How to prepare for an influx of clients post-lockdown

Beauty brand consultants and founders of Buzz Beauté, Denise Dente & Jessica Quick, reveal how to prepare for reopening your business after lockdown…

Grey hair, uni-brows, broken nails – the list goes on! Like the sound of a supersonic jet breaking the sound barrier, consumers are going to bolt to the salon for services once quarantine is lifted.

In a bid to predict what consumers will do once lockdown is released, Buzz Beauté put out a survey to US consumers aged 18-65+ to better understand what they will do, where they will go, how they will spend their money and what their expectations will be when salon doors open.

Results were positive with 83% intending to visit a salon within the first 30-days, which is higher than visiting restaurants or bars (60%), going to the gym (44%), entertainment such as movies, concerts (34%), family activities such as museum or activity centres (22%) or going on a vacation (16%).

Additional good news for the beauty industry is even though 38% of clients have been impacted financially due to COVID-19, they are still planning to spend money on their beauty services.

The survey also asked what services consumers planned to book within the first 30-days; 81% said hair services, followed by 53% wanting a pedicure. Not to be left out, consumers looking for skincare and massages account for a combined 44%. The number three slot at 28% was taken by nail services.

When asked if they intended to visit the same salon or a different salon, 97% plan to visit the same salon but noted they expect to see safety protocols put into place first. It was highlighted that 72% could be enticed to receive further services if there was a discount or incentive, so if you find that you need more business, consider offering a promotion.

Now that we know consumers are planning to rush back to the salon, how should we prepare to open our salons?

To help you get ready and meet what the consumer will be looking for, follow the OPEN guideline outlined here. Getting prepared and keeping yourself, staff, and your clients safe will be everyone’s focus. The below OPEN guide helps you hit all the spoken and unspoken concerns people will have, so once again your salon will be a haven for clients to feel relaxed, pampered and listened to.

O – Outline a Plan

Before you can know what action steps to take, you should get a plan together. They will most likely want the environment from before, but now will want assurance and visible proof that the salon is delivering on every aspect to keep them safe and virus-free. This is where you will want to decide how your salon will operate.

What will be your new policies and protocols? How will you request fellow salon professionals and clients to behave in the salon?

Here are the top subjects to include in your plan:   

1. The UK guidelines say all professionals and clients are to wear masks and gloves. Nitrile gloves are recommended for the nail tech.
2. To reduce the number of people in the salon create distance between clients and nail desks by a revamp of the salon interior styling and setup.
3. With a surge of clients booking appointments, work out how handle the demand for your time? Work out which clients you will prioritise.
4. Contact all clients and make sure they are aware of your directives and are happy with them before they arrive.
5. Rethink your waiting area as no salon will need one for the foreseeable future. Could it become a retail area?

You may think of other consideration points that need a decision as time moves forward. Remember to be flexible and open to adjusting your plan, as necessary. Once things get underway, you may need to accommodate new rules or laws, while assessing what is and what is not working alongside feedback from clients.

P – Prepare the Salon

Now that you have a plan in place, you will need to get to work. The next step is to physically prepare the salon for re-opening. Walk around the salon through the space from arrival to departure and evaluate the things you need to do to keep everyone safe. Then discuss with all staff the cleaning protocols that will be undertaken. Showcase what must be deep cleaned and how often as well as what will be moved around to create the space necessary to make staff and clients feel as safe as possible.

Before re-opening, accomplish this list:

