As more salons in regions across Canada begin to reopen, now is the time to take a good look at your business to ensure you’re offering clients the best possible service and experience. With the pandemic’s restrictions impacting most salons’ day-to-day operations, maximizing the time that you have with each and every client is key. “As salons open, [owners and stylists] are concerned about only being able to work at limited capacity,” says Deanna Spielman, education leader for Wella Canada. “With other regions opening up, clients will want to explore and that’s normal, but if all of their needs are being met at the salon they will come back.”
Retaining Clients
When it comes to the idea of clients trying out a new salon—whether it’s because their region is not open yet or because they want a change—there are things you can do to help give them every reason to return to your business. A big part of this is the client’s experience in the salon, which can look quite different due to capacity restrictions and safety protocols. While some things are difficult to replace, such as offering a coffee or welcoming them with open arms into your salon’s waiting area, it all comes down to communication. “Having support at your front desk to make sure clients feel safe as they enter is important,” says Jereme Bokitch, owner of Hedkandi Salon, Butter Beauty Parlour and Johnny’s Barber + Shop in Calgary. “The pandemic has created so many issues that we’ve never had to deal with before, so putting a plan in place and communicating with guests [from the time they step inside your salon] helps them know we’re looking out for their best interest.” In addition to providing your clients with a good first impression as they re-enter your space, it’s important to make sure you’re open and honest about all changes before they book their appointment. “It’s important to stay in touch with your clients during lockdown,” says Spielman. “They are also feeling uncertain, so a simple connection can help retain their business.”
“I BELIEVE AS A LEADER YOU HAVE TO STAND BEHIND YOUR TEAM AND NOT IN FRONT OF YOUR TEAM. IT’S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW THEM TO BE THE INDIVIDUALS AND ARTISTS THEY ARE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR INDUSTRY.”
— PETER CIARDULLI, OWNER OF CALIA HAIR DESIGN, TORONTO
While you may think you don’t need to make the effort in light of the fact that many clients are already aware of your salon’s pandemic-related changes, think again! From sending emails to posting on social media to picking up the phone to discuss, being transparent is all part of the process. “Clients can choose to move on at any time, so retention should be something that is consistently worked on in the salon,” says Spielman. “Always offering a thorough consultation and a complete service will also help maintain client retention.”
“I’VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE SILVER LINING IN ALL OF THIS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO STEP BACK AND SEE THAT THERE’S POSITIVITY IN SOME OF THE CURRENT CHANGES THAT WE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE NEVER MADE. WHEN YOU’RE GOING 100 MILES PER HOUR ON A HIGHWAY, YOU CAN’T STOP TO CHANGE YOUR TIRE.”
— JEREME BOKITCH, OWNER OF HEDKANDI SALON, BUTTER BEAUTY PARLOUR AND JOHNNY’S BARBER + SHOP, CALGARY
For Bokitch, working with Summit Business Center for nearly 15 years to help build and grow his business at his seven locations has proven to be an invaluable decision. “No matter what we go through, they’ve always been a huge support for us with ideas or somebody to talk to about how to maneuver through different periods of time,” he says. “They’ve helped us figure out what’s happening with our costs and understand how to rebuild our projections, so we know exactly where we need to be, what we want to change (and have to change!), and what we want to bring back in the future.”
At his salons, Bokitch says prebooking has increased by at least 20 per cent since his salons first reopened. “Clients are prebooking more than they ever have,” he says. “People are concerned about another shutdown and want to plan their next appointment, just in case, so it’s on the books. This process has been so helpful for team members who were struggling to understand how to communicate with their guests in terms of prebooking procedures, and now they’re finding it a little bit easier.”
“It’s nice to feel that security of having clients already booked in two or three months ahead,” says Peter Ciardulli, owner of Calia Hair Design in Toronto. “It’s a perfect opportunity right now to have clients prebook before they leave, to make sure they are scheduled ahead of time and we have a consistent flow of clients, especially with the capacity limits and not being able to squeeze clients in between appointments.”
While it’s important to be realistic about the clients you may lose as a result of the lockdowns, Ciardulli suggests not letting it get the best of you. “One of the biggest fears currently is that with different regions opening up, clients will be going to these regions [for their haircare needs]. I remember how busy we were when we first reopened our doors, and I think the other salons will busy as well,” he says. “For the clients that may be desperate right now, they’ll go, but they should come back, if only to avoid the driving distance. Remember to always try to stay engaged with your clients, even during the closure. We send out newsletters and post on our Facebook and Instagram to constantly stay in contact.”
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FOR HELP WITH PREBOOKING, CONSIDER RUNNING A CONTEST TO HELP PROMOTE IT. BOKITCH SAYS HE RUNS ONE AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE PER YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN THE MONTHS AHEAD OF A SLOWER PERIOD. FOR EXAMPLE, HE WILL OFTEN PROMOTE A “WIN FREE PRODUCTS” CONTEST IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER FOR GUESTS WHO PREBOOK FROM JANUARY TO MARCH.
Gaining New Clientele
As many salons have had to get creative during the lockdown to continue generating revenue safely, Ciardulli says he took the time to invest in his website, building an ecommerce shop via Shopify and Digital Main Street, a Toronto-based non-profit organization that assists businesses with improving their online presence. “Both have been incredibly helpful as we’re now able to have a greater online presence and gage site traffic. There’s also much more motivation to get new products—even if they aren’t carried in your salon, they are easily accessible through your suppliers so you can broaden your retail offerings a bit more than you can in the salon. I’m glad we invested the time into [our website], and I think we will continue even after [the pandemic is over], but we’re excited to get back into the salon, whenever the time comes.”
