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We recently sat down with Rosy Salon Software Founder Jim Bower to discuss how software has helped revolutionize their niche industry.
Q: What is Rosy Salon Software?
A: Rosy Salon Software is a comprehensive suite of scheduling and business tools that offers features specifically designed for salons and spas.
Q: What is your mission?
A: As former salon and spa owners, we understand the unique workflow of this type of business, so we designed easy-to-use software to help automate many day-to-day operations. Our goal is to help salons and spas to increase their productivity, and in turn, increase client satisfaction, loyalty, and sales.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Rosy?
A: I owned a small chain of salons and spas in the greater Chicago area and worked behind the chair for many years while balancing all of the daily responsibilities that came with business ownership. I found that salon software helped with scheduling and general management but grew frustrated with many of the limitations and IT issues of the existing offerings at the time. That’s why I set out to create a better solution.
I assembled a team and established Floydware Software and went to work on early versions of what would become Rosy Salon Software. In 2009, after years of development and testing Rosy Salon Software, the first cloud-based salon scheduling and management software, was launched nationally. Word spread quickly about the ‘created by salon owners for salon owners’ software and today Rosy is proudly servicing thousands of salons, tens of thousands of hairdressers, and millions of customers.
Recommended: Q: Can you give us more insights into your software?
A: Rosy provides everything that a salon or spa needs to run their business successfully. Standard features include Online Client Scheduling, Appointment Scheduling, Text & Email Communications, Mobile Access, Facebook Integration, Inventory Management, Mobile Web App, Reporting Engine, Product Reservations, Point of Sale, and Booth Renter Management. There’s also a premium package designed to take salon and spa marketing to the next level. In addition to Enhanced Text Communications, salons and spas can make use of Rewards & Referrals, Automated Emails, and Mass Emails, which are ideal for rewarding and communicating with clients. Staff can also easily upload and edit Client Images for quick reference or even build an impressive Image Library to use when designing Client Connect newsletters and emails.
Q: What makes Rosy Salon Software a good choice?
A: Rosy is cloud-based, so it can be accessed from any device, anytime and anywhere with an internet connection. This eliminates the need for installing, maintaining or upgrading software or having IT issues due to system or software conflicts.
A contract-free month-to-month service with mobile access from anywhere, Rosy lets salons and spas work remotely. This convenience allows owners access to all of their data and service operators to check their schedules and even book or cancel appointments anytime, from anywhere, and on any device. These automated systems for online scheduling, text and email confirmations and alerts, even product recommendations, and order reminders, allows salons and spas to spend more time doing what they do best… servicing customers!
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Q: What’s unique about the Rosy scheduler?
A: Available on any device, Rosy’s scheduling software just takes three letters and a few clicks for staff to book appointments, quickly work out plans for multiple appointments, access client history, and personalize reminders. All information for any client is immediately available with a click on the appointment screen including contact information, color formulas, personal preferences, and a complete retail/service history.
Rosy also offers intelligent Online Client Scheduling solutions that promote cluster booking, minimum scheduling gaps, and will not allow unfillable gaps in the salon’s schedule. Through the salon’s website or Mobile Web App, clients have access to all of their history and can schedule appointments, purchase gift cards and packages, reserve products, update their profile and contact information, and more.
Q: Does your software have any specific features that appeal to spas?
A: Booking online is very popular with spas customers, as are memberships and packages. With automated resource scheduling, spas can balance their bookings for their only treatment room or pedicure station without keeping clients waiting. Rosy’s spa management software seamlessly manages spa resources and fills schedules without overbooking.
Q: What are your plans for next six months?
A: We are implementing a new feature called Salon Interactive, which offers targeted marketing solutions and guided learning experiences for salons and spas. Basically, the salon or spa owner sets the permissions for manufacturers or distributors to send product knowledge, demos, and new product announcements to designated staff and consumer versions to customers so they can stay current with the latest techniques, trends, and products.
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Q: How has Rosy changed the beauty industry?
A: With so many of the automated features, Rosy allows staff to be more productive, in many cases streamlining the duties of the front desk. With online booking, for example, there are fewer holes or un-booked spots in the schedule, so salons and spas have more earning potential. Since a large percentage of online bookings happen after business hours, the salon or spa is cashing in on opportunities that would otherwise be lost. Also, allowing clients to make their own bookings online frees up the front desk staff from having to answer as many phone calls or take bookings while juggling other duties.
In addition, automated email and text confirmations help curb late clients and eliminate no-shows, which has always been an issue in this industry. Making confirmations by phone, which takes dedicated staff hours, tends to see an 8% no-show rate. Using email confirmations instead takes that rate down to 3%, but combine email and text, and the no-show rate goes all the way down to less than 1%. That, along with less time being spent by staff, is something to take to the bank.
At Rosy Salon Software, our goal is to continue to develop new and innovative ways to make business management easier and more efficient for the salon and spa industry. After all, that’s where our heart is!
