Can Salons, Spas, and Medspas go front desk-less? Increasingly, some beauty businesses have been exploring the idea of operating their businesses without a front-desk receptionist. Receptionists are traditionally responsible for providing first impression of the business - whether in person or by phone. They also typically bear key-holder and administrative duties, such as opening + closing the business, operating the cash drawers, performing retail transactions + inventory management, and maintaining general orderliness and cleanliness. 

However, receptionists can be an expensive and time-consuming investment and the position is plagued with high turnover. It's difficult to find industry-trained talent willing to work for only $12-16 per hour, which seems to be the average rate of pay. You ultimately may have to hire individuals without direct experience or passion who require extensive + costly training (that you may not have the knowledge, temperament or time to provide). Some new hires may pick up your workflow quickly, but unfortunately poor work ethic, frustratingly disjointed systems and inadequate training create a revolving door of front-desk staff. 

As a result, many salons are opting to transfer front-desk duties to technological replacements (such as Voicemail or iPad-based self check-in) or requiring salon staff to pitch in to fill in the gaps. In smaller salons and spas this may be a reasonable alternative, but many multi-staff businesses have decided against eliminating the front desk altogether. 

A recent survey performed by popular stylist hub Behind the Chair elicited the following responses:

"It’s a huge inconvenience to have to stop in the middle of a service go answer the phone or do any type of desk work."

"Not every stylist in the salon always takes on the responsibility of helping with the phone."

"It’s really annoying not to have a receptionist. There needs to be a barrier."

"Having to answer the phone in the middle of a service with a client is frustrating and makes you look unprofessional."

"Clients pay for our time and care, not for us to have to leave to attend to the front desk."

• Reduces your earnings - Online booking makes it more challenging to up-sale and pre-sale your services and retail because it strips you of a vital client touch-point.
  
• Causes scheduling errors - clients frequently struggle to comprehend industry concepts; it's not uncommon for a client with box-dyed black hair to book a Blonding appointment with the goal of being platinum within just 1 session. 
• Increases stress and impairs work-life balance - many beauty entrepreneurs feel pressured to handle calls 7 days a week to maintain good customer service. This leads to work-related stress and anxiety caused by "fear of missing out" on new clients.

A Live Virtual Receptionist Call Center with Appointment Booking capabilities is an amazing way to support your business with high-quality customer service while still cutting overall expenses. We recognized this pain-point in the salon + spa industries and painstakingly developed a seamless innovation for providing affordable clientele support across the US and Canada. 

We support beauty business of all sizes, ranging from Solo Start-Ups to Regional Multi-Location Enterprises. Even if you already have an in-person Receptionist or Guest Coordinator, a remote salon or spa call center can assist with overflow calls during busy periods.

Many beauty professionals are initially skeptical about the ability of a third-party to appropriately handle their calls. Understandably so, as the phone receptionists is often the first point of contact for a new client. My Salon Desk stands alone in that we are the 1st Salon + Spa Specialty Virtual Receptionist / Answering Service. We exclusively handle beauty businesses - our expertise makes us a much better alternative to other Answering Services that make frequent scheduling errors and constantly send you messages requiring follow-up. We actually can handle almost 100% of calls forwarded our way without ever needing to disturb your workflow.

Rest assured that our experienced receptionists will provide white-glove service to your clients without skipping a beat! They know to book color appointments before haircuts, and how many units of Botox® are required to treat Marionette lines. Our Receptionists are required to have:

• At least 2 years of High-End + Luxury Client Service Experience
• Beauty Industry Experience as a Receptionist, Student or Professional
• Technical Skills to Operate Different Scheduling Platforms
• Advanced Communication skills + High Typing Speed
• Completed our Extensive 2-Week Internal On-boarding + Training Program in all common Services + Professional Brands

As quiet as it's kept, many beauty businesses use remote virtual receptionists located in call centers! A good call center is imperceptible to callers, which is why this is one of the industry's best kept secrets. My Salon Desk's services can also be fully customized to your unique business needs. We can support:

• In-Location Business efforts via Up-sales + Pre-sales
• Appointment Confirmation 
• Outbound New Lead Marketing
• SMS, Web-Chat + Social Media Contact
• Custom Call Routing
• And more!

Aveda's Business Blog recently featured several partner salons that implemented a front desk-less business model backed by a remote call center, with fabulous outcomes! 