“Retail sales are what the salons had to keep them connected to their businesses,” adds Spielman. “I think salons are now looking at retail brands that better fit their clientele and work with their team philosophy.” When salons reopened, one tried- and-true method to getting new people in your chairs has been with referrals. “Gaining the trust of your client is key right now,” Ciardulli emphasizes. “Business isn’t as normal as it was, so it’s going to take a while to gain that trust again. We saw a number of new clients come through our doors from referrals.” While gaining new clients is great for business, it’s about providing a great experience to all guests so that they’ll want to refer friends and family to you. “[When salons reopen,] it’s an opportunity for some clients to move around [and try a new salon],” says Ciardulli. “Not so much in the beginning, since it depends on the salon and the capacity they have when they reopen. For us, we gained new clients after the first lockdown. They left their previous salon, and it was up to our team to give them the best service and result possible. Of course, it’s not only about the service, but also the salon environment.”
“Aside from keeping up with the trends in hair and fashion, I feel that right now we’re trying to maintain safety measures, especially because salons have been targeted and closed [for a long period of time], even though we’ve been going above and beyond what we’ve been asked to do [for safety protocols],” he adds. “We have to gain clients’ trust as a business, first and foremost, and everything else will follow suit.”
BUILDING UP YOUR TEAM
With a reduced capacity in salons, it’s easy for your stylists to be fully booked. Some salons are fully booked well into the spring, so it might be time to start thinking of ways to help build and grow your junior hairstylists.
“Juniors Are Easy To Build Because Of Their Price point, but it’s all about how they’re led,” says Ciardulli. “No matter how good you are as a stylist, it comes down to the confidence you have behind the chair.”
He’s implemented a non-competition agreement, encouraging clients to choose different stylists within his salon. “Instead of clients going to another salon down the street, we encourage them to try another stylist,” he says. “Just to get a feel for different hands.”
“As our senior stylists jump to the next [price] level, if the client doesn’t want to, or can’t afford, their new price point, we coach our team on how to refer them down a level or two,” says Bokitch. “We always talk about having open communication with the guests about being welcome to see anybody in the salon. Some people may not want to spend over a certain amount for a haircut, so we have certain verbiage for our team to help with that transition.”
While his senior stylists are busy in his salons, Bokitch adds that they are working on less than half of the clients they were pre- pandemic because of capacity restrictions. “Our senior stylists are super busy all the time, but not how they used to be because of the lack of hours or because they’re not working with assistants like they used to,” he says. “They may be doing 50 to 60 clients per month, when they were doing 120 to 140 clients before. Our younger generation staff who are working to build up their clientele are doing really well.”
“I believe mentorship in our industry is one of the most important things,” says Spielman. “Taking the time to help and mold the next generation not only builds the juniors into more confident stylists, it cultivates a very collaborative team in the salon space. We need to continue to work and grow the capability of junior stylists to continue to grow the professionalism in our industry.”
Retaining Your Team
With the pandemic forcing many salons to lay off their staff, some stylists have decided to look for new jobs or are branching out on their own. “Every salon owner I’ve spoken to has lost people through this pandemic,” says Bokitch. “I think they were going to leave anyway, and this just pushed them into that direction. I feel like a lot of people just wanted control over something, and this was it: Control of their space, hours, etc. What we’ve tried to do is give our team as much control as we possibly could, so they knew we were there to support them.”
“It’s a weird time right now and stylists are trying to figure things out,” says Spielman. “I think being there for your team, listening to them and supporting them is really important for retention. Everyone needs a support system and being a part of a team that truly cares and listens is the best place to be.”
Since the pandemic was a new experience for us all, Bokitch says it was important for him to have regular discussions with his team to answer their questions and help reassure them. “During the first lockdown, I probably worked harder than I ever have in my career,” he says. “I was on the phone from morning to night with my team, making them feel comfortable, answering questions and addressing concerns, while being super transparent so they felt like they were a part of what was happening. The second lockdown was easier to deal with because we knew what to do.”
“It’s a very volatile industry with staff moving around,” adds Ciardulli, who in addition to being a salon owner and working in the industry for 30 years, is also the owner of Salon Smartz, a business coaching company. “I always tell salon owners that they don’t want to give stylists an opportunity to leave for another salon. One reason they may want to leave might boil down to leadership—if they’re not feeling validated, or not being helped to grow with things like education. We’re all human beings and want to be treated with respect and equality. We’re all going through uncertain times, but as leaders we have to leave the past and encourage our team to make the best of things. Without a strong team leader, whether it’s a salon owner or manager, everything falls to the wayside.”
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CIARDULLI SAYS HE EMBRACES A NO-HIERARCHY MODEL AT HIS SALON, ASKING HIS SENIOR AND JUNIOR STAFF TO HELP OUT WHEREVER NEEDED, WHETHER IT’S WITH SWEEPING THE FLOORS OR FOLDING TOWELS WHEN THEY AREN’T BUSY. “IT CREATES A GREAT TEAM ENVIRONMENT, AND EVERYBODY IS OUT TO HELP EACH OTHER WHEN THEY’RE IN NEED.”
To retain your team and help grow their skill sets, providing them with education opportunities and regular reviews (Ciardulli recommends once or twice a year) can help you identify weak areas and help them target those to be the best they can be. “When you’re meeting with your team to discuss increasing their prices, they feel like they are working towards something, and it’s not just about the salon but about them.”
Photos: Getty Images
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