS
We have spent the last year analysing data and coming up with an intelligent algorithm that can not only identify when your client is ready to rebook, but also send them a message just before that moment.
This takes the rebooking process to a whole new level for both your clients and your salon. Picture this: just as your client is thinking they need to go back to the salon, a text with a link allowing them to book in pops up on their phone. Well, from the trials we’ve been running so far, it’s hugely increasing the rebooking percentage and the retention figures in salons.
I am incredibly proud of the team for building the Predictive Rebooking SMS feature. Not just because it uses the latest technology concepts, but also because it uses all the knowledge and data we have collected on salons over the years, resulting in an incredibly simple feature. One that goes a long way in solving one of salon owners’ eternal challenges. Click here if you want to find out how to set it up.
At your service,
– Ronan Perceval, Founder & CEO at Phorest Salon Software
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