4 Solutions To Salon Owner Problems

Tracking stylist goals, keeping your front desk focused, increasing rebooking—these are problems all salon owners face, and it isn’t easy to keep your salon running efficiently AND create amazing hair that your clients love. That’s where Meevo 2 from Millennium Systems International comes in.

Here’s the deal—Meevo 2 is a cloud-based software that allows owners to manage their salon easily and more efficiently. It comes after the release of Meevo 1 and reflects stylists’ feedback and requests after its first iteration. We chatted with John Harms, CEO and Founder of Millennium Systems International, who is happy to share the new and improved Meevo technology with the industry.

“I am excited that we are finally really honoring our commitment to the industry with Meevo 2. We are very proud of the fact that when salons and spas use Millennium, they can tell it was made for them,” says John.

Keep reading to find out four of the biggest problems salon owners face, and how a software solution like Meevo 2 can help.

1. Problem: The front desk is overloaded and as a result, clients suffer.
Solution: Remove mundane, time-consuming tasks from the front desk staff so they can focus on more important things.

Here’s How:

• Meevo 2’s new Convobar® feature makes the booking process easier to manage—just type or verbally say what you need to do (such as “inventory” or “register”), and the system will immediately open what you need. For example, you can say, “Today or tomorrow with Suzie,” and the system will open only those days for that stylist.

• The automated waiting list feature frees up front desk staff time, too. For example, says John, “Let’s say someone calls and says, ‘I’d like Saturday with Kathy,’ but Kathy is booked for the next two Saturdays—that staff member would then put that client on the waiting list for Kathy. From there, Meevo 2 is constantly watching Kathy’s book, and the minute a spot opens up, the system will text the first client in line. That client then has 15 minutes to respond with a yes or no, and if they say no, it goes to the next person in line. Once someone answers yes, it will book the appointment.

2. Problem: There is no efficient way to keep track of your stylists’ goals and empower them to improve themselves (and in turn, improve your business).
Solution: Put each stylist’s KPIs (key performance indicators) in the palm of their hand.

Here’s How:

• The new “smart center” feature in Meevo 2 allows each stylist to set the homepage background on the Meevo 2 app (compatible with all devices) to reflect their personal KPIs—which means they can see in real-time how close they are to achieving their goals (such as client retention rate, average ticket rate, retail sales, rebook percentage and productivity percentage).

• “Gamifying” goals also helps push stylists—on Meevo 2 they can earn badges, trophies or little coins redeemable for movie tickets or other prizes. (This feature is not yet available, but it was a favorite in Meevo 1 and it’s coming soon, John says!)

3. Problem: Your rebook rate is low and you’re not sure why.
Solution: Change the way you discuss rebooking and watch your rebook rate soar.

Here’s How:

• Did you know rebook rates are pretty low throughout the industry? It’s probably because asking clients a yes-or-no question usually results in a “No, I’ll call later” response, John says. So to increase rebook rates, eliminate the yes-or-no question.

• Meevo 2 predicts when the next appropriate appointment for your client should be, then it pops up on your screen—so the question becomes, “Would you like to come in on Feb. 27 at 9 a.m., or would you prefer Feb. 28 at noon?” Changing the dialogue can result in a rebook rate of about 70 percent, John says.

4. Problem: New client retention rate is too low at your salon.
Solution: Match new clients with the right stylists to increase retention rate.

Here’s How:

• New client retention rates are low throughout the industry—John says that of the new clients booked, only about 35 percent of them return within 90 days for a second visit, and that’s largely because it’s difficult to match new clients with the right stylists.

• Automate the process with the hairdresser’s version of Match.com! Meevo 2 will ask new clients five to 10 questions to understand who they are and who best to pair them with on their first visit (Questions like, “Do you have kids? Do you like politics or sports? Are you married?”).

• “It’ll be these little things just to help the conversation,” says John. “And we’re not going to dictate those questions. We are going to give ideas, but [salons] can come up with their own.” This feature, available September 2018, helps give new clients the best first impression of your salon and stylists.

Meevo 2 is available now for new customers, and John is hoping to transfer existing Meevo 1 and Millennium clients to Meevo 2 throughout February. For more info on Meevo 2, visit www.meevo.com.