It’s finally time to open your doors again! However, times have certainly changed, and you might be lost in the confusing cloud of guidelines and regulations. When should you wear a mask? How many people can be in the building at once? Can you take more than two appointments at the same time? Everyone is figuring out this new way of doing business, and answers to some of those questions may depend on local regulations, but there are some things that you can do to make sure your reopening goes as smoothly as possible. Here is a salon reopening checklist that you can reference when you are ready to start booking appointments again.
Cleaning Procedures
One of the most significant changes when you reopen your salon will be the increased cleaning protocols that you and your staff must follow. Not only will you have to sanitize and clean stations between each client, you’ll have to implement some other cleanliness procedures into your planning including:
- Frequently clean common areas throughout the day including bathrooms, doorknobs, payment kiosks, and more.
- Restrict the items clientele bring into the salon, like bags and coats.
- Consider putting dividers between stations.
- Ensure tools are sanitized between each appointment including brushes and hot tools.
- Consider using disposable aprons, capes, and towels but at minimum use a new one per client.
- Limit phone sharing and sanitize between each use.
- Sanitize all equipment (shampooing bowls, nail stations) between clients.
- Get rid of anything that can’t be disinfected.
Communication
Another major key in reopening is communication, not only to your clients but to your staff as well. Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them when it comes to new policies and procedures.
- Use a video conference platform to hold virtual meetings with your staff to review new policies and procedures.
- Let clients know what to expect via social media, your website, and email.
- Post clear signage in and around the salon with new policies.
- Include reopening guidelines and procedures in appointment confirmations.
- Use a positive tone to ensure that clients know you’re focused on their health and safety.
Scheduling
The way we book appointments is also going to change as everything reopens. Because of increased sanitation and cleaning procedures, you’ll need to build in more time between appointments, which means you won’t be able to fit as many into a day. You also may need to consider limiting the number of stylists you have in the building to maintain appropriate social distancing guidelines. Here are some things to consider:
- Add more salon hours or adjust typical operating hours to accommodate spread-out shifts. Stylists may have to work on differing days or at unusual times.
- Put 15-minute gaps between appointments to ensure enough time for sanitizing.
- Do away with walk-ins for the time being.
- Use your staff wisely. Junior staff may need to take on more responsibility.
- Ask clients to arrive with clean, dry hair to limit the amount of time each appointment might take.
- Offer a discount for those that do not wish to have hair styled after their services.
Pricing
No one wants to increase prices right now. With so many out of work, people don’t have a lot of extra cash. However, all these new procedures are likely hitting your bottom line as a salon owner. You may want to review your pricing structure and make some changes before you reopen. Take into consideration lost time and additional cleaning protocol that you have to provide inventory for. No one wants to increase prices right now. With so many out of work, people don’t have a lot of extra cash. However, all these new procedures are likely hitting your bottom line as a salon owner. You may want to review your pricing structure and make some changes before you reopen. Take into consideration lost time and additional cleaning protocol that you have to provide inventory for.
- Let clients know that their regular services may cost more due to the amount of hair growth since their last visit. You might end up having to use more hair color, for example, in order to get the same results.
- Consider having your stylists do virtual consults with their clients to evaluate what services they’ll actually need when booking an appointment. It might take much longer than it used to in order to get them where they need to be.
- If you do need to increase prices, let your clients know why. Highlight all the extra cleaning you and your staff have to do in order to keep everyone safe and healthy, which takes both time and money. Don’t surprise them with higher rates when they’re in the chair.
All salons and customers are going through the same experience, and hopefully your clientele will be understanding and simply happy to get back to seeing you and receiving your services. With a salon reopening checklist in hand and support from your stylists, you’ll get to your new normal in no time.
After reopening, if you find yourself in need of a new salon website to better handle new booking procedures or you are ready to start attracting new customers, reach out to Salon Search Party for a free marketing evaluation.