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Reopening Your Salon - The Checklist
Whilst we still may not have a confirmed date, it’s looking likely that salon doors will be allowed to reopen come July 4th. We could cry with happiness. No more roots, no more chipped nails, no more painful self-waxes, and a consistent tan without having to rely on this indecisive sun.
However, as excited as we may be, we recognise that this isn’t over yet and salon owners have a duty to ensure the safety of staff and clients alike once the doors are open again. With that in mind, we have created a handy checklist of the things you need to consider to get you started again.
Tighten up your cleaning schedule
It goes without saying that keeping the salon clean, sanitised and disinfected is one of the most vital things you can do to help stop the virus being spread. We recently posted an article on this exact topic that outlines how to do this effectively – add it to your pre-opening reading list!
Maintain social distancing wherever possible
Obviously, it isn’t possible for us to do our work at 2m, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have clear social distancing measures in place. Increase the space between your chairs, or if they’re permanent fixtures then look at how many you’ll need to leave empty and how this will impact your salon schedule.
You should also be removing any waiting areas and asking clients to be prompt and waiting in their cars until their stylist is available – maybe offering to send a text when you’re ready for them. Also implement rules around not bringing children with them to the appointment – no amount of rules and measures are going to stop the spread if kids are running around your salon!
Training
The best will in the world will be quickly dampened if your staff aren’t trained on how the new processes. Consider a video conference session with your team to go over all of the new cleaning and social distancing measures, as well as training on how to communicate with clients about the changes. Keep up to date with the latest government advice and share this with all of your staff.
Attracting new clients
Not all of your clients will be comfortable coming back into the salon straight away, so you’re going to need some new ones! As part of our time to improve series we wrote an article that looked at effective strategies to attract new customers. Another one for the reading list.
Keep a tight grasp on your finances
Whether it’s some clients not ready to return or having to reduce the seats in your salon, things may not go straight back to 100% and so it’s more important than ever for you to be strong in the finance department. Why not read our article on the 3 golden rules for managing your salons finances as a starting point.
Get a client communications plan together
Just as with your staff, your clients are going to need a bit of training, too. You should draw out a clear communications plan for each client after they book an appointment – ensuring that your processes and safeguarding measures are explained clearly to them when they book, and again with a follow up phone call the day before their appointment. That’s also a good chance for you to confirm with the client that they aren’t showing any symptoms of coronavirus, and to remind them that if they do produce any symptoms you will need to cancel their appointment and they should stay at home.
Take care of yourself and seize the opportunity!
As a salon owner you have a duty of care to your staff and clients, but you also have a duty of care to yourself. Things may become hectic for a while, but you should focus on that as a positive. In our latest “Capital Collaborates” webinar we brought in hair colour expert Paddy McDougall to talk to us about all things colour and what he thinks the industry will be like after lockdown ends. He, like the rest of us, can’t predict the future but the one thing he was sure of is that this is an amazing opportunity for this amazing industry to become bigger and better than ever. We wholeheartedly agree – now go and slay it!
Oh, and one more thing: make sure you’ve got all your essentials, PPE and hygiene equipment well stocked, of course! Our stores will be reopening on 15th June, so with our click and collect option back on the table you can make sure you’ve got all of your essentials in place before it comes time to see those clients again.
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