Drinks for clients, what do you do?

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Charlotteellen3

Charlotte
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
21
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Location
Bedfordshire
Hi everyone :)

What kind of drinks do you offer your clients? Do you offer any hot drinks? And what do you serve your drinks in? I.e disposable cups or machine washable glasses etc. Did you have to let your insurance know if clients had hot drinks?

I opened my salon last summer (I am a beauty salon ☺️) , once the first lockdown had ended so clients have either been bringing their own bottle of water or I have provided them water in a disposable cup. However i have had clients mention they would really enjoy a hot drink (like a tea or coffee) conflicted because i want to keep my clients happy and I do have a Tassimo machine I could bring in to the salon. But with covid around I am worried about the safety side of things - plus health and safety of having hot drinks in the salon!
Plus making a hot drink would potentially add time on to each treatment

If you could please let me know your thoughts I would appreciate that so much, thank you!
 
Last edited:
I stopped working in a salon in 2019, so obviously my experience isn't taking into consideration covid precautions. (Now mobile so clients do it themselves 😆) When I was in a salon though we'd offer tea, coffee and water, served in a glass, mug or cup and saucer (clientele was predominantly OAP so offering a hot drink was a given). Then cups etc got washed in our kitchen area out back. Usually was the junior's responsibility so the stylist didn't have to take time out, that said when I occasionally worked alone I would do it myself. It only takes a couple of minutes and being an OAP salon was a huge part of the customer service. On Xmas Eve my boss would also offer sherry in some special glasses she kept in the back of the cupboard... yes I'm serious...

But I can't even start to imagine what a faff this would be with all the covid precuations...
 
Thank you so much Jess this is really helpful! It's definitely COVID that's making me over think the whole situation, I want to keep everyone as safe as possible

I stopped working in a salon in 2019, so obviously my experience isn't taking into consideration covid precautions. (Now mobile so clients do it themselves 😆) When I was in a salon though we'd offer tea, coffee and water, served in a glass, mug or cup and saucer (clientele was predominantly OAP so offering a hot drink was a given). Then cups etc got washed in our kitchen area out back. Usually was the junior's responsibility so the stylist didn't have to take time out, that said when I occasionally worked alone I would do it myself. It only takes a couple of minutes and being an OAP salon was a huge part of the customer service. On Xmas Eve my boss would also offer sherry in some special glasses she kept in the back of the cupboard... yes I'm serious...

But I can't even start to imagine what a faff this would be with all the covid precuations...
 
Hi everyone :)

What kind of drinks do you offer your clients? Do you offer any hot drinks? And what do you serve your drinks in? I.e disposable cups or machine washable glasses etc. Did you have to let your insurance know if clients had hot drinks?

I opened my salon last summer (I am a beauty salon ☺) , once the first lockdown had ended so clients have either been bringing their own bottle of water or I have provided them water in a disposable cup. However i have had clients mention they would really enjoy a hot drink (like a tea or coffee) conflicted because i want to keep my clients happy and I do have a Tassimo machine I could bring in to the salon. But with covid around I am worried about the safety side of things - plus health and safety of having hot drinks in the salon!
Plus making a hot drink would potentially add time on to each treatment

If you could please let me know your thoughts I would appreciate that so much, thank you!
I’m mobile so doesn’t affect me, but I have read a few posts from other therapists who have mentioned, since covid, they haven’t bothered to to offer drinks anymore as it’s just one more thing to think about. The government guidelines did start off by saying that drinks should not be offered, then it changed to drinks in disposable cups I believe.
I think just do what you think is best. If you want to offer hot drinks, just need to make sure the cups are thoroughly washed in boiling hot water.
You also need to think if you’re prepared to have your clients remove their mask for drinking.
Hope that helps.
 
