We sat down with Natalie, Regional Manager of Vivo Hair Salons & Skin Clinics, to discuss how they implemented Kitomba’s Time Clock and Time Sheets features into their business, and how it’s completely changed the way they process payroll.
How has your payroll process changed since you started using Kitomba’s Time Sheets and Time Clock?
Before Time Clock and Time Sheets, we had a shared Google Sheet which managers would fill in for their team, either from memory or based on paper forms their staff completed. As regional manager, I would then manually check the spreadsheet to ensure everything was as I expected it to be. If it wasn’t, I’d then often spend hours trying to get hold of each salon to discuss the differences.
Now staff simply clock in and out for their shifts, we review and approve their time sheets, and then we download a report that can be imported into our payroll system. Everything is easy, fast and automated.
What are the key benefits you’ve noticed since you made the switch?
The biggest benefit for the business has to be that we have an accurate record of the hours each of our staff is working. It’s allowed us to see the little gaps, for example, where staff take longer breaks or start their shift late, and therefore we’re saving the business money. On the other hand, it’s ensured that we’re definitely paying our staff exactly what they’re owed as it’s not uncommon for staff to work a little more than they’re scheduled to, and we want to ensure they’re compensated for that.
Using Time Sheets has significantly reduced the risk of making a mistake. It’s also created major time efficiencies. Managers no longer manually enter hours into a spreadsheet, and I only need to check any shifts with a red or blue dot as I know all the shifts with green dots are correct. It’s so much easier and faster – I’m saving up to half a day a week! I also love the comments section as it means I never need to email or call the salon to check in. It’s the same for all our regional managers who look after 10-13 salons each.
Managing leave has also become easier too, as managers can clearly see that leave is coming up and can ensure their appointment book is organised accordingly.
How did you find the process of implementing Time Sheets and Time Clock into your business?
It was really easy! We started by giving all managers some basic training, so they knew how the features worked. The managers found it easy to learn and use as it’s intuitive and just makes sense. We then showed staff how to clock in and out each day. They were really surprised by how simple it was and how easy it was to remember to clock in and out.
We also trained our staff on how to check their own time sheet each week. That way they’d know exactly how many hours they should be paid for, and if they happened to notice something was incorrect, we could easily fix it prior to the pay run, ensuring they’d get paid correctly.
Now we have hundreds of staff at 85 locations clocking in and out, and a manager or two at each location approving time sheets – that means we have over 100 managers using it which is awesome. We’ve also recently onboarded three new regional managers and training them has been a breeze. There have been no questions, it’s like we’ve been doing it forever. Honestly if I’d had to train them in the old system, it would have taken a really long time.
How has it changed the way you and each of your managers work?
The managers think it’s great, especially at the end of the day on a Saturday for example. Usually they’re tired, busy or even away, so the fact that it’s so easy and they have the ability to do it remotely is amazing. Some managers approve time sheets daily while others do it weekly – it’s cool that you can make it work for you.
For me as a regional manager, I can just quickly check staff hours on my phone if something’s not quite right, whereas I previously needed to wait until I was at my computer. I also like that I can go through and pre-approve things like sick leave or annual leave for the week.
With the new reports, we no longer need to manually complete and check our Google Sheet, instead we simply download the payroll report and import it into our payroll system. It’s much easier.
One of the biggest changes has to be that we’re no longer at risk of getting it wrong. There was always concern that we’d incorrectly fill in the spreadsheet or forget to pay someone on annual leave, whereas now there’s no need to worry. It’s all calculated automatically so we know what everyone should be paid.
Would you recommend Time Sheets and Time Clock to other salons, spas and clinics?
Kitomba’s really great overall, and the addition of Time Clock and Time Sheets is fantastic! It’s really easy and it saves a whole lot of time. If I owned my own business again, I’d definitely choose Kitomba, it basically means you’ll get your Mondays back!
We’re so happy that Vivo Hair Salons & Skin Clinics is loving our new features! Check out our blogs to learn more about Time Clock and Time Sheets.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on 30 Jan 2020 and has been updated on the 12th August 2023 for relevance and comprehensiveness.
