Business
A Summer of Extensions – Surviving the Rush for Hair Extensions
Jul
July and August usually come with an increased demand for hair extensions and for color and highlighting services. If such demand is handled well this can be a great boon for your business and for your salon’s bottom line. But with increased demand comes more potential stress and that can lead to more opportunities for things to go wrong. That is why implementing a solid and workable plan of action is essential and having contingency plans in place can help mitigate further stress should plans change. Here are a few tips that could help you and your salon survive and thrive during this busy period:
SET ASIDE TIME FOR CONSULTATIONS
When it comes to dealing with hair extensions and the clients who want them, holding an effective and productive consultation is essential. Consultations give you the opportunity to connect with your clients on a personal level to learn what they want, their goals for their hair and personal style, and what they’re willing to spend. They also allow you both to select just the right products for their requested procedure and for you to explain all the necessary maintenance procedures. Setting aside ample time for each consultation is important so that no details are missed and so that you and your clients can develop a necessary level of trust.
One way to effectively handle such consultations is to set aside specific days of the week (perhaps Monday and Tuesday) to conduct them so that they don’t overlap any extensive services. Separating consultations from services can help you focus better and keep your schedule nice and tidy.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Another important thing to consider is time management. This is brushed upon in the paragraph about consultations, but it goes farther than that. Spacing out appointments and consultations with a little bit of wiggle room is important just in case either of them run long or begin a bit late. Scheduling two consultations or two installs back-to-back with little time in between opens the door to potential problems. If a client arrives late that could eat into the time set aside for your next client, and that could lead to a domino effect and make the day more chaotic.
A big part of time management is installing a lateness policy for consultations and installs. Allowing some room to account for traffic or unforeseen difficulties with an install can be a great way to plan ahead, but it’s also important to set a deadline for client arrival to respect your more punctual clients.
STRICT CANCELLATION POLICY
Life happens. Sometimes clients must cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, but it’s important that you have a strong and enforceable cancellation policy in place to protect your business and your bottom line. It’s no good to have four installs scheduled on a particular day and have three of those clients cancel half an hour before their appointment; that’s costing you income that you could be earning from other clients who could have been sitting in those chairs.
Consider having a deposit system in place where a client sets down a deposit that covers some of the total cost of the install and consultation. If that client arrives for their treatment, then that deposit becomes part of the total and doesn’t cost anything extra; if that client cancels within a reasonable time (time enough for you to book someone else even if it’s for a simpler service) they can reclaim their deposit. But if that client cancels at the last minute, they forfeit the deposit so that you don’t lose too much income.
It’s important to clearly outline these rules before the consultation or right at the start so that they are more easily enforceable.
