Posh KC is a popular blow dry bar and salon specializing in bridal hair and makeup.
Founded by Ashley Patton in 2014, the salon was the first of its kind in the neighborhood and quickly grew in popularity.
However, with this popularity came challenges. 90% of Ashley’s growing client base preferred to book appointments via phone.
When she and her stylists were busy with clients, many of these calls used to go unanswered.
Ashley tried a mix of landline and personal mobile phones to field calls from clients attempting to change and book appointments, but this turned out to bring even more headaches and complications.
Ashley and manager Hannah Baker looked for something that could unify their communications and handle clients even at the busiest times. They knew they needed something easy to set up but still affordable for a small business.
Numa’s AI-enhanced answering service promised to solve these needs and more. With a low monthly cost and easy integration with the salon’s existing landlines, mobile devices, and tablet, Numa was a no-brainer to try.
"When we're on the floor with a customer and can't get to the phone, Numa really helps our customers.”
Prior to Numa, about 30% of calls were being missed every day. Now, Numa gives those callers the option to text or leave a voicemail. Once callers opt in to text, Numa automatically responds and answers questions about hours, services, appointment scheduling and more — so stylists can focus on the clients they’re servicing. Numa can even respond to booking requests with links to Posh KC's booking website.
Ashley and Hannah noticed an immediate increase in business from Numa. New clients who would have otherwise been lost were now receiving an immediate text when their calls went unanswered.
Furthermore, once new and existing clients discovered that they can text instead of call, many never went back. In fact, 89% of customers say they prefer to communicate with businesses via text messaging.* Once again, Numa makes it all easy and seamless using the salon’s existing phone lines and hardware.
“It’s 2020 and our customers want to text. We love giving them the option.”
Designated employees use the Numa app on the salon’s shared devices, and some even have it on their personal devices, all of which makes reviewing and responding to messages an easy part of their everyday routine. No more walking across the salon to pick up a ringing phone.
For Ashley and Hannah, Numa is like having an around-the-clock virtual front desk, without ever needing to actually hire a receptionist.
“We don't know what we would do without Numa.”
With Numa, Posh KC responds to every caller, which means valuable potential client inquiries and appointment requests don’t go unanswered. Ashley quickly increased revenue from catching dozens of customers whose calls they would have previously missed.
Numa never sleeps, which means Numa doesn’t just handle front desk duties during busy daytime hours, but after-hours as well. Numa’s after-hours assistance means happier clients, less missed business, and the confidence of engaging with customers 24/7.
Anytime Ashley or Hannah is away from the salon, no matter where they happen to be, they can easily open up the Numa app to assist a client.
"Numa is our voice."
Beyond phone calls and text messages, Posh KC has engaged Numa’s help handling client inquiries that come in via the salon’s website or Facebook, as well. These messages now come directly into the same inbox as the phone line, which enables Ashley and her team to provide a quick response without logging into another system or downloading other apps.
Unlike some businesses who choose to download multiple messaging tools, Numa saves staff’s time by consolidating all incoming messages into one unified inbox.
Because of how Numa incorporates AI, Numa’s auto-responses and ability to assist clients get better with time and frequency. Ashley has noticed that the accuracy of Numa’s responses is increasing as the machine learning continues to assist. There are no number of locations, clients, or staff that Numa can’t handle. Numa is a valued member of the Posh KC team.
*https://www.twilio.com/learn/commerce-communications/how-consumers-use-messaging