Service businesses pay staff in a few different ways, and the right software needs to actually calculate whichever model a given business uses — not assume one and force everyone into it.
The three common models
- Pure percentage — a stylist or barber keeps a set percentage of what they bring in, nothing more. Simple, but offers no income floor for a slow week.
- Flat salary — predictable for staff, but doesn't reward a stylist who's busier or more in-demand than a colleague on the same pay.
- Percentage plus a base — a small guaranteed salary plus a commission cut, the most common real-world model because it balances predictability with incentive.
Why this is harder to get right in software than it sounds
A system that only supports flat percentage breaks the moment a salon hires someone on salary-plus-commission instead. A system that calculates this per employee, not per business-wide setting, is what actually matches how most salons and barbershops really staff up — different people, different arrangements, same checkout.
The reporting that actually matters
Beyond just calculating pay correctly, the useful report is revenue generated versus total paid, per employee — the number that tells an owner who's actually profitable to keep on staff, not just who's busy. A stylist who's constantly booked but on a bad commission split for the business can look busy and still not be worth what they're paid.
TU2 Salon calculates each team member's cut automatically at checkout — percentage, salary, or both — and shows per-employee revenue versus pay in the profit dashboard, so this comparison is a glance, not a month-end spreadsheet exercise.