Tell me this hasn’t happened to you:
guest walks into a salon
“Hello and welcome to Stylz R Us, how can I help?”
“Yes, I’d like a haircut and…”
phone rings
“Sorry, hold that thought please!”
answers phone
“Hello and welcome to Stylz R Us. …pause…
Actually, Susanne is off today. …pause…
Please hold and I’ll get her schedule pulled up.”
places caller on hold and turns to guest at the front desk
“Sorry, about that. You needed a hair color?”
“I need a hair-cut.”
phone rings
“Of course, can you just hold for one more second?”
…Aaaaaand scene!
No one is having a good time in that scenario.
When the customer experience is on the line (literally), salons know that communication is key. So, how do you increase communication while decreasing time and cost?
Business Texting Improves Front Desk Efficiencies
Textel’s business texting for salons provides an easy solution to flip the script on this guest experience. Instead of juggling customer communication from all angles, Textel text-enables your existing business phone line so questions and appointments can be handled on front desk computers, without keeping anyone waiting.
According to an AT&T Market Survey from 2016, 78% of consumers would like to communicate with a business via text. If text isn’t available, they must brace themselves for a phone call that will likely place them on hold and typically take a considerably longer commitment of their time.
And where does that constant ringing leave your front desk’s focus?
Business Texting Cuts Out Front Desk Distractions
University of California, Irvine’s own Gloria Mark studied the distracting effect of phone calls and concluded that a typical worker gets 11 minutes between interruptions and the average brain can take up to 25 minutes to return to their original task afterwards.
A Textel-led study measured client activity and found that on average, communication that takes place over a phone call takes 4 times longer than a text exchange. Calls can take anywhere from 2-7 minutes while a single text takes 5-30 seconds.
By reducing the call volume to your salon, your front desk employees can focus on creating a welcoming environment for every customer and will ultimately enhance the guest experience.
Business Texting Secures More Business from the Front Desk
More than that, by confirming appointments or rescheduling them on the fly via text, your front desk can be actively reducing no-shows and securing future business for your salon. Both are critical components to running a profitable store.
Textel saw these benefits in action with a prominent salon out of St. Louis, Ginger Bay Salon & Spa. A top 200 Salon & Spa by Salon Today Magazine, Ginger Bay needed a solution to the thousands of calls they receive a week for booking appointments and rescheduling appointments.
Per Michelle Steimann, Director of Facilities at Ginger Bay, “The high call volume was producing a strain and led to longer than desirable wait times. The long wait times then translated to higher abandoned call rates and sometimes a lost opportunity with a guest.”
After Ginger Bay reached out, Textel had their business phone number text-ready before the end of the day. Interestingly, Ginger Bay began receiving texts before they had even made it public that their business line was now text-enabled.
The results were powerful: “Not only has Textel helped cut down the call volume and abandoned call rates, but it has also helped us with engagement.”
Plus, Ginger Bay’s front desk is more efficient than ever! “Textel has also maximized our employee’s time since they can easily text a guest back while checking out a guest standing at the counter.”
Business Texting is a Key Differentiator for Salons
Despite AT&T reporting that 85% of consumers prefer text over phone calls, businesses are still stumbling to catch up with the demand. Their same 2016 study found that only 14% of businesses had text-enabled their phone lines.
Do your customers, your front desk and your bottom line a favor and start texting from your business line today, and see how easy it is to add texting to your communication strategy.
Call or text today!