Opinions? Please be honest.

[PaigeRosexxx]

Hi so I’m currently doing my level 3 beauty therapy apprenticeship (minimum wage may I add), my manager has gone on maternity leave and it’s only me doing numerous beauty treatments, my loyal clients, new clients and her loyal clients. So I’m extra busy (which is fine, I like being busy) so you can imagine what my days are like (back to back 10am - 6pm most days, 10.30am-8pm Thursdays, 9am-5pm 2 Saturdays a month)
So here are my issues;
- I have no time blocked out in between clients to take payment, rebook, clean and set up for each treatment (I could jump from facial to spray tan to waxing all in one day plus more stuff) so all together this would easily make me run over 5-10 mins. The receptionist only deals with hair payments and is busy with hair clients so it’s hard for her to help me on this side of things. The hair is a different business.
- I’m expected to sort stock out, do little jobs like give people products and stuff what my boss has arranged even though I’m back to back most days.
- Some days I have to finish my lunch break early to set up for next clients.
- I have to get in half an hour early to tidy up some days as some days I run over past 6pm from cleaning after my self just so it looks ok until I do a thorough clean.
- I never end up working til I get payed til! I run over for one reason or another.
- If a regular client is really late I can’t turn them away!! Like today
- I have to stay behind to set the room up on my last for the Doctors’ clinic on a Monday.
I’m feeling so overwhelmed at the min! I have a 4 year old child at home, I’m on a horrendous wage for what I do (and I charge full price for my treatments I offer) and I work so bloody much. I got a text today saying she came in to do a treatment for one client and the rooms were a mess! She knows I’m back to back and the rooms looked fine to me, I just need to sweep and maybe mop quickly in the morning and then put pedi bowls away after being cleaned and sort tan room out! I got out past 6pm today and I told her that as well as one of her idiot regulars that’s always 20+ min late without any apology!!! Am I being unreasonable? I feel like I’m a receptionist, cleaner and beauty therapist all in one with one pair of hands. I need to talk to her about this but she’s on maternity leave and I’m not sure she’ll agree I get that it’s part of the job but when it’s effecting my personal life and I’m running into time that I shouldn’t be at work, it stresses me out. I don’t want to feel stressed. I’m sorry for the rant..

 

[TheDuchess]

Paige this isn’t right, nor is it legal. You should be paid for all the time you work, however your boss is expecting you to manage with the timings she has worked out. From her point of view you should manage the workload, On the upside -this is fabulous training, because you’re going to work out how to manage. And yes, all these things are part of your job.

Try and focus on the things under your control. Think. How would she manage? What are her efficiencies?

If you are booking yourself you can choose how your days are structured. If the receptionist is taking phone enquiries for you, give her some guidelines. She doesn’t have to drop treatments into the schedule without any logic or flow, she does have some influence over the times and days she offers the client. And you need to think about this. When rebooking tanning clients, be honest. Explain that you are managing on your own while your boss is on mat leave and you are now only offering tanning on 3 days a week. If you can get 2-3 tans in back to back you’ll be laughing.

For other treatments, think about ways to save time and work more efficiently. For example when you empty your pedi bowl, give it a rinse then wipe it out with used couch roll. (I keep used couch roll in a separate bin so it’s handy for wiping up). It will save a lot of scrubbing and a lot of hot water. Keep a spray bottle of soapy water to hand, after you’ve wiped your pedi bowl out, spray the bowl liberally and wipe it out again thoroughly. Repeat, rinse, spray with sanitiser, leave to dry. done!

You can clean up around a client a lot. Clients quite like to see you strip a bed or scrub a couch down after their treatment while they are dressing. It reassures them. You can quickly spray around the pedi area and wipe up with the towels you’ve just used whilst the client is putting her shoes on and collecting her stuff. These tips avoid the place looking a mess.

You can manage the things clients do that waste your time, for example when a client arrives you can say “I’m just finishing setting up for you - did you need the loo before we start?” and you can set up whilst she’s in the loo. If you’ve just finished a nail appointment and have waxing next, you can clean up the nail station whilst your client is undressing, or set up for your next nail appointment and so on.

I always try and clean as I go because I’m knackered at the end of the day!

