Get a Salon Check-In App with SalonBiz

August 21, 2023

Skip The Line (And Front Desk!) With A Salon Check-In App

In recent years, taking a flight meant getting to the airport early to wait in a long line for check-in. What a pain, right? Today, nearly every passenger checks in online. It’s quick, easy, and efficient.

Similar to a self-check-in kiosk at the airport, a salon check-in app can create the same efficient and elevated experience for your salon guests.

Whether it’s your walk-ins or a regular client coming in for their standing appointment, salon scheduling software with a check-in app can help streamline every aspect of their visit. From choosing add-on services to getting points for your loyalty programs, new clients and loyal guests alike are sure to love the convenience of self-check-in at their favorite hair salon.

And it’s not just your guests who will love self-check-in. Here’s how your guests and your salon team will benefit from a salon check-in app that lets you ditch the front desk!

Benefits of using a salon check-in app

Most salon guests are in a hurry. They want to get in and out as quickly as possible, avoiding long lines at understaffed front desks. Even five minutes can add to the stress of their appointment.

So, your goal is to create a gorgeous, calming experience in your salon from start to finish. Let’s look at how a salon check-in app will help.

1. Reduces your team’s front desk tasks

With a salon software app, your guest check-in process becomes automatic rather than a manual ongoing task. That means that your amazing team doesn’t need to be kept standing behind a desk.

You hired your staff for their customer service skills and expert knowledge. Allow guests to check in with an app, and you’ll get your team out from behind the desk and onto the floor so they can sell products, answer guest questions, and help deliver the stress-free pampering your clients want.

2. Eliminates lines for your guests

If guests want to skip the front desk, they can with a salon check-in app. For example, Pocket Salon—the SalonBiz salon app—allows guests to notify their stylist that they’ve arrived from the palm of their hand.

Instead of waiting in line, your guests can enjoy a few relaxing moments in your reception area or browse your retail products. Guests can also purchase their products directly within the app, skipping the line again.

For guests who wish to check in upon arrival, SalonBiz also offers self-check-in via a mobile tablet that can be set up in your reception area. This can save time for both clients and staff when even a percentage of clients use it.

And don’t worry about missing a guest, because Pocket Salon notifies your stylists when their client has checked in.

Whether you have guests check in using their own smartphone or a tablet at the front of the store, the process is simple. No line, no waiting, and no stress.

3. Gives your stylists a mobile solution

Your guests love mobile options, and your stylists do too! With a dedicated stylist check-in app, your team can manage their guest appointments and services easily without having to run back and forth between the front desk and their styling station.

For example, SalonBiz’s Stylist App gives them the ability to quickly view their books, manually check in arriving guests, and more. And they can do it all from either a self-check-in kiosk tablet or their smartphone.

4. Reduces points of contact

Contactless experiences are undoubtedly becoming increasingly important for all types of customers, your salon guests included.

By adding touchless technology features through their own smartphones, your guests and your team can enjoy a streamlined and safer check-in experience.

5. Creates a seamless guest experience

Finally, the biggest benefit of a check-in app is how it can help you reimagine your salon’s space and guest flow.

The ability to check themselves in creates an intentional VIP experience for your clients. Instead of keeping guests centered around a front desk, it gives them the power to browse through your salon and check in effortlessly for appointments.

Multiple check-in options also give guests more control over their experience right from the beginning. If they know your team and want to catch up, they can check in at the front desk. Or if they want to get in and out quickly, they can use your check-in kiosk tablet or self-check-in on their smartphones in the parking lot.

Whatever your clients want their salon experience to look like, they can shape it from the palm of their hands when you give them a salon check-in app.

How to upgrade your salon check-in experience with SalonBiz

When you partner with SalonBiz, you get so much more than a check-in app.

If you’re looking for a solution that will take you far beyond the receptionist desk, our salon management software features put both your guests and your team in charge.

How do you get your new system up and running? It’s simple.

Set up a central check-in area

To set up a mobile check-in area with SalonBiz, start by logging into the SalonBiz iPad app and enter a pin to prevent guests from exiting the kiosk interface. From there, you can enter a short welcome message, upload your logo, and create messages to display after a successful check-in. Save your changes, and you’re ready to go!

We recommend placing the self-check-in kiosk in close proximity to the front of your salon with a sign to give guests a little nudge. When guests arrive, they can search for their appointment using the first few letters of their name and then check in for their appointment.

Sync up with Pocket Salon

If you want your guests to actually use a new check-in platform, they must be able to see the benefits of it. That means the new platform has to meet the needs of your guests, first and foremost. This is why we created the Pocket Salon App for a seamless guest experience.

At SalonBiz, we always start our feature creation and upgrade process by answering the question, “What do salon guests want? And how can we create an exception experience that makes their lives just a little bit easier?”

One of the outcomes of that process is Pocket Salon—an app your guests will want to use over and over again.

With the Pocket Salon app, guests can check in for their appointments when they arrive. And over on the Stylist App, their stylist will be able to see when a guest has checked in, quickly view notes from their previous appointments, and pull up any inspiration photos. Their stylist is ready to go before they even say hi!

Even better? After the appointment, guests can check themselves out in seconds, too! They can view the services they’ve received, add a tip, and even receive receipts automatically. All they have to do is enter their credit or debit card information and be on their way!

Add features that guests love

Beyond check-in and check-out, Pocket Salon offers amazing functionality for your guests when it comes to getting the products they need and rebooking future appointments.

Product recommendations are built directly into the app to make retail sales easier. Plus, a guest’s product recommendations and past purchases are viewable each time they log in, reminding them when it’s time to restock their favorite at-home beauty supplies. They can even order retail products directly from your salon through the app.

Lastly, we all know that rebooking is a best practice to grow your salon business. This is why we integrated rebooking into our Pocket Salon app. Stylists can recommend the right service and help guests actually rebook from the chair.