It’s been a strange year for hair and beauty salons. From lockdowns keeping doors firmly shut, to mad rushes when they can finally open again, never has your appointment book been less predictable.

So, while Christmas probably won’t be the same as party seasons of the past, the emergence from a second lockdown this December may send yet another flurry of clients your way!

So, what should you do to keep cool when you and your salon staff are facing a big rush this season?

Prepare your schedule

As the old saying goes, “if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail!”

When busy days are approaching in your salon, make sure your schedule is as well planned out as possible.

Appointments and staff rotas should be well organised in advance. Electronic scheduling tools can really help in keeping your salon running as smoothly as possible.

If you can’t keep up with the phone ringing, consider giving the clients the option of booking them self in online. Remember, if a client is already in the salon and talking to you, they should be the one who gets your attention.

Communicate with your team

When all your stylists are swept off their feet, it’s easy for communication to suffer within your team.

Try and make sure everybody is clear on what the plan is for the day and what their roles and duties are.

If you wan’t stylists to pick up the phone if they are free, then make sure they know this. If you want your receptionist to pick up any extra duties for this, then ask if they completely understand what you expect of them.

Most importantly, make yourself available to your team. A quick morning huddle or catch-up at the end of the day is great for giving everyone the chance to voice how their day went. Make sure your team knows how well they are doing and keep morale up if things get hard.

Do a stock take

The last thing you want on a busy day in the salon is to find yourself short of the supplies and products you need!

At the end of every week, do a stock take. Keep track of how much product you have been getting through so you know how much you need for the rest of the month. Check what appointments you have booked in to see if there are any big treatments that might take up more of your supplies than usual – a big hair colour job, for example.

Get support

When your salon is busy, you can’t be everywhere at once. As a salon owner, it’s important that you keep focussed on the most important aspects of your business. So, if you need an extra pair of hands to help you out with running the salon floor or taking on some of your duties, then get it.

It might be a good time to appoint another team leader or an assistant manager to take some of the pressure off you, if you’re starting to feel it.

Related: How to Effectively Hand Over the Reins of Your Salon Business

Don’t forget to take breaks

We know – when it’s a busy few weeks in the salon, lunch breaks come few and far between!

But, burnt out salon staff are the last thing you want. Try and do what you can to take care of them – and remind them to take care of each other as much as possible.

When things begin to calm down, remember to show all of your staff your thanks for the hard work they put in.

Remember your clients

With clients back-to-back, it’s easy to feel as though you are rushing through the motions a little.

When it comes to client treatments though, it’s important that you don’t let your customer services standards slip. Even when stress begins to set in, remember to keep your standards high. So, greet every client with a friendly welcome, remember the importance of your client consultations and don’t share your frustration with them!

Related: How to Offer the Best Customer Service Post-Lockdown

Take a breath!

After a long or stressful day, it can be hard to unwind when you get home. But, it’s important that everyone in your salon gets some downtime.

As the owner or manager of the salon, it’s usually you who needs to lead by example. If your staff sense your stress, it will be harder for them to manage their own. Take a breath, and encourage your staff to shake off any worries from the day before they go home.

For more advice, we have a full article on how to manage the health and wellbeing of your salon employees.

If you are in need of professional salon supplies, shop them online today with Salons Direct

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