Manage your client interactions as part of their treatment, Give aftercare advice as part of the treatment - discuss their next appointment whilst you are in treatment. Know your schedule. What is the rebooking cycle? If you glance at your schedule for 2/4 weeks ahead before you start their treatment you’ll know if you can offer same day same time. Know their situation. Are they on their lunch break? Are they popping in straight from work? Do they need that time of day? Clients that have more flex, manage them. If you want an afternoon of lovely facials, suggest the day and time that YOU would prefer. Say “Tuesday is a lovely day for a facial, we call it Tranquil Tuesday” or whatever.

You’re a Mum, you can multi-task.

You should also discuss this situation with your trainer, part of their role is to make sure you’re not exploited. I have known apprentices that have been moved by their trainer to another salon.

Chin up - at least your job is safe, a lot of salons are struggling and letting their apprentices go.

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

Paige this isn’t right, nor is it legal. You should be paid for all the time you work, however your boss is expecting you to manage with the timings she has worked out. From her point of view you should manage the workload, On the upside -this is fabulous training, because you’re going to work out how to manage. And yes, all these things are part of your job.

Try and focus on the things under your control. Think. How would she manage? What are her efficiencies?

If you are booking yourself you can choose how your days are structured. If the receptionist is taking phone enquiries for you, give her some guidelines. She doesn’t have to drop treatments into the schedule without any logic or flow, she does have some influence over the times and days she offers the client. And you need to think about this. When rebooking tanning clients, be honest. Explain that you are managing on your own while your boss is on mat leave and you are now only offering tanning on 3 days a week. If you can get 2-3 tans in back to back you’ll be laughing.

For other treatments, think about ways to save time and work more efficiently. For example when you empty your pedi bowl, give it a rinse then wipe it out with used couch roll. (I keep used couch roll in a separate bin so it’s handy for wiping up). It will save a lot of scrubbing and a lot of hot water. Keep a spray bottle of soapy water to hand, after you’ve wiped your pedi bowl out, spray the bowl liberally and wipe it out again thoroughly. Repeat, rinse, spray with sanitiser, leave to dry. done!

You can clean up around a client a lot. Clients quite like to see you strip a bed or scrub a couch down after their treatment while they are dressing. It reassures them. You can quickly spray around the pedi area and wipe up with the towels you’ve just used whilst the client is putting her shoes on and collecting her stuff. These tips avoid the place looking a mess.

You can manage the things clients do that waste your time, for example when a client arrives you can say “I’m just finishing setting up for you - did you need the loo before we start?” and you can set up whilst she’s in the loo. If you’ve just finished a nail appointment and have waxing next, you can clean up the nail station whilst your client is undressing, or set up for your next nail appointment and so on.

I always try and clean as I go because I’m knackered at the end of the day!

Manage your client interactions as part of their treatment, Give aftercare advice as part of the treatment - discuss their next appointment whilst you are in treatment. Know your schedule. What is the rebooking cycle? If you glance at your schedule for 2/4 weeks ahead before you start their treatment you’ll know if you can offer same day same time. Know their situation. Are they on their lunch break? Are they popping in straight from work? Do they need that time of day? Clients that have more flex, manage them. If you want an afternoon of lovely facials, suggest the day and time that YOU would prefer. Say “Tuesday is a lovely day for a facial, we call it Tranquil Tuesday” or whatever.

You’re a Mum, you can multi-task.

You should also discuss this situation with your trainer, part of their role is to make sure you’re not exploited. I have known apprentices that have been moved by their trainer to another salon.

Chin up - at least your job is safe, a lot of salons are struggling and letting their apprentices go.

