Getting Back To It – Handling the Back-to-School Rush

Back to School is a busy time for many people: parents, teachers, retail workers, and of course hair stylists. The rush for people to gather school supplies, new clothes, to adapt to a new routine, and to refine their look for the coming season can be felt by many and can make things rather hectic. A boost in business can be ideal, of course, and there are many ways to capitalize on this rush, but it’s also important to consider your own health and sanity during this time. Here we will cover some ways to make the rush work for you as well as ways to mitigate the effects of back-to-school stress.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT

Promos– Promos can be an excellent way to capitalize on the increased demand for hair services. Offering specials to students, teachers, or even parents of students show that you care about them and their style and that you’re on top of the season.

Having rotating promos can help draw attention but also help to keep your salon from getting too overwhelmed. Focusing on teacher, student, or parent promos on specific days of the week can help space out the rush but still allows you to enjoy the benefits.

Advertisement– Along with the aforementioned promos, performing good work during the back-to-school season can come with great word-of-mouth benefits. Sharing social media before and after shots of happy students, teachers, or parents can help draw in even more business. Hyping up your seasonal promotions in the meantime can also help to move the needle further.

HOW TO HANDLE IT

Don’t Overbook– Keep a close eye on your appointment calendar, especially during busy periods. It can be easy to accidentally overlap appointments if you’re not careful which can lead to headaches for you and potential frustration for your clients. Double-checking your appointment calendar or having effective appointment tracking software can help prevent you from accidental double-bookings and save you time and stress later.

Take Breaks– This pairs perfectly with the previous suggestion. While it may be tempting to keep appointments flowing so that you make the most of the back-to-school rush, you don’t want to run the risk of exhausting yourself or your team. Being overworked can lead to mistakes, and even minor errors could lead to an unhappy client. Scheduling appointments with a time cushion between each one can not only give you precious moments to decompress but can provide a bit of extra time if an appointment runs a little longer than planned.

Work as a Team– Coordinate with your staff and the rest of your team to handle everything as smoothly as possible. Dividing up tasks such as booking, inventory management, client contact, social media posting, and the like can help to keep everyone from shouldering too big of a burden while they’re also trying to give clients their best work. Make sure to communicate your needs and listen to those of your team to keep your back-to-school business running as smoothly and as happily as possible.