One of the biggest challenges currently facing the beauty and wellness industry is retaining and supporting providers as we settle into life post-COVID. With income and financial security affected and uncertainty around whether guests will be returning, supporting your provider’s success matters now more than ever...
Read on for eight steps you can take to help you and your providers succeed.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Service providers communicate all day long with guests. But how much are you communicating as a team? As a business owner, you have the opportunity to deliver a consistent narrative and ensure providers feel equipped and confident to answer any questions their guests may have while they’re in the chair.
Create clear communication structures and practices, so providers have the clarity they need to feel comfortable carrying out their job in such a changed environment. Set and maintain guidelines on safety protocols and what autonomy the individual provider has to safeguard their health and minimize issues or concerns. Share stress reduction skills that help providers deal with the changes. Book a regular meeting so that providers know they have a safe space to bring up any questions and that you’re investing in – and safeguarding – them.
This communication also extends to guests, so keep them in the loop with email or SMS messages. Let guests know you’re back, what to expect, how to book, and about pricing changes (if any). Give them a taste of life behind the scenes by transparently sharing changes.
Create Opportunities for Connection
According to Neuroscientist, Alicia Walf, “Positive human connections are the most powerful tool for reducing stress.” Not to mention the fact that creating connection and relationships between providers and guests is a sure-fire way to build loyalty. So, how can you help encourage these connections?
Spotlight your providers on your brand’s social media! Keep providers top of mind for guests by promoting their knowledge and skills on social channels. Consider doing short reels or stories where they share tutorials of how to create a complex hairstyle at home, or keep their skin looking fresh between facials.
This deepens relationship with guests and helps them to feel more comfortable. Got shy providers? Not everyone wants to be in the spotlight, so consider taking photos of completed styles or services and publish along with the provider’s first name and location.
Another option is to create provider bios for your website. This way, before selecting a provider, potential guests get a sense of who they are. Plus, personalizing this initial touchpoint helps to kickstart that connection. Highlight the provider’s training, ongoing education, or particular specialties. In addition to being great marketing, this demonstrates that you care about the individual provider.
Read more: 3 Tips to Boost Your Salon or Spa’s Social Media Presence
Give Them the Tools to Create an Extraordinary Experience
Help your providers create a beautiful experience for every guest, by giving them insights into past visits, how long it’s been since the appointment and what products guests have purchased previously. Since that regular root touch-up appointment has been pushed months or even a full year, guests are looking to providers for the knowledge and recommendations that get them back to looking and feeling their best. So, give your providers the information they need to feel prepped and primed for their day!
With an Employee Mobile App providers have all these insights in the palm of their hands and are empowered to own their success. They can put their expert knowledge to good use, prepare recommendations and go into each appointment feeling confident and ready to deliver the best experience. Not only does this give each guest a memorable, high-quality visit but it also helps service providers increase their average ticket price and commission.
Consider also a solution that enables your team to communicate with guests over SMS. That way, if your providers have a spare 15-minutes or a cancellation, they can use the time to check in with guests who haven’t visited yet. Providers can see how they can help and identify recommendations for products the guest may not have even considered. Guests are bound to be excited to be returning and providers can reach out to grow this excitement and strengthen relationships, by letting guests know how happy they are for them to be coming in and what to expect.
Learn more : How you can elevate your guest’s experience
Make it Easier for Guests to Show Their Appreciation
If a guest has enjoyed their experience, it’s only natural that they would want to leave a gratuity. But this can often feel stressful. With POS systems that require a tip amount to be added to the invoice, the front desk team is often faced with asking the awkward question of how much a guest would like to tip. And a guest can feel uncomfortable having to verbally disclose this amount, no matter if it’s high or low.
Keep in mind, this may be the final interaction your guest has before they leave your salon or spa. So, ensure this last touchpoint accurately reflects the extraordinary experience they’ve had in the service chair with mobile payments. Having a customer app that facilitates guests to make payments directly on their own mobile device eliminates uncomfortable conversations and barriers by ensuring your payment options are easy and convenient. Guests are automatically presented with tipping percentages on the payment screen and can simply hit the button. This subtly prompts the gratuity question without imposing it on the guest.