Hi, thank you so much for the reply. There’s some helpful tips here
I do agree with you. However, I do the cleaning part anyway. For example one of my days goes;
I come in earlier and clean anything that needs doing from previous day, say I have waxing, spray tan, facial, nails on hands. (Same room everything is in apart from nails at nail bar) I do the waxing then leave room whilst client is getting undressed to make sure everything is filled up and ready for nails. When wax is done, set up for facial, when they leave set up for spray tan, then do nails when I’m done. Then I could have facial again and have to re set up. I always end up running over, and with payments, rebooking sweeping etc…. I run over more. I work out of one room. So I basically do similar to what you are saying. However, at the end of the day due to no extra 5 min there’s always things like bins, fills up, other stuff at the end of the day to do. Even though I finish at a certain time.
Regarding the structuring days, I can’t do that as my manager wouldn’t like it she wants me to cram as much in which is absolutely fine!! Like I say I love being busy. When I’m stressed like this though it makes me loose the love a bit. When she complains to me about minor issues about rooms not being crystal clean even though I’ve been back to back all day etc, it gets to me. I have no gaps to even breath in the day sometimes! I really do like my job so I don’t want to come across as I don’t but I’m struggling to do everything with one pair of hands. If I could do things my way, it’d be easier.. but I work for some one else. I can multi task and I do like a challenge but I don’t like being stressed how can I multitask doing cleaning, treatments, receptionist and everything else all in one with no extra time I feel like I need someone like how I started out years ago to give me a little help to save me being moaned at…
I would love to own my business one day but deffo structure it differently! Thanks for the tips though again. I just don’t want to fall out of love with my job. I need to talk to my manager but I’m not sure she’ll be happy with how I feel x

 

[immybeauty]

omg I’m quite glad I’ve found this post, the salon I’m working at is exactly like this! But I’m not an apprentice I am fully qualified but I’m the only full time therapist as the part timers refuse to go full time because of how much you have to do! I know how it feels with not even having enough time to take payment and re book between appointments it’s so stressful we have 1 hour for a gel manicure and in that time you have to do the treatment, offer/make drinks, allow them to choose a colour, take payment and rebook before the next client! I’ve been there 3 months and I think I’ve finished and gone home on time once since I’ve been there and only had a handful of my lunch breaks due to running over/not having time and having to do other things, I do enjoy doing treatments but all of this does make me wish I worked a 9-5 office job or something I’m starting to think salons just aren’t great places to work at

 

[TheDuchess]

I work solo and I work for myself so I have the luxury of deciding how I work and to work late if I need to finish cleaning. However, sometimes my schedule gets booked up with online bookings for days and days and I have no control over what is booked or when. I do understand how horrible that feels and how fatiguing.

All I can say is that you learn and you improve.

For making drinks you can get electric airpots that are very economical and hold a lot of water at tea making temperature (as long as you add milk second). If I had to make tea for clients I’d get one of these or a keep warm kettle (Haden do a good kettle called The Dorchester, it’s £49.99 from B&Q). Waiting for the kettle to boil is inefficient and clients love a good gadget and like to see investment in their comfort.

But I manage without these gadgets by being really ruthless.

1. Greet client, sit down, assess nails, pick up file and start work.
2. “Have you thought about what colour you would like, would you like a drink”
3. Get up, flick switch on kettle, bring over 4 colour choices, carefully pop a little colour on nails for client to consider.
4. Finish making drink, confirm colour choice, offer 2 more options if undecided.
5. Sit down, carry on - confirm colour choice when applying base. Client will rapidly make up her mind.
6. Finish service, whilst discussing next appointment, aftercare etc.
7. Bring payment machine to client to pay at nail desk, before she’s started faffing round with her personal gear.
8. As client collects belongings, reconfirm next appointment and start tidying up.

I may discreetly set up what I need for my next appointment whilst making the drink.

When I was training, my Korean tutor was terrifying and strict - but as we got to know her we realised she was preparing us well for industry. I vividly remember one session. She explained how important it was to be quick. She told us how some of her colleagues would get bladder problems and terrible stomach ache from not having time to go to the loo. She told us that finishing early gave us time to have a cup of tea. Her English was a bit limited which made her next statement really powerful “I get lots of cups of tea”

I now manage a workload that would once have had me close to tears. It’s easy. I’m not bragging, I’m just saying - see you on the other side.

Look at it this way. There aren’t many jobs that start you on close to minimum wage and allow you to progress to the point where you have a great life balance, earning what you aspire to earn and doing work you love. It is worth hanging in there for that future.

