With Christmas just around the corner, many of us will be making our lists – and checking them twice – in preparation for the big day. However, while many are rushing out to buy the usual socks and scented candles, South Africans are, instead, turning to wellness this festive season.
A well earned treat
For almost two years, we’ve all been riding the rollercoaster of the pandemic through the highs and lows of furloughs, lockdowns and reopenings and, we’re all looking forward to a very different Christmas to that of 2020. To combat the fatigue from the past 18 months, a huge number of South Africans say that their focus this holiday season will be on family, friends and wellness, rather than commercialism.
Although wellness has been a buzzword for some time, the term has gained a whole new meaning in a post-pandemic world and, salon owners have reported that they are seeing a significant uptick in demand for gift cards ahead of Christmas 2021. Lucky recipients are able to swap their gift cards for a number of treatments, including:
Massage – Lots of gift card recipients are choosing to rub it in by using their presents to pay for professional massages. Massage can significantly improve physical and mental health, including alleviating stress and anxiety and, in 2021, popular treatments include hot stone massage, aromatherapy massage and, trigger point massage.
Facial – Stress and fatigue can quickly take their toll on our skin and leave us looking – and feeling – less than our best. Because of this, a large number of people are turning the other cheek and investing their gift cards in professional salon facials to get themselves ready for those festive selfies.
Fragranced Ear Candle Treatment – The buildup of earwax can lead to hearing loss and infections as well as an increased level of tension. Many salons in South Africa now offer fragranced ear candle treatments which can help to relieve discomfort and symptoms of vertigo and improve lymphatic circulation.
Off the reservation
As the season gets underway, an increased demand for appointments is presenting a welcome but tricky conundrum for salon owners as they try to rise to the challenge of increased demand while adhering to distancing and safety guidelines. Those in the know are levelling up their business by getting on board with Booksy’s appointment booking and management software.
Created specifically for hair, beauty and wellness salons, Booksy is like a virtual assistant for salon owners and comes with a whole suite of features, including:
Appointment booking
The Booksy website and app allows customers to book and manage their own appointments any time, any place, any where, through a mobile phone app. Not only is this more convenient for customers but it also means that salons are able to do away with the traditional receptionist; thereby saving money on staffing.
Payment and prepayment
Reducing hand to hand contact is all important as salons navigate their way through the post-pandemic world and, Booksy lends a hand by facilitating payments and prepayments through the app. As well as cutting out contact, this also helps to reduce the number of salon no-shows – something which is an enduring problem for many salon owners.
Sales and upsales
In-salon wellness treatments are a perfect opportunity for salon owners to increase profits through the sale of products used during the treatments. Customers are able to buy products direct through their app, therefore cutting down on retail walls on the premises and, owners can also use this feature to upsell their services.
Salon management
Booksy harnesses the power of artificial intelligence in order to more accurately schedule appointments based on data such as average appointment times and previous visits. Salon owners can also take advantage of management features such as staff management, payroll and marketing – including email outreach.
If you’re still not convinced as to Booksy’s awesomeness, then perhaps data will change your mind. Brand24’s sentiment analysis showed that mentions of Booksy are positive over 90% of the time! Similarly, data from Number For Live Person’s customer service database shows that Booksy’s customer support representatives are some of the most effective.
Conclusion
As South Africans get set to gift wellness as well as goodwill to all men this Christmas, salons are embracing tech such as Booksy’s management system to help them stay ahead of demand – and we predict a very happy new year for all!
Image Courtesy: allwellness