Salon software is so much more than a glorified appointments book. Scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll see that the real value of any salon technology system lies in the data – and the ability to drill down into your numbers and gain valuable insights into your business.  

As you might expect, some of the most critical reports are those related to staff performance. A salon is only ever as good as its people, and if you want to motivate, inspire and coach your staff to reach their full potential, data is key. Shortcuts' Paul Tate shares strategies for mining your data to motivate your team:

Fire up the reports
The great thing about technology is just how quickly and how easily you can access information, anywhere, any time. In seconds you can check the performance of each individual on your team, comparing sales, services, retail and rebooking on an hour-to-hour, day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month and year-to-year basis. Are they rebooking more clients in the morning, when they are fresh and less tired? Do their client satisfaction surveys tell different stories on different days of the week? Looking at the numbers will help you quickly identify patterns in behavior, and help you give constructive feedback based on concrete facts.

Benchmarking performance
One of the best ways to help strengthen your team is to identify and celebrate your top performers. A little healthy competition can be a powerful motivator when presented in a positive light, and it’s important to acknowledge and reward those staff for a job well done. Once you’ve determined your top performers, you can consider implementing initiatives in which they can help mentor and train the rest of your team.

Seeing beyond retail
Drilling down into product sales doesn’t just show which staff are selling the most retail. It will reveal other invaluable insights. Is one of your stylists or therapists selling much more of a particular product? You might be happy that there is a sale, but it could be masking a problem. Is your stylist stuck in a rut using the same old product? Will the client be happy with only this? Is the therapist uncomfortable using other products?  This sort of detail can really help you plan who needs more training and in what areas.

Repeat business insight
Attracting a new client costs five times more than keeping an existing one, so retention is crucial for the health of any business. You need to be aware who on your team is keeping clients and who isn’t. Retention records will quickly reveal any problem with an individual employee.  A quick summary of figures does not tell the whole story. Double-check each employee’s record regularly and then investigate why there are variations across the team.

For more information on Shortcuts, please visit www.shortcuts.net  

About Shortcuts Software:
Shortcuts Software provides intuitive technology solutions to more than 14,000 clients in the hair and grooming industries worldwide. As well as providing stylish point of sale systems, Shortcuts sets itself apart by offering a complete online marketing solution built into the system, and personalized client support 24/7. Founded in 1994, Shortcuts is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of the market. Shortcuts is powered by the largest research and development team in the industry, with Shortcuts technologies now used in 45 countries around the globe.

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