Not convinced? Research shows that people spend more when they don’t have to physically part with their cash. And the power of suggestion is real! When Lyft increased the suggested tip amount, drivers saw an increase in tips on rides over $25.
Provide Learning & Development Opportunities
Training and knowledge sharing creates connected teams. So, turn downtime into productive learning time by encouraging providers to utilize empty slots to develop new skills and techniques. These investments increase long-term profitability and success for both providers and your brand.
Create opportunities for providers to learn from top-performers or offer mentoring advice to junior stylists. And reward these providers for their skills! For example, in Zenoti employees can record time spent training or mentoring other team members and earn a higher rate of pay for time spent passing on this knowledge. An alternative is to provide access to free education like Barbicide’s complimentary COVID-19 certification. Or look to foundations and funds that support the continued education of service providers through financial support, education, or tools.
Another option is to offer additional value and education outside of the beauty industry. Take free online courses as a team or organize a lunch and learn with a local skills coach. What is important to your employees? Find ways to invest in the whole self -not only the services they provide. Ultimately, making the ongoing learning and development of providers a priority will help your team to see your brand as their long-term career path and be further invested in its success.
At Zenoti, we understand the importance of supporting service providers, both present and future, which is why we created the Zenoti foundation. With our scholarships, we are making real on our commitment to support the next generation of salon, spa, and fitness practitioners. Look at our 2021 Zenoti foundation plans and partnerships.
Celebrate Wins
Along with staying committed to your provider’s learning and development, another way to build careers is to create an open, honest, and supportive environment where providers want to remain long-term. Clearly communicate goals and expectations and let them know that their thoughts and feedback will be heard. Stay on the pulse of each providers' performance and celebrate their successes in real-time. And, on the other hand, ensure they know that it’s only natural for mistakes to occur and that coaching and support is there when they need it.
At Zenoti, we believe in making people feel good so they can find their greatness. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Start weekly staff meetings with shout-outs and celebrations. Introduce friendly competition with a weekly or monthly prize draw or contest.
- Create a salon or spa specific (and soon to be coveted) trophy, won through co-worker nominations.
- Establish weekly highlights or stylist features on your salon's social media to amplify their presence.
Increase Schedule Flexibility
Naturally, pre-COVID, providers had more flexibility over their booking schedule. This may have included the option to work longer hours, opt in for overtime, and fill their days with as many services as possible. Shutdowns changed this, and ongoing capacity restrictions are preventing bookings from bouncing back to pre-COVID levels. The new normal is limited schedules and service chair space. Not to mention guests who are nervous or hampered by their own financial struggles, further decreasing earning income as they once knew it. Plus, some providers may feel uncomfortable working in a busy center again but feel pressured to return anyway.
To help them feel more comfortable, consider giving them the opportunity to add that flexibility back to their schedule so that can work in a quieter environment. Could they maintain odd hours or perhaps start earlier or later to limit the time spent in salon? If they have established relationships with guests this may elevate their experience too and put both individuals at ease by enabling the guest to also return to a less-busy location.
Learn more: How to adapt your salon, spa or medspa post COVID.
Prioritize Safety
Self-service features, like digital health questionnaires, touchless check-in, and mobile payment options, ensure guest safety by removing touchpoints and shared devices. These solutions make guests and providers feel more comfortable by reducing the level of risk involved in coming in for their appointment. Take away the worry of needing to visit and speak to someone at the front desk by enabling them to check-in on their phone and head straight to the service chair.
Not only do these features make safety a priority, but they also save you time and money that can be better invested elsewhere. If your providers or front desk team no longer need to be dedicated to answering the phone and booking appointments, then their time and energy can be reallocated to creating a better guest experience for those who are in your salon or spa. They can be having conversations, putting returning guests at ease or walking them through the retail product selection to create meaningful connections without the need to multitask.
Zenoti provides a complete solution to meet your needs. Our unmatched industry expertise and constantly evolving knowledge make us the salon and spa software experts. Learn from industry leaders on how they are using tech to keep staff and guests safe while enhancing post-COVID experiences.
Read more : How 3 Salons are Using Touchless Technology to Enhance Post-COVID Experiences
