In the past decade, salon software has improved by leaps and bounds. In fact, its capabilities are so robust, some owners are barely scratching the surface of all their software can do.
Vagaro has consistently been at the forefront of salon software technology, helping businesses be more efficient, create more effective communication, and even improve company culture. Now, Connect by Vagaro, the platform’s two-way communication capability, and Vagaro’s new generative AI tools are giving owners new opportunities to grow and expand.
AI Takes Over Tedious Tasks
The wide variety of tasks salon professionals tackle every day encompass far more than cutting, coloring, and styling hair. Vagaro AI eases the burden of these tasks, instantly creating polished verbiage for salon websites, marketing messages and more, empowering the salon owner or stylist to focus on the more fulfilling aspects of their job.
Alyssa Hare, a booth rental stylist at Golden State Strands in Danville, California, has been using Vagaro for six years, both independently and as a booth renter.
Recently, Hare tapped into Vagaro’s AI tools to set up a description of her business and flesh out her service menu.
Hare says, “On my website, I put in key information about my business and what I specialize in, and then just click the AI button. The AI tool generates more polished copy, and you can tweak anything you want to change.”
Next, Hare tackled her service menu, which used to take hours.
“When I first started six years ago, I didn’t even do service descriptions—it was too daunting,” she says. “But those descriptions are important—it’s how you sell the service. So a few years ago, I tackled it and it took me a full day to complete.”
In her most recent update, Hare plugged her services into Vagaro’s AI feature, which immediately created professional, clear descriptions.
“I just typed in the service name, amount of minutes needed and what it costs, and AI gave me a full description.,” she says.
The AI generator can also create staff bios and other website verbiage a non-professional writer may struggle with.
In an ever-evolving industry, Hare updates her services regularly–and now, it’s no longer a dreaded, overwhelming task. And with AI, she’s guaranteed polished, professional descriptions every time.
“It’s so streamlined,” Hare says. “AI makes it far less tedious.”
Clear Communication with Connect
Vagaro is also evolving the way salon professionals communicate with each other and with their guests.
Connect by Vagaro enables two-way chat for both clients and team members, and can be used on a desktop or in the Connect mobile app. Team members can chat one-on-one or start group chats, and it links directly to employees’ calendars, allowing others to view their status (out on vacation, in a meeting, etc) in real time.
Kevin Gatto, owner of Pileggi on the Square in Philadelphia has been using Vagaro since March 2024, and is still digging into all the features it has to offer.
“We love having everything in one space—our marketing suite, the Vagaro marketplace, and more,” he says. “Payroll is so much easier, and online booking is much better for us and for our clients—it’s a great user experience for everyone.”
In recent years, Gatto has noticed clients don’t want to call the salon and email isn’t as efficient as it used to be. Enter Connect—the solution to modern communication.
“Connect gives us a way to communicate through the client profile,” he says. “It allows stylists to keep up with client requests and appointments and manages communication between the front desk, guest, and stylist efficiently.”
Clients can now text the salon with any message—whether they need to change their appointment or ask for a copy of a receipt, a phone call isn’t required, and stylists no longer feel compelled to give out their personal phone number.
“Giving out your personal information leads to trouble,” Gatto says. “Moving forward with new clients on Connect, that won’t be an issue anymore.”
Pileggi says guests are thrilled with the new technology.
“People are busy,” he says. “I have one client who’s a doctor and calling isn’t an option for her—texting is so much easier.”
Using Connect is also freeing up the front desk team’s time.
“We usually only have one person at the desk at a time,” Gatto says. “And now that person can interact with clients in the salon and really focus on them—it enhances the salon experience.”
The front desk can also reach out to clients with offers through Connect, something Gatto plans on taking advantage of this fall.
“We’re still experimenting with all Connect has to offer,” he says. “We’re excited about creating opportunities for clients: promotions, pairing guests with the right stylists, and even sending new-client forms for them to fill out before they come into the salon.”
Internally, Gatto says Connect has transformed how he communicates with his team as well.
“I’m using Connect to text message them as we phase out our old platform—we’re just dipping our toes into it, but loving everything about it.”
Gatto adds, “Vagaro and Connect have been very easy to learn and made my life so much easier. The technology is taking a lot of stress away from the whole team—nobody is frustrated because they can find the numbers and information they need.”
Ready to make your salon more efficient, deliver better customer service and create a strong company culture? Learn more about Vagaro’s generative AI features and Connect by Vagaro.
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Originally posted on Salon Today