Apps for iPhones, iPads and iPod touches have unchained many business people
from having to perform vital functions at their desks, but retail customers have
largely been tethered to the front counter when it comes to checking out with
their purchases. Change is afoot, however, and for some salons and spas, the
front desk has already proven to be a thing of the past.
“In addition to helping guests with check-in and check-out, the front desk
is often asked to perform a variety of other tasks. It can be a congested area
at times”, says Jon Maple, founder and CEO of Salon Transcripts, a leading salon
and spa software management company. “Why not dilute some of that congestion and
deliver a better guest experience in the bargain? Authorized employees can
preview a guest record with photo, check in that guest, show them the latest
styles and treatments via the Internet, add retail to their service ticket and
swipe their credit card, all without either of them stopping at the front desk.”
Maple adds, “With the guest there in the chair, an authorized employee with an
iPod touch Mobile Terminal can perform almost any function that the front desk
can, including pre-booking their next appointment. It’s an added touch of
professionalism and makes for a smoother, more seamless guest experience. It can
also mean faster turnaround and an increase in productivity and revenues for
salons and spas.”
Maple’s Mac-exclusive STX software takes the futuristic Mobile Terminal
technology used in over 250 Apple stores around the world and adds it to their
already popular STX iDevice app. By adding the swipe and scan hardware to an
iPod touch, it instantly becomes a mobile credit card terminal, allowing
authorized employees to swipe a card and have the guest sign with their finger.
The receipt can be picked up at the front desk or emailed to them.
“The benefits of mobility have been enormous for our clients”, says Maple. “The
cost savings of eliminating paper travelers alone is enough to justify it, but
there is so much more. And our new Mobile Terminal not only performs credit card
capture, it also scans inventory and automatically enters the information into
the STX database, wirelessly updating your on-hand inventory count.”
Maple has keen insight into the inner workings of salons and spas and how to
effectively weave the thread of technology through their businesses. A former
salon and spa owner himself, Maple long ago recognized the need for better
industry management tools and in 1981 founded Salon Transcripts. With the
introduction that year of ST Pro software for salons and spas, Maple virtually
created the salon and spa management software industry. In 1984, he was the
first to recognize the value and appeal of Apple’s revolutionary point and click
technology and to tailor his product for use exclusively on Apple products. The
industry leader from the beginning, today’s STX software is used by thousands of
salons, spas and other businesses around the world.
