How to really tackle appointment cancellations…

Do you have a cancellation policy in place at your salon? We don’t blame you if not because cancellations really are a grey area. You don’t want to alienate all of your clients for the mistake only some might make, however you really despise clients cancelling at last minute or even worse- being a complete no show.

So here we've listed our top 3 suggestions to really crack down on all kinds of absences...

· Use Salon Tracker Salon Software to send rebooking reminders so your client is aware of their appointment and it gives them a little nudge to remember.

· Try taking a deposit that is deducted from the final payment of their appointment for the really big purchases.

· ‘Red Flag’ all clients that have previously been a no show or cancelled at last minute. All clients needn't be punished for selected ‘cancellers’.

Remember, innocent ‘til proven guilty and all that so try not to tie all clients in with the same brush. By protecting your business you might just find yourself cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Until next time!

Mother’s Day Promotions...

Slowly but surely another month of 2015 is passing and boy what a month it’s been! Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day all in one week and we can’t lie- we’ve certainly overindulged on the sweet goods! We’ve now entered the promotional period for our ever favourite, Mother’s Day, so without further ado here are our top tips to make your Mother’s Day more special than ever for everyone involved!!

· Together treatments are just essential for Mother’s Day because they give mums what they really want…to spend time with their children! Some angles you could introduce are for every treatment booked by daughter/son, *mum* receives 50% off their final sale price. 

· Offer a lunching option! If you can’t provide this at the salon then team up with a local restaurant with great reviews. Work together to provide the perfect Mother’s Day outing which will be enjoyed by both your client and their mum. This also shows you have really gone out of your way to be creative and think about them.

· Not all mums want a specific treatment, or rather, not all children know what they would like, so in the weeks prior to Mother’s Day, create a retail hamper package perfect for the event. With the retail products you use, maybe throw in some extra little goodies that are general i.e best mum calendar or 'number 1 mum' cup that you can be confident will go down a storm! You could even offer a ‘tailored’ package where a client chooses 5 retail products and 5 of their mum’s favourite little things. Custom your prices to fit each client’s needs! This way the mum leaves with a memorable gift and might return to you as a client in the future.

· Offer treatments with flowers and chocolate as an additional little touch. Another great way to team up with local florists or sweet shops maybe to really push each other’s businesses.

· This is our all-time favourite and we stand by it every time! Add value rather than giving a discount! Every treatment your customers purchases book them out a little bit of extra time and really give them a luxury service! Every manicure gets a free 10 minute hand massage, same for a pedicure…here's a link to some more of our ideas to add luxury to every single treatment!

· One of your offers might be 2-4-1 for mum and daughter! You could try and extend this offer to three for two or four for three if want to include sisters and grandmas. This is a great way to up the business intake and really cater for fuller families who want an extra special day out!

· Gift vouchers are always a winner when client is not exactly sure what their mum wants! They might be more targeted toward the males since they usually want something easier where mum can choose her treatment.

· Finally, PROMOTION, the most important part of the whole event! Get in touch with us and make sure you have your SMS texts in time for the big day. Catching your client wherever they are is a great way to entice, especially those who have no idea what their mums might want or are last minute on the gift front. This gives them a push in your direction and allows you to engage with what you can offer them.

Happy Mother's Day...xxx

Recruiting a new member of staff for the salon...

Recruiting new staff members to join a close knit salon team can prove to be quite difficult. When you have a team who are used to your management technique and each other, you might find it a daunting prospect to bring a new face on board. However, it can also be quite the opportunity to really evaluate how things are working at the moment and what kind of role all your team members play. One piece of advice that is really important to remember when recruiting is to try to ensure you have a core theme or ambition amongst all employees be that loyalty, creativity, or philanthropy. Everyone is bound to be at different points of their career and lives, which certainly differs the personality of an individual. However, the responsibilities of being a salon owner means it is up to you to build the reputation of your business, and staff, as professional stylists of therapists. A way to do this is make sure you are transparent with potentials from day one to see if your environment is compatible with them.

Some important questions to ask are what would they say their best and worst qualities are? Ask them about their last position and why they are leaving. This is a great question to find out about a potential employees past work history. Ask about their ambitions and where they will see themselves if they joined the team. What kind of role do they play in their friendship group? You can really learn a lot about your potential staff member by listening to their experiences and self-statements.

Don’t be unreasonable about your demands if you have been scorned before and just want the best for your business. However, if your gut has good feelings for someone but they aren't incredibly up to scratch on past experience, maybe give them a chance. The most successful people just need that exact thing to get them going- A CHANCE!

Good luck x