Salon is very slow

[SlmnB]

Hello all.
I'm running a hair and beauty salon in Canterbury, Kent. The business is quite slow since last September. I'm talking about at least a thousand pound loss per week.
It's gone really bad in the last few weeks.
How's everyone else doing? Do you feel any changes in business?

 

[BannerPenguin]

As it's a change over such an extended period of time, have you done any analysis to find out why? Checked out, competitors? Looked at your client retention? Seen where everyone else is going? Is your services still up to a super high standard? Is your website modern and fully functional for mobile devices? Is your marketing on point?

All things to consider

 

[SlmnB]

Thanks very much for replying.
We had a time when we were short of staff for at least two months. It was quiet challenging for me to find a reliable hair stylist as we only do walk ins. This is a busy salon and quite difficult for people to adopt the system. This was the main reason.
Competitors are almost the same as me. Generally, when I'm busy they're busy and vise versa.
Our services are pretty much the same. We're all experienced hair stylists in the salon. And our prices are quite reasonable as well.
I just had a website. It'll be up and running very soon. Marketing isn't something I'm working on. We only run a few facebook, instagram campaigns every month and we did leaflet distribution a few month ago and that's it.

 

[AcidPerm]

Thanks very much for replying.
...as we only do walk ins. This is a busy salon and quite difficult for people to adopt the system.

I’m assuming that yours is a standard ladies hairdressing salon rather than a barbers? How does only doing walk-ins work with colour appts and how do you ensure you skin test appropriately?

I just had a website. It'll be up and running very soon. Marketing isn't something I'm working on. We only run a few facebook, instagram campaigns
every month and we did leaflet distribution a few month ago and that's it.

That’s an unusual business strategy for a ladies hair salon. You say it’s a busy salon but if your monthly takings have drastically dropped, then presumably, it’s not so busy? What do your staff do when no-one is booked in?
Did you lose a lot of clients to the staff who left?

 

[SlmnB]

I’m assuming that yours is a standard ladies hairdressing salon rather than a barbers? How does only doing walk-ins work with colour appts and how do you ensure you skin test appropriately?

We don't accept clients who have not done a skin test. If they want to get a skin testwe do it and we say them to come back 48 hours later.
This is a reason we lost some clients when we were short of staff. Clients would come and wait more than they normally do.

That’s an unusual business strategy for a ladies hair salon. You say it’s a busy salon but if your monthly takings have drastically dropped, then presumably, it’s not so busy? What do your staff do when no-one is booked in?
Did you lose a lot of clients to the staff who left?

It is still busy but not as it used to be. We generally have clients in the salon. We do average of 25 clients per day. Friday Saturday it goes up to 40, sometimes even more.
I don't believe we lost any clients to any staff.
There's enough staff in the salon now. Some days there are more stylists than we need. Salon is always clean and tidy. We make sure every client gets a good service including free refreshments. We do free consultations. We work with high end products. But still there's obviously something we do wrong which I couldn't quite find out what.

 

[BannerPenguin]

I don’t understand how you can run not taking appointments.

People have busy lives. They don’t have time to turn up and hope you can fit them in. They want to book when’s convenient and come in. Not take any chances.

Even as a guy I have to book my barbers because they’re busy (good sign they’re good as well).

I think this is something you should seriously consider.

 

[SlmnB]

I don’t understand how you can run not taking appointments.

People have busy lives. They don’t have time to turn up and hope you can fit them in. They want to book when’s convenient and come in. Not take any chances.

Even as a guy I have to book my barbers because they’re busy (good sign they’re good as well).

I think this is something you should seriously consider.

Not everybody is the same. Not everybody is busy. Some of our clients are more than happy to wait for their favourite stylists. Besides people know that they'll have to wait anyway. You're more than welcome to be my guest for a few days to observe the salon and how our system works.