Most successful therapists end up in business for themselves. To be successful you have to be able to cope with a gruelling workload and not feel stressed. I used to employ staff and I could see them struggling. It held their earnings down. I’d have happily paid them more but their days were like a beginner swimmer - lots of splashing about and not much actual progress - they didn’t generate enough profit for me to increase their pay. The tips I gave them had worked for me - they needed to find their own rhythm.

I used to have quite a high powered job with loads of responsibility. Working in beauty and wellbeing has ups and downs, pros and cons. I have no plans to go back to my previous career.

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

omg I’m quite glad I’ve found this post, the salon I’m working at is exactly like this! But I’m not an apprentice I am fully qualified but I’m the only full time therapist as the part timers refuse to go full time because of how much you have to do! I know how it feels with not even having enough time to take payment and re book between appointments it’s so stressful we have 1 hour for a gel manicure and in that time you have to do the treatment, offer/make drinks, allow them to choose a colour, take payment and rebook before the next client! I’ve been there 3 months and I think I’ve finished and gone home on time once since I’ve been there and only had a handful of my lunch breaks due to running over/not having time and having to do other things, I do enjoy doing treatments but all of this does make me wish I worked a 9-5 office job or something I’m starting to think salons just aren’t great places to work at

It’s awful when you don’t enjoy work and the thing is my boss won’t change the way things work, I just know it from previous things she’s said. When I’m done with my apprenticeship (the plan is go self employed) I’m going to see if I can change certain things and if not then I’ll have to see what I want to do. I just dread coming into work some days then some days I can’t wait. Like today I’ve got so many different treatments in, I’d rather just have a day or certain things, I have a client in at the end of the day who’s always late and I’m gonna run past 6pm, I have a mega busy week and not even the proper lunch break I should get which is fine I still have a gap to eat but I’m so tired this week too!!! Think this week is one of those weeks ha. It’s like last week about 10 parcels came I had to put stock away and sort everything out when I’m literally back to back, I stayed behind 40 mins one Saturday. Came in this morning and the room was a mess that the doctor left, I feel like taking pics but don’t want to be petty. I do love my job but some times I feel like I don’t and question myself x

 

[TheDuchess]

Hi Paige

My own feeling is that you need to decide whether you want things to change or you just want to have a moan and then carry on with your day.

Your Boss is worrying. She can see things are not working well and she doesn’t know what to do. You need to talk to her about focussing on profit and if she can’t or won’t do that you can do it yourself.

It isn’t about saying no to enquiries, it’s about saying yes to the bookings that work.

You can steer a lot of this yourself. Just pick one half day when you just don’t offer some services by particularly focussing on specific treatments.

Have a nails and tanning focus for either a morning or afternoon one day a week.

Or have a focus on everything else for that session.

You tell the business that you want (whatever it is) that that day is dedicated especially for them as it much better not to have a distracting mix of treatments. So you try and steer people into the slot, rather than exclude people. Does that make sense? So if you want spray tanning on Monday afternoon, you tell every spray tan appointment through the week that you have a dedicated Monday afternoon tanning session and ask them if that day works for them. Not everyone will say yes, but all you need is for a handful of people to say “Yes, Monday works”

You tell your receptionist that you are having a real push to try and boost bookings for spray tanning on Monday afternoon and please can she try and pack in as many as possible - you don’t mind if she books a few nail appointments if she has to, but you really want to focus on spray tanning and want to keep the tent up all afternoon.

It’s how you present it. Your Boss may not be sympathetic to you complaining you are overworked and underpaid but she may be pleased if you say you are trying to have a sales push.

If you can just carve out a half day which runs like clockwork you will feel so much better. When I was less experienced I went through this headless chicken, say yes to everything mode and I ended up hating my job. Then one day I saw the light! I took control of my booking mix and discovered I made more money and felt much better, Standards went up, cleaning time went down, my stress levels dropped massively and I stopped falling asleep every time I sat down!

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

Hi Paige

My own feeling is that you need to decide whether you want things to change or you just want to have a moan and then carry on with your day.

Your Boss is worrying. She can see things are not working well and she doesn’t know what to do. You need to talk to her about focussing on profit and if she can’t or won’t do that you can do it yourself.

It isn’t about saying no to enquiries, it’s about saying yes to the bookings that work.

