my medspa | my salon desk - Business of Beauty , Business

How to Handle Rude Salon + Spa Clients

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 04:48:57 -0500

"You don't deserve to be treated like trash just to earn a living."

How to thrive in the face of clients that test your patience.

Rude clients are inevitable in the beauty industry. As much as we all love interacting with the vast majority of our clients, you will likely find yourself in front of a bad apple every once in a while. How do you handle them?

To start, avoid them in the first place! Identify your ideal clientele: the clients most likely to be satisfied by your service offerings. Monitor your online reviews closely to determine which type of clients are the most pleased by their results, and continue targeting them within your marketing efforts. Be extremely clear about your business protocol and regulations - maintain a detailed and clear website or add information within Highlighted Stories on Instagram. Even better, you could require the completion of waiver forms prior to the start of your appointments to ensure that everybody is on the same page.

No matter how hard you try to keep Negative Nancy's out of your chair, one is bound to find her way into it. Having grace and empathy for clients goes a long way - you never know what hardships a client may be facing that might result in less than desirable behavior. However, you also have a duty to yourself to protect your mental health and well-being from corrosive interactions. Keep reading for more great tips on coping with rude and disrespectful clients within your salon, spa, or massage business.

Manage expectations.

Never "over-promise" and admit where you have gaps in your knowledge. If you make a mistake, admit it and offer a redo or refund. A rude client will turn a simple mistake into a huge deal, so only bite what you can chew. Also, let your expectations of mutual respect be known on your webpage.

Be assertive!

Speak with confidence! Many low-vibrational people prey on those they perceive as weak. If you are new to the industry, fake it till you make it! Always speak up for yourself in a respectful, yet firm tone if the client is out of line. Maintain a professional line between your clients and your personal life - don't be overly "friendly".

Take a picture, it lasts longer.

Photos of desired looks help you to make sure you and your client are on the same page, and that a realistic outcome was expected based on her "before" picture. Clients don't always use the correct terminology to describe what they want - try to meet them at their level.

The customer is always right - until they're not.

Be kind, and give clients an opportunity to express their satisfaction in the salon without feeling intimidated. It's way harder to be mean to someone who is nice. At the same time, dealing with a snobby witch can ruin your entire day and demoralize you.

Set your boundaries.

You do NOT deserve to treated like trash just to earn a living - learn when to cut toxic clients off. Give a gentle warning, and then if things don't change send a kind message informing her that you don't think it's a good fit.

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The Best Professional Voicemail Greeting Examples for Salons and Spas

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 21:09:01 -0400

"The salon or spa voicemail greeting can make or break whether someone decides to stay on the line, or hang up and call another salon for an appointment."

It's not a surprise that the first impression you leave on your client is often through voicemail. A professional greeting can make your clients feel at ease when they call in to book their service appointment but are unable to speak to a live person. The greeting can make or break whether someone decides to stay on the line, or hang up and call another salon for an appointment. Greetings require professionalism and friendliness at the same time – it's essential to know your clients and create messages specifically for them. Think about their demographics, preferences, and the way they talk. Voicemail greetings should be created for your unique consumer cohort – be it seniors who buy your beauty products at discount prices or modern millennials who call to book a hair removal appointment.

Keep reading below for effective examples of voicemail greetings for your salon or spa.

How Can an Effective Voicemail Greeting Help a Salon or Spa?

When a client reaches your voicemail, it's usually for one of two reasons: either your business is closed, or you're too busy to answer the phone. Regardless, in this day and age clients expect instant support. Online search indices have made it easy to simply locate another nearby salon or spa if you are unable to provide support in a timely fashion. An effective voicemail greeting can go a long way toward ensuring clients that they are still being cared for. Always keep in mind that the primary function of your greeting should always be client retention, particularly for new clients - you want them to give you a chance to get back to them before trying their luck with another business.

Thinking of Voicemail Greetings as Part of Salon or Spa Marketing Strategy

Voicemail greetings can be used in several ways: to convey information about the salon (hours of operation, services offered), as well as to promote daily specials or upcoming events (promotion of sale days, for instance). Voicemail greetings are a great tool to improve your business and to add value to clients. If you want to stand out from the competition, this is a very effective way to ensure that your clients still maintain interest in booking.

