Salon reopening not as busy as thought it would be! Anyone else the same?

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

KBM2020

New Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2020
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Hampshire
Hi guys! Hope you are all well and loving being back at work (if you're able to!)

I am reopening my salon 1st August (we specialise in facial treatments, think lash extensions, brows, facials!) and we had a generous waiting list prior to being given the green light.

After spending last weekend contacting those on the priority list, we are thankfully fully booked until 16th August. But honestly? After that we've only got one booking for August... Some of our regular clients informed us that they have recently lost their jobs/have other financial commitments which is understandable.

Has anyone else found that they aren't quite as busy as they expected to be? If so, how are you dealing with it?

Just to add, we are limiting the amount of clients we see in one day due to social distancing/extra cleaning measures etc! So appointments are more limited :)
 
I opened this week and was fully booked but my diary as busy as I expected it to be but appointments are now flooding in thankfully.

Fingers crossed the same happens for you.
 
Don’t worry just make sure you always ask the client before they pay if they would like to book their next visit in now. Recommend a timescale and ask if any days are preferred. Better a reschedule of something comes up than not rebooking.

Better a month in advance than none! I’m used to 3 months ahead so this will be weird but let’s just go with it.

Any that don’t rebook, call them a week before next one is due and remind them.
 
Hi guys! Hope you are all well and loving being back at work (if you're able to!)

I am reopening my salon 1st August (we specialise in facial treatments, think lash extensions, brows, facials!) and we had a generous waiting list prior to being given the green light.

After spending last weekend contacting those on the priority list, we are thankfully fully booked until 16th August. But honestly? After that we've only got one booking for August... Some of our regular clients informed us that they have recently lost their jobs/have other financial commitments which is understandable.

Has anyone else found that they aren't quite as busy as they expected to be? If so, how are you dealing with it?

Just to add, we are limiting the amount of clients we see in one day due to social distancing/extra cleaning measures etc! So appointments are more limited :)

Hi lovely,
We’ve found that when we’ve contacted a lot of our clients they’ve said they don’t feel comfortable having hair or beauty treatments right now. My friend was even laughed at when she rang one of her longest standing regulars to let her know appointments could resume ☹️
 
When I contacted clients to let them know I was going to get back to work, some were chomping at the bit (those that text me 2 seconds after the announcement :rolleyes: , some who have serious medical issues are going to look after themselves until things get back to normal if ever, one client is not ready to face the outside world & a few long standing clients who I thought would be desperate for an appointment haven’t even replied so I don’t even know what has happened there.
 
When I contacted clients to let them know I was going to get back to work, some were chomping at the bit (those that text me 2 seconds after the announcement :rolleyes: , some who have serious medical issues are going to look after themselves until things get back to normal if ever, one client is not ready to face the outside world & a few long standing clients who I thought would be desperate for an appointment haven’t even replied so I don’t even know what has happened there.

Haha I know as soon as the announcement happened I got messages too, thankfully off lovely ladies who I cherish.
How rude that some didn’t reply to you! Eek!
 
Yes I’ve been feeling anxious too. I’ve had loads of new client enquiries and all the appointments I wanted in week one, but I’m starting to have to hustle a little just to fill 1/3 of the appointments I usually offer.

I’ve hardly had any face appointments book in. I think I need to keep up social media and focus on the business which is strong. Lots of people are booking pedis so that’s what I’m going to push. I’m also going to keep pushing the #salonsaresafe message. I had a lot of likes for a photo of me wearing PPE and holding sanitiser. I notice that other salons are posting shots of their salons looking lovely and everyone looking great. I don’t know what they’re bookings are like - but I’m happier picking up clients who are sensible and anxious than all the blasé people.
 
It's absolutely dead next week. 4 appointments, that's it.
One facial booked for the week after, and about 6 tints/ brows and a couple of lip waxes. I have tried to encourage clients to come for mani/pedi and have their tint tests next week but no takers.
Some of my clients are absolutely terrified of leaving their house, so certainly not thinking of venturing to a salon anytime soon.
very strange times indeed.
 
Thinking from a clients point of view, there is no way I want anyone touching my face right now
 
Hi guys, thanks for all your helpful responses. It's reassuring to hear that it isn't just me, if I'm honest. :(

We did actually have a few more appointments book in but we are pretty quiet as of next week.

I'm actually thinking of doing a nail course as soon as I'm able to as it appears everyone in my area still wants their nails done, which is nice!!
 
Hi guys! Hope you are all well and loving being back at work (if you're able to!)

I am reopening my salon 1st August (we specialise in facial treatments, think lash extensions, brows, facials!) and we had a generous waiting list prior to being given the green light.

After spending last weekend contacting those on the priority list, we are thankfully fully booked until 16th August. But honestly? After that we've only got one booking for August... Some of our regular clients informed us that they have recently lost their jobs/have other financial commitments which is understandable.

Has anyone else found that they aren't quite as busy as they expected to be? If so, how are you dealing with it?

Just to add, we are limiting the amount of clients we see in one day due to social distancing/extra cleaning measures etc! So appointments are more limited :)
I'm saddened to hear about your struggles. Our indestry just like restaurants and tattoo parlors have been hit hard by the Pandemic. I think it's more than other industries, since these work in such close proximity with people.
Have you tried giving your regulars a discount? I know its not an ideal thing to do when your shop has been closed for months and I'm sure you along with your staff is struggling also. But it might help a bit to get those loyal customers to come in to your shop, adding at least some income for your business.
Just a thought...... I wish you and your staff the best of luck and hope everyone in our industry can recover from this blow to everyone finances
 
Hi guys! Hope you are all well and loving being back at work (if you're able to!)

