The COVID-19 pandemic put a hard stop to many salon services for months on end. Now that we have regulations in place to avoid infection, many of those same salons can now open again with caution. If you want to use your salon’s reopening as a way to start fresh while still keeping your regulars, follow this guide. We have tips for retaining salon clients during the pandemic that will keep business at your doors and money in your pocket.
Space Out Your Appointments
The last thing your clients want to do right now is wait for their appointment in a room full of other clients. Set hard restrictions on when your customers can start waiting in the reception room and space out appointments enough that they don’t end up stacking on top of each other. You may have to take fewer clients in a day, but the safety of both yourself and your customers is much more important.
To avoid misunderstandings, make sure to send out alerts to your customers, reminding them of any pandemic-related precautions they will need to take during their appointment.
Clean and Sanitize Everything
Due to the nature of the virus, knowing when your equipment could be infected is near-impossible. Keep hand sanitizer at the entrance for your patrons’ convenience. After each client, clean and sanitize your tools and equipment. Take time to sanitize your reception area as well. Some equipment may need extra attention at the end of a workday, including washbasins for shampooing or pedicures. Be careful of the tools you use to wash or sanitize stations. You may need to follow specific cleaning instructions for some of your furniture or equipment.
Keep Up Your Spotless Customer Service
Customers are more likely to return if they felt respected during the salon service. Times are stressful right now for everyone, but if you give respect, you will get it back in turn. Stand your ground when there is an extreme breach of safety or disrespect in your salon, such as a customer not following your store’s COVID-19 rules. Train your employees to give stellar customer service, and regular customers will soon become a common occurrence.
Provide Attention to Detail
Make your salon stand out from the others by training yourself and your employees to have outstanding attention to detail. Minimizing mistakes will incentivize clients to come back for quality treatment again and again. Attention to detail isn’t only one of the best tips for retaining salon clients during the pandemic, but it’s also one of the best tips for retaining customers in general. Make sure to listen to every customer during their treatment and make them feel like their guidance matters for your stylist’s service.
Be Understanding
Lastly, understand that everyone is going through something different right now. The pandemic has had different effects on all your clients and may cause some clients to come in less regularly than before the pandemic started. Loosen your cancellation policy, so clients don’t feel pressured to come to their appointment.
