Hair and Beauty Salon Management

Hair and Beauty Salon Management Amy E: So we’re getting the tour of Goldwell, the new location in Santa Monica and Mary, what’s interesting about this front area? Mary Nyman: Well, if you look at the front, first of all, you’ll see how appealing it is and notice how we have product placed in the windows, some lighting, just simple things to create some interest and to entice people to enter their front door. Amy E: Okay Kellie, what about the front door? What’s important about it? Kellie Valentine: Well, what’s important about the front door is the look, the one you can see in the salon but regardless of how your salon is located or situated it’s important for just to look inviting, clean, that people want to walk into the salon. Amy E: And what are the touch points? What does that mean? Mary Nyman: Touch points, we refer to those as every time your client is going to be touched within the salon or they touch something themselves in your salon. So, the very first touch point is going to be either the phone or the front door. Amy E: Okay. Mary Nyman: So you want it to be inviting and clean. Amy E: So this is inviting and clean and in we go. Mary Nyman: Of course, you right away see a beautiful retail area. It’s merchandised very nicely. It’s full because it’s important to keep it full. Amy E: What’s important with retailing is that when you start with your touch point or retailing area, how does the product look from three feet away? Kellie Valentine: So if you look at it as Mary said, the shelves are full. They’re clean. Everything is spaced nicely. And then how does that for one foot away. Does it make you want to walk up and take a look at it. Well, it does because three feet away it was such a lovely display. And then this comes back up toward the manufacturers. When you picked up the bottle, can you actually read the bottle? Can you find out what it does, why it’s there? Mary Nyman: Why you used it? Kellie Valentine: So it’s a three-one in one when you're retailing. So really basic piece of information but it definitely helps the stylist sell those products or support the hair or their client’s hair with these products. Amy E: Right. So make sure you look at your products from far away, kind of close and then right up close. So we’ve looked to the merchandise and then where does the client go next? Kellie Valentine: The client next would be walking to the reception area. At this point, there would be someone behind the reception desk. Now you could also have some products. Oh, this is great. You could also have products. Amy E: Hello. Welcome to Goldwell. Kellie Valentine: How nice. Amy E: What should I do as the new receptionist? Can I answer the phone like yeah? Kellie Valentine: No, have a smile on your face. Amy E: Hello? Kellie Valentine: Hello. Welcome. Oh hi, Mrs. Jones. How are you? Amy E: Hi, Mrs. Jones. How are you? Kellie Valentine: Make her feel warm and comfortable. Amy E: How? I don’t know. I'm new. Kellie Valentine: First of all, by answering the phone with a smile on your face repeating her name there. Amy E: Mrs. Jones. Kellie Valentine: Yes. When she speaks to you and speak to her as though she’s someone that you know. Make her feel comfortable. Amy E: Like a friend or a mother or a family member? Kellie Valentine: Just a good acquaintance. Someone that you would feel comfortable with. Amy E: It’s so great to hear from you again. How are you? Kellie Valentine: Yes, did you want to make another appointment. Oh, yes. Susan is your stylist. Let me see Susan’s schedule. Ask her when you place her on hold. Don’t just say can you hold, please. Ask her. Amy E: Would it be alright if I put you on hold for just a moment please? Mary Nyman: And wait for an answer. That’s how many times. Amy E: She said no. Mary Nyman: Yeah, okay. Well then she maybe is in a hurry and then you need to acknowledge whoever it is you have in front of you, a simple nod. Amy E: Okay, just a moment please. Mrs. Jones needs to talk to me. She’s very important. Is there anything special about how the client gets set in this chair? Mary Nyman: Well, I think that it’s important always to remember when do they come in they need to be escorted to go to a changing room and to change into a gown, offering them something to drink and then letting them know how long it’s going to be before their stylist will be with them. So all the bad has taken place before— Amy E: Before it has set. Mary Nyman: Yeah, absolutely. Before they have even come out to meet their guests. Kellie Valentine: As I sit you down, Amy I'm going to explain to you what I'm doing with your hair. If I'm going to color your hair and I would have wrapped to tell them about your hair. Amy E: Oh, comfortable sitting. Touch point number 12. What is this? Oh, it’s massaging me. Oh, my gosh! Mary Nyman: Yes. Kellie Valentine: So, if I was going to color your hair chances are I'm going to start with a preparation shampoo depending on what I'm doing with your hair. And I'm going to tell you that. Mary Nyman: One of the things that we found actually the number one answer to the question what do you like most about your salon experience? Amy E: What did they say? Mary Nyman: The massage. Amy E: The massage? Mary and Kellie: At the shampoo booth. Amy E: How long does that take? Mary Nyman: Five minutes. Amy E: Even if you don’t have a check. You can just do little scalp massage. Mary Nyman: It was the number one answer. It was the scalp massage. Amy E: It feels good. Mary Nyman: And yet I think hairdressers, the very first thing that we have found that they cut is they cut back on that experience at the shampoo booth, the massage if they running away and yet it’s the number one answer, the number one thing your client loves. Why would you cut back on that? Amy E: Why would you cut back on that? They love it. Mary Nyman: Yes, they love it. Amy E: Massage your clients. Please. Mary Nyman: Yes. Kellie Valentine: So this is the actual academy itself. It is absolutely just a beautiful space as you can see. Mary Nyman: We really are strong believer in getting that color out and mixing it in front of your clients because again it elevates that level of professionalism to be mixing it. If I'm mixing a color for you, Amy and you see me using these professional tools and using multiple colors in there you know I’ve customized the specific mix for you. So we’re a believer in doing that. Get that color out and let the client experience. Amy E: It makes you feel special to have your own color mix for you. Mary Nyman: Absolutely, right. Kellie Valentine: And we work for the depot system so people may find that odd that we have our color in our hand. It looks very, very unique. It cuts down on waste because it is exact, precise measurements within the bowl and within the developer and that same salon is a lot of money. Amy E: How often do you call a client after they just have their hair done? Mary Nyman: Well, I think in talking with different salons we suggest that obviously after they’ve been in for the first time you really want to follow up with them to know first of all how much you enjoyed doing their hair and to see if they have any questions just to let them know how important you are. Then you think about these clients have been coming to me for 10 years. Gosh, do I call them every time. Yeah, probably. Amy E: Right, of course they’re happy otherwise they would have been there every year. Mary Nyman: Right but if I changed your hair then I think it’s important for me to call you the next day to find out how you’re enjoying that change and do you have any questions. Amy E: It’s been five years I've been coming to you and now I want to go blog but you don’t really call every time but if I changed my hair from red to blonde then you should definitely call them, follow up and see how they like it because maybe they don’t and maybe they wanted to go back to blonde. The blonde just wasn’t working for them. Mary Nyman: Yeah. Amy E: You're so warm in welcoming. Thank you so much. You’ve been amazing. Thank you so much. Mary Nyman: Thank you. Amy E: Yeah, I can't wait to come back to this lovely salon in Santa Monica. So snip-snip, that’s all I have to say.