“There is so much more interchange that goes on between front desk staff and clients because they are sharing the same space.”

In order to support this major workflow adjustment, Lavish Salon sought out the services of a call center; after years of using a remote call center, the Lavish team is "very happy with the system". 

Yet another Aveda partner implemented a Call Center for their salon with great success. John Robert's Spa in Ohio took the plunge and eliminated the front desk in order to provide a white-glove Apple Store-esque retail experience. With guests coordinators away from their phones and computers, the business team added the support of a remote call center to maintain omnichannel service standards.

“The ease of technology frees up time and more relationship building can happen.”

As you can see, a Salon, Spa or Medspa Call Center can be an integral component to a successful business strategy. We at My Salon Desk are excited to join you as a partner on your path towards further growth and expansion - whether you are a Solopreneur start-up or a well-established Multi-Location franchisee.

It depends on who you ask. Many smaller salon and spa operators have opted not to have front desk receptionists as a way to save money. With 95% of the industry being independent contractors and the proliferation of salon suites, many beauty professionals are now sans-receptionist. Receptionists are no longer considered a necessity in the industry - especially with the hefty $4500+ monthly price tag and high turnover rates. Many businesses are also still seeking to downsize post-Covid to remain financially solvent or to keep up with social distancing guidelines. 

However, is this a good idea for customer service? It's well-known that failure to adequately respond to client inquiries is a huge dilemma for many small to medium size business operators. A whopping 62% of small businesses don't answer phone calls which spells horrific results for business. 85% of missed callers will not call back or ultimately convert into paying customers if their original phone call is missed. 

These statistics also ring true within the beauty industry - a recent survey from Behind the Chair elicited the following responses:

"It’s a huge inconvenience to have to stop in the middle of a service go answer the phone or do any type of desk work."

"Not every stylist in the salon always takes on the responsibility of helping with the phone."

"It’s really annoying not to have a receptionist. There needs to be a barrier."

"Having to answer the phone in the middle of a service with a client is frustrating and makes you look unprofessional."

"Clients pay for our time and care, not for us to have to leave to attend to the front desk."

 If you can't be bothered to give your prospective clients the time to have a brief introductory conversation, 

why should they entrust you with their hair, skin, face, or body? 

We're proud to work with almost all common Salon + Spa Scheduling Software! Our Virtual Receptionists are fully trained in all aspects of appointment setting, re-scheduling, and cancellation. Live Call Answering platform supports: 

Many beauty professionals are initially skeptical about the ability of an outside live answering service handle calls for their small or medium-sized business. Understandably so, as the phone receptionist is often the first point of contact for a new client. My Salon Desk stands alone in that we are the only Salon + Spa Specialty Virtual Receptionist / Answering Service. We exclusively handle beauty businesses - our expertise makes us a much better alternative to other Answering Services that make frequent scheduling errors and constantly send you messages requiring follow-up. 

• We actually can handle almost 100% of calls forwarded our way without ever needing to disturb your workflow.
• We Schedule and Book Appointments directly into your scheduling software
• We bill by call volume instead of by minute - We take as long as needed to answer your clients' concerns
• We are reliably open when you are 7 days a week

Rest assured that our experienced receptionists will provide white-glove service to your clients without skipping a beat! They know to book color appointments before haircuts, and how many units of Botox® are required to treat Marionette lines. Our Receptionists are required to have at least 2 years of High-End + Luxury Client Service Experience in the beauty industry.

As we continue to expand our service offerings, we are pleased to also now provide bespoke Contact Center Solutions for businesses within the beauty, lifestyle, wellness, and fashion industries! In addition to traditional inbound call answering, we can also assist with E-commerce customer service, outbound calling, CRM management, and more! Our skilled + trained Receptionists can function as Virtual Assistants for your brand while maintaining your brand voice and standard of high-quality service. 

Traditional BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) arrangements can cost thousands of dollars (and take hundreds of work-hours) to implement due to the investment required for training. By taking advantage of our existing industry expertise, you can eliminate the training step and begin service within as little as one business day. We are pleased to support businesses of all sizes by offering affordable Plans with no term commitments - both new startups and large-scale enterprises alike can benefit from customized call center staffed by impeccably trained Virtual Receptionists. Get in touch today to learn how we can support your omnichannel clientele service strategy.

 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.

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: 

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!

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! 

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.