Salon Software Saves Time, Money

by John P. Ribner

From grocery stores to gas stations, everything that’s being sold these days is done so on a computer. Yet, with all the innovations in business software, it’s almost hard to believe that there are some tanning salon owners out there who are still “playing cards,” and we’re not talking Texas Hold ’Em, either. The cards they’re dealing are client records in the antiquated card system that started with this industry nearly 30 years ago!

Sure, the client card system had its place in the indoor tanning industry, but that place changed roughly 15 years ago. Since then, many reputable companies have stepped forward to offer software designed to operate a salon accurately and efficiently. And since then, many salon pros have converted their file cards over to one of these computer programs, and for good reason, too. These systems have many benefits including curbing employee theft, tracking employee sales and commissions and even offering fast and effective marketing options. Perhaps most importantly, they allow salon pros to spend more time talking with their customers instead of looking for a card in a box, and add to the salon’s professionalism.

When it comes to the client card system, more and more salon pros are deciding to “fold” and convert to software. Whatever their reasons why, it all seems to add up to one thing – it helps them operate their business more effectively.

Affiliated Acceptance Corp. No Guesswork
In the five years he’s been Sales Manager at Affiliated Acceptance Corp., Mark Plewa has seen many salon pros still utilizing a card system. “I wouldn’t say it’s fear that necessarily keeps these tanning operators from getting computerized as it is hesitation,” said Mark. “The people getting into the industry these days are very savvy businesspeople, and there are more software systems to choose from now than ever before, so I think it’s a case of people taking their time to find the program that will best suit their needs.” To convince these “card players” to convert to AAC’s Front Desk software, Mark simply explains how much easier it is to automate their businesses. “It takes the guesswork out of everything,” he commented. “For example, it keeps track of busy and not-so-busy times, so salon owners can staff their stores accordingly. Another great way to utilize it is to keep track of client birthdays and anniversaries to add that personal touch to customer service. These are just some of the many ways software can improve their business.”

After using the client card method for 10 years at his three Sundrops salons in Sonoma, CA, owner Jerry Altrez began looking for software to make his job easier. “It was getting increasingly difficult to keep track of my growing salons, and I chose software by Affiliated Acceptance Corp.,” he said. “It alleviated all my concerns by offering one of the most flexible management packages, and I found the detailed payment tracking kept me from losing money by not allowing past-due customers to tan, and its also manages my inventory quite well. With the point-of-sale and inventory control, there’s no more guessing involved – I always know what I have and when I need more.” In the two years he’s used AAC’s software, Jerry reports his receivables have gone up dramatically. “I can’t thank AAC enough for their great tech support and being able to run my reports from home makes it possible to actually have some free time again,” he added.

Kelly Goldlyn, owner of Main Street Tanning in Detroit, MI, chose AAC’s software after two years of toiling with client cards. “I’m a new owner so I need to save all the money I can, and I figured software would help me be more productive,” she commented. “After using the program for a month, it surpassed all of my expectations. I was really impressed with the ease of use – I’m not the most computer savvy person in the world, but I learned it all pretty fast. Since I operate in a college town, employee turnover is a challenge, so it’s important that new people learn the software quickly. Affiliated’s tech support staff is great at training my new staff.” Kelly says she will install AAC software in all salons she plans to open in the future.

Helios – Business Investment
After a decade with software maker Helios, Scott Bogdan still sees many salon owners struggling with the outdated card system. He knows that by simply converting to a software program, operating their salon could be so much easier – and more profitable –but many of these tanning pros are still fighting it. Why? “The two biggest objections to implementing a software program that we keep running into are fear of technology, and concerns about the cost,” said Scott. “It’s easy to overcome their objections once they see how easy it is to operate, and how much quicker it is than trying to find a card in a box. As to their concerns about the cost, we show them how implementing a software system is an investment in their business, not just a cost – a software system will allow salon pros to analyze trends in their business as well as target market to their demographic.”

The owners of On The Dark Side Tanning Salons in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, have been using the client card system at their four locations for roughly 22 years. “My son and I have urged my husband to convert to software for a long time now, and he finally decided to do it,” said Christine Bernauer, who owns the salons with her husband, Gerard. “About 90 percent of our customer complaints are from clients who have had to wait a long time at the front desk while our employees search to find their card because the previous employee misfiled it. We’re in the process of automating all four of our salons and training our staff, and we can’t wait to be fully computerized.”

