How to reassure clients about salon safety post-Covid-19

When salons in the UK re-open, many clients may be quick to book nail and beauty appointments. However, there will be some that are still cautious about returning to the salon for their regular services.

Sam Marshall, of The Beauty Guru in Media City, Salford, has shared her thoughts on getting your salon safe and reassuring your clients before they return for treatments.

Sam Marshall

What do you think is the biggest worry of clients booking beauty treatments?
Safety is still going to be the biggest discussion and worry that our clients have, and its something that we are here to reassure them on. It’s completely normal to have worries and everything has felt very uncertain during lockdown so, while its positive to see normality resuming, we understand that our clients might be hesitant around how safe it is and what safety measures we have in place.

While we can never be 100% safe, we can be as safe as possible and be Covid-secure and that’s what we are telling our clients. We are offering walk-throughs, we have complete risk assessments and we are explaining the measures we have put in place. We are happy to answer any questions that they might have – now or when they come in for an appointment.

What do you think beauty professionals should be doing to help?
We are there to put our clients at ease and to help reassure where possible, and understand that some clients might not feel ready to return just yet. As a business, we should be ensuring that all staff are trained to the highest standard and have done full risk assessments before opening. We can share these with clients if they want to see them, but it also means we’ve looked at every area of our business to make sure we are as safe as we can be.

What practices and safety measures have you put in place in your business for nail services?
We’ve implemented quite a lot of safety measures as a business, and our commitment to being Covid-secure is a big focus for us – even after that initial opening day. From when a client enters the premises to when they leave, we’ve made sure we are as safe as possible.

• Reducing the number of people in a treatment room
  We are asking that clients arrive without friends accompanying, to reduce the number of people in the treatment room. We can allow for children and carers, but we just need to know beforehand so we can have enough space available.
• Health questionnaires will be issued
  We will be issuing health questionnaires ahead of treatments so we have the most up to date information from our clients. We can then understand if they are at high risk, their current health status but also the health status of those within their bubble.
• Time for disinfecting is built into appointments
  We are cleaning between each client – I have opticide but some salons might also use Barbicide. Both of these have different times that they need to be left on surfaces to disinfect. We will be disinfecting tabletops, client seats and every touchpoint that a client might have come into contact with. The time for this has been built into appointment times, so it’s now more important than ever that clients arrive on time so we don’t run over.
• Increased airflow and ventilation
  During treatments, we are also now opening the window and door to increase the airflow.
• We might look a little bit different
  Safety-wise, we are changing what we wear, too – so clients might think we look a little different! We will be wearing a visor while we work. This is made of perspex and, while it isn’t 100% stopping the virus from spreading, it can help. We will also be wearing a disposable apron and masks that will be changed for each client, to help stop cross-contamination. We will also be wearing disposable gloves with our clients and will be washing out hands before and after we wear these.
• We will use disposable tools
  During nail treatments, we will be using one file per client and then disposing of them. This means buying in bulk, and we are also individually cutting buffers up to make pieces for different clients. I don’t offer acrylic at my client, so we also use glass files (which can only be used on natural nails), and they can be fully cleaned and sanitised.
• Drinks and magazines won’t be provided
  Unfortunately we can’t offer drinks or magazines anymore for our clients, so these will no longer be provided. They can bring one with them, but that’s down to a client’s preference.
• Contactless payment is preferred
  Finally, we are taking payment via contactless card payments, pre-paid via an online system or cash in an envelope to limit contact.

Do you think nail services will remain popular post-Covid-19?
I think nail treatments will continue to be one of the most sought-after services! For those who have nail extensions regularly, particularly acrylics, they will be keen to book their appointments as nothing can beat that feeling of having nails on.

For those that have gel polish, some clients will be used to seeing what their natural nails are like and might not return so quickly but equally some people will be ready for a bit of self-care. I also think many clients have tried D.I.Y treatments at home and found that nothing quite competes with being pampered by a professional and getting it done properly!

Also, there’s something we refer to as ‘the lipstick factor’, which is often the rise in sales of red lipstick and nail polish during a recession or economic downturn. This is usually a sign that we still spend on the small gestures that make us feel good, so even if the months ahead are bleak, we can hope to see the beauty industry still thriving.

What tips do you have for fellow beauty business re-opening?
We are all in this industry together, and one of the stand-out messages during lockdown is how we have all pulled together. Speak to other businesses and professionals if you need the support and to see if you are doing things right – we are a support network for one another. Seeing businesses pull together is one of the positive sides of the lockdown period, and is why it has been hard to see some businesses reopening and not being in line with government guidelines.

My best tip for any businesses reopening and worried about encouraging clients back would be to be as honest and transparent as possible with you clients. Show them walk-throughs and explain the safety procedures in place, and be understanding as it might take some clients a little longer to come back until they feel comfortable.

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