Software Advantages

Fitness and spa software can streamline the administrative responsibilities involved in operating a business. The hours spent manually calculating payroll are reduced, and the results are reported in a fraction of the time. Fitness and spa software automatically records client contract information, method of payment, services received, the service provider, gratuity and any products purchased. This information is stored and available for payroll reporting, sales reporting, guest history and marketing purposes. There is no need to review individual contracts or hand-written appointment logs or commission sheets. There is also no need to keep detailed lists of contract renewals or accounts receivable. It is estimated that approximately 15 to 20 hours are saved per pay period with software use when compared to a manual calculation and daily recording of labor hours; trainer, therapist and retail commissions; and more.

Track inventory

Most software solutions also support retail and professional inventory. Retail inventory totals are updated as the product is purchased. Par levels are established for reorders so that the manager can order and manage products more efficiently. In addition, order history and individual product sales history is automatically maintained through the normal course of ordering and selling products.

Manage reservations

A manual booking system creates a lot of confusion due to hand-writing, erasing, and guest check-in and check-out. Back auditing of a manual appointment book is also time-consuming and difficult. With software, the booking process is accomplished instantaneously and in an organized state. Each appointment details the client’s name, service, service provider, service provider request (male, female, no request, etc.) and where the client originated (monthly promotion, repeat client, internal promotion, etc.). It is clean and easy to audit. Questions regarding past appointments are automatically stored in the appointment book and under the client’s profile. At any time, a user can view a client profile and see a complete history of the client’s services, products, sales tickets and appointments.

Target marketing

All management information is stored in a database — client and contract information, service and treatment history, and retail purchases. With this information, you can determine client preferences and create marketing plans targeting these preferences, as well as create direct mail lists for service incentives and special promotions. Preference information also gives insight into what services and products are the most popular. This information can be used to up-sell clients and package products when suggesting services or products.

Multi-site capability

A few fitness and spa software products have multi-site capabilities. This allows management to generate site-to-site comparisons, consolidate and streamline monthly membership billing, review booking patterns, and monitor the preferences of both retail products and treatments. Ultimately, the dollars spent on the purchase of fitness and spa software is minimal when calculating the savings in non-productive activities. There is far more value to a manager’s time when it is focused on sales rather than calculating payroll hours and manually reviewing sales and inventory levels.