HI LADIES! I'm just popping in with a quick question to those of you w/ software experience.

I am looking to start using a computer to keep track of customers. I have inventory, but I am really a service business. I think I would be most similar to a beauty salon.

I want to be able to sell and track my small consignment/retail purchases, but most of all I want to track my customer. I want to be able to ring up their purchase of open play and other services, keep records of family birthdays to send out cards, track their visiting frequency or lack of, record of anniversary...just about anything personal that I can keep on file to know them better, offer them better services and keep a personal touch on our relationship.

So far, I just do it all by hand, but I'm not a record keeper. I want my sales reports, inventory reports, cost reports etc.

Can anyone help me w/ their knowledge on which software and why or why not?

Thanks so much!

I wish I had more time to keep visiting MV and follow everyone and update you on "our baby" aka the playroom.

I am so tired all the time these days.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 11:41 am:

Bump, so you don't get lost...

By Dana on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 02:35 pm:

thanks..guess no one knows what I'm talking about LOL

POS stand for POINT OF SALE. If you have ever done retail you know what I mean.

By Karen~admin on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 03:51 pm:

What about Quick Books?

By Trina~moderator on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 04:13 pm:

My best friend is a hairstylist. I've heard her rave about the software her salon uses, but I can't remember the name. I'll ask and get back to you.

By Kym on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 04:23 pm:

Quick Books PRO has some great features, what is your e-mail I can take some screen shots of customer tracking and sales reciepts for you to see.

By Dana on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 06:15 pm:

Thanks Kym. And yes,Trina please check!

Kym, I think the quick books pro doesn't allow personal tracking that keeps account of dates per customer (ie birthdays). My friend uses it and she can keep notes on customers but no automatic reports on special dates. It could be that she didn't ask for that option to be included. I have no idea. But she does like it.

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 12:30 am:

Dana, I think you might need two kinds of software, one to keep track of business records and financial records, and QuickBooks has high ratings - and another to keep track of your "contacts", that is, your customers and important dates and other information. But I have no idea what to recommend, other than QuickBooks for the financial/business records.

By Karen~admin on Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 08:23 am:

Well, in Outlook, you can add birthdays and actually be alerted when you open your inbox, when someone has a birthday.

Access is a database type program, you can design your fields, and perform searchs by field. I use it at work and there are 12 or 14 different fields in the layout I use; you can search by any particular field to get different information.......

Example: I can search by customer name, survey location, surveyor name, vessel name, date, file number, and several others. Maybe that would work?

My sister uses Access to manage her customer base. She customized her fields according to what her personal preferences are, and can pull up very similar information as what you mention. You could have a field for birthdays, etc. in that too.

By Dana on Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 09:14 am:

No, I know there is a program out there that does both. Just like your dentist office sending out a birthday card to you. Plus I want to track how often a person comes in, and who else in their family uses their account (like a grandparent). This type of program is used for a service based business. I just wish I knew what it was.

And I don't have time to keep track of another data base. I've already got 3 different ones running and that is causing duplicate info, but I'm too busy to cross reference.

By Dana on Sunday, July 22, 2007 - 09:21 am:

just bumping as a reminder to Trina to check w/ friend

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, July 22, 2007 - 10:37 pm:

Just heard back from my friend. LOL!
This is the software her salon uses.

HairMax

By Dana on Monday, July 23, 2007 - 08:03 am:

Thanks Trina! Now to see if I can use it in my business.