The busiest time of the year is ahead of you! Learn which features in Shortcuts you can lean on to ensure you’re operating as smoothly as possible.
The end-of-year holiday season is knocking at your salon’s door. It’s the craziest, most exhilarating time of the year when everyone wants to look their best for parties, gatherings, and maybe even a few surprise rendezvous. But here’s the thing: making it through with your sanity intact and your salon running like a well-oiled machine? That takes preparation. Here’s a comprehensive look at how Shortcuts’ powerful tools can help you maximise salon efficiency and keep your business running seamlessly.
Check The “Best Sales Report” To Know What Sells”
One of the most impactful ways to prepare for the holiday rush is to understand which services and products are most popular. The Best Sales Report in Shortcuts provides a clear breakdown of your top-performing items. This insight enables you to:
- Stock up on high-demand products to prevent running out at peak times.
- Create targeted promotions for your most popular services to boost holiday sales.
- Inform your marketing campaigns to highlight these top sellers and attract more clients.
With a detailed understanding of past performance, you can tailor your offerings to align with client preferences, ensuring your salon operates smoothly and profitably during the holiday season.
Employee Rostering Forecast – Optimising Staffing
Staffing can be one of the hardest things to get right during the end of the year. The employee rostering forecast feature in Shortcuts helps you anticipate staffing needs by analysing past data and projecting future demand.
Visual Scheduling: Colour-coded bar graphs show when your salon is expected to be busiest, allowing you to plan employee shifts efficiently. For example, red indicates heavy demand where additional staff may be needed, while blue suggests excess staffing that can be adjusted.
Avoid Overstaffing or Understaffing: With clear visual guides, you can allocate your workforce effectively, ensuring that you’re neither overstaffed or understaffed at any point during the day.
Walk-in Management: Does your salon, barber or spa accept walk-ins? Setting optimal wait times ensures a pleasant customer experience without overwhelming your team. This setting helps adjust staffing plans to handle spontaneous client traffic.
By leveraging the labour forecasting tool, your salon can maintain smooth operations without the chaos often associated with the end-of-year rush.
Learn more about the Rostering Forecast
Appointment Reminders
The last thing you need during a peak season is a high rate of no-shows or missed appointments. Shortcuts comes equipped with automated reminders and confirmations to help minimise these disruptions.
With these automated tools, you can:
- Send Appointment Reminders via SMS or email to clients, reducing no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
- Offer clients a simple way to confirm or reschedule, ensuring your appointment book stays full and accurate.
- Maintain salon efficiency by keeping your schedule organised and minimising downtime.
Learn more about SMS Appointment Reminders
Pre-Arrival Email Forms (new!)
When you’re busy, it’s important you have as much information from your clients as possible PRIOR to your clients arrival. We’ve recently updated Shortcuts to allow you to do just this. Pre-Arrival Email Forms allow you to collect vital pre-appointment information, before clients arrive. The day runs smoother, and you and your team have the ability to prepare for specific needs prior to the day even beginning.
If you implement the Appointment Acknowledgement emails we mentioned above, these forms can slot right into the same email. Easy as!
Learn more about Pre-Arrival Email Forms
Online Booking and Booking Deposits
40% of bookings are made outside of business hours! To make sure you’re not missing out on revenue, consider turning on Online Booking during the hectic holiday period.
With Online Booking and Booking Deposits, you can:
- Increase client commitment to their appointments
- Secure your staff’s time and revenue
- Give your clients a simple and intuitive booking experience
- Make sure that services are booked accurately when paired with the Related Services feature
Learn more about Online Booking
Gift Cards
Setting up and using Online Gift cards are a fantastic way to boost sales and give your clients a way to share the love with their friends and family during the holiday season.
With Shortcuts Online Gift Cards you can:
- Increase salon revenue
- Capture even more revenue from unredeemed cards
- Attract new clients who receive gift cards for your services
- You can even use these to start a new promotion
Learn more about Online Gift Cards
Marketing
Keeping your clients engaged and informed is essential for driving repeat visits. Shortcuts’ salon software features integration with email and SMS marketing tools, allowing you to communicate timely promotions and updates. Use this feature to:
- Send exclusive holiday offers or last-minute booking opportunities.
- Share tailored content highlighting your salon’s holiday preparation services.
- Create a sense of urgency with limited-time promotions that encourage immediate action.
A proactive marketing approach helps build excitement and ensures your salon is top of mind as clients prepare for the holidays.
POS – Faster, Seamless Checkouts
A busy salon means long lines at the checkout if not managed properly. Shortcuts integrated POS system ensures that your payment process is swift and seamless. Features like customer profiles linked to transactions contribute to a smoother experience for both your staff and clients. This efficient process helps maintain a positive atmosphere in your salon, even during peak periods.
Final Tips for Holiday Preparation
To make the most of Shortcuts salon software and blitz through the busy season use the below check-list to ensure you’re heading in the right direction:
- Schedule staff training on software features ahead of the holiday rush to ensure everyone is familiar with the tools.
- Utilise real-time data to make quick adjustments if unexpected trends or challenges arise.
- Prioritise customer service by empowering your team with the tools they need to manage their time effectively, creating a better experience for your clients.
Preparing for the holiday season is no small feat, but with the right strategies and tools, your salon can thrive. From best sales reports and online booking management to employee rostering forecasts and inventory management, Shortcuts is here to offer the support you need for smooth salon operations. Equip your team and elevate your services to ensure this holiday season is your most successful yet.
Want to know more about the features we’ve mentioned in this blog? Reach out to our teams.