Voicemail greetings are also an opportunity to promote your salon, especially if you have a team of stylists or estheticians. Leverage the opportunity to provide information to your clients that might boost your revenue down the line.

What Makes a Good Business Voicemail Greeting?

The most important part of creating an effective message is knowing what you want your clients to hear in the first place. What are they looking for from you when calling? That will help you write a greeting and determine its tone, so make sure that it fits their needs.

Things to Include in Your Greeting:

Start by warmly greeting your client and thanking them for their call.
Include any information regarding salon or spa updates, such as service specials or closures due to inclement weather. Make sure your greeting is updated on a regular basis.
Explain why their call might be going unanswered, and apologize for the inconvenience.
Provide alternative methods of contact if applicable.
Suggest that the caller leave a message.

Example Salon + Spa Voicemail Greetings:

Here are a few Voicemail Greetings samples modeled from current My Salon Desk clients.

MISSED CALL During Open Hours:

"Hi! Thank you for calling Spa Bella in San Francisco, where Coolsculpting® treatments are now 25% off! We are currently experiencing high call volume and apologize for missing your call, but we'd still love to provide you with support. lf you are in need of urgent assistance, please send an email to spabella@mysalondesk.com. Otherwise, kindly leave a message after the tone and our front desk team will return your call within 2 hours. As a token of gratitude for your patience, mention this message when you book your appointment to receive a 10% Off coupon. Thanks again for your call, and we look forward to connecting soon!"

MISSED CALL After Hours:

"Hello, and thank you for calling Salon Bella at 7th Street in San Francisco, where we are excited to now offer Keratin Complex semi-permanent hair straightening! Unfortunately we are currently closed, but we will be open again tomorrow from 8AM to 5PM at which time we'll be happy to provide further assistance. In the meantime you'll find the answers to many common questions on our website, spabella.mysalondesk.com. If you'd like to leave us a message, our front desk team will certainly return your call in the morning. We appreciate your interest and we look forward to connecting soon!"

Important Things to Keep in Mind When Developing a Voicemail Greeting:

Voicemail greetings should be short (under 20 seconds) but friendly and professional. Go through several voicemails that give an idea of how you want yours to sound like – then create your own unique message.
Voicemail greetings can be recorded on a digital recording device or in professional studios – whatever works best for you! Just make sure there is no background noise that might call attention to unprofessionalism.
Voicemail greetings don't have to be boring, so spice them up by adding different background tunes or sound effects. After all, you have to follow the old saying "a little humor never hurt anyone".
Take advantage of the opportunity to market any upcoming sales or promotions to your clients. Implement suggestive selling techniques to encourage clients to upgrade their services when you eventually reach back out to them.
Consider adding a special offer within the greeting as a token of gratitude to your clients for their patience.
We at My Salon Desk frequently develop custom telecommunications solutions - an after-hours automated text message is a common offering amongst our business clients. It's a great way to remain engaged with younger clientele who may not wish to leave a voicemail.

Final Thoughts

Voicemail greetings can make a big difference in market penetration and client retention, so make sure you consider them as an integral part of your entire salon strategy. If you want more Voicemail Greeting examples, check out this link to get them for free.

And if you really want to provide white-glove customer service and omni-channel clientele management to your salon or spa guests, consider implementing a salon and spa virtual phone answering service. A virtual receptionist answering service can help you prevent the issue of missed calls altogether by providing phone coverage during peak call times. We at My Salon Desk can take client calls between 8 AM and 9 Pm everyday of the week - additionally we offer a voicemail service for the occasional call after our regular business hours.

Checklist for Developing a Training Manual for Your Salon or Spa Receptionists at the Front Desk

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 21:41:53 -0400

"Effective Front Desk Training Can Maximize Salon or Spa Profits - We've Compiled the Best Salon + Spa Training Checklist for 2021."

Want to impress your clients with a helpful, extremely organized and friendly receptionist? Are you looking for a confident yet friendly receptionist who makes the spa experience even more relaxing for your clients? Gone are the days when receptionists were viewed as luxury - the front desk is the first point of contact for your business that leaves a lasting impression on potential new clients. There is no denying the fact that they are a marketing tool that possess great value - from enhancing average ticket spend to boosting your retail sales. From attracting new clients to improving the loyalty of existing clients, it's clear that an effective reception team is an excellent investment.

