7 Beauty Salon fails - don't let them happen to you

  Anybody who has worked in the beauty world knows that the job can often be far from glamorous, and that ‘easy breezy’ atmosphere can often be difficult to create. Balancing creativity with professionalism can be tricky. And just when you finally feel like you’ve got that down pat, the clients come knocking to offer their two cents! Indeed, you will soon learn that the customer is always right. Even when they’re wrong. To help keep you and your business happy, here are seven ways you can avoid a beauty salon ‘fail’.  

1.      Looks matter – including your premises

Remember that your clients have come to your salon because they understand the importance of looking good. Of course their main priority is that they walk out of there looking amazing, but they also care about how the place looks when they walk in. Make sure your salon is clean and comfortable at all times. You don’t want a client to see cobwebs when she looks up to apply mascara, or look down to see floor stains when she’s admiring her new pedicure.

2.      Check yourself before you wreck yourself

As a beauty therapist, you are your own advertisement. Not everyone is born looking like Miranda Kerr, but you can sure try to present yourself like her; polished and approachable! Avoid crazy, over-powering make-up that can be intimidating to clients. Your hands will get a lot of attention, so moisturised, manicured hands are a must. Salon staff should be neatly presented in clean uniforms with their hair up. Keep yourself free from strong perfumes and cigarette smells. For non-smokers, there’s nothing more off-putting.

3.      There’s a time and a place for serious conversations

Your clients will come to a salon to relax and get away from the stresses of reality for a few hours. It may be work to you, but it’s chill time for them. Avoid ruining the Zen atmosphere by talking loudly on your phone between treatments, asking your employees to change the bin liners or arguing over rosters. Never let a client overhear you talk numbers. You might be delighted that you have 15 minutes free to sort out your car tax, but that could be what’s keeping your client up at night. They don’t need to be reminded of it while they’re trying to enjoy a hot stone massage.

4.      Just nod along to the bridezilla’s roar

Brides-to-be and their party can often cause drama in the salon. It’s the morning of the wedding and they’re swearing that that’s not the shade of lipstick you used during the make-up trial weeks earlier or they’ve decided they hate their hair curly after all. This can be incredibly frustrating for salon staff. But the best thing to do in this instance is to make like Taylor Swift and shake it off. Weddings are super stressful and before they’ve made it to their make-up appointment, the brides have probably had dozens of arguments and had plans fall apart last minute. It’s unlikely that a salon strop is a personal attack on you and rather just the culmination of many, many, many emotions.  

5.      Post it up

Don’t forget that one of your greatest tools when running a business is one that’s free and easy and something you’re probably already familiar with - social media. Steal inspiration from successful beauty brands like Bobbi Brown and Bumble and Bumble or beauty bloggers like Sarah Loves Make-up’s Instagram posts. Nicely shot “What’s in my bag” and “Weekend essentials” type posts are easy to do and allow you to promote several products in one go. Set up a Facebook and Twitter account to keep clients in the loop with new treatments, products and special offers. Pinterest is the holy grail of inspiration and is great for finding trends and looks for every occasion. Social media is where we get most of our ideas nowadays. But most importantly, an appearance in somebody’s newsfeed reminds them that your company exists.

6.      Strike the balance between creativity and professionalism

The beauty world can be very … erm … creative. And that’s fun and fine for Shellac nail colours. As a make-up artist or hair stylist, creativity is a must and it’s essential that you familiarise yourself with trends. But don’t forget about the “oldie but goodie”. Some things never go out of style, like good quality equipment, a cheerful disposition and a clean, crisp uniform. Make sure that your uniform creates that first impression that you want. The fabric you choose is important. If you work in a humid environment, for instance, you’ll need to make sure your fabric is light and wicks perspiration away from your body. Otherwise, you may find yourself getting a bit cranky and less than your serene best self. You can count on Diamond Designs to provide you and your team with professional yet stylish uniforms that will keep you comfortable through those long, busy days.

7.      Treat an intern as you would like them to treat you

In the age of the intern, it’s tempting for employers to take on inexperienced therapists and not feel the need to give them much training. Interns can become very jaded if they feel their efforts are not being taken seriously. This can result in them being unprofessional, bad-humoured or with them being completely un-prepared for treatments. There’s nothing wrong with giving up-and-comers a chance to get a foot in the door, but don’t take them on for the sake of it. Give them as much training time as you would with new staff. More often than not, they’ll rise to the challenge if the challenge is offered. Browse our full collection of beauty uniforms. We’ve got tons of flattering styles that will keep you and your team looking stylish and professional. And check us out on Facebook and Twitter for all our latest news.