Right after the government has permitted the Salons to open, outside the containment zone, it is mandatory for them to abide by the guidelines for employees and customer’s safety.
Do not forget that these guidelines will take effect during the COVID-19 pandemic and can be revised as needed, and will be reduced under safe conditions. The government has also regulated that if any Salon found violating these guidelines, then strict action will be taken and the Salon will get closed by health officials.
Though this time has made every business fall into a big loss, that does not mean that they will lose hope. After reopening the Salons, you can get back to the shape, but, by following the appropriate guidelines.
The first and foremost is that all Salons should disinfect and clean the tools, linens, surfaces before re-opening. You need to repeat this even if they were cleaned before closing. Continuing that, we have mentioned below the other important safety measures that are required to be followed while carrying out the process of Salon re-opening. Let’s find out Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19 below:
Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19
#1. Temperature Checks
The Salon should use a non-contact infrared thermometer to monitor the daily temperature of employees and every customer entering the salon.
Any customer or employee with a temperature higher than 99°F should be sent home immediately, and they should not return to the salon unless they have no sign of COVID-19 symptoms.
#2. Should Ask
Before letting the customers entering the Salon premises, ask them the below questions:
- Do you have a cough?
- Do you have a fever?
- In the past 14 days, have anyone near you experienced these symptoms?
- Do you live with anyone who is in isolation or sick?
#3. Limit the attendees proportion in the Salon
The Salon must allow the customers to visit considering appointments only. They must prioritize the phone or online scheduling. The customers who are looking for their turn in the waiting area must get reduced. Allowing them to wait outside the Salons in their vehicles till their turn is not approachable is advised. The Salons are not authorized to gather many customers at one time.
#4. Should follow social distancing every time
Now, it is known to all that the spacing between the two customers should be at least six feet.
** The case is different when the staff is serving the customers**.
In addition, they must add space between the divider shields, booths, and also, fix the alternate work schedules.
#5. Own protective gear
Wearing masks
It is essential for the Salon employees to wear the mask every time. They must provide the same to the customers as well. Also, allow the customers and employees to wear masks when receiving services.
Face Shields
Furthermore, if the face shields are available to you then wear it as well. It is the other best method to protect your salon from COVID while serving the customers.
Gloves
Wearing gloves is also crucial when providing services to customers. Acknowledge the employees to change the gloves after serving one customer.
Hand-washing
Most importantly, the employees should wash hands with the soap, or hand-washer for around 20 seconds when providing service to the customers. Also, it is very much important that the customers before entering either sanitize their hands or wash them.
Employee clothing
Certainly, the employees should assure while entering the Salons that their clothes are neat and clean. Also, tell them to change before arriving at their home.
Note: In addition to all, the PPG, like, the linens, eye coverings, gowns, gloves, drapes, etc. must get changed between every customer. Assure that the used products got disinfected or are disposed of in the closed container.
#6. Reception area
Do not fill in the reception area with useless items, like newspapers, magazines, service menus, and some decors, etc. In Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19, Clean every table and seat with disinfectant. Use consider the plastic cover on the chair because cloth chairs are not cleanable properly.
Clean the reception desk and eradicate the manual ways of booking the appointment and prefer using the Salon Software (the ways of which will be defined later in this article).
- The employees at the reception area should wash their hands regularly after using the computer, phones, credit card machine, or cash register. Wipe in between using these services.
- It is better to avoid exchanging cash to stop the spread of the virus. But, there is no option that you must wash or sanitize your hands after every transaction. Here, as well, you can leverage the Salon Software that enables you to be cashless and use secure payment gateways, such as Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize. Net.
- Do not forget to clean and disinfect every retail area and the used products, or bowls.
- Also, wipe out every door handle and other surfaces that are touched regularly by the employees and the customers using the disinfectant wipes.
- Provide the tissues and hand sanitizer to the customers and employees.
- Use the signage and floor stickers that show Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19 for social distancing.
#7. Administrative Controls
- The sick employees must stay at their homes and come back only when they are perfectly fine.
- The Salons managers or owners should provide educational materials, and training on handwashing, proper sanitation, reinforcement on sneeze and cough etiquette and using PPE, and other protective practices.
- Assure that all
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keep the breakrooms and lobbies sanitized and clean and make sure not to use them for meeting the employees
- Put only the antibacterial soaps on all the sinks and prefer to place only the paper towels.
- Put the handwashing signs in the restrooms.
- Put the alcohol-based wipes at every phone station.
- Be flexible with the Salon hours/ schedule to lessen the number of customers in the Salon to maintain social distancing.
- Also, you should provide liquid disinfectant containers, EPA disinfectant wipes or EPA-approved disinfectants for the disinfecting work areas and technical implements.
As we have discussed above that Salon Software could be helpful for your Salon in the COVID-19 outbreak. To make it more clear, we have explained more about the same in the below section.
How Salon Software is helpful in Salon reopening
#A. Setup the calendar up
Covid-19 totally change the way of handling things. Social distancing, at the same time, also, does not allow the employees to carry out the services the same way. Use the software to Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19.
On an all, you need to make some potent changes, such as changing the business hours, following the best safety measures, and limiting the number of customers visiting you.
So, before you reopen the Salon again, you must set-up the calendar with the hour changes and manage your employees accordingly.
It is best to stagger the start time of the appointment so that the customer will not visit at once. You can even leverage our padding time feature, which calculates a time buffer automatically to the start or end of the service. It will assist you with the extra time that your employees may require to clean up and make the salon ready for the next customer.