As a salon or spa operator, it can be challenging to develop your own staff training independently. You probably have so many moving pieces to your business that it can be hard to keep track! In order to support you as you create an effective and powerful training for your salon or spa receptionists, we've developed a must-follow checklist for your convenience.

Qualities of an Effective Salon or Spa Receptionist

Before we begin, let's discuss the hiring process! If you're reviewing this article, you've probably already decided on a hire and are simply looking for training resources. However, if your receptionists lack a certain assortment of interpersonal skills your training efforts will be futile. Before moving forward with your chosen hire, ensure that he or she possesses the following characteristics:

▫️ Effective communication skills

▫️Confident composure

▫️Multitasker

▫️Friendly

▫️Likability

▫️Professional attitude

▫️Organized

▫️Enthusiastic

▫️Technical skills

▫️Social

▫️Positive

▫️ Quick-witted

▫️Empathetic

▫️Calm

▫️Patient

▫️Judicious

▫️Timeliness

Many beauty professionals prefer to hire friends, family, or mutual contacts for their front desk staff, but that may lead to inefficiency and turnover as you struggle to command authority. We recommend posting your job on free job boards such as Indeed or Glassdoor to optimize your applicant pool. The more candidates apply, the more likely you are to find your perfect receptionist!

Salon or Spa Receptionist Training Checklist

Opening + Closing

A receptionist should make sure to be very punctual about the opening and closing and to do the necessary activities before starting the day off at spa. Make sure to consider who is responsible for opening doors, turning on lights, tidying up, checking mail, etc.

Balancing Cash Drawers

Balancing the cash drawer is one of the most critical responsibilities a receptionist has to handle. Cash-on-hand is undoubtedly risky and requires great consideration. Whether it is balancing routinely, utilizing data through technical resources or staying organized, it is an important business duty. Try to minimize cash-on-hand by encouraging digital payments.

Following are some practices to follow for effective balancing:

1. Counting the total cash before starting the day

2. Depositing the cash through organized shifts

3. Keeping track of POS report

4. Counting the cash of each drawer

5. Solve discrepancies

6. Recording the drawer transaction

Maintaining Cleanliness

Who doesn’t want to be more productive and efficient with their work? Productivity requires organization, and in a salon or spa that includes keeping the front desk neat and tidy. It will make your front desk staff more relaxed within their work while being less-frustrated.

Clear the front desk and de-clutter
Wipe the entire workspace with disinfectant
Sweep and dust mop all floors
Clean all service stations, including mirrors

Phone Etiquette

The phone interaction can lead to a healthy client relationship or either jeopardize it - your receptionist needs to expertly master phone etiquette. Receptionists need to reflect confidence, right communication, positivity and professionalism. Every spa and salon looks for a consistent call experience to gain clients and boost their sales. The following protocol are must-haves for a flourishing business:

Answering calls promptly: Don’t keep the caller waiting for excessive periods of time.
Answer in a cheerful and optimistic tone - you are making the first impression on your clients.
Take advantage of the time you have to suggest upgrades and service add-ons - a phone call is the perfect time to begin the sales cycle!
Consider whether you'd like to also implement confirmation calls.

Additional Covid Precautions

In view of current pandemic situation and new variants of virus emerging, it is important to take precautionary measures including:

Washing the hands after meeting with any client
Sanitizing the workstation
Discarding the items after using
Laundering + Replacing the towels
Making sure that all clients sanitizes their hands before receiving their service

Encourage Service Upgrades + Sales

A receptionist need to motivate and encourage clients to receive more services. Offer affordable services and retail products based on their existing budgets. Excite them about any limited time offers and specials to urge them to upgrade their services. While every client may not agree to an upgrade, over time accumulated upgrades will definitely boost the sales.

A receptionist should describe concrete and enticing benefits while using descriptive language. Encourage the clients to purchase the products that will make their skin have the glow and the hair have the skin they have been longing for!

Ensure that your receptionist knows specific information regarding the product ingredients and formulation
Educate them on how to appropriately use the products within the styling process
Avoid rambling about products they clearly don't want

Proper In-Person Greetings

Welcome in-person customers with a nice and pleasing smile. Do not forget to maintain effective eye contact. Their gestures should indicate that they enjoy working where they work. Whether your receptionist is taking a client’s call or managing your desk, nothing should stop them from greeting your guest in the warmest manner. If a new customer walks in, express your gratitude and tell them you are excited to see them. Make sure to thank them for choosing your service.

