Struggling to juggle all your roles in the salon? Here’s some advice…

Maddie Regan of 81 Rose Garden shares advice on how to effectively manage a busy salon…

Working in a busy salon can be challenging at times. There are many roles to juggle and many things that need your attention but you must keep on top of customer service. Without clients, there would be no salon, so it’s extremely important to keep them happy. What’s more, we have found that one of the biggest advertisements for our salon is word of mouth.

If you can make your clients happy as soon as they are coming through the door, even if they’re stopping by for a quick patch test, then this is a huge achievement.

If the client leaves feeling unseen or uncomfortable, this can put them off coming back. What’s more, that client could tell five friends (who then tell another five friends each) about their bad experience. It is so important to ensure your client is happy.

Time management should be another key focus. We’ve all run behind with a client in some way, whether they’ve shown up with polish that won’t budge or enhancements that need soaking off or repairing. The client may be indecisive about their colour choice or have requested a time-consuming nail design, which can be very stressful, especially when your next client is watching you finish the appointment with your current client. In this situation, it’s best to keep communicating. If you know you are running behind or that your appointment may take you a bit longer, ask another team member or receptionist to call your next client. Alternatively, drop them a message to apologise and ask if they could arrive slightly later.

Time management is key to keeping a salon running smoothly and reducing pressure on yourself.

If your appointments keep running over, it’s important to take a closer look at how you manage your diary. If the design the client has selected is not viable in their appointment time, tell your client that you don’t have enough time or that you don’t feel fully confident. Suggest something similar but simpler. Speeding up appointment times comes with practice; the more you practice, the quicker you become. The more you overthink, the slower you may become.

Salon organisation is not an easy task by any means – let alone in a busy setup! At 81 Rose Garden, we find that the one thing we have to keep on top of most is cleaning and ordering supplies. No one wants to walk into an unclean space and even if you think clients may not notice, trust me, they do! Sitting down at a cluttered station that hasn’t been fully cleaned will not make a great impression or help your client feel comfortable.

Ordering supplies can become difficult in the busier periods. When we’ve introduced new products or taken on more staff, not everything runs out at the same time of the week or month. One way we’ve found to tackle this is to order the main products we use every two weeks. This order includes the basics: files, base acrylic colours and liquid, as well as top and base coats. For the rest, we have a list that everyone adds to when they are coming to the end of something.

Lastly, don’t forget yourself. We spend so much time making others feel and look beautiful that we forget about ourselves or simply don’t have time. I always forgot to book myself in for appointments, but it’s important we do so that we feel amazing, too!

We all need some self-care. In this busy industry, it’s important to take a break from work and switch off from your phone and social media accounts. Let your mind rest!