If you have many employees, then, you should make their schedule according to their shifts. This is how you can maintain social distancing.
#B. Notify the customer for important information
Just like all of us want to line up for shopping 2 meters apart, the customer experience in your salon will now be different. This is the best role of the software in Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19.
You should inform them of what has changed and what they must anticipate at their next appointment. Here, the best way to interact with them is to via SMS messages.
- Salonist’s SMS bulk prices are more economical comparatively. It allows you to send valued messages to either a few target customers or all customers without causing financial losses.
- With advanced targeting, you can notify customers via SMS when you are reopening, the new safety and health you have to follow. It, also, includes online booking links that enable the customers to book in advance.
- If you choose emails than SMS, then Salonist Salon Software has integrated MailChimp. Now, you can make and send automated or ad-hoc newsletters and emails to notify the customer regarding the latest Salon updates.
- In addition, you can update the automated messages, such as appointment reminders and confirmations to show every health and safety protocol that the customer must know prior to the appointment. This way, you can interact with the customers without any manual chores and keep them in the loop.
#C. Prepare your Salon for booking
Create online booking
Now is the best time to create or schedule online bookings and allow Salonist to do all the hard work for you. This way, you can handle all of your bookings seamlessly and save your productive time which you are letting go of with the plethora of appointment requests. With Salonist’s Online booking:
- The customers can book either from the Facebook page, Instagram or from the website or from email and SMS 24X7.
- You can control the calendar and improve employee profits and productivity through (optional) features such as closing the gap. It simply displays the availability of online bookings before and after the booking period.
- Also, you can have the full or half online deposits before booking the appointments and eliminate no-shows. It manages the queue in this COVID-19 easily.
#D. Take half or full payment for each booking
Getting the half and full deposits before the appointments imply that you get to have benefited from taking upfront, you are providing a contactless payment option with less risks of no-shows. The customer will comprehend and prefer it to cover the cost in a longer period and also, save them from having to work hard after their appointment to get the payments.
#E. Create premium packages
Leverage the demand when the Salon doors reopen and assure that the time is spent well by providing premium bundles and packages.
Do not hope to see every customer at once; as there might be some restrictions on how many customers can visit you at once. We advise you to give priority to the customers who are liable to pay for more services and go for premium offers to go for services.
Analyze the service list with the premium packages/bundles that allow you to boost the revenue and lessen the low cost and get fast services. Experiencing 15 customers paying $250 each is even easier to manage than experiencing 25 customers paying $250 each.
#F. Load your calendar with bookings
Several innovative ways are there that let customers comprehend that you have re-opened the Salon. So, despite all the other general happenings, you need to look after the other essential options, such as:
Using SMS campaigns
Salonist allows you to leverage the SMS campaigns to inform the Salon customers that you are re-opened. Look below to know-how:
Surely, there must be some customers who have missed their booking with you when you are closed. Notify them you are booking when you are open again. These customers are most in need of the appointments and they will show trust when you value them.
How about it? Filter customers who have made bookings before your closing date.
Allow your customers to know that you reopen and they need to prioritize. If you have forgotten to mark anyone as VIP, then you can mark them as VIP before sending favorites and high customers.
Get ready and send the bookings link to every customer who has booked in the past 12 months so that they have the same chance to get the first place.
Be social from a distance with social media handles
Get benefits from social media now. Set up the date and time showing that you reopen and build a live countdown and then flick the switch to let the customer’s book first.
Coming soon: Increase your waiting list
On the waitlist system, Salonist Legend is difficult to work to assist you to deal with the need. The customers will cancel and alter their bookings, and let them help you keep your calendar intact. So, pay close attention to our new waiting list feature to assist you to carry out this.
Run your business like a professional
Several long term changes are there that the businesses need to carry out in this tough timings of COVID-19. Hence, it is best to start now to have a safe and healthy life in the future.
Prepare yourself for contact tracing
Many companies need to track their customers for contract tracking. Not only their names and phone numbers, but also emails, home addresses, and more details they may not have. Don’t fret, this process can be made simple in time!
You can include a link in the reminder message so that customers can review and update their contact information if you need more information. You can send a custom form to customers to fill out the form before they encounter other problems
Reduce customer time in the Salon
Let the customers feel that they are invaluable. Let their experience be flawless with your Salon. This can only be achieved by making your Salon more productive. It is better if you will make some services online and show the prices and packages. This will appeal to the customers and they will definitely show interest in this.
Consult the customers before their arrival
You can build and customize the digital forms and mail this to the customers to fill. They will send it back prior to their appointment. They can also integrate the photos and accordingly, you can analyze the information and assure that you are ahead. You can ask about more information before their arrival. If the consultations are deeper, then, you can make a video call with the customers and save your productive time in the Salon.
Improve the way customers wait with SMS
Many businesses cannot have customers waiting in the Salon for the services to start. The one way to keep the interaction intact is with SMS; this way you can keep them updated. Consider, when the customer leaves, you can throw a message to the next customer regarding their appointment. It is new to the employees, but they will find it more engaging. Keep them in the loop and assure them that you are following the safety measures.
Contactless payments
Get full payments for online bookings. This means that the bank accounts are not hurt and the customers have paid well when they have arrived or before the bookings. There are several payment options that you can go with; Stripe, Authorize. Net and PayPal are some of those. Also, if possible, allow the customers to pay through the reliable payment gateways.
Wrap It Up
We hope this Reopening Guidance for Salons after COVID-19 is helpful to you. If you have some doubts and suggestions, then let us know. Thanks for reading!!