TPTW- Do any of you stagger appointments?

[JesseDavidNailDesign]

Happy Sunday everyone!

So I'm doing alot of Gelish services right now. And I'm thinking about scheduling the client for removal for the last 15 minutes of another appointment to get her wrapped up.

I'm thinking that this will help in two ways. It would make a better use of otherwise idle time. And it will make the removal easier, because I won't be tempted to try to start too soon.

So my question is, are any of you doing this? And, as a client, how would you feel about it?

 

[mrskilani]

We sometimes do this in our salon. Eg: If I have time to wrap one of the other girls clients to help them along, then I will. The clients seem quite happy with this and don't mind who wraps them, so long as they are in with their therapist for the actual removal & reapplication.

 

[shedunlop]

I agree and as long as someone is free to wrap them and not breaking away from another client to do this I see nothing wrong with it at all. It's a bit like having your hair washed at the salon, you are only bothered which stylist you have. :green:

 

[persianista]

As Sheila said, it is normal for us to have someone else do our prep work. Clients are fine with it. The client won't see me between consultation and cut. I appear when the hair has been washed, towelled off, gowned up and combed through.

Often with shellac, we begin removal during a hair service, so the junior wraps the nails so that the product is ready for removal the moment the clients sits down at the nail station.

 

[JesseDavidNailDesign]

Thank you ladies!

As of yet, I can't afford an assistant. I'm not consistently busy enough. So I would be breaking away for about 5 min (maybe less). The problem I'm having is that while I'm far from fully booked, the in demand times (which for me are week day evenings and Saturday) my regulars have a hard time getting in.

I was thinking of doing this before I'm ready to apply polish, Gelish or otherwise finish the last client I'm working on. They could wash their hands and put on jewelry. If it's normal polish, take out keys, wallet, etc.

 

[karenrose]

If I was a client in to get my nails done I would not appreciate getting left half way through so the technician can go see to someone else to start them off, then to return and finish my nails off.

 

[Beautification]

I agree with the comments below, if your client has their hands in the lamp, or they are waiting for nails to dry i think this is fine.

I have been in many salons that do this and it is really only the same as leaving a client at a haird salon when they have dye on their hair to do something else.. what do you expect them to do..sit with you the whole time and loose money.

 

[Kerrymarie]

id definitely recommend this, its a good idea! just make sure your client is comfortable and has a drink or something while she waits, she should be perfectly happy!

 

[JesseDavidNailDesign]

If I was a client in to get my nails done I would not appreciate getting left half way through so the technician can go see to someone else to start them off, then to return and finish my nails off.

Thank you, Karenrose. I'm definitely looking for all sides. So even if it made the difference between you getting in or not, you would object?

And Thank you Kerrymarie and Beautification, you responded while I was composing this

 

[shedunlop]

In this case I would definitely not break away from my client to apply wraps to anyone else's nails. As a client I would not be happy that I had your full attention. I understand the theory but this would not work happily in practice.

Sorry darling! :green:

 

[Pooh8bear]

If I was a client in to get my nails done I would not appreciate getting left half way through so the technician can go see to someone else to start them off, then to return and finish my nails off.

I agree with karenrose, it would seem like you think your time is more important than the clients....you wouldn't expect to wait for the client to finish a 5 or 10 min phone conversation in the middle of the appointment. It would just leave a bad feeling I think.

 

[AllThumbs]

I do stagger appointments but only when i have back to back gel polish. While client one is doing her 2-3 mins under the light i apply the wraps to client two. Get client 2 a magazine or drink and Im back with client 1 before the timer goes off. it is more efficient then sitting there staring at each other doing nothing and usually the clients chat with each other and no one ever seems to mind. It cuts 15 mins from each re-gel client appointment.
I do lots of thing while the client cure. If i have a large amount of dust i may sweep it if its a busy day or help the client make her next appointment while the top is curing. We talk polish ideas and i sell them retail.
I try to entertain the client while they are curing so when client 2 comes in during the top coat cure they usually entertain themselves with each other.