You can steer a lot of this yourself. Just pick one half day when you just don’t offer some services by particularly focussing on specific treatments.

Have a nails and tanning focus for either a morning or afternoon one day a week.

Or have a focus on everything else for that session.

You tell the business that you want (whatever it is) that that day is dedicated especially for them as it much better not to have a distracting mix of treatments. So you try and steer people into the slot, rather than exclude people. Does that make sense? So if you want spray tanning on Monday afternoon, you tell every spray tan appointment through the week that you have a dedicated Monday afternoon tanning session and ask them if that day works for them. Not everyone will say yes, but all you need is for a handful of people to say “Yes, Monday works”

You tell your receptionist that you are having a real push to try and boost bookings for spray tanning on Monday afternoon and please can she try and pack in as many as possible - you don’t mind if she books a few nail appointments if she has to, but you really want to focus on spray tanning and want to keep the tent up all afternoon.

It’s how you present it. Your Boss may not be sympathetic to you complaining you are overworked and underpaid but she may be pleased if you say you are trying to have a sales push.

If you can just carve out a half day which runs like clockwork you will feel so much better. When I was less experienced I went through this headless chicken, say yes to everything mode and I ended up hating my job. Then one day I saw the light! I took control of my booking mix and discovered I made more money and felt much better, Standards went up, cleaning time went down, my stress levels dropped massively and I stopped falling asleep every time I sat down!

Hi thank you for the reply. That does sound like a really good idea but she wouldn’t let me do that, it’s anything and everything to make her money, even if it means me being stressed and running behind. You’re right, I do like to have a moan then get on with my day but then I guess I need to sort the root of the problem? Do you think I need to think about if I need to change things myself? I just feel at a loss at the minute. I feel like I am self employed, charging full prices, doing everything alone on £6 something an hour, I have been doing for beauty for a while but obviously still doing my apprenticeship in level 3. I wish I could be in charge of my column and just choose what I want to do, times etc xx

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

Hi thank you for the reply. That does sound like a really good idea but she wouldn’t let me do that, it’s anything and everything to make her money, even if it means me being stressed and running behind. You’re right, I do like to have a moan then get on with my day but then I guess I need to sort the root of the problem? Do you think I need to think about if I need to change things myself? I just feel at a loss at the minute. I feel like I am self employed, charging full prices, doing everything alone on £6 something an hour, I have been doing for beauty for a while but obviously still doing my apprenticeship in level 3. I wish I could be in charge of my column and just choose what I want to do, times etc xx

She’s on maternity leave as well x

 

[TheDuchess]

Hi Paige I think it’s down to you. You’ve been proactive and come in here to get some advice, this isn’t an idea that you’ve dreamed up on a whim. You’re not trying to reduce your workload.

If your Boss is all about the money I say go for it because streamlining makes her more money not less. As I say it isn’t about turning away an enquiry, it’s about filling your column with happy clients.

And you need to use your common sense, so don’t turn away a morning enquiry because “I don’t do that until after lunch” instead offer the last slot before lunch. Don’t turn away a wax enquiry in an afternoon because you don’t do that in the afternoons - instead offer the last slot of the day and hopefully you’ll be running to schedule with everything else and it will be easy to fit in a wax appointment last thing.

By just trying to organise one half day, it gives you a chance to see if it works. Personally I wouldn’t mention it to my Boss in advance. Having a Boss on maternity leave is a great chance to try out a few gentle changes and she’s unlikely to rumble you/complain if you sell it as “well I already had a booking for treatment X in the diary so it made sense to try and get another one in back to back and it sort of snowballed…

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

I work solo and I work for myself so I have the luxury of deciding how I work and to work late if I need to finish cleaning. However, sometimes my schedule gets booked up with online bookings for days and days and I have no control over what is booked or when. I do understand how horrible that feels and how fatiguing.

All I can say is that you learn and you improve.

For making drinks you can get electric airpots that are very economical and hold a lot of water at tea making temperature (as long as you add milk second). If I had to make tea for clients I’d get one of these or a keep warm kettle (Haden do a good kettle called The Dorchester, it’s £49.99 from B&Q). Waiting for the kettle to boil is inefficient and clients love a good gadget and like to see investment in their comfort.