Salon Software

You won’t want the customers to have negative experiences at your salon due to double bookings or other conflicts regarding lost appointments and salon scheduling. This can be even an even greater nightmare for the owner. Train your receptionist thoroughly on software protocol, and provide them with the contact information of the software support desk. Take advantage of free trainings provided by the software.

To avoid consistent issues, you should always develop a schedule for checking emails, social media messages, or texts. As a reminder, be sure to demand professionalism across all communication platforms!

Salon Pre-Booking

To keep your calendar filled, you'll need to maintain repeat clients by maintaining positive relations with your clients. A receptionist should make sure to follow the following steps to have more repeat clients:

Ask clients to about their service to gauge their satisfaction before they leave
Gently encourage them to pre-book within the appropriate timeframe, but don't be too pushy - you don't want to end up with unwanted cancellations!
Train your receptionist on new weekly exclusive offers and how to implement referral bonuses
Be sure to thank your clients regardless of whether they've booked a new appointment
Connect with clients via social media + email - encourage clients to post photos using custom hashtag.

Consider a Salon + Spa Virtual Receptionist Answering Service

After reviewing this checklist, you may be overwhelmed by the task of hiring and training a new front desk receptionist for your salon or spa. Are you in search of a confident and organized receptionist which fulfills all the responsibilities and relieves the burden on your shoulder?

Finding one and then training her to your needs is not an easy task. It has been made tougher during the ongoing pandemic which has taken over the world and slowed hiring activities. If you are a small spa or salon looking for a virtual assistant receptionist, My Salon Desk has got you all covered with their trained virtual receptionists everyday between 9 AM and 7:30 PM.

Whether you need support with overflow calls or you're a smaller business in which a receptionist is not economical, our excellent and highly trained virtual receptionists can deal with it all. With expertise in white-glove service together with beauty-related services + products, they can boost salon + spa revenues. Our receptionists are required to posses industry experience, and are expertly trained in providing white-glove service. Leveraging their beauty background, they can answer your clients' inquiries and book + edit appointments directly into your salon scheduling software. Our MedSpa specialty receptionists will successfully convert new leads seeking Botox®, Coolsculpting®, Juvederm®, Restylane®, Morpheus 8®, EmSculpt®, and other leading cosmical procedures. Get in touch today to learn more about how we can support your business!

And don’t you worry about costs - our affordable plans start at just $44.99. Why wait? Avail this amazing opportunity now!

Boost your business and skyrocket your sales by getting in touch with us today!

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Amazon Now Has a Salon - How Will It Impact The Beauty Industry?

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:48:10 -0400

"Amazon is leveraging its name-brand recognition to launch a deep data-dive into the beauty sector."

Recent business news stories have released the surprising news that Amazon plans to add a surprising new industry to its portfolio - beauty salons. The first Amazon hair salon opened up in London in April of this year - the company tapped a successful stylist-owner of a nearby location to serve as the artistic and creative director. The 1500 square-feet location will feature Amazon Fire tablets at each station for content streaming, as well as multiple advanced interfaces for product education and retail. VR technology will allow clients to try-on different hairstyles and colors before taking the plunge, and point-and-learn screens will save you the hassle of searching for product information on your smartphone. Interestingly, little attention has been afforded to the quality of the stylists or the workflow of the salon - as a leader in salon + spa virtual reception, we certainly think Amazon has overlooked many opportunities to implement AI and other modern technologies within its service offerings as well as its omni-channel clientele management strategy.

Amazon is no stranger to the professional beauty industry - many amateur cosmetologists take advantage of Amazon's robust beauty catalog prior to obtaining the requisite licensure for professional vendor accounts. The company leveraged this market stream a few years ago when it launched its Wholesale Salon Distribution + Beauty Supply, enabling licensed beauty businesses to obtain professional salon product at wholesale pricing. Why the continued interest in beauty? The money doesn't lie - American beauty retailers have collectively been bringing in $90 billion annually as of late, with the industry expected to see exponential growth into the clean beauty. The beauty service sectors is slated to experience interesting growth trends according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics - while job prospects are bleak for traditional cosmetologists, specialty personal care providers will experience a wave of opportunity; barbers are expected to see an above-average increase in job openings (7% between 2019 and 2029), while skincare specialists and nail technicians will see growth at 17% and 19% respectively within the same time frame.

