Opening a new salon is always a challenge, but what Cindi Quinn-Ventura faced in the first 18 months of ownership was on a whole different level. There were the classic learning curves with staffing and processes at her Katherine Drew Salon, in Livonia, Michigan, but then Cindi had an accident that put her out of action for a few weeks. With little downtime to recover, she was suddenly facing something unfamiliar – a global pandemic that forced her to lock down her business.
Technology That Talks
Resilient and determined, Cindi came out of COVID fitter than ever, with a rebranded, repainted salon and two new partners – Rosy Salon Software and Vish – to help upgrade in-salon processes and max out profitability. Together they have clarified and simplified systems for the whole salon team.
”You can use Vish or Rosy alone, but it's more powerful when you use them together,” says Cindi. “The appointments you have in Rosy are sent to the tablet in the color bar, so it’s easier for stylists to find them. And when they’re mixing, those color formulas are immediately saved to the Rosy client profile cards, so stylists don’t have to write down anything manually.”
The integration between Rosy and Vish delivers valuable insights that have enabled Cindi to power up her business. If a client comes in for a half head of highlights but leaves with an additional toner and extra treatment, Vish will communicate that with Rosy, allowing the front desk team to charge accurately and the stylist to get the commission on all the work they do.
The same integration boosts transparency with clients. “Someone with longer, thicker hair can see right to the gram that they’re being charged appropriately, as opposed to adding a $50 service charge because the stylist took longer and we used more product. We’re able to be very specific on our charges and cut down on waste” says Cindi.
Innovative Inventory Management
Automatic tracking of color use and sales provides Cindi with powerful insights and data that inform her business decisions. Before Vish, it was almost impossible for her to keep track of color inventory without physically counting used bottles and labels and then comparing that to the minimums needed. Now, thanks to Vish’s technology which automatically refines the formulas for the stylist and updates quantities, color waste is down to around 10%, and with it color expenditure.
“I was the only one who would do inventory because it was manual and took a lot of time, and no one else wanted the job,” recalls Cindi. “Now, it takes minutes, as opposed to two hours each week and anyone in the salon can do it because it’s so simple.”
She just looks at what’s been used and reorders.
”“There's nothing worse than a stylist texting you at 9 am, telling you they’re out of 10T and have a client coming in at 11 o’clock. The inventory part of Vish ensures that I don’t run out of product while also allowing me to be smarter with managing inventory because the Vish numbers don’t lie,” she says.
The team has the colors they need to deliver a great service and she avoids ordering shades they no longer want, which means she has a leaner inventory and more money in the business.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Vish insights and metrics have also enabled Cindi to coach her team to be more efficient, transparent, and creative. “We are big on waste and recycling, so I use Vish as an incentive,” says Cindi. “I recently gave our stylists a metric, and if they reached that number in terms of dollars and percentages, we invited them on a three-day trip to Lake Michigan. It was a way for me to show them how much we saved, how much will go back into the business, and how much will go back into things that benefit them specifically because of them.”
Cindi’s first-hand experience of how technology can simplify the day-to-day processes within a salon while, at the same time, elevating the guest experience makes her a great advocate for Rosy and Vish. “I was initially skeptical,” she confesses. “But they coached me and showed me how their technology would benefit my salon. Now, I can see the numbers, I know what it’s doing for me, and numbers don’t lie.”
