Salon Scavo’s founder shares the secret to 40 years of success

Drawing on over 40 years of styling experience, Gianfranco Scavo founded Salon Scavo in 2018. Now it’s one of Toronto Canada’s favourite beauty destinations, with a 35-strong team and a diverse clientele “from ages three to 93,” as Gianfranco proudly puts it.

“It’s about making sure people feel at home as soon as they walk in, then helping them feel like their best selves when they leave.”

- Gianfranco Scavo, Founder and Master Stylist at Salon Scavo

With his track record of success in the industry, Gianfranco is an advocate for putting the needs of their clients first. “We’re big believers in doing what’s best for clients, above all. 

It’s about making sure people feel at home as soon as they walk in, then helping them feel like their best selves when they leave.”

The salon’s culture is built around the idea of education: their team of stylists, receptionists, and managers are given regular training to keep their skills sharp and help them stay on top of trends. “Each team member represents the whole business, so we make sure everyone is at the top of their game,” Gianfranco explained. “And we share our knowledge to empower our clients, helping them reach their beauty goals with healthy hair.”

They take the same forward-thinking, progressive approach with their technology. That’s where Fresha comes in.

Switching to Fresha and rebranding the salon

Salon Scavo recently rebranded the salon, in a strategic move to refresh their identity and appeal to new clients. Switching their salon to Fresha was at the heart of the rebrand. “The migration process was easy, because Fresha puts just as much of a focus on education as we do,” explained Gianfranco. “It was so easy to figure out. The platform itself teaches you how to explore and get the most out of each feature.”

“Fresha has taken the salon to the next level.” 

Fresha has completely changed the way the team works, powering every part of their day. “We use it for everything: managing our schedules, handling payments, keeping in touch with clients – it saves us so much time and effort,” said Gianfranco. “You can see the impact it has on the business. Fresha has taken the salon to the next level.”

The ultimate in schedule control

For Santo Gradanti, a Level 3 Stylist at Salon Scavo, having Fresha means having complete control over his schedule – all from his phone. “Before, I had to check my schedule with our receptionists every time a client wanted to book; it was a tricky process and ate up valuable time,” he said. “Now my clients just book themselves online in about three clicks – it’s so easy.” And on the odd occasion that clients call him to book, all Santo has to do is check his phone to instantly see and edit his appointments for the day..

“Fresha keeps us connected as a team.”

- Santo Gradanti, Director of Education and Level 3 Stylist at Salon Scavo

Santo also uses Fresha to keep client notes for each appointment. “I don’t have to rack my brains trying to remember details about each client before their appointment – I simply check their notes in Fresha to remind myself what each client likes, what treatments they’ve had, or what products work best for them,” he told us. It helps Santo personalise each service, which his clients love. “Plus, we all share our notes, so it’s very collaborative,” he continued. “Fresha keeps us connected as a team.”

Building up the salon and its stylists with Fresha reviews

The Salon Scavo team goes out of their way to offer each client unbeatable service, and it shows: they have a 5-star rating on the Fresha marketplace, with over 1,600 reviews. It all pays off with plenty of bookings from new clients through the marketplace. 

“Fresha asks each client to leave a review on our marketplace profile after each appointment, which really helps us stand out online and bring new clients to the business,” said Santo. 

But it’s not just about growing their client base – the reviews also help new team members find their footing in the industry. “By taking reviews on Fresha, our new stylists can build a great reputation for themselves. Their Fresha profiles help them launch their career,” Santo explained. “They’re so important for anyone new to the profession.”

Understanding their business better with reports

Peaches Cesario, Salon Scavo’s Chief Strategist, told us she can’t get enough of Fresha’s reporting features. “We need to understand the business deeply to make the right decisions, and Fresha helps me do exactly that. The reports give me a clear picture of everything that’s going on at all times. They help me take the business in the right direction.”

“Honestly, the reports are one of the biggest reasons we switched to Fresha.”

- Peaches Cesario, Chief Strategist at Salon Scavo

She uses the reports to figure out what marketing campaigns will have the most impact, which staff need coaching to boost their performance, how the salon’s occupancy rate changes over time; the list goes on. “And we get it all in one click! It saves me so much time,” Peaches told us. “Honestly, the reports are one of the biggest reasons we switched to Fresha.” 

Giving clients more ways to pay

Fresha gives Salon Scavo a whole host of ways to take payments, from QR codes to payment links. “Sometimes a client needs their parents or spouse to pay for their appointment. We can just send them a Fresha payment link, letting them instantly pay from wherever they are,” Peaches explained.

Plus, using Fresha to process their payments unlocks several perks for the salon – including upfront payments. “We couldn’t hold deposits with our previous software, which meant no-shows were quite damaging for the business,” recalled Peaches. “Now we can protect our stylists’ time with Fresha’s upfront payments.” 

Advice for every growing beauty business

With Fresha handling so many time-consuming processes for them, Gianfranco is set to grow his salon faster than ever before. “It’s freed up our time to train staff and create great experiences for our clients,” he said. 

If you’re growing your own beauty business, follow Gianfranco’s advice: “The best thing you can do for your business is to be progressive. Look for opportunities to innovate and do better. Fresha is there to help you do it – they’ll give you everything you need to get your business where you want it to be.”