 

[BeautiqueSpa]

I would think that in todays impatient 'want it now, not later' atmosphere, it is your not taking bookings that is scuppering you. Why don't you try it for a little while and see if it picks up? No harm in giving it a try. You can add an automatic booking calendar to your website these days really easy where clients can see and book available slots themselves so you don't even have to hire a receptionist.

 

[SlmnB]

I would think that in todays impatient want it now, not later atmosphere, it is your not taking bookings that is scuppering you. Wy don't you try it for a little while and see if it picks up? No harm in giving it a try. You can add an automatic booking calendar to your website these days really easy where clients can see and book available slots themselves so you don't even have to hire a receptionist.

I'm seriously considering it but it's always been walk-in only. I was planning to stick some notes around in the salon to let people that we'll start taking appointments. It's not gonna be easy as everybody got used to waking in. So, I'm assuming it'll take good 6 months for the clients to get used it. The second thing is I'm guessing that I'll lose more clients as at least 90% of my clientele is happy with walk-in. The appointment system might bring some new clients though.
What else can be done?

 

[BeautiqueSpa]

Start with one thing, that way you can monitor if it is making a difference or not.

 

[Tinker78]

I agree, give it a go. Your clients have been doing it because they have had to and are obviously very loyal to their stylists. But after working in many salons and spas over a 20 year span, I truly believe that clients would prefer to have an allotted day and time and be able to spend the rest of their day off doing other things they enjoy

 

[BannerPenguin]

Especially if they have their favourite stylist etc. Giving the option of booking a day/time vs you may sit here for 2hrs until they're available. No brainer. Even if someone doesn't have a busy life, for example, a lady of leisure - they still would rather be doing something else other than waiting.

A quick way to assess is either trial the change for 3-6 months or do an anonymous survey at the till when they go to pay. If you have an ipad laying around, a simple online form setup with a yes/no checkbox.

I'd love to come to help you as I actually do business mentoring, however, I don't have time currently. I normally do it more for Digital Agencies but the core premise is the same.

 

[AcidPerm]

If you’re going to offer an appointment system, you must stick with it and be consistent. If a client books in for a 10am appt. ensure their stylist is available at 10am and hasn’t taken another client 15 mins beforehand, otherwise, it will be a complete waste of effort.

 

[jamiereid92]

If your busy but not making a profit then it may be prices are too low.

Or , not to be ride, your attitude.

After every single suggestion people have made, you say why it works for you, but it's obviously not working because you're making a.loss.

If you want to be successful you need to remove yourself from the situation, look at it as if you were an outsider, then make your strategy.

Also you said you don't do any marketing other than Facebook and leaflet, so how do you expect to find new clients?

 

[Valerie_T]

Hello all.
I'm running a hair and beauty salon in Canterbury, Kent. The business is quite slow since last September. I'm talking about at least a thousand pound loss per week.
It's gone really bad in the last few weeks.
How's everyone else doing? Do you feel any changes in business?

If you've noticed bad changes, then it's time to change your business model!
I agree with comments above, that you should start doing appointment booking, besides you're now going to have a website, get some good online booking system. Clients change, and their habits change, so we need to adjust.
And pay more attention to your marketing, don't underestimate it. Competition is crazy, work around.

 

[SlmnB]

If your busy but not making a profit then it may be prices are too low.

Or , not to be ride, your attitude.

After every single suggestion people have made, you say why it works for you, but it's obviously not working because you're making a.loss.

If you want to be successful you need to remove yourself from the situation, look at it as if you were an outsider, then make your strategy.

Also you said you don't do any marketing other than Facebook and leaflet, so how do you expect to find new clients?

You're absolutely right. Thank you.
Prices are low. I'm aware of it. I wanted to change the prices before Christmas but I was afraid of losing more clients as it's my first business and I don't know how it effects the business. So I didn't risk it but I can now see that it is mandatory for me to change the prices. However I'm not quite sure if it's the right time. Because business being already slow makes me think if it's the time for changes.
I was planning to get the website ready, notify people about appointments on the website, social media and in the salon. When it starts working put the prices up.