Unless you are still using a card system to track your customers and their active services, the software program you employ is one of your most important business assets. There are many ways to maximize the ROI of the software products you’ve implemented. Taking advantage of available version upgrades is not only an easy way to do this, but will prove to be fruitful for your business, as well.
I understand that you might be thinking to yourself, “but what about that old adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?” It’s human nature to be adverse to change from time to time. Once you learn a program, there is a level of comfort that comes along with knowing how to operate it with your eyes closed; but there is a level of risk in delaying upgrading to new software versions.
When upgrading your software, you will likely see that performance is faster, stability is heightened and the overall user experience is enhanced.
One of the most important reasons to step outside of your comfort zone and upgrade your software is to ensure that you have the most recent security updates. As a business owner, you have a responsibility to protect not only yourself, but your customers, as well. Do you accept credit cards as a form of payment at POS or for monthly recurring EFT memberships? If so, have you implemented encryption and tokenization in order to secure your customers’ sensitive card data? Does the software version you are running support the latest EMV technology? If not, I bet I’ve at least got you thinking about a potential upgrade of your systems.
Even with extensive quality assurance and rigorous testing, because the environments that software is installed in and the ways it can be used are so varied, software bugs may present themselves at some point after the release of a new program version. Once a software company identifies an issue, they work to resolve it as quickly as possible. If you delay upgrading, there is a chance you will experience an issue that has already been resolved. Newer versions of software will also typically include better logging, allowing the support team to more quickly and efficiently identify why you might be experiencing an issue and ultimately resolve it – yet another reason why you shouldn’t delay an upgrade.
Now, on to the FUN stuff! When upgrading your software programs, you will likely see that performance is faster, stability is heightened and the overall user experience is enhanced. Many software companies will listen to their customers’ suggestions for enhancement, so a better reason than ever to upgrade is to take advantage of new and improved features and functionality that will likely benefit you directly. And don’t forget: that technology is ever-evolving, so staying up-to-date with new program versions will often allow you to utilize new hardware.
If you are at all apprehensive about upgrading the programs you are operating within your salon, there is a simple and effective way to ease your concern. Before deploying in a live environment, it is a good idea to evaluate a new version in a test setting. When doing so, you can ensure that your peripherals function, that there are no issues with your configuration, and you can try all of the new features so that you understand their capability ahead of time. This is also a good opportunity to allow your staff to train on the new functionality.
Take advantage of software upgrades when they are available. You will thank yourself in the long-run and your customers and staff alike will appreciate it, too!