Debbie Netzke, owner of Season’s Tanning in New Bern, NC, knows all about the old client card system. She used it for about one month after purchasing her salon in April 2007, and that was long enough for her to realize there had to be a better way. “My step- daughter owns salons in northern California, and she suggested I switch to Helios, and I’m glad that I did,” Debbie explained. “The card system was very slow, but Helios gets our clients into their tanning sessions a lot quicker. It was also very easy for my staff and me to learn. I think any salon owner still using cards could benefit from converting to software just for the time they’ll save, alone.”

Interactive Designs Enhanced Customer Service
While the folks at Interactive Designs still encounter salons utilizing client cards, they say the number is diminishing. That’s because more and more tanning pros are seeing the importance of having their businesses computerized. “With all of the advancements in technology today, it’s become almost impossible to perform even the simplest tasks efficiently without using a computer,” said Lauren Uhl, Interactive Designs Director of Operations. “We find that most of the salons we deal with or have dealt with in the past were concerned about cost, complexity, and reliability of the software. After they see all the benefits software offers them, such as cutting down on employee theft, providing marketing options and making accounting much easier, they’re willing to give it a try. And, once they begin utilizing the software, it’s very difficult for them to believe that their salon was ever run any other way.”

Customer service has always been top priority at Always Tan in Norco, CA, and the salon’s software program adds to that, says its owner, Tom Eifler. “We opened in September 2004 and purchased a package from our distributor that included Interactive Designs’ SunTouch program, and I can’t imagine operating the salon without it,” he commented. “It provides us with so many benefits, but the best of all is the way it allows us to enhance our customer service. The program makes it easy to add the personal touch of rewarding clients on their birthdays, designing direct mail postcards, and mass e-mailing our database with our daily specials.” Tom was so pleased with the SunTouch software that he upgraded to SalonTouch a year ago in anticipation of adding another Always Tan location.

Matthew Stidham opened Creekside Tan in Lawrenceville, GA in March, and he started out his salon right. “Heartland Tanning, Inc. is our distributor and they informed us about the challenges of trying to operate a salon that isn’t computerized, so we chose to utilize Interactive’s SalonTouch software program,” Matthew explained. “Although we haven’t used it very long, I can clearly see its value. Best of all, it’s very easy to learn – I’m able to train our staff to use the system in about 30 minutes. And Interactive Designs’ tech support is awesome – they’ve always been there for me when I’ve needed them.”

Nichesoft – Easy Does It
Jeff Oakes, President of Nichesoft, LLC, says salon owners shouldn’t be afraid to make the leap from cards to software. “Unless someone has access to a photocopier and a whole bunch of quarters, I don’t know how they’d be able to back up their client data,” he laughed. “With software, once a client’s info is entered into the system, it’s in there forever and can be accessed quickly. It just makes everything so much easier.” Jeff knows all about salon owners who still use the card system – he was one of them! “When we decided to introduce our salon software program, I thought it would be best to purchase a tanning salon to see how these programs would work firsthand. I deliberately sought out a salon that used to use cards in order to take note of how our system improved the business.” After employing the software at his American Tanlines in Garland, TX, Jeff says it helped uncover serious theft issues with one manager, as well as streamlined the business operation.

Even before Kim Sowders’ boss purchased No Clouds Allowed in London, KY in November 2006, she wanted to be ahead of the curve. One way to do that, she knew, was to lose the previous owner’s card system and go straight to TanTrack software from Nichesoft. “The owner wanted us all to be well prepared, so we started training on the software before the salon even opened,” Kim explained. “By the time she took ownership, we were all well versed in TanTrack and able to operate the business smoothly. It’s been a great help with every aspect of the business, especially preparing gift cards and certificates.”

When Jeffry Earl purchased Bahama Cove in Bakersfield, CA a little over a year ago, he knew right away he’d need a salon software program. “The previous owners used the client card method, and they kept all the cards in a small wooden box, alphabetized by the clients’ first name,” explained Jeffry. “I looked at several programs and decided on TanTrack software by Nichesoft because of its ease of use. I’m into computers, but I have a staff of nine with varying levels of computer skills, and each of them was able to pick up on this program fairly quickly. I’m also extremely pleased with the Nichesoft’s technical support – I can’t say enough about it!”

