Natali, tell us about Nirvana and its core business?

Nirvana is a family company that my parents started in 1996. We are pioneers in the aesthetic medicine industry, offering procedures such as laser hair removal, deep skin cleaning, skin oxygenation, treatments for skin laxity and cellulite, and liposuction to mention a few. We provide premium services to our clients with extreme care for their appearance. For the past decade, I took over the management of Nirvana and started expanding the company to two locations in Sofia and recently our new location in Burgas.

How prepared were you for the effects of the recent COVID-19 pandemic?

The immediate effects of COVID-19 took us by surprise. Our work cannot be done remotely and it demands a very personal approach toward our clients. We had to quickly take measures like increasing the time between services and implementing operational procedures to guarantee staff and client safety. We are glad we had the necessary tools in place so we could react quickly and manage customer expectations, therefore, informing clients promptly that is also convenient for them.

What made you choose CoMantis as your automation partner?

One of their founders is an old friend and I called him when I needed to improve my digital infrastructure. They started by looking at our internal collaborations and data security and suggested new technologies that solved these problems seamlessly. The most important benefit I received was that their team looked at our whole business and offered a holistic solution not only in terms of software but also hardware and operations. I’m impressed how they utilized the available resources we had and were able to find a low-cost solution that offered advanced automation and was also very easy to use.

What parts of your technical infrastructure did CoMantis handle?

One of their first tasks was to streamline the collaboration between members in all our locations. This was done by utilizing existing online technologies which made the onboarding of personnel easier and also gave us possibilities to track our daily progress without perpetual costs. They also utilized the existing hardware infrastructure we had to help us become more GDPR compliant. At one point, they advised us that we were ready for an automated business management system that would improve our daily operations tremendously.

What was the system that was implemented and what business aspects does it handle?

We are now using Fresha. It handles our onsite appointments, online reservations, booth and equipment availability, client record keeping, staff timesheet management, and stock management. The most useful feature for us is the calendar, combining online and onsite reservations in the most user-friendly way. This helps us increase our revenue as operators don’t need to waste time taking calls. Another great benefit was that human errors were eliminated due to the advanced automation within the system for availability and resource management and tracking.

What was the reception from you and your team regarding the automation approach?

To be honest, I was skeptical at first. We were used to registering appointments on paper. My team consists of young professionals that are extremely busy taking excellent care of our clients so I wanted to make their work easier, not more difficult. I told them that we were going to implement a system and all of them reacted positively. Once they saw the demo they liked the friendly interface and started asking questions on different processes. Most of the answers were in line with their perception and they began to understand what habits they need to develop to work with the system appropriately.

How did CoMantis help you increase your confidence in the use of an automated system?

They helped us reduce our fears by providing a proof of concept and in a few weeks, we were able to see the benefits of automation. They set the system up and I made a few trials with it to get the general feel. Then we went through the entire process and made sure all aspects are covered. Their coaching methods made our staff more confident in their actions in the system and the post-implementation support we received gave me the peace of mind I needed.

What were some of the changes you noticed since the implementation of the system?

The most significant change is that we now take online reservations! This is a delicate topic for us as clients need to book services easily and get timely reminders since some of our services are performed at long intervals. Last year our online appointments were around 5% of our business. Now they generate more than 35% of our sales and this percentage is steadily increasing. Clients are now more inclined to book online, which greatly optimizes our schedule and helps us plan better our resources.

What is your impression of CoMantis now that you’ve worked with them for so long?

They are great! I would wholeheartedly recommend them as they have a very client-centric approach. They are not interested in giving you a partial solution that fixes your current problem while causing others. Their holistic approach examines your business at the most fundamental level and takes into account existing resources as well as the readiness of your personnel. Most of all, they helped me free up my time to work on my business!

Thank you for your kind words, Natali!