Amazon currently doesn't have plans to open up any more salons, so on the surface it appears that this location may serve simply as a marketing ploy - but what ultimately is Amazon's agenda with this newest foray into the beauty industry? Clearly the company doesn't seem to be too interested in salon + spa education and training, and its own press releases did little to hype to talent of its own staff. Read below to hear our thoughts.

Understanding Sales Trends

This location will help Amazon learn what really makes customer tick. Beauty retail requires a tactile experience that is difficult to approximate within an e-commerce format, so Amazon will be able to observe customer movement and activity within its stores (cross-referenced with digital footprints and web/app activity) to better understand what drives sales.

Learning Our Workflow

Amazon likely understands the potential influence of salon + spa professionals, and would presumably love a way to integrate directly with smaller beauty businesses to add a novel revenue stream. Wouldn't Amazon just love to directly fulfill your clients' sales orders? Having its own team of stylists will help the company develop a tech-stack that will have utility to the average stylist (who may not be so tech-savvy).

Developing AR + VR Tech

More than likely, the primary function of this salon location is simply to fine-tune its AR / VR shopping experience. VR try-on technology is old news at this point, but Amazon undoubtedly has its sights set on the next iteration of high-tech shopping. Perhaps in the not-so-distant future, we might be using our own personal set of Oculus glasses to shop online, while we virtually sample products from the comfort of our beds.

4 Simple Tips to Improve Rebooking Rates in your Salon or Spa

Thu, 13 May 2021 13:25:37 -0400

"Specifically outlined protocols for retaining clients lead to success with rebooking."

We've all heard so many times about the importance of re-booking in the beauty + personal care industries. We all know how busy life can get - often times your clients may really want to come in but just don't have the time to even book! Think of times when you've wanted to buy something but just haven't had the time to Industry coaches and advisors often place target rebooking rates between 20-30%. However, many successful salons + spas boast rates in excess of 85% (Salon Today, "Be Our Guest: Successful Client Strategies for Retention, Referral and Prebooking").

Salons + spas with specifically outlined protocols for retaining clients experience the best success with rebooking - successful strategies include the provision of retail product discounts, subscription-based or pre-paid services, or even the deployment of "concierges" to schedule clients before their appointments have concluded. Omnichannel client communications can also be leveraged to boost retention and to avoid missed appointments - many salons still opt to confirm appointments by phone in addition to the dissemination of automated reminder text messages.

In this article, we'll outline 4 specific tips that will take you to the next level.

Have more questions about how a Virtual Receptionist can support your Rebooking rates? Get in touch with us now.

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4 Salon + Spa Rebooking Strategies

1. Follow-Up with Clients + Patients Post-Appointment

Sometimes people really do just get busy. Beauty is a non-essential service, so it can sometimes fall to the bottom of the priority list for an especially busy woman. Be sure to follow up by phone, text, etc. to check how your client is liking the results - sometimes those who don't rebook are simply unsatisfied with your work. My Salon Desk Virtual Receptionists are great for completing a task like this! If you use an API-enabled scheduling software, this can actually be fully automated.

2. Offer Incentives

Why not offer a discount on future service or gratis product to clients who rebook their future appointments while they check-out? You could even consider adding packages and memberships to boost client loyalty and return rates.

3. Ask BEFORE they leave!

Don't make the mistake of waiting until AFTER your client leaves to hope she rebooks! Many people call it "PRE-booking" for a reason. The best time to get her to commit to a date is when you have her full attention right inside the salon or spa. Some businesses have successfully deployed rebooking "Concierges" to float around and rebook clients while they're still in the chair and can easily pull up their schedules in their phones.

4. Create a Sense of Urgency

Let your clients know that spots go fast (even if they don't quite yet!). If your client feels that she'll have to wait a long time for her next appointment, she may be more pressured to rebook immediately. Also, let the client know the risks of waiting too long in between services. Outgrown acrylics can be dangerous, and going too long without a deep conditioning or bond restructuring treatment can spell disaster for color-treated hair.