Sun Focus – Efficiency Is Key
Pam Vierling, co-owner of software maker Sun Focus, understands why the client card system is still prevalent in indoor tanning. “This is a multi-million dollar industry, but it’s made up mostly of mom-and-pop salons that average 8-15 tanning units per store,” Pam explained. “Many of these salons started on the card system, and although they’re aware of software and how it might help their businesses, they’ve become used to the cards and might be hesitant to switch.” To convince these salon pros to utilize Sun Focus software, Pam explains how the program will allow them to be more efficient. “In short, we inform them that software is a tool for earning money, no different than their salon’s tanning units,” she said. “They have everything from their appointment book to client info and so much more on a screen in front of them, and only a few clicks away. This allows them to spend more time with the client and focus on improving their sales numbers.”

Simply put, Ronald and Tammy Warren don’t know how salon pros could ever grow their businesses without software. For the past three years the couple has used Sun Focus to operate their salon, the Attic in Henderson, NC. For the previous 10 years, though, everything was done with cards. “At that time, we had just 10 tanning units, and it would easily take us almost two hours to organize the cards for all of our appointments in the morning, and then another two hours at night to re-sort them,” Ron explained. “And all it would take is one mistake, and that would set us back at least another hour, trying to find the misplaced card.” Wishing to expand their salon, the Warrens thought there had to be a better way, and there was – Sun Focus software. “At first, I was concerned that at 65, I would have a hard time learning to use it, but it came to me quickly, and our staff is even quicker at it than I am,” he said. “It’s allowed us to expand our business to 21 tanning units and keeps everything organized and on track.”

Nancy Pruitt, co-owner of Electric Beach Tanning in Edenville, NC, is very happy to have recently switched from client cards to Sun Focus software. “My husband Tim and I own two salons and we’ve been using the card system for about 12 years,” she explained. “At the end of each week, the managers and I would have to go through each card to check whose packages were expiring, and when. Since we have about 2,800 clients on file at our first salon, and about 3,200 at our second, this got to be tedious. We installed Sun Focus about a year ago and it’s been so much easier – all the information you need is right in front of you. It’s also made keeping track of inventory more accurate and efficient.”

SunLync – On Track
Although most salon owners enjoy the benefits of some type of software system, Hope Pendley, Executive Manager of SunLync, says there are still some holdouts using the antiquated card system. “There are those salon pros who figure that since their business is doing okay with the cards, there’s no reason to change,” said Hope. “In those cases, I think they don’t necessarily know the value of software and how it can benefit their business.” Hope also said that fear of the technology and cost concerns are the two biggest objections that the SunLync team faces when attempting to convert salon pros. “They see it as an expense rather than as an investment that pays for itself in a very short time, especially in curbing employee theft,” she said. “With our software, salon staff can no longer tan multiple people on one account, for example. There are many ways that software can save salons money.”

Pete Wainwright, owner of The Body Shack in Merced, CA, swears by his SunLync software. Initially a nutritional supplement and smoothie store, Pete added tanning to the menu about six months ago, and SunLync came along with it. “SunLync keeps track of all of this very easily, including the credit system we offer,” he said. “It’s also great because it easily tracks our employees’ sales, which will come in handy when we institute our bonus and incentives program later this month.”Mark McConnell, who opened his Element Tanning salon in Reno, NV in April, is enjoying the benefits of utilizing SunLync software. “It’s the most convenient way to know what’s going on in my store at any given time, and it’s made tracking my staff’s sales and commissions much easier,” said Mark. “I look forward to opening my second store sometime in the near future and linking both locations together with SunLync.”

Work Smarter!
Thousands of salon pros utilize some form of software during the course of each business day, and this helps them remain competitive and professional. That’s because these programs go beyond mere bells and whistles – designed to perform many critical management functions, they offer cutting edge technology that makes operating a salon easier and more profitable. The key, of course, is finding the one that best suits your needs. With everything they offer, perhaps it’s time for every tanning pro to get up to speed, be more efficient and make the investment in this 21st Century technology!

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