Transforming Salon Management with a Custom CRM Solution

• Industry: Beauty & Wellness
• Project Type: Custom CRM Development

The beauty and wellness sector is growing at a fast rate. Haircuts or facials are no longer the only things that count in the salons today; it is all about the experience and the smooth customer experience. Fortunately, a salon’s success relies on how well it manages bookings, staff, and customer relationships.

Our client, a salon owner of multiple locations, was using a third-party CRM platform to manage customer bookings and information. It worked fine, but had one significant problem: commissions. Every time a customer booked an appointment, the third party took a commission; over time, they were losing money and had to rely on their profits for growth.

The salon owner wanted a solution. They wanted a CRM that was affordable, flexible, and in their control. Enter Codestro; a company that specializes in custom software solutions, by taking the lead in designing and building a new CRM made just for them. The challenge:

The Challenge

Before the salon teamed up with Codestro, it was dissatisfied with various conditions in its CRM system.

1. High Commission Fees

All of the bookings on the third-party platform imposed commissions to the salons. That commission brought in quickly because of all the appointments in her salon which totaled hundreds throughout the month.

2. Lack of Flexibility

The system was rigid. Customers were not able to customize their booking journey. If a client wanted to select a junior stylist, senior stylist or a specialist, the system would not allow for different pricing options.

3. Limited Control

The salon owner did not have control over pricing, discounts, or even customer data. When they had to make a change, they again had to depend on the third-party platform which would take time and have additional costs.

The salon needed a solution that would:

• Completely remove commission charges
• Deliver a simplified booking journey for customers
• Enable flexible service options
• Transfer ownership and control to the salon.

The Solution by Codestro

Codestro designed and developed a uniquely custom Salon CRM system to solve all of these problems.

1. Commission-Free Platform

The new CRM was created to be 100% owned by the client. Which also meant:

• No commission charges on the bookings.
• Every rupee earned stays with the salon.
• Long term savings going forward – as the salon grows.

2. Flexible Service Selection

One of the most innovative things that Codestro built was service level flexibility.

• Customers could now choose the type of stylist they wanted – junior, senior, or specialist.
• Customers were now able to choose what style of stylist they wanted to have
  • Junior Stylist – Lower price
  • Senior Stylist – Standard price
  • Specialist Stylist – Premium price
    

Pricing was automatically associated to the stylist chosen. For example: 

3. Easy Appointment Management

The scheduling process has been simplified:

• Customers can book, reschedule, and cancel appointments in the CRM.
• Automated reminders have been added to prevent no shows.
• Clear calendar primitives for the salon staff help to avoid double bookings.

4. Complete Control & Scalability

Codestro has given the salon its total control in the system.

• The owner can set pricing anytime, add promotional discounts or offer promotions.
• All customer data is securley stored in the saloon’s own database.
• The CRM was built to scale – as the salon’s business grows, the system can be expanded to add more staff, services and customers.

Key Features of the CRM

Codestro built the system with features that were focused on customer experience and optimization in business.

1. Customer-Friendly Booking System
   
   • Quick and easy to book appointments.
   • Functionality on desktop and mobile devices.
     
2. Service Selection Options
   
   • Customers choose from staff that are junior, senior or specialist.
   • Transparent pricing is based on selection.
     
3. Automated Pricing
   
   • Charger’s are automatically updated based on stylist type or service type.
     
4. No Commission Fees
   
   • The salon keeps 100% of their earned revenue, there is no middle man.
     
5. Admin Dashboard
   
   • A powerful dashboard for the salon owner, to manage staff schedules, services, customer data, and performance reports.
     
6. Scalable Design
   
   • The CRM is built to handle future growth without additional major costs.
     

The Results

Within just a few months of implementing the new CRM, the salon already began to see significant benefits of utilizing the new CRM: 

1. Major Cost Savings

By getting rid of third-party commissions, the salon would save probably the biggest amount of money each month. This directly impacted profits. 

2. Better Customer Experience

Customers now had access to a greater degree of choice and control. They could book appointments with their preferred stylist as well as have the full knowledge of how much they would be charged, and the salon had everything recorded & stored (all of this increased transparency built trust). 

3. Smoother Operations

taff no longer had to support hand written bookings (or depending on other platforms) or third-party apps. Everything was managed seamlessly with the new salon CRM tool, even new appointments, cancellations and rescheduling. 

4. Stronger Customer Relationships

Because there was solid internal data now being collected / stored, the salon and the client were able to build far better relationships with customers through loyalty programs, options to choose, tailored addressable offers, and sending reminders for follow-ups. 

5. Long-Term Growth

The salon CRM was able to be built as a long-term asset for the salon. Now, as the business grows and new branches are opened, the system can grow with them.

Conclusion

This project serves as a fantastic, live example of how technology can effectively solve real business problems.

Codestro was able to offer its client a point of difference by custom building them a bespoke Salon CRM, allowing them to:

• Replace costly third-party apps.
• Save money by alleviating commission charges.
• Create a better experience for their customers.
• Own their operations and customer data.

The client was able to think about not just efficiency, but profitability, and the CRM transformed their customer management from a cumbersome, costly experience into something seamless and cost-effective for the salon, and easier and more convenient for their clients.

This case study is a valuable lesson for salons and businesses in the beauty and wellness industry about the importance of custom digital solutions. With the right technology partner like Codestro, businesses can lessen their costs, improve their customer experience, and position themselves best for their own future growth.