Staff not listening, help!

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androoouk

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Apr 27, 2018
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New Zealand
Me and my other half own a salon.

She is a stylist and running the day to day operations, I get do the accounts, tax, website, FB and anything else (+cleaning ;)), i also have a full time job.

Our staff don't seem to listen to instructions..or they do for a bit and then full back in to bad habits.

When clients do not specify a stylist, the bookings should be fairly distributed between stylists (we only have 2) but it doesn't seem to be working out like that as the other stylist keeps them for herself (she also runs for the phone when it rings!!). The stylist is also not confident in her abilities and will talk clients out of anything she doesn't feel confident doing (bamboozling them with terminology that, to a non-professional, sounds negative).

The assistant, i don't know where to begin, well, she's forgetful, doesn't listen properly, panders to the other stylist and leaves my partner (who is the boss) in the lurch quite often (washing the other stylists clients or just disappearing in to the back of the salon).

An assertiveness training course for my partner is something we'll need to do.

I do also want to add that we are planning on getting some training courses sorted for the other stylist (we're in our first year of training and in between colour companies atm) and we have tried look for a new stylist (as we do need one more) but have been trying for the last 6 months and only now possibly getting one (early interview stages).

I feel like i should go in to the salon and try and have a chat to the other stylist and assistant but i don't feel like i could make a difference or even make things worse by being too harsh

What advice can you give that would help a not very assertive boss deal with this sort of behavior from her staff?

...and apologies for the novel, any help or tips would be most appreciated!!

andrew
 
Hold a staff meeting and tell them to get their acts together. If they don't listen, start dishing some warnings out and go through disciplinary action. 3 strikes your out.
 
Hold a staff meeting and tell them to get their acts together. If they don't listen, start dishing some warnings out and go through disciplinary action. 3 strikes your out.

We have staff meetings, may be we need to change how they're structured? Get some basic customer service tips in there, explanations as to WHY we do the things we do...

The warnings thing is a good idea but unfortunately, we're in a position where we can't afford to lose anyone :-( There just isn't anyone applying for hairdressing positions in Wellington, NZ.. everyone seems to be working from home or going mobile! If anyone is traveling around NZ and fancy stopping off in Wellington and working for a bit, message me lol
 
We have staff meetings, may be we need to change how they're structured? Get some basic customer service tips in there, explanations as to WHY we do the things we do...

The warnings thing is a good idea but unfortunately, we're in a position where we can't afford to lose anyone :-( There just isn't anyone applying for hairdressing positions in Wellington, NZ.. everyone seems to be working from home or going mobile! If anyone is traveling around NZ and fancy stopping off in Wellington and working for a bit, message me lol

It’s the same here....very difficult to get good staff as they don’t want to work in salons anymore - it seems they all work from home or mobile
 
I worked in a salon which sounds very similar. The partner had a few words with a staff member and to be honest it looks like the owner (wife) has been moaning but not actually said anything so needless to say the stylist upped and left. From a hair point of view the feedback needs to come from your partner if they are they together all the time.

As for the bookings, personally if a stylist wants to make money then why wouldn’t she want to book the clients in for herself and run for the phone, a bit of competition is healthy and if the other stylist wants work they they need to step up. In my whole career this has happened except where a receptionist or junior book the appointments. Is she on a target or commission but then you except to share the clients?

Maybe the whole team could attend a course? Colour companies often offer evening events maybe some team bonding?

It’s also fairly normal for a junior to gravitate to a stylist they like - I would find a way that she would work for everyone like 50p for every treatment she does or sells then she will be jumping at do all client plus making money for the salon
 
Are they employed or self employed?
If your wife wanted to run her own salon, she has to step and manage it. A successful salon owner needs to be so much more than simply a competent hairdresser.
Can you get hold of copies of Tabatha’s salon takeover?
It was made by US tv company Bravo a few years ago but you and your wife would benefit for watching a couple of series and it might help you both understand what’s going wrong and why the staff aren’t following the rules.
 

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