But I manage without these gadgets by being really ruthless.

1. Greet client, sit down, assess nails, pick up file and start work.
2. “Have you thought about what colour you would like, would you like a drink”
3. Get up, flick switch on kettle, bring over 4 colour choices, carefully pop a little colour on nails for client to consider.
4. Finish making drink, confirm colour choice, offer 2 more options if undecided.
5. Sit down, carry on - confirm colour choice when applying base. Client will rapidly make up her mind.
6. Finish service, whilst discussing next appointment, aftercare etc.
7. Bring payment machine to client to pay at nail desk, before she’s started faffing round with her personal gear.
8. As client collects belongings, reconfirm next appointment and start tidying up.

I may discreetly set up what I need for my next appointment whilst making the drink.

When I was training, my Korean tutor was terrifying and strict - but as we got to know her we realised she was preparing us well for industry. I vividly remember one session. She explained how important it was to be quick. She told us how some of her colleagues would get bladder problems and terrible stomach ache from not having time to go to the loo. She told us that finishing early gave us time to have a cup of tea. Her English was a bit limited which made her next statement really powerful “I get lots of cups of tea”

I now manage a workload that would once have had me close to tears. It’s easy. I’m not bragging, I’m just saying - see you on the other side.

Look at it this way. There aren’t many jobs that start you on close to minimum wage and allow you to progress to the point where you have a great life balance, earning what you aspire to earn and doing work you love. It is worth hanging in there for that future.

Most successful therapists end up in business for themselves. To be successful you have to be able to cope with a gruelling workload and not feel stressed. I used to employ staff and I could see them struggling. It held their earnings down. I’d have happily paid them more but their days were like a beginner swimmer - lots of splashing about and not much actual progress - they didn’t generate enough profit for me to increase their pay. The tips I gave them had worked for me - they needed to find their own rhythm.

I used to have quite a high powered job with loads of responsibility. Working in beauty and wellbeing has ups and downs, pros and cons. I have no plans to go back to my previous career.

Sorry I’ve only just seen this. Yes I do what you are saying on this comment. I try make things quicker and easier but some days it doesn’t make a difference. I’m hitting my targets and can make up to £450 a day on a decent day if people turn up and want what they have booked in etc… and I’m on minimum wage, stressed it’s the full columns, practically running the beauty side of the salon myself with no help what so ever that gets to me I think. As well as personal life stress, not a good mixture. We will see if things improve when I decide to have a proper chat with my manager and if not then I don’t know… literally in tears today, just feel burned out, can’t take any holiday days recently, have loads of revision to do for my level 3 exams, maths level 2.

 

[TheDuchess]

Paige I’m so sorry. What has your tutor said about your situation?

 

[clairebear23cats]

Oh Paige, i've read your post a few times but haven't written you any advice. I really feel for you. You've got a young child too and are working a lot of hours and probably not seeing much of them in the evenings. I am very lucky to have my own salon and it is just me so I manage the diary but it still feels pressured. You've got some great idea's here to implement - start to make some changes and see how things go over the next few weeks. Booking similar treatments in together some of the time throughout the week will save you a lot of preparation time. You must talk to your Tutor and explain the situation and additional pressure you are under. Leave a laminated sheet in the room that is used by the doctor of a checklist of cleaning etc and tell them it must be left in the condition it is found in.

 

[TheOracle]

Hey Paige,
Some great words here.

I'll add my tuppence worth-
Split your lunch time into 2 or more spaces throughout the day so you've a little breathing room and can pee.

Bring your own lunch in so you've always got something; amazing what a KitKat boost can do at 4pm.

Decide what you can offer late clients- an express facial instead of a full facial.
Soak, file, cuticle and paint for a manicure.
Bikini not brazilian.

It's your column and your clients so make it work for you.

If you have to, book a fake client or elongate an appointment time so you don't run behind.
This isn't ideal but you are upholding a business that the other therapist wants to come back to so she'll need some clients that aren't annoyed by constant lateness or grubbyness.

Chin up, breathe through it, don't moan to clients, and speak with her about how you feel and what your solutions are, not how awful she is.

