Working in the world of payments processing has taught me a lot about life, business and the type of people who tend to work best as business owners. More specifically, working in merchant services taught me a lot about the many different payment point of sales terminals there are on the market.
There are standard black “clunky” models that resemble the ones you used to find everywhere back in the 1990s and early 2000s. You know the type, right? The ones that look like ancient cellphones, with minimalist screens and a pad of push-buttons? Those are great for stores that need a quick fix in a checkout line.
But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about salons, it’s that they’re never a “quick fix” type of business. Salons are all about the look, the experience, and the overall feeling they give clients—and that includes everything from the ambiance of your salon to the way they feel at checkout.
Hey! There’s a terminal for that…
Imagine the follow scenario, alright? You go into a beautiful salon. The owners have created a lounge that is fully renovated in a classical look, complete with marble flooring, a marble and gold leaf countertop, and a gorgeous fountain inspired by the Statue of David.
You feel totally immersed in a world of wellness and beauty, until you get to the checkout line. The receptionist plops a giant, black kludge of a POS terminal in front of you when you pull out your credit card. Boom. Just like that, the illusion of perfect aesthetics is broken.
Not so cash money, is it?
People often forget that looks matter. Details matter—and that includes the details of the terminal that you get for your salon. In an industry that is totally dedicated to aesthetics, you need to make sure that your terminal looks just as sleek as your surroundings.
That’s precisely why I love working with Slice Merchant Services and their partners, Clover. Clover Terminals are not just considered to be the best in the industry thanks to their exceptional terminals with their own app market.
Terminals make them great, but their look makes them greater. They’re also the best when it comes to aesthetics.
I mean, look at them.
They’re crisp, white, and elegantly designed with a slight futuristic feel to them. Their touchscreens are designed to have an intuitive flow, making them easy for both new trainees and clients to handle.
Choose your terminal wisely, especially if you’re a salon.
Looks are important, but so is functionality. I’m sure there are prettier terminals out there, but they aren’t as functional as Clover POS terminals tend to be. One of the reasons I always suggest a Clover terminal for local salons is because of the functionalities it offers.
Clover has a ton of different scheduling options that you can use to make your salon’s life easier. You can use your terminal to book client appointments, have them book appointments online, check your bookings in real time, check out client profiles, and also track the most popular services your salon features via Clover’s analytics function.
The old school “brick” terminals can’t offer that. All they do is process payments and print out receipts. If you’re like most other salon owners, that’s not enough. Salons require bespoke service, booking technology, and online marketing to truly thrive in today’s economy.
It’s true that you can get multiple software kits to do all the legwork for you, but why go through all that work? You can get terminals, load them up with apps, and turn your POS into a one-stop shop for all things related to your salon’s daily operations.
Your salon is unique, so find a solution tailored to its needs.
There’s something to be said about having a merchant services company that understands salons and their inner workings. No two salons are going to be exactly the same, even if they seem similar at first glance. So, why would you allow your terminals to be “one size fits all?”
Some salons work best with a large, desktop terminal posted at the front of the receptionist desk. Others, such as mobile salons or “spa to go” programs, need something more portable.
Regardless of what style of salon you have, it makes sense to talk to a company that wants to get you the best possible match for your needs. As long as you have the right guidance for your terminal purchase, you better believe it’ll look good on you.
