As the world begins to reopen, people are navigating a “new normal” in business. Many salons have been shuttered for months and everyone, including employees and customers, is desperate to get back to the chairs. However, learning how to reopen a salon safely and within regulations in this new world looks a little different than operations did when we all had to shut our doors. Your ultimate goal is to keep customers and staff as safe as possible while still maintaining a high level of service. Each salon may make slight variations in its reopening plan, but here are some main points to stick to when it comes to trying to get business back to a new normal.
Know State and Local Regulations
First things first, you’ll want to make sure you’re following all state and local regulations regarding reopening. If you reopen too soon or don’t follow guidelines, your salon could face hefty fines. Make sure you and your staff are well versed in what restrictions or measures your local government has requested that businesses take to ensure the safety of staff and customers.
Create a Checklist
There are a lot of moving parts to tackle ahead of your reopening, so it will help to put together a salon reopening checklist. This will help you make sure that nothing falls through the cracks and will allow you to keep track of your progress. Plus, a checklist will make it easier for you to delegate specific tasks to staff members for maximum efficiency.
Change Appointment Policies
Everyone wants to come in and get the salon services they’ve been missing for months, but when you reopen your salon, your appointment policies need to be adjusted. Consider no longer offering walk-ins. Not only does it put people in a position where they’ll need to be waiting around in a group, but it can also overwhelm already busy staff. Make sure everyone makes an appointment for services and communicate new procedures to them. It’s likely they’ll need to wait in their cars or outside until their stylist is ready to see them instead of waiting in your usual designated area. Even before you reopen, you may want to start a wait-list of those wishing to book appointments with your team so that when you are able to start seeing customers, you’ll already have appointments booked.
Reevaluate Pricing
When going about figuring out how to reopen a salon, you should reevaluate your pricing. Of course, you’re not using this as an opportunity to make up lost revenue, but it’s likely that you and your staff will have to dedicate extra time and resources to proper sanitation and probably less efficient procedures in the beginning. To offset that cost, you may need to increase prices slightly.
Train Staff
The new normal involves change and your staff has to understand what new things they’ll be responsible for when your salon opens. You’ll likely be implementing additional cleaning procedures at individual stations and throughout the salon. You may be putting up clear dividers between stations. You’ll probably be requiring both staff and clientele to wear masks. You may even institute cashless, contactless payment methods. Whatever new procedures you plan to implement, make sure your staff knows what’s expected of them and how they can contribute to the safety of the salon as a whole.
Communicate Cleary with Customers
One of the most crucial things in reopening your salon is to clearly communicate new policies and procedures to your customers. Use email marketing, social media channels, and your website to let people know what to expect when they step into your salon the next time. People are already anticipating changes, so making sure they know exactly what’s expected of them is key to a great experience when they return. Also, make sure they know what extra steps you and your staff are taking to keep everyone safe. Highlight cleaning procedures, station division, and protective equipment to make sure they feel comfortable returning for services.
Now’s the time to nail down how to reopen your salon so that you can get back to doing what you do best—making people feel great about themselves! Now more than ever, people need a boost, and once you get the green light to open your doors, they’ll be excited to come and see you.
Once you have your new processes underway and you’re ready to start welcoming new clients, Salon Search Party can provide monthly SEO services to drive qualified leads to your website. Many people may be looking for a new salon if their former one has closed permanently or has a too-long wait time. When you’re ready, contact us to learn more or to get a free marketing evaluation.