ActiveSalon, the number one tanning salon software (UK), is full of useful features and business management tools. One particularly helpful feature is real-time syncing, which allows for instant data transfer across devices.
Whether you run a small independent tanning salon or a larger sunbed shop chain, there are many benefits of real-time data synchronisation. It’s particularly useful for tanning salon owners who like to manage their business on-the-go, or from multiple devices.
Read on to discover how real-time syncing works, and how it can help you run your tanning salon safely, professionally and efficiently.
What Does Real-Time Data Syncing Mean?
Data synchronisation, or syncing, refers to the automated transfer of digital information from one computer, tablet or smartphone to another. This is what keeps your client database and sales history consistent across every device that you run your tanning salon software from.
If you compare salon software options, you’ll see that most salon software programs only offer periodic syncing – usually once every 24 hours. So, if someone alters a client record from Branch A, the changes won’t appear on Branch B’s system until the next day.
However, the best salon software providers (such as ActiveSalon) offer continuous, real-time data syncing. This means that things like new bookings and price amendments will appear instantly on all locations and devices.
How Does ActiveSalon’s Real-Time Syncing Feature Work?
ActiveSalon is a web-based platform designed to work on practically any device, from Windows PCs to iPhones. You can access the software from every branch of your salon, at home, and even on-the-go.
Being cloud-based means that ActiveSalon hosts your data on remote servers. Client details, upcoming appointments and sales records are all stored online, rather than locally. This allows the software to share information between devices automatically.
You don’t need to press a button to tell ActiveSalon to sync. Provided you have an internet connection, the real-time syncing feature will activate within seconds of making changes within the system.
How Will Real-Time Syncing Benefit My Tanning Salon Business?
Tanning salon management software featuring real-time synchronisation offers many unique benefits– especially if you run multiple salons. Here are some of the main ways in which instant syncing can help you run your business smoothly, safely and professionally.
Manage Your Tanning Salon Remotely
Real-time syncing makes it easy to manage your tanning salons from any location, anytime. Wherever you are, and whatever device you’re using, you can:
- View new appointments after they are booked
- View and edit client records, signed disclaimers and contact details
- Make, amend and cancel sunbed sessions
- View end-of-shift and end-of-day reports instantly, allowing you to check sales figures and employee shift start and end times
Thanks to T-max manager integration, you can also control your sunbeds remotely and view usage history without having to wait until the end of the day.
Deliver Excellent Customer Service
Instant data syncing will also help you deliver excellent customer service. For example, any referral reward credits earned will be visible on the client’s account immediately, from any location. This means that they can visit any branch of your salon to redeem their reward the very same day.
Similarly, using salon appointment software with real-time synchronisation will help to prevent unprofessional mistakes. Bookings made or amended online are viewable from all locations immediately, preventing staff from accidentally scheduling a clashing appointment.
Prevent Sunbed Overuse
Good tanning salon software allows you to set sunbed usage limits according to skin type. If anyone attempts to book a session that would exceed these limits, the software will automatically prevent it.
However, if your software only syncs once per day, sessions attended at Branch A may not appear on Branch B’s client database for several hours. This means clients could bypass tanning safety limits by visiting more than one location in the same day.
Fortunately, ActiveSalon’s real-time data syncing solves this issue. By the time a customer arrives at the second location, their earlier session will already be on the system. This will prevent them from using another sunbed, no matter which branch of your salon they visit.
Keep Your Data Secure
Tanning salon booking software that syncs periodically comes with an inherent risk of data loss. If your device breaks before the daily sync occurs, you could lose details of all appointments booked that day.
yBut with real-time syncing, your data is always secure, as everything is saved to the cloud immediately. Even in the case of a hard drive failure, no information will be lost – you can access it straight away from another device.
Real-time data syncing is just one of many useful features available to ActiveSalon users. For example, if you have more than one type of sunbed, ActiveSalon makes it easy to set up different price points for each. Read more about ActiveSalon’s tiered pricing functionality here.
Loukas has been a part of the tanning industry since 2013; what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! As a Director of SolarTrack Systems, his responsibilities don’t just include ActiveSalon, but a variety of different tools and packages.