 

[Kate1982]

I think you know your clients. If your the one doing all the booking and you are stuggling to fit people in then just mention that you will need to break off for a couple of minutes.
I know my clients and I know the clients that wouldn't mind and the ones that would. I get my junior to do it but for you needs must.
Even if maybe you do it on the last cure of the top coat at least then they can be soaking while you take payment and re-book etc.
xx

 

[Wooshka]

Thank you ladies!

As of yet, I can't afford an assistant. I'm not consistently busy enough. So I would be breaking away for about 5 min (maybe less). The problem I'm having is that while I'm far from fully booked, the in demand times (which for me are week day evenings and Saturday) my regulars have a hard time getting in.

I was thinking of doing this before I'm ready to apply polish, Gelish or otherwise finish the last client I'm working on. They could wash their hands and put on jewelry. If it's normal polish, take out keys, wallet, etc.

This could be a 'way too far out there idea' but you are saying that your problem lays with the 'in demand' times but your 'quiet/not crazily busy/not fully booked' at other times.....could you cut an hour off another day or 2 (say open an hour later or something) and add on that hour to your 'in demand' times instead of doing this idea of breaking away from your clients?
So if you work Mon thru to Sat and you open every day at 9 and close at 5, you could open at 10 on a Tues/Wed morning (if it's quiet enough at those times) and add those 2 hrs onto the Sat times and another day in the evening and close at 6 instead.....if that all makes sense
It would mean your still working the same hours just at different times and at time where you seem to be needed more.
Or if you really don't want to cut out the hour in the morning in case you loose business from new clients wanting to come at that time, you just might have to extend your busy days by an hour or so in the 'high demand' time/days.
Or what about getting a newbie tech who has just started training or something and she/he could do your soak off's for you and other little jobs while you are in your peek busy times? Could you afford that maybe???

I think your idea is good but speaking from a clients point of view, I know I wouldn't be happy if you broke away from my appt time to work on someone else (unless it was a normal polish that is waiting to dry, which I think would be few and far between in todays world, now we have Shellac etc).
Even if you did it while the client is putting jewelery back on etc, I still can't see you having all 10 fingers correctly wrapped etc in that short period of time it would take your 1st client to be ready, which means that 1st client will be waiting on you.
And what about if 2nd client gets all chatty or just HAS to show you something on her nails before soak off etc while 1st client is waiting and you end up being 15/20 mins instead of 5.

I think it's a good idea in theory but not in practice I'm sorry to say

Good luck with your decision, it must be hard to make choices like this and I dread the day when I have to do the same thing.

 

[JesseDavidNailDesign]

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

Wooshka That is a good idea, but I work in a hair salon, so I'm restricted to their hours.

Kate1982 An excellent point, there are definitely some clients I wouldn't do this with.

I know that ideally you would do this with an assistant. I was just curious if any of you book this way by yourself.

I'm going to discuss it and try it with my regulars on slower days and see if I can do it. I'm set up at a nail bar. So the client could just come in and I'd move over to the next chair. I can introduce them to one another, etc. And I always have my foils ready, and I could set up a little 'removal station' so I don't waste time.

It's not that I want to be greedy, or think my time is more valuable than a clients. I'm just trying to think of another option to offer last minute/late bookings. All I can do is try!

 

[waffle4]

Hiya, just adding my penny's worth. From a client perspective I really wouldn't be happy if I was sidelined while you moved onto a new client before completely finishing my service. People are paying for your time and they might feel like they are not getting what they're paying for. Suppose the "wrapped" client wants to discuss her new nail requirements and keeps you chatting. I just fear you'll be totally stressed out thinking OMG hurry up, I've gotta get back to client 1 now etc etc.
I completely sympathise with you, but just be careful you don't end up stressing yourself out even more:hug: xxx

 

[JesseDavidNailDesign]

Hi Guys! Just to follow up on this thread, I'm most definitely NOT doing it :lol:

I had a day this week, where I was running behind with 2 people, and it took so much effort to make them happy. I can't imagine scheduling my life like this everyday. The stress would not be worth it for me.

When I'm busy enough I'll hire an assistant. At the salon where I work, we have assistants already. So I think I'm going to go ahead and train them on some things and wait patiently.

As much as I hate saying no to anyone. I'll just have to say no. My clients will learn to book sooner, and not leave it until the last minute!

Thank you all for your feedback. It was worth a shot