If you don't yet. Appositive response then you have another decision to make.

Good luck,

 

[Penketh_Beauty]

Hi, thank you so much for the reply. There’s some helpful tips here
I do agree with you. However, I do the cleaning part anyway. For example one of my days goes;
I come in earlier and clean anything that needs doing from previous day, say I have waxing, spray tan, facial, nails on hands. (Same room everything is in apart from nails at nail bar) I do the waxing then leave room whilst client is getting undressed to make sure everything is filled up and ready for nails. When wax is done, set up for facial, when they leave set up for spray tan, then do nails when I’m done. Then I could have facial again and have to re set up. I always end up running over, and with payments, rebooking sweeping etc…. I run over more. I work out of one room. So I basically do similar to what you are saying. However, at the end of the day due to no extra 5 min there’s always things like bins, fills up, other stuff at the end of the day to do. Even though I finish at a certain time.
Regarding the structuring days, I can’t do that as my manager wouldn’t like it she wants me to cram as much in which is absolutely fine!! Like I say I love being busy. When I’m stressed like this though it makes me loose the love a bit. When she complains to me about minor issues about rooms not being crystal clean even though I’ve been back to back all day etc, it gets to me. I have no gaps to even breath in the day sometimes! I really do like my job so I don’t want to come across as I don’t but I’m struggling to do everything with one pair of hands. If I could do things my way, it’d be easier.. but I work for some one else. I can multi task and I do like a challenge but I don’t like being stressed how can I multitask doing cleaning, treatments, receptionist and everything else all in one with no extra time I feel like I need someone like how I started out years ago to give me a little help to save me being moaned at…
I would love to own my business one day but deffo structure it differently! Thanks for the tips though again. I just don’t want to fall out of love with my job. I need to talk to my manager but I’m not sure she’ll be happy with how I feel x

Wow, I wish you were my apprentice! I do feel that you are being treated quite badly here: an apprentice should not work unsupervised. You're a student, not a fully qualified professional. What would happen if a treatment went wrong, an accident occurred, or you had a client complaint to deal with? As a student, are you even fully insured for the treatments you're carrying out? You're running the business in your manager's absence, that's a huge red flag for me. You really need to speak to your college tutor for advice. I get that you're learning how to work in a busy salon, which is invaluable experience, but that should happen when you're qualified and receiving a proper wage. Working under these conditions could eventually ruin your dedication and passion for the industry, for all the wrong reasons. Please look after yourself and keep us posted x

 

[jlsdds]

Some days I have to finish my lunch break early to set up for next clients

Sorry, I had to laugh here!! Wow, you get a lunch break!! I don’t know why I have never taken a scheduled lunch break. I keep protein shakes and bites of cheese to hold me through the day. I just fill in every hour and go.

But, your situation is different with so many different treatments going on.

When your tutor is back is it still just the two of you?

Can you appeal to the scheduler with your concerns?

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

Paige I’m so sorry. What has your tutor said about your situation?

Sorry for the late reply. So the issue still remains, I’m not as stressed but it’s still an issue. My boss is looking for someone else but I’m not sure where she’s at with that. Not to necessarily help me but to earn her more money as she’s not getting the money in as she says. My college tutor said it isn’t right

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

Wow, I wish you were my apprentice! I do feel that you are being treated quite badly here: an apprentice should not work unsupervised. You're a student, not a fully qualified professional. What would happen if a treatment went wrong, an accident occurred, or you had a client complaint to deal with? As a student, are you even fully insured for the treatments you're carrying out? You're running the business in your manager's absence, that's a huge red flag for me. You really need to speak to your college tutor for advice. I get that you're learning how to work in a busy salon, which is invaluable experience, but that should happen when you're qualified and receiving a proper wage. Working under these conditions could eventually ruin your dedication and passion for the industry, for all the wrong reasons. Please look after yourself and keep us posted x

