How to ensure clients are prepared for your return to work

Julie-Anne Larivière, Salon System nail expert and owner of Sketched by J-A Nails, explains how you can make sure that your clients are prepared for your return to work…

It’s all good getting yourself prepared for the return to work when salons are allowed to re-open, but without your clients, your business cannot survive. It is just as important that you make sure they are ready for your return, too.

Julie-Anne Larivière

Your clients will appreciate if you keep them in the know of your plans to how you will tackle your return. If you require them to wear a mask on arrival or if you will provide it, that they should wash and sanitise their hands upon arrival and departure, that personal items such as handbags, keys and phones should be left in a designated area, etc. Make a list of everything you will expect from them and send it to them prior to opening so they are fully aware of what is required.

As we all know, appointment requests will be coming from left, right and centre when we have received the all-clear to opening so preparing a waiting list is a good way of keeping everything in control. That way, you can get in touch with clients one-by-one when your diary is ready for bookings. Make sure they are fully aware that you may not have as many appointments available when re-opening to ensure you get the time to safely clean your workplace in between appointments.

Walk-in appointments will not be advised, so to avoid turning people away be sure to send out emails, texts and continue to post on social media to remind clients. Information also has to be well sign-posted outside of the salon to keep clients in the know before they coming. Make them aware that they should come to their appointment alone and that they should respect the social distancing rule within waiting areas (for larger salons) or that they should respect the one in, one out rule if you work from a room or a home studio.

If you wish to go cashless or if you have an alternative for people wanting to pay cash (i.e. have the exact amount of money ready in an envelope), let your clients know with plenty of notice.

Stocking up
The things you should have plenty in stock of right now are nitrile gloves, masks (ideally FFP2 or N95 types), hand wash and sanitiser, disposable paper towels, tool disinfecting solution (industry approved or hospital grade), and files and buffers (you will need to dispose these after each client).

To save time cleaning you can get enough tools to last you a day so that you can safely clean and disinfect them all at the end of the day rather than in between appointments.

Consider getting disposable table towels, otherwise make sure you change and have new towels for each client and that they are washed at a high temperature. Make sure you have effective antibacterial cleaning products for sinks, worktops, toilets, door handles and floors.

Disposable aprons are also a good extra to have to hand – make sure you change it after each appointment or have suitable workwear that you take off before leaving the salon. Make sure to also wash your clothes on a hot wash. You can also have separate boxes to store your ‘contaminated’ tools and clean tools in.