Supporting our Australian Partners through lockdown

It's been a difficult year for many businesses in the beauty and wellness industry and while recent lockdown restrictions have forced many businesses in Australia to close their doors once more, we remain optimistic that the industry will bounce back like never before!

At Fresha, we understand the impact the hard lockdown restrictions have had on many of our Australian Partners and we continue working hard behind the scenes to ensure you have the best salon management tools to support you, your business, and your clients.

We're immensely proud of the community of beauty and wellness professionals we support, and as we continue through these turbulent times, we want to make sure you’re getting the most out of the features available to you.

We’ve pulled together a list of ideas to help you cut your operational costs, promote your business, increase online bookings, and lock in revenue even if government restrictions have forced you to temporarily close your business.

Update your working hours and closed dates 🕑

If your business has had to temporarily close due to COVID-19 restrictions, you’ll want to make sure your business is still visible to clients who may be looking to book with you once the restrictions have been lifted. Updating your working hours and closed dates lets your clients know you're closed at the moment but gives them the option to book an appointment for a future date. 

We do not recommend unlisting your profile from Fresha marketplace as clients will be unable to book any future appointments for your services.

Cancel your existing appointments 🗓️

If there are any appointments in your calendar that you’re no longer able to perform, you’ll need to cancel them, remove them from your calendar, and let the clients know. 

We recommend adding a message in the Important info section of your Cancelled appointments notification to let your clients know why their appointment has been cancelled.

We won't charge you any fees for appointments that haven't been checked out due to COVID-19 related government restrictions.

Communicate with your clients through blast messages 📥

Now, more than ever, communicating with your clients is essential. With blast messages, you can create, customise and send messages via email or text message, anytime you like. Whether it’s announcing your temporary closure, promoting your gift cards, or letting clients know you remain open with COVID-19 secure measures in place, blast messages will keep your clients engaged and your business at the forefront of their minds when booking.

Sell gift cards for future bookings 💌

Despite some businesses being closed or operating at reduced capacity, you can still encourage your clients to purchase gift cards for your services as a post-lockdown treat or a gift for friends and family. Our new blast message feature allows you to promote your gift cards through email and text message sent directly to your client with an online booking link that will allow them to purchase your services even when your doors are closed.

You can choose which services are included in your gift cards when creating gift card templates or create and sell manual gift cards in just a few simple steps.

Create an online profile 💻

If you haven’t already, create an online profile so your business can be seen by thousands of clients in your area, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the Fresha marketplace or your website and social pages. Once you get the okay to reopen, you can start taking bookings in an instant.

If you already have an online profile, we don’t recommend unlisting it from the Fresha marketplace. If you choose to do this, be aware your clients won’t be able to book any future services at all. By updating your availability, your clients can reschedule and rebook appointments once you’re open again.

Go cashless and contactless 💳

COVID-19 has changed the way businesses process payments, with card and contactless payments being the preferred payment method for many. Save costs and monthly rental charges with our brand new, fully integrated Fresha card terminals or use Pay by link to give your clients the opportunity to pay for their services in a few simple steps via a payment link - no cash required. 

Keep your card terminal plugged in and switched on throughout lockdown so your software is up-to-date when you reopen and you can start processing payments instantly!

Switch on your smart marketing campaigns 📲

Our smart delivery technology uses information about client preferences and your business’ default settings to reach more of your client list through targeted messaging across email, text, and in-app notifications. Triggered by special events in your calendar, you can surprise your clients with a special birthday discount, welcome new ones, invite clients to book online, win back your old ones, and reward your regulars.

Let clients know about your new hygiene measures 📣

There are a number of ways you can let your clients know about the steps you’ve taken to make sure your business is COVID-19 secure. Update the Description text on your Fresha marketplace profile, and the Important info displayed before your clients confirm their appointment so they’re aware of the enhanced cleaning practices you’ve introduced to deliver safe and secure services to your clients. You can also update the text in the Important info section of your client notifications.

Collect positive client reviews about your cleanliness ✍️

Clients are more cautious than ever about your business' hygiene standards. Make sure your Thank-you for visiting notifications have been enabled so you can start asking your clients to leave reviews about their visit. Client reviews are an important part of any business success story, they build trust, and have a huge impact on how many new clients are discovering and booking your services.

Take control of no-shows and late cancellations 🛡️

Protecting your business against no-shows and late cancellations has never been more important. Whilst many cancellations are for entirely valid reasons, some clients may be looking to take advantage. Our no-show and late cancellation protection require clients to secure their appointments with a payment card. This means you can set up a cancellation policy and charge a fee when clients cancel late or don’t show up.

Reach out to Partner Support 👤

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for on our Help Centre, our Partner Support team is on hand 24/7 to answer any questions you might have and support you through these difficult times. Get in touch with our Partner support team at hello@fresha.com and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.

If you have a dedicated Partner support manager, please reach out to them directly with any questions you might have regarding preparing your business for reopening.