By Lauren Zomolsky, Tippy’s Success Manager
Splitting a check at a restaurant, reimbursing a friend, paying for a service—thanks to a number of apps, getting money to someone when there’s no cash in your wallet is easier than ever. One of the most popular apps people use today is Venmo. Directly linked to your bank account, the free app allows friends to send money to one another from their phones. And the best part, there are no fees.
So, why don’t salons implement this when customers pay for services and leave tips for stylists? As great as the app is, it’s not built like Tippy, which is specifically tailored to the salon industry. For Venmo to work, both the stylist AND the customer need to have the app downloaded on their phone, and the stylist has to then ask the customer to tip them. That’s a big ask for all. Second, the stylist still has to submit their tips to the salon owner, who then has to hand ledger these into their payroll biweekly. A big hassle. Should a salon choose to allow Venmo, sure, the stylist can get their tips… but not as easily, not as high, and with much more hassle of record keeping.
For the customer, there’s also the ease of not having to calculate the tip. On the Tippy kiosk, they’re given the choice of pre-populated tip suggestions or the ability to customize another amount. Not only is this easy for customers, it has led to an increase in tips for stylists as they’re receiving the proper amount of money for a service. With the kiosk set up, you’re also letting your customers know that their money is being handled professionally. Many don’t trust leaving cash with the front desk, fearing it won’t get to the right person. The same goes with asking a customer to send money to someone’s personal cell phone. Tippy is also an interactive platform. Stylists can keep track of how much money they’re making in a given time period, with fun features like immediate notification of tips. In many cases, stylists are also choosing to create separate bank accounts for the tips, utilizing it as a sort of business
account.
Technology adds so much ease when handling money, and as an app, Tippy is not only good for the customer, it’s great for the salon and everyone who works there.