Last Minute Tips to Prepare Your Salon for the Holiday Season

The year is about to come to an end, and the most exciting time of the year is yet to come—the holidays!

For salon owners, the holidays can be a double-edged sword. There are holiday family photos to be taken, company parties to attend and big family gatherings to be hosted, all of which require your clients to look their best. That’s the good part, and it’s where your business comes in. Customers will come rushing through your door to get their hair and nails looking their best for all the festivities.

However, is your salon actually prepared to deal with the upcoming surge? If you can’t keep up with the demand, you’re going to quickly see the tidal wave of customers change course toward your competitors.

If you can manage the change of pace and adequately serve incoming customers, you’ll be ending the holiday season on a high note. Here are three tips to prepare for the holiday season and ensure you conquer the chaos:

1. Stock up on gift cards.

According to the National Retail Federation’s holiday survey, 60% of consumers said they would prefer to receive a gift card as a holiday gift over any other item, making it the most requested item for over a decade now. What does this mean for your salon? Not only will you see an influx of customers wanting new nail art or a hairstyle for the holiday season, but you’ll also be catering to clients wanting to purchase gift cards to your salon. Make sure you have more than enough gift cards on-hand and that your staff is well-versed in selling these items to make the purchasing process flawless for your client and your staff. Download our guide to learn how to sell gift cards like a pro. 

2. Keep your schedule organized.

With multiple customers flooding the gates of your salon, you’ve got to make sure employees are able to quickly act and give assistance. That’s why it’s imperative your employee schedule is as organized as possible. There is no room for error when your calendar is booked. You can’t afford any lapses in coverage or double bookings. Employees need to be able to quickly and easily know exactly where they need to be, which clients they need to be servicing, and at what time.

3. Check in with your employees before they hit the floor.

You put in a lot of time making sure that your customers are happy, right? Well, during hectic times like the holidays you should be putting in just as much time to make sure your employees are happy too. If they get frustrated and are unhappy that will quickly transfer to your customers, and that’s not what the holidays are about, right? Right.

Establish quick check-in times before an employee hits the floor. These shouldn’t take long. A quick 5-minute chat will do the trick. These check-ins help remind employees that even though things are chaotic, you still see them as individuals and care about their individual needs. It also helps to keep them on task and ensure they don’t get lost in the holiday shuffle. Lastly, it’s a good opportunity to subtly address any issues or changes you’d like to see them make and check on their performance.