Salon hours?

[leenie81]

I am really unsure what to do regarding work hours. I work Tuesday to Saturday but I work until 7.30-8.30 tue-fri and I work Saturday only until 3. I would really like to do less late nights but it will mean turning bookings away( last minute bookings) my husband says I should work as many hours as I can but I feel I need a life too. Although I hate turning customers and money away . Do any of you do set hours and stick to them? X

 

[joycee8]

I own a salon and I used to work every hour, but i found out that to give good quality treatments you need to be good health wise, if you are tired you become moody and make mistakes. I work Tuesday 10am - 8pm, Thursday 10am - 8pm, Friday 9am - 5pm and sat 9am - 4pm. I have cover on other days. This works for me and if people like your treatments they will book in advance for you. Don't worry, you can only do what you can! You aren't super human x

 

[leenie81]

I own a salon and I used to work every hour, but i found out that to give good quality treatments you need to be good health wise, if you are tired you become moody and make mistakes. I work Tuesday 10am - 8pm, Thursday 10am - 8pm, Friday 9am - 5pm and sat 9am - 4pm. I have cover on other days. This works for me and if people like your treatments they will book in advance for you. Don't worry, you can only do what you can! You aren't super human x

Yes I feel like that that I squeeze clients in as a they pester to be booked in but then I feel I don't give as good w treatment . Do you stick to your hours you have set? Is the other girl employed by you? Xx

 

[AcidPerm]

Put your prices up and work fewer hours. You can then afford to let some clients go.

That should placate the husband although if it was mine, he wouldn't dare suggest I work more hours.

 

[leenie81]

Put your prices up and work fewer hours. You can then afford to let some clients go.

That should placate the husband although if it was mine, he wouldn't dare suggest I work more hours.

Haha I like that plan! How much would you increase prices by? X

 

[WaxGirl]

Put your prices up and work fewer hours. You can then afford to let some clients go.

That should placate the husband although if it was mine, he wouldn't dare suggest I work more hours.

agree 100%! ive done that and makes for an easier nicer more balanced life

 

[WaxGirl]

Haha I like that plan! How much would you increase prices by? X

by as much as you can

 

[joycee8]

Yes I stick to my hours, I don't like turning people away, but if your booked, your booked. Your clients will need to rebook after their appt so they get one next time. The girl works with me, not employed - both the same x

 

[leenie81]

Thankyou everyone I now have a plan xxx

 

[rubywoo]

It's important to set your hours and I've always believed strongly that to succeed you need to be open when your clients are available. I close at 9pm in the week and 6pm on weekends. I have never understood how salons that operate during office hours only turn a profit or when I'm interviewing new staff and they're surprised they have to work weekends. If you work alone why not set one late night a week and possibly alternate it between two different days each week. Clients book six weeks in advance for my evening slots.

 

[leenie81]

It's important to set your hours and I've always believed strongly that to succeed you need to be open when your clients are available. I close at 9pm in the week and 6pm on weekends. I have never understood how salons that operate during office hours only turn a profit or when I'm interviewing new staff and they're surprised they have to work weekends. If you work alone why not set one late night a week and possibly alternate it between two different days each week. Clients book six weeks in advance for my evening slots.

I don't mind doing two late nights but I do 4 at the minute and it's abit much now. I will work until 6 on the other nights but might do two late until 8? Xx

 

[AcidPerm]

... I have never understood how salons that operate during office hours only turn a profit or when I'm interviewing new staff and they're surprised they have to work weekends.

Very true. I've also seen a trend for salons being open 7 days a week but I think it partly depends on your area and target market.

Where I live, the majority of shops still close for an hour at lunchtime, which seems pretty unusual these days. Hardly anything is open on a Sunday other than the supermarket, even garden centres and DIY stores are closed. You get used to it and plan your shopping accordingly.

I live rurally and work on a freelance basis so I just offer school hours (9.30 - 2).
However, all my clients either work part-time or are self employed with no set hours (majority are rural businesses).

 

[WaxGirl]

It's important to set your hours and I've always believed strongly that to succeed you need to be open when your clients are available. I close at 9pm in the week and 6pm on weekends. I have never understood how salons that operate during office hours only turn a profit or when I'm interviewing new staff and they're surprised they have to work weekends. If you work alone why not set one late night a week and possibly alternate it between two different days each week. Clients book six weeks in advance for my evening slots.

Ive just cut back my hours a little never work past 6 and close at 1pm on a sat... I'm earning more than I ever have its amazing... & I have lots of energy and enthusiasm when I'm in the salon as I'm not tired out from working long hours...

.. if you provide a top quality service customers will make sure they can find time to get to you

 

[rubywoo]

Having office or limited hours can work for people who work alone but this can utterly destroy a salon. Not every area has enough women who don't work in the day to to support the business, the vast majority of my clients work, but thankfully a few years ago the days began to fill up as much as the evenings and weekends as we saw a surge in people working from home as well as all our usual daytime clients of service industry workers, actors/performance artists etc. It's all about knowing your market and client base. If I was in a wealthy area where women didn't work and had rich husbands to fund them I'd love to work 9 to 5!

 

[LottieLeach]

We are in a area with a lot of elderly clients and right by a school so we do 9-5 Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat and 9-8 on a Thurs, It completely depends on your area but set your days and times and stick to them, I used to work 7 days and found I was exhausted and the days were emptier where as now I'm only working 5 the days are filled (I do also have 3 staff members), and if I'm honest we haven't lost any clients by doing that. Just make sure you put your hours on your answer phone if you are off as we have had people annoyed that we haven't answered the phone and since we've set that they then know why. L x

 

[Redduck]

Definitely stick to the hours you decide to do. I used to find I sometimes worked 4 late nights a week. Now I stick to 2 and people know they have to book early...quite a few slots have already been booked by some clients right up until Christmas.

 

[diedra]

I am really unsure what to do regarding work hours. I work Tuesday to Saturday but I work until 7.30-8.30 tue-fri and I work Saturday only until 3. I would really like to do less late nights but it will mean turning bookings away( last minute bookings) my husband says I should work as many hours as I can but I feel I need a life too. Although I hate turning customers and money away . Do any of you do set hours and stick to them? X

Stick to the hrs that work best for you. When I work too long hours find it difficult to focus and yes the client notices it too. These days we try to get done before 7.30. Clients are understanding too and that helps.

 

[CatherineRose]

The salon I work in is open 9-5 Tues, wed and Fri, 10-8 on a Thurs and 8.30 - 5 on a Saturday. We never work past those hours

 

[leenie81]

The problem I get is if I'm finishing at say 6 on a evening on my early finish or 3 on a Saturday clients are like can't you fit me in, what are you doing after work, do you have plans and I feel I have to stay back or book them in xx

 

[tresses]

I work from 9 to 4 on a Saturday. This Saturday I was fully booked, and had been up all Friday night with a high temp and ear pain. I dragged myself into work to do my booked in regular clients, and half an hour after closing a woman came in asking for a blow dry, I politely turned her away as I was feeling rough, but she stood there demanding I do her hair. i said sorry but I have worked all day, with no break while ill. made me feel terrible she did [emoji45]