Transforming Operations and Growth for Fantastic Sams
FS Cut & Color at a Glance
Founded
1974, with the mission of creating an affordable salon experience that is accessible to everyone.
Club Footprint
500+ franchise locations across the U.S. and Canada.
Expansion Challenge
Fragmented systems, inconsistent service identifiers, and inefficient support processes made it difficult to deliver a unified guest and franchise experience.
Key goal
Create a scalable, efficient operation that delivers a consistent, high-quality experience across all locations while empowering teams to focus on exceptional guest care.
Strengthening Operations Across a Nationwide Franchise
Fantastic Sams, an established and trusted national beauty and haircare franchise, has long been known for delivering quality service to guests across the country. As the brand evolved and rebranded to FS Cut & Color, leadership saw an opportunity to build on that strong foundation by creating a more unified and consistent experience at all of its locations.
With more than 75,000 service identifiers in circulation, FS Cut & Color recognized the need to simplify their services to make booking and pricing easier for guests and more streamlined for staff. They also wanted to bring greater alignment to their operational tools and data systems, which had become increasingly fragmented over time.
FS Cut & Color support processes, such as handling POS system requests through a shared inbox, were functional but inefficient, and their existing marketing campaigns had room for growth in reach and impact. To maximize their potential, FS Cut & Color sought a strategic partner that could streamline operations, standardize offerings, and drive scalable growth across the brand.
I am thrilled to recognize the truly outstanding contributions of ALTA Technology Group and Chelsea Lorenzen to our organization. Chelsea has impressively led two of our most critical technical operations projects and has delivered results at a level that far exceeds expectations. Her ability to “get it across the line” is unmatched. Chelsea is sharp, articulate, and incredibly effective under pressure. She not only meets every deadline, she consistently exceeds them. Her project plans, SOPs, and executional details are impeccable and have brought a new level of structure and accountability to our operations. Equally impressive is how well she collaborates with our team. They truly enjoy working with her, and she’s quickly built credibility and trust across all levels.
Kim Amadon – CEO Dessange Group North America
ALTA’s End-to-End Strategy for Standardization and Growth
ALTA’s Solution:
FS Cut & Color had begun consolidating its extensive list of service identifiers when the project hit a roadblock. They partnered with ALTA to get the initiative back on track. The ALTA team helped FS Cut & Color review more than 75,000 service identifiers, refining them down to fewer than 65 core services and about 20 optional offerings. This collaborative effort clarified online booking, improved front desk efficiency, established a foundation for consistent reporting, and created a more unified guest experience across the system.
ALTA’s Solution:
ALTA improved FS Cut & Color’s POS support system by simplifying their inbox and replacing the previous distribution list with a more efficient process. By introducing new standard operating procedures and implementing helpful tools, including an AI-powered chatbot aligned with franchise guidelines, ALTA made customer support easier to manage and reduced the workload for staff.
ALTA’s Solution:
ALTA piloted and restructured FS Cut & Color’s marketing campaigns to generate greater guest engagement at the same cost. This allowed franchisees to expand their marketing from two campaigns to nine, with no additional fees or administrative overhead.
ALTA’s Solution:
ALTA stepped in to negotiate significantly reduced pricing and faster onboarding with FS Cut & Color’s existing customer engagement platform. The negotiations also included the addition of AI-enabled guest service tools such as caller ID with guest profiles, missed call recovery, automated follow-ups, and review management. With lower fees per location and expand software access at no extra cost, ALTA positioned FS Cut & Color franchisees for greater efficiency and enhanced guest experiences.
Tangible Results That Drive Growth
By streamlining services, strengthening customer support, and introducing scalable technology, FS Cut & Color improved its operations to deliver a consistently exceptional experience across its franchise network. Freed from inefficiencies, the brand continues to set the standard for affordable luxury in haircare through the right pricing, quality products, and personalized care. This transformation, proudly supported by ALTA, enables the FS Cut & Color team to focus on what truly matters: helping every guest look fantastic and feel unstoppable.
78%+
Average increase in key conversions
32%
Reduction in support ticket volume over 30 days
9+
Marketing campaigns unlocked for the same cost
Start solving with ALTA
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