Before Covid all clients that came into my salon were offered a drink (hot or cold) after the first lockdown , no drinks have been offered in salon since, at first I was very reluctant to letting clients bring there own due to them having to take their masks off. As time went on I allowed clients having longer treatments to bring a drink of their own in a disposable cup/bottle that they took away with them, I think going forward after this lockdown whenever that may be I may be offering a help yourself drink station if I can figure a way of doing it safely , all clients have been really understanding, I’ve had the odd weekly blowdry that has said “you know what would go really well with this blowdry... one of your cuppas!” But they all understand id rather them not have their mask off as I’m stood behind them, to be honest I think I’ve found it more difficult without my 12 cuppas a day at work than the clients have
 
I'm planning on serving hot drinks and alcohol, from the quotes I've had you shouldn't have to tell your insurance unless your selling them. I wouldn't use a house hold coffee machine if you have employees/self employed persons working in the salon. Commercial Coffee Machines | Huge Range at Lowest Prices rent out decent machines for around £30 a week. As they are commercial you'd definitely be covered on your insurance.
 
We still offering the same as before (hot/cold/wines etc)
 
I'm planning on serving hot drinks and alcohol, from the quotes I've had you shouldn't have to tell your insurance unless your selling them. I wouldn't use a house hold coffee machine if you have employees/self employed persons working in the salon. Commercial Coffee Machines | Huge Range at Lowest Prices rent out decent machines for around £30 a week. As they are commercial you'd definitely be covered on your insurance.
A machine is great from a covid hygiene point of view, but just a quick thought, when I had a trial run a few years back with a water dispenser in reception, the thing which really irritated me was having plastic disposable cups left all over the place. It might even be worse with a hot drinks machine - half drunk cups of cold coffee etc.
I don't know, just might be worth bearing in mind.
 
A machine is great from a covid hygiene point of view, but just a quick thought, when I had a trial run a few years back with a water dispenser in reception, the thing which really irritated me was having plastic disposable cups left all over the place. It might even be worse with a hot drinks machine - half drunk cups of cold coffee etc.
I don't know, just might be worth bearing in mind.
These use proper mugs not plastic disposables. It's the sane as I used to have in my restaurants. Costs pence to make the drinks but as it uses beans gives a better taste and impression I think.
 
I used to offer proper chilled spring water in crystal glasses and tea trays with drip filter coffee and a selection of over 14 teas plus lotus biscuits. It was really well appreciated by my customers.

when I reopened after lockdown one I took out my water dispenser machine and stopped offering any drinks because I don’t have a dishwasher. I also asked clients not to drink in my salon - those that brought hot drinks from neighbouring cafes were asked to drink them outside before entering my salon, and dispose of their cups in municipal bins.

I was polite but firm. I wanted them to wear their masks during their treatments when I was face to face with them (ie nails), I didn’t want them touching their faces/mouths and then my surfaces with unsanitised hands, I didn’t want to dispose of rubbish that had been in their mouths and I didn’t want to reuse cups/glasses that hadn’t been through a 60° wash.

I’m not a cafe.

I totally respect that my decision may be a bit OTT for a different business, but don’t be afraid to risk assess your business and make the decisions that are right for you during a pandemic.

Moving forward, nice refreshments are a lovely touch and appreciated by clients.
 
I used to offer proper chilled spring water in crystal glasses and tea trays with drip filter coffee and a selection of over 14 teas plus lotus biscuits. It was really well appreciated by my customers.

when I reopened after lockdown one I took out my water dispenser machine and stopped offering any drinks because I don’t have a dishwasher. I also asked clients not to drink in my salon - those that brought hot drinks from neighbouring cafes were asked to drink them outside before entering my salon, and dispose of their cups in municipal bins.

I was polite but firm. I wanted them to wear their masks during their treatments when I was face to face with them (ie nails), I didn’t want them touching their faces/mouths and then my surfaces with unsanitised hands, I didn’t want to dispose of rubbish that had been in their mouths and I didn’t want to reuse cups/glasses that hadn’t been through a 60° wash.

I’m not a cafe.

I totally respect that my decision may be a bit OTT for a different business, but don’t be afraid to risk assess your business and make the decisions that are right for you during a pandemic.

Moving forward, nice refreshments are a lovely touch and appreciated by clients.
To me it's a small expense for something that has such a boost on your reputation. Amazing how often people compliment the drinks they have been given when getting a treatment.

Totally understand no drinks currently.
 
After 1st lockdown i didn't offer drinks for a while.
But given all my clients are coffee drinkers i decided to get disposable cups in.
I work in the salon on my own but I can understand if the salon has more than 1 stylist and there could be a few clients in at once.
 
In NY and NJ drinking is not allowed at all by clients inside salons due to COVID protocol. Not sure about your areas.
 

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