When Mouna Sapper, owner of Taylor Reese Salon in Highland Park, Illinois, first opened her salon 18 years ago, she and her 15 service providers were still using paper scheduling books. After just six months, the team outgrew the space, so Mouna took over the suite next door and doubled the size of her salon. Now more than ever, they needed a better way to book appointments and help manage the salon.
“When we first started, everything was on paper, including my schedule,” mentioned Mouna. “We had those big appointment books at the front desk and a drawer full of catalogs, receipts, and checks. We knew that we had to do something that would be easier.”
That’s when this busy salon owner met the founder of Rosy, a fledgling salon software company that was the first to take everything online.
“It was all about keeping track of our schedule and managing our clients; that was why we started with Rosy. We had looked into different programs, but this was the one that we really liked working with because it was so easy to navigate.”
In addition to scheduling clients at the salon, Taylor Reese Salon was an early adopter of Online Client Scheduling.
“There are still the people who want to call in and have somebody make their appointment, but the people who book online, I feel like they make more appointments. Our clients who book online love booking online; it’s on their phone, and it’s easier for them to book when they remember they need a haircut, even if it’s midnight.”
Whether booked in the salon or online, clients automatically get an appointment confirmation right away and a reminder a couple of days ahead of their appointments.
“Before Rosy, we’d have a receptionist come in on Mondays to confirm the first two days of our workweek. They’d confirm for the rest of the week when they had a little more time on Tuesday or Wednesday. Today we need fewer people at the front desk scheduling and confirming appointments. These automated communications have been a great help in relieving some of the pressure at the front desk, and it gives them more time to interact with clients,” Mouna added.
Now with a second location in Lake Forest, Rosy helps Mouna manage her team of 51. She loves the reporting options, specifically for payroll. “I have all my reports and send them to my accountant; it’s wonderful. That’s probably my favorite. I mean, it’s so simple, and It’s nice to have all of that in one place.”
When asked how Rosy grew along with her salon, Mouna said, “We started Rosy with just scheduling and automated confirmations. Today, we use it to keep track of inventory, clock people in and payroll, plus marketing with Client Connect – the features we use constantly.”
Mouna’s advice to other salon owners when it comes to salon software? “Keep it as simple and as user-friendly as possible. Many out there are more complicated than they need to be. You want a system that hairdressers can navigate through easily, so they can spend more time with their clients.”
Not a Rosy user yet? Try it on for size with a free 30-day trial.
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