Salon Down Time

One thing too many salons have in common is down time.  At some point in the maturing of a salon or a service provider, there are bound to be lulls in a business day when it seems there is nothing to do.

In fact, the question I’m asked most often during seminars across the U.S. is “what should our staff be doing to make the most of time not spent with clients?”  The response I’ve developed is based on the idea of the salon business being a numbers game.

“Just think how busy every service provider would be if he or she could keep every client he or she could keep every client they touch.”  I say, “Retention is the key to being busy, so it makes sense to turn every second of down time into growth time – time dedicated to creating and implementing strategies to put and keep clients in the chair”.

1. Keep in touch with your existing clients.  Spend 30 minutes a day calling your clients from last week and see how you did.  Make sure they scheduled their next appointment.  Remember, the ultimate “than you “they can offer for a job well-done is to rebook.  Find out if they are telling friends and family about your salon.  Most clients are not aware that word-of-mouth is our greatest source of business, and many will be glad to help if you ask them for business.
2. Use a “10-Card” system.  Make a quick visit to other stores in your area or shopping center location within a one-mile radius.  Pass out ten cards to people that you see.  Introduce yourself to the employees and invite them to the salon for a tour.  Make sure you leave a card – it’s your best, easiest and most inexpensive source of advertising.
3. Develop in-salon, mini “power” meetings.  Meet with other members of the staff who also have free time. (But try to stay our of the break room. I call the break room “the black hole” because nothing good ever happened there.)  Meet and discuss future events to build business in the salon.  Start an idea book and write down ideas as they strike.  At staff meetings, go over the ideas and discuss which ones would work best.
4. Study the phone book and the yellow pages.  Look for groups, organizations and other nearby businesses who might want to get involved in cross marketing or mutual promotion.  Call and introduce yourself.  Offer the contact person the opportunity to visit the salon for a service and receive a free bottle of shampoo or conditioner.  Retail products work well as business builders because the value to the client is twice what it is to the salon.
5. Study your salon as a client.  Get in the habit of a daily walk-through of the salon, concentrating on seeing it through your client’s eyes.  Check for cleanliness and sanitation.  Make certain all displays are neat and accessible.  Check all retail testers and make sure they are full and wiped off.
6. Make “up” side down time a team goal.  Have everyone contribute to a list of “things to do”, so that anyone who isn’t booked gets into the habit of picking the list up, tackling a task and checking it off.  Keep the list for staff meetings and acknowledge people for extra efforts.

There’s an old saying that goes: “If you want something done, give it to the busy person”.  Staying productive is a habit.  Build the habits to fill those inevitable empty slots in a day and it’s true, the clients will come.