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Students create technological innovation that connects clients to beauty services
2 July 2020
Those days of long queues at your local barbershop or having to take a seat while waiting for the beauty therapist are long gone, thanks to four University of Cape Town (UCT) students who created the Fleeker platform.
The personal beauty industry can now start operating under advanced level 3 lockdown regulations. With strict hygiene and safety protocols in place, walk-in service may be near impossible.
Fleeker allows clients to schedule appointments at beauty salons and barbershops with a click of a button and avoid the tedious in-salon lines.
Co-founder of Fleeker Asonele Gevenga said, “I spent a lot of time in queues at my barbershop, and it made me think of ways to improve and streamline this system, just to make it more convenient for customers.”
Fleeker is just the sort of service we need during Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the Western Cape which was named the epicentre of the virus.
Gevenga said he could “never have imagined.” that 18 months after the inception of the service, the world would be fighting a pandemic which has forced the students to further their innovation to comply with Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
“As part of our mission to improve, while adhering to strict health guidelines during this pandemic and still accommodating our customers [stylists] and their customers, we had to make some changes,” said Gevenga.
The team have been busy since the start of the national lockdown innovating new ways to ensure the livelihood and relevance of stylists and beauty therapist during and post the lockdown.
Gevenga is an economics and finance student at UCT’s Faculty of Commerce; he believes that the innovations added to the service will benefit stylists and their clients beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introducing the option of working from a client’s home is one such improvement which enhances customer comfort and eradicates the crowded salon.
“This means the stylist will have more control over the health and safety measures they have in place, like sanitising, because it’s a one-on-one service,” said Gevenga.
Fleeker has also introduced a cashless payment solution, replacing physical money with online payments eliminating the handling of cash.
And a unique built-in feature which enables stylists to track their monthly income, making financial planning a lot easier.
In just a few minutes, a stylist may sign up by completing an online registration form. There is no upfront cost involved and 10% of every successful booking goes to Fleeker.
Once stylists have signed up, the platform’s location-sharing functionality ensures that potential clients can select a therapist near them.
There are many local businesses listed on Fleeker, and more than 100 UCT students make use of the platform. Genenga said the number of non-UCT students making use of the service is also growing.
“We’ve received such great feedback from our clients, as well as their clients, especially during this time. This has [reinforced] our commitment to ensure all stylists, big and small, have a fighting chance in the market and can efficiently connect with customers,” concluded Gevenga.
