Nails Magazine

Career Handbook 2014

Magazine for the professional nail industry.

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>>> Last-Minute Cancellations Whether your client has an emergency or simply forgot she booked a nail appointment, last-minute cancellations will always be a problem. Unfortunately it's your job as a nail tech or salon owner to circumvent lasting consequences for your business. Here's a list of solutions to try: Waiting Lists: If you're all booked but have clients who need appointments, create a waiting list. So when an appointment gets moved or cancelled and a spot opens up, you can call clients off that list. Most will see this as an accommodating service and it also prevents them from taking their business elsewhere. Social Media: Rather than lose money on empty appointments, post the new openings in your book on Twitter or Facebook. Some techs and salons who are active on social media have found great success with this. Often appointment slots posted to social media will fill up immediately by people who'd waited too long to book an appointment and need something stat. This functions like a waiting list but reaches a wider audience. Tactful Scheduling: Book frequent last-minute cancelers as your first or last appointment of the day. This way you get more time to get ready in the morning or a chance to leave work early. Courtesy Calls: Give your clients a courtesy call 48 to 72 hours before their scheduled service. It helps to have a prepared script in case you have to leave a voicemail. (If you're leaving a voicemail, make sure to ask them to call, text, or e-mail back to confirm their appointment.) If your client is reminded with enough time but still has to cancel, this gives you significantly more time to try and fill her spot. It also prevents last-minute cancellations by keeping your client organized. Cancellation Policies: It helps to have a firm yet positive cancellation policy in place. Lauren Gartland, owner of Inspiring Champions, suggests saying something along the lines of: "If you must cancel, please notify us at least 24 hours prior to the appointment or you will be charged for the missed visit. Thank you for respecting what we love doing most — serving you!" Salons can charge anywhere between 20% and 100% of the service for last-minute cancellations. But make sure your clients know this isn't personal. Always give each guest one opportunity to miss an appointment without penalty, and make exceptions for emergencies at your discretion. > Contact the police immediately and visit www.ftc.gov to find out how to: place an initial fraud alert, order your credit reports, and create an identity theft report. > Ask the police when the appropriate time to notify individual clients and businesses is and designate a contact person at the salon to field questions. > Develop a step-by-step protection plan for the future that's just as detailed as your business model. > Make sure all online payment sites are secured. Identity Theft With the rise of technology during unstable economic times, identity theft is more and more possible. Here, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Federal Trade Commission provide some tips for surviving identity theft and preventing it for the future: > Monitor all credit reports. > Don't keep customer credit card information unless you have a business need for it. If you do, keep these records in a safe or outside the workplace, with limited access. > Make sure to run anti-virus software on a regular basis so hackers can't access your computers. > Monitor internal bookkeeping regularly. > Boost your customer service to rebuild trust with your clientele. Send out a letter that states the nature of the incident and what you're doing to make sure it doesn't happen again. 52 | NAILS CAREER HANDBOOK 2014 how to survive…

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