Haha
I’m fully qualified in my level 2 but just not my level 3, which is body massage and facial electrical. I’ve dealt with all sorts of accidents, complaints (very few) and awkward clients all by myself! I am literally running her business, exactly. She has said she’s looking for another person, not to necessarily help me but to keep the money coming in as she’s on maternity leave, well she’s now back 2 short days a week if people book in the slots. This still remains an issue for me (what I posted about) and my wage still isn’t the best for what I do but after mentioning my wage going up in April, after what she said, it’s quite obvious that she can’t afford to up my pay. I’m going to complete my level 3 and re access what I’m going to do because I may as well work for myself after this experience… I know it’s hard work but it’s what I want one day! We are going to do a trail of me being self employed once I’ve completed my level 3 too so I will see how that goes. I still feel the mum guilt with the long hours I work. I had to come in and clean at 9.15am today, I started at 10am. Didn’t get out till 6.20pm and I finished at 6. I’m just going with the flow at the minute though… I’m going to stick at it. I may moan a bit much sometimes but I’ve came to a realisation that Its not the best thing for me at the minute, especially with me feeling low anyway (getting bloods done at doctors next week) but thank you for all of your replies and advice. It means a lot

 

[PaigeRosexxx]

Sorry, I had to laugh here!! Wow, you get a lunch break!! I don’t know why I have never taken a scheduled lunch break. I keep protein shakes and bites of cheese to hold me through the day. I just fill in every hour and go.

But, your situation is different with so many different treatments going on.

When your tutor is back is it still just the two of you?

Can you appeal to the scheduler with your concerns?

if I don’t get a little break I go all dizzy and sick. I’m getting my bloods done at the doctors next week because it’s getting worse and with no break it’s awful - I had to go home the other week as I nearly fainted!

It is just us two for the time being yes, she’s back 2 short days if people book in the slots. Just going with the flow at the minute and when I’ve done my level 3 I’ll re access what I want to do x

 

[House Beauty]

Hi so I’m currently doing my level 3 beauty therapy apprenticeship (minimum wage may I add), my manager has gone on maternity leave and it’s only me doing numerous beauty treatments, my loyal clients, new clients and her loyal clients. So I’m extra busy (which is fine, I like being busy) so you can imagine what my days are like (back to back 10am - 6pm most days, 10.30am-8pm Thursdays, 9am-5pm 2 Saturdays a month)
So here are my issues;
- I have no time blocked out in between clients to take payment, rebook, clean and set up for each treatment (I could jump from facial to spray tan to waxing all in one day plus more stuff) so all together this would easily make me run over 5-10 mins. The receptionist only deals with hair payments and is busy with hair clients so it’s hard for her to help me on this side of things. The hair is a different business.
- I’m expected to sort stock out, do little jobs like give people products and stuff what my boss has arranged even though I’m back to back most days.
- Some days I have to finish my lunch break early to set up for next clients.
- I have to get in half an hour early to tidy up some days as some days I run over past 6pm from cleaning after my self just so it looks ok until I do a thorough clean.
- I never end up working til I get payed til! I run over for one reason or another.
- If a regular client is really late I can’t turn them away!! Like today
- I have to stay behind to set the room up on my last for the Doctors’ clinic on a Monday.
I’m feeling so overwhelmed at the min! I have a 4 year old child at home, I’m on a horrendous wage for what I do (and I charge full price for my treatments I offer) and I work so bloody much. I got a text today saying she came in to do a treatment for one client and the rooms were a mess! She knows I’m back to back and the rooms looked fine to me, I just need to sweep and maybe mop quickly in the morning and then put pedi bowls away after being cleaned and sort tan room out! I got out past 6pm today and I told her that as well as one of her idiot regulars that’s always 20+ min late without any apology!!! Am I being unreasonable? I feel like I’m a receptionist, cleaner and beauty therapist all in one with one pair of hands. I need to talk to her about this but she’s on maternity leave and I’m not sure she’ll agree I get that it’s part of the job but when it’s effecting my personal life and I’m running into time that I shouldn’t be at work, it stresses me out. I don’t want to feel stressed. I’m sorry for the rant..

You are the manager while the manager is on mat leave then?

Do what you want! Walk in with a fresh head tomorrow and give directions to the receptionist that you need similar treatments booked next to each other and not randomly allocated, and to plot in xyz time you need between them otherwise.

Anyone has a problem they can try to book an appointment with you for a meeting and see the hassle