Only on Zenoti: How to create a receptionless salon or spa – and why it’s good for business

The front desk is a vital hub for beauty and wellness businesses: it’s where your staff schedules appointments, checks guests in and out, collects payments, and so much more. Setting the tone for a great guest experience starts here, too.

With the right technology, you can lessen the workload for your staff and help your salon or spa evolve the guest experience.  

The Zenoti platform enables self-service or automation for just about every interaction found at a front desk, from salon scheduling software and filling out digital forms to checking in, checking out, and paying. The platform boosts convenience and efficiency for front desk staff, too, freeing them up to offer a fabulous in-person experience starting with a friendly smile and welcome beverage when guests walk in the door.

See the top advantages of going receptionless with Zenoti in a 2-minute video.

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Benefits of guest self-service

When you implement technology that helps guests connect with your salon or spa on the web, through a mobile app, or at an in-store kiosk, you position your business for:

1. Improved operational efficiency

‍Staff are relieved of phone calls and the tedium around appointment scheduling and guest paperwork.

• Back-end admin work is reduced so that staff can rebook or even upsell during in-person check-outs and create a more welcoming experience for guests. An 85-center salon chain serving 150,000 guests per month saw a 50% gain in back-office efficiency after implementing Zenoti.
• Staff time spent on intake paperwork is also reduced as 30% of guests are more likely to fill out digital forms on their personal devices before their appointment, speeding up check-ins and preventing front desk bottlenecks.

“Zenoti allowed us to eliminate our cash wraps. We’re able to stand side by side with someone and greet them and say hello. It helps us to have a much friendlier greeting experience, a lot less tied down to the front desk.”

– Bridgette Barbato,
Director of Studios, MiniLuxe, U.S. nail and beauty lounge

2. An optimal guest experience

Your staff works hard to pamper guests in the chair, but why stop there? Extend the pampering across every in-person touchpoint, starting from the moment guests arrive. Given that the in-person wait time is the most frustrating aspect of a salon or spa experience for 52% of guests, take the help of technology to minimize that pain. The Zenoti platform includes a customer mobile app so you can:

• Eliminate a line at the front desk and in-person wait time for guests by offering self-check-in.
• Help guests quickly schedule the same service with the same provider. With 2-tap rebooking from Zenoti, it’s fast and convenient for guests to rebook – all it takes is two taps on their smartphone.
• Offer mobile payments for guests to check out and tip, with the option to auto-pay.

“We’re keeping costs down with a completely receptionless salon experience. With Zenoti, we’ve eliminated the friction of booking, checking in and out, paying and more. Overall, it’s seamless and completely represents our branding.”

– Jonny Levi,
Owner, Jonny Levi Studio, Greater Seattle Area  

3. More revenue opportunities

With a software platform like Zenoti, beauty and wellness businesses can generate more income when guests can do things online like book appointments, and purchase packages, memberships, and gift cards.

Zenoti survey data highlights the bottom-line impact when guests use the software platform to self-serve:

• 20% higher average transaction value
• 35% fewer no-shows  
• 46% increase in retention from self-service booking

High rates of online booking also signal dependable business performance. In fact, nearly half of all appointments at high-performing salons and spas were booked online by guests.

Take these steps to go receptionless

Give your guests the convenience of online self-service. With the all-in-one Zenoti salon management software and spa management software, you can:

1. Implement online booking, including recommended service upgrades and add-ons.

2. Offer your guests a branded mobile app to interact with your business 24x7.  

3. Provide an in-store kiosk for check-in and accurate wait times.

Going receptionless doesn’t equate to losing the human touch. On the contrary, reducing admin work expands staff capacity to provide a great in-person experience. And boosting convenience increases guest satisfaction leading to positive reviews for your business. With Zenoti software, you can leverage technology to help your staff work more efficiently and wow guests, all while generating additional revenue.

Note: Article metrics are from beauty and wellness businesses powered by Zenoti.

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