1. Toss it out! Start by removing things you don’t use, don’t need or are no longer part of the new normal. Take away magazines in the waiting area, take home coffee table books and search for other unnecessary items that get used by multiple people and are difficult to keep clean.
2. Clean and disinfect. Identify a cleaning protocol and process that addresses both the reopening of the salon and how you will maintain the cleanliness once you start receiving clients. Give thought to what needs to be cleaned, who will do the cleaning and how often it will get cleaned. You may want to go through existing cleaning supplies and make sure you have the proper items ready.
3. Update areas of the salon. Considering you’ll want to encourage hand washing, you may want to update the bathroom by adding soap dispensers and disposable towels. Do you need to move stations to make sure you have adequate distance between stations? Do you need to move things around to reduce salon traffic patterns thus keeping distance between customers and staff?
4. Supplies. Have enough readily available hand sanitiser, wipes, masks and gloves for clients and staff.
5. Personal items. Consider how you will keep personal items such as handbags, coats and umbrellas safe from cross-contamination. Create an area where they can leave their personal items with adequate space between them. Ask clients to bring as few personal items with them to the salon. Preferably, just a handbag.
6. Hospitality. Many salons offer beverages, consider switching to using paper cups, inviting the customer to bring their own or eliminating this side of the salon offering entirely. Eliminating beverages entirely is recommended.
7. Shoes. COVID-19 can live on shoes for up to five hours. Will you have a way to clean staff shoe soles? Will you ask clients to take off their shoes and provide disposable slipper or provide coverings for them to step into with their shoes to stop from contaminating the salon. Hard floors are in salons are easier to clean. Mopping between clients is necessary.

E – Entering the Salon

Everyone is looking for guidance on how to operate in this new world. What is the norm, or if they are doing it ‘right’. Helping staff and clients know how your salon will operate, will make everyone feel more comfortable and at ease. You have planned the logistics and cleanliness of your salon, but now is the time is put protocols into place for how staff and clients will behave at the salon. Everyone will need clear instructions on how to navigate their way through their services.

Prior to arrival

What should clients know before arriving at their appointment and how will you communicate the message? You need to ask them to bring in a mask or provide them with one, and let them know your protocol on shoes. Will you ask them to wait in their car or outside the salon before their appointment and don’t forget to remind them to come alone. Communicating all this when they book the appointment is advisable. Will you communicate by phone call, text or email?

Tell them how the beauty/nail team will behave and adorn; wearing a mask, gloves and/or using disposable salon tools and accessories. Let people know what you want of them and what to expect.

Upon arrival

Speak with staff on how you will operate as a salon to greet guests. What is the process for when they arrive? Should they be asked to remove shoes before washing their hands? Will they be asked to leave personal items in their car or a designated spot during the appointment? Will you be serving refreshments out of single-use drinkware? Are you asking clients to stay only in certain parts of the salon? This is about keeping the client and the professional safe.

During the service

Offer the client a mask and have hand sanitiser at the nail desk. Will you use disposable nail files? What do you want the professional to do to help keep the safety and cleanliness standards at the level you’re expecting?

After the Service

Get feedback from clients and the team, especially in the early days. This will help you modify protocols and expectations to meet the needs of everyone in the salon. You may find you’re doing a great job and everyone is thrilled and grateful. However, you may also find that some elements are too strict or difficult to sustain or there’s something you overlooked and needs to considered and adjusted.

N – Never Stop Communicating 

Other than cleaning your salon, this may be the next most important thing you do. Communicate – communicate to clients and staff what the salon is doing to keep everyone safe. When surveyed 53% of consumers said they would be looking for visible and communicated measures of how the salon is keeping them safe. Tell them repeatedly so they see it!

Ways to communicate the cleaning and safety protocols to staff and clients:

• Update your website with any modifications to opening hours, salon guidelines and actions you’ve implemented to keep clients and staff safe.
• Email all clients about your protocols and salon rules, what to expect during their salon visit and what they should bring.
• Put signage in the window or at the station notifying clients of your cleaning protocol and extra steps you’ve implemented.
• Remind them of the online payment system – the salon must be cashless – and no walk-in appointments.
• Update any advertising to include how you maintain your salon to the highest safety standards.

The more you can do to prepare for the salon’s eventual reopening, the better you’ll be able to service clients and satisfy staff. There are a lot of unknowns right now, but being proactive and taking action on the experience you want in your salon now will give you time to implement the new protocols and changes.

Know that you are not in this alone. If you need help or support you can reach out to fellow salon owners, trade publications and organisations, as well as the team at Buzz Beauté.

www.buzzbeaute.com

The UK nail salon guidelines by the British Beauty Council can be viewed here.