What do therapists do when quiet?

[july]

Hi, guys, it really bothers me and I'm not sure how to go about it.
I have 2 salons, only beauty and nails, no hair. Both fairly busy but of course we have our quiet times. In the past 2 weeks we had a few days where appointments were quite gappy, so I've popped in in one of them and the 2 therapists there were massaging each other. I asked what were they doing and one of them said she's offered to massage her collegue as she was really tight on her shoulders.....hmmm...I wasn't happy and I've asked if they've cleaned everything. Yes, they said, everything spotless.
I've left. My husband went in to drop some towels and back at home he said "They were infilling each other's lashes".
The enxt day I had treatments in there so did a spot check and no, the place wasn't spotless, the base of the couch was dusty, taps in the toilet were dirty etc...I had a go at one of them -the other one was off and she said "I'm not sure about the toilet and treatment room as I've done the reception area"...
Today again, a gappy day. They've infilled each others lashes, they've done each others Biosculpture toes and nails -that's from what I can see. I would imagine they've doine their waxing as well -one of them is going on holiday.
Now, it bothers me big time. They had no appointments from 6pm (we close at 8pm and we normally leave early if no appointments) but they've stayed till 7pm to fnish their Bio nails.
Is this taking the mick or it's just me??
Please somebody tell me.

July
x

 

[Dolly6410]

Hi, guys, it really bothers me and I'm not sure how to go about it.
I have 2 salons, only beauty and nails, no hair. Both fairly busy but of course we have our quiet times. In the past 2 weeks we had a few days where appointments were quite gappy, so I've popped in in one of them and the 2 therapists there were massaging each other. I asked what were they doing and one of them said she's offered to massage her collegue as she was really tight on her shoulders.....hmmm...I wasn't happy and I've asked if they've cleaned everything. Yes, they said, everything spotless.
I've left. My husband went in to drop some towels and back at home he said "They were infilling each other's lashes".
The enxt day I had treatments in there so did a spot check and no, the place wasn't spotless, the base of the couch was dusty, taps in the toilet were dirty etc...I had a go at one of them -the other one was off and she said "I'm not sure about the toilet and treatment room as I've done the reception area"...
Today again, a gappy day. They've infilled each others lashes, they've done each others Biosculpture toes and nails -that's from what I can see. I would imagine they've doine their waxing as well -one of them is going on holiday.
Now, it bothers me big time. They had no appointments from 6pm (we close at 8pm and we normally leave early if no appointments) but they've stayed till 7pm to fnish their Bio nails.
Is this taking the mick or it's just me??
Please somebody tell me.

July
x

personally i think its taking the mick, even if they are paying they still are doing it in working hours when they are getting paid to work ON CLIENTS? maybe if it was a one off but it dosnt sound like it is. i've never worked in a salon but have done work experience in one when i was at college, and they had a chart that if they had quiet times they had to do the jobs on the list, the list was never ending so never did anyone have time to do stuff on eachother. instead of having 'clean treatment room' it said all the pacific cleaning jobs so they all got done. i wouldnt stand for it if it was me x

 

[jujojones]

yep they are taking the mick! lol! the rule in our salon is thta you can get treatments done when its quiet IF ALL jobs are done! and imo in a salon the bloody jobs are never done lol! there is always more to do, and then they have to phone or text me or the hair salon manager if its ok! so at least we know what they are up to! i would hit the roof - its not like they are just doing a quick eyebrow wax is it!!

 

[july]

Thing is -they dont pay!! So they have the whole package of treatments for free and I pay them to do that, how out of norm is that??
Do you ask them to pay? If so, how much, the product price?

 

[laureng]

wow-these girls seem like they have the easy life at work! They are taking the mick and to be honest I wouldn't stand for it, it's one thing if it's a one off treatment but this doesn't seem like a one off. Who knows what else they are doing behind your back. I would suggest that they get treatments at a discounted rate; because they are still then promoting your services (it looks good if the therapist has nice nails and lashes and looks presentable) but this should be done either in their own time, or once all the jobs are done. Hope you get this sorted xx

 

[taggyboy]

So not on! I would phone up occasionally and try to make an appointment, anonymously, see if you can get booked in.

I would also have a meeting and tell them all treatments are now x amount of money and that you cannot absorb treatments for staff during a recession.

On a slightly different track, get some leaflets made up and send them out dropping. I know its only about 1% take up but it will keep them busy and hopefully you will get some business from it.

from Debbie's HTC Sense

 

[miss ellie]

They sure do have the life of Reilly! Sounds to me as if they need some serious micro-management ... Agree with the tasks list as mentioned above, either specific jobs, leaflet dropping etc. to be carried out within a time frame on quieter days / times. And they really should only have a staff discount, at least to cover cost price. At LEAST! I'm glad I don't have staff reading this ...

 

[wonderwoman]

i give incentives, so if its quiet and they wana be busy, stock check, refresher training info, clean up, weekly promo ideas, something to get them to do something.

I like to include and reward my staff, by making them feel part of a family, so more sales drive, be that appointment booking out on the street, discounted services etc = better oppertunities in long run. eg bonus or treatments or % off or towards refresher training courses. Its a major no-no to have treatments on each other in working hours. Have a firm word, and make sure it happens in their own times not yours! xoxo

 

[Katelisa]

I wouldn't be paying them to treat each other. I don't mind staff having treatments for free, as it's all good advertising, but it's done in their own time.

There's ALWAYS something to do; clean, tidy, restock, sorting record cards, writing to clients that havn't been in a while (I have pre printed postcards), txt appointment reminders, cutting eyebrow strips, endless boring things that need to be done !!

 

[Tigan]

do you not have a manager ?

 

[Tigan]

Im home based just now, but i worked in a salon years and years ago, i dont think there is a salon around where the staff dont sneak a treatment in, but i mean One or Two a week, nothing like the volume your talking about and the reason it wasnt more was because there was always so much to do even when it was quiet, alot of cleaning, we used to cut faces in the gauze, lol, (they used to buy it in rolls) we had to keep on top of the stock 'frequently' mostly cleaning and sterilizing things 'ocassionally' we took liberties and did a treatment on each other, but treatments take time and we rarely had time and we also never wanted to be caught by surprise in mid session, i mean its not like you could say, hold on a minute till i just remove this facemask, be with you in a tic, teeheehee, sounds to me like your girls were unmoved by your arrival and that maybe they think you allow it and think that its fine, perhaps you could say youve done a stock check and it doesnt look good and ask them 'how do you account for the loss'.

 

[Tigan]

in fact come to think of it, it was more like once or twice a month !!

 

[Tigan]

Alternatively, you could ask them to do a weekly stock check and send this to you and suggest that maybe they are using too much product on the client (but of course you know where the product is going) this would keep them busy and they wont be in a hurry to use them again, also you could 'invent' a customer complaint regards to cleanliness, or some germ story completely fabricated (but not all in the same day, lol) its better than going in all guns blazing, lol

 

[Katelisa]

also you could 'invent' a customer complaint regards to cleanliness, or some germ story completely fabricated (but not all in the same day, lol) its better than going in all guns blazing, lol

I prefer to do this, because it makes them realise that clients do actualy report back.

Another option may be to have security cams fitted in public areas, reception, hallways etc, the reception staff have been a whole lot more productive since cameras were fitted at the salon.