I am reopening my salon 1st August (we specialise in facial treatments, think lash extensions, brows, facials!) and we had a generous waiting list prior to being given the green light.

After spending last weekend contacting those on the priority list, we are thankfully fully booked until 16th August. But honestly? After that we've only got one booking for August... Some of our regular clients informed us that they have recently lost their jobs/have other financial commitments which is understandable.

Has anyone else found that they aren't quite as busy as they expected to be? If so, how are you dealing with it?

Just to add, we are limiting the amount of clients we see in one day due to social distancing/extra cleaning measures etc! So appointments are more limited :)
I’ve had the same.im freelance,July was packed out and I was working really long hours but August has been a wash out...it’s weird because the people I thought who would be in a rush to get back are terrified ☹️...decided to finally go to university and get my law degree in these strange times whilst things are quiet...hope it all picks up for you soon 💗
 
Like others have said, I was packed out the first 2 weeks then went quiet,then picked up again last week after the announcement 're facial treatment althogh only 2 facials have booked back in and one of those isn't until September as she wants to wait a bit longer. All of my facial clients are booking for reflexology instead at the minute!
I tend to promote via email and text rather than social media and I have emailed all of my clients to say that I will be emailing them specific treatment offers tailor made for the treatments i think they would like the most and told them to look out for the email as the offer will be for a limited time. I have then put together something I think they'd normally have but added an extra treatment rather than offer a discount. Next week's offer is, book for an eyelash tint and have an eyebrow tint for free, they can tell one friend about the offer who has to be new to the salon then once they have the offer the regular client gets the same offer again in one months time. I only sent this to 10 clients to try it out who haven't been back in yet and 6 have booked and 4 of those have added other treatments onto it. Anything's worth a try.
Hope you pick up soon x
 
Good luck to everyone, it seems everyone is struggling.
I have been fairly busy, but only doing 2-3 clients a day which is greatly reduced. I usually have some appointments booked a couple of months in advance but only have 2 bookings so far.
Some clients haven’t got back to me after I announced my return to work & some clients don’t like the idea of trying to relax whilst having to wear a mask. Some are only just starting to come out of the woodwork but as no one is doing anything, they’re not going to want as many appointments as usual.
With the reopening of face treatments, some who would normally have brows have decided not to have them anymore.
Looking at my profits from this time last year, it’s down by half this year. Fortunately I am mobile so don’t have overheads as such apart from my car.
It’s a difficult time for everyone, especially salons I think as clients are not wanting to venture out, they seem more comfortable being treated at home.
With the added difficulty of the extra measures we’re having to take & the uncomfortable visors which make it impossible to see what i’m doing, I can’t say I am enjoying my job much anymore & I don’t think I am alone in saying that.
 
I'm reasonably busy but not as much as I expected.

I think we're dealing with a mix of things here. There are some clients who are wary about the safety aspect of having treatments done (particularly facial). There are others who now can't afford it. A third group, I think, has got used to not having their treatments done - growing their hair colour out for example, or doing their own nails. Or, in my case, pencilling in their brows instead of having Permanent Makeup!

I think we need to find a way of tackling these issues separately. I'm just recovering from my first week back & I already feel exhausted. Right now, I'm giving myself a bit of a rest but I'd love to hear some of your ideas about how to get things moving again :)
 
Please don’t discount......
This breaks my heart to hear
If folk aren’t coming because they are worried about the virus - a discount won’t change their mind!
Do not devalue this profession any more
Stay strong - add value - have faith...
If you are good at what you do, they will return 😉
 
Please don’t discount......
This breaks my heart to hear
If folk aren’t coming because they are worried about the virus - a discount won’t change their mind!
Do not devalue this profession any more
Stay strong - add value - have faith...
If you are good at what you do, they will return 😉
I absolutely agree ! A salon close to us are doing gel polish hands or toes for £10 ! We have 2 nail technicians and 3 therapists fully booked most of the week.
We are relentlessly driving our business. If you don’t you will be driven out of business. We focus on even just a half hour space that day. Social media is amazing. We post “office open til 9pm tonight for bookings” when people are sitting at home on their phones they say this is the best time to book. If you can get a facial or wax booked in a space, this is a future client in the next month. Customer care and quality of treatments are what clients look for. We also say to clients during treatment that we have availability for eg massage on Thursday. If a client calls to book eyebrows we would say, we have availability for a file and polish straight after or suggest something for them. It does work. Good Luck everyone, we will get there !
 
So interesting reading all these posts. I've been back 7 weeks now. All everyone talks about is covid 19, PPE bla bla bla.its sometimes quite depressing. Like most after the initial catch up I've quietened down. Tbh can't see it fully picking up for a long time. People are so anxious about everything still. Government have been brilliant to small businesses, ive been careful with my grant to try and help it last but I've decided to call it a day. Am closing up in three months time, making my one member of staff redundant. Will be setting up from home where at least if I have a quiet day it's not costing me anything. I've made the decision which is better than it being made for me. I still love my job but being a salon owner is just too tough an on that basis...I'm out!
 
We're still closed here. I'm currently working on my portfolio and mysocial media before we get to go back. Using time productively
 
I think we all have to respect peoples views. Treatments are so close to clients I can understand (sadly) why the industry is slow. A lot of people still have children at home. Older healthy people live with an at risk person etc. Salary cuts for many and even worse total loss of income.

I think once schools go back and the virus stays at a controlled level (fingers crossed) it will get busier but maybe will take a while to bounce back to pre covid days. Really important everyone in industry is being vigilant with all PPE and sanitising so confidence grows and the spread is not from us.

Really so difficult and definitely no magic answers.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top