Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/213903
how to survive… getting off schedule Play it smart and your clients will forgive you when you're running late. PITCH IN. "Train your staff to be aware when another tech is having a hard time keeping up, for whatever the reason," says Shari Finger, owner of Fingers Nail Studio in W. Dundee, Ill. "Make it common practice to help out. Coworkers should always be prepared to take off polish, get a foot bath ready, or even finish a coworker's customer by polishing." BURNOUT About ready to give up your career and become a permanent beach bum? Read through these tips to help you combat burnout before you throw in the towel. GET OUT OF THE SALON: First and foremost, take a break. Take a day, a weekend, or if you can, a week off. Sometimes that's all it takes to reinvigorate you. CHANGE IT UP: Add new services, revamp your nail art selection, redo your retail area, or change up your background music. A "new" environment can help to break the boredom of your routine. LEARN SOMETHING NEW: Go to a tradeshow. If there isn't a show coming up, then take a class. If you can't take a class, what about meeting up with other techs in your area to share ideas? Maybe visit other top salons to see what they do that you don't. You just might find some inspiration to take back to your business. BECOME A MENTOR: Use your experience for good. Find a newbie and teach her everything you know. You might find that teaching others helps you see things in a whole new light. CHANGE ROLES: Maybe it IS time for you to hand in your nail tech hat, but for an even bigger and better one. Have you ever considered becoming an educator or an instructor, or even opening up your own salon? Maybe it's time to take the next step in your career. 86 | NAILS MAGAZINE | 2013-2014 THE BIG BOOK FESS UP. Always admit you're running late, says Finger. "When your customer arrives, tell her you're behind schedule and that you're terribly sorry." Tell her how much longer you are going to be; this allows the client to run an extra errand or grab a bite to eat. DOLE OUT. Give something back to the client by way of apology for making her wait. Consider giving a discount, a coupon for a discount on a new service offered, or a small retail product, recommends Finger. "I like giving a sample of my custom-blended lotion. They think I am giving them a gift, but what I'm really doing is getting them to try my product and realize that they need more." CALM DOWN. Never panic, skip steps, or rush the service however much you might be tempted to do so. Stay professional and indicate by your words and your actions that you really do respect your customer's time. If you're disastrously behind, give a call to some of your later clients and see if you can reschedule them, or at least give them a heads up that you're running late. THINK IT THROUGH. Sometimes these glitches in our schedules are unavoidable. Sometimes they're not. Once the rush is over, figure out what went wrong. If you have to get tougher with clients who are running late, do so. If there's a problem with how your services are scheduled, fix it. If you've got a salon to run and a full book of your own, you have our sympathy. >>>