Customer Success Story
How Suite Caroline’s SoHo Salon Grew Services Sold 32% and Stayed Booked Through COVID-19 with Boulevard
- Locations
- Manhattan, New York
- Boulevard customer
- since 2019
- Industry
- Hair Salon
- Website
- suitecaroline.com
- @suitecarolinesalon
Key Takeaways
- Suite Caroline grew services sold 32% and service value 36% after switching to Boulevard.
- Precision Scheduling™ and centralized communication let the salon keep appointments on track during COVID-19 staff shortages, holding a 35% average booking rate through a period when many salons struggled.
- Upselling became easier with Boulevard: clients who booked a color service could seamlessly add a blowout from an available stylist.
- Centralized client notes and chat histories meant no stylist ever dropped the ball on a client, even when covering for absent team members.
Introduction
Colorist Lena Ott is no stranger to the beauty industry. She's worked her magic at runway shows for major designers like Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, Dolce & Gabbana, and Coach, but her most personal contribution to the industry is Suite Caroline. Located within Manhattan's SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, this salon, named after Ott's late mother, houses a world-renowned team that's highly sought after for its avant-garde style and the best balayage services in the city. Its loft-style layout and comfortable atmosphere provide an intimate space for New Yorkers to relax as stylists transform everyday hair into compelling art.
Less talk,
more proof
- 36%
- Increase in service value
- 32%
- Increase in services sold
- 35%
- Average booking rate
The Challenge: Salon Management Software That Created More Problems Than It Solved
As a single-location salon, Suite Caroline's growth lies in enhancing operational efficiencies day-to-day, supporting talented employees, and maximizing overall client satisfaction. Unfortunately, Ott's goals were stymied by ineffective technology. Suite Caroline's salon management software, which was supposed to make things easier, ended up being a source of frustration for the entire team. Online booking systems were poorly designed, and Ott could not customize appointment timing or price, and that was when she could even log on! In addition, the software's support offered little to no help since it was almost impossible to get a hold of anyone who could resolve Ott's issues.
The Solution: Hair Salon Software That Actually Works
For the Suite Caroline team, switching from the previous management platform to Boulevard felt like night and day. Boulevard's user interface was far more intuitive, its features were robust and customizable, and the support team personally and proactively contacted Suite Caroline about the latest features. Meanwhile, Boulevard's self-booking tools and automated appointment reminders helped the team refocus their limited time on client service while contributing to increased revenue and decreased no-shows.
Suite Caroline
The entire salon relies on Boulevard. Even the regular clients see the benefits. They constantly refer us to client histories or appointment notes when other stylists need to cover an appointment. That doesn’t happen at other salons, but it does at Suite Caroline — because of Boulevard.
How We Helped
- Centralized client notes & communication
- All chat histories and client notes in one place meant no stylist ever dropped the ball, even when covering for absent team members.
- Precision Scheduling™
- Optimized scheduling kept Suite Caroline booked through COVID-19 staff shortages, even as appointments had been booked months in advance.
- Self-booking & automated reminders
- Online booking and reminders kept bookings consistent during COVID-19 closures, maintaining a 35% average booking rate.
- Upselling through availability
- With client experience handled, staff could focus on upgrades. Clients who booked a color service could follow up with a blowout from an available stylist.
- Higher-value services
- Clients moved from express appointments to full services like moisturization and strengthening treatments, driving the 36% increase in service value.
