As we continue to blaze forward into 2022, one thing is crystal clear – we are emerging as a different industry. Salons have adapted to the changes brought on by evolving COVID restrictions and shifts throughout the industry, and have learned a lot in the process. We talked to salon owners and educators to hear about what they’ve learned over the last year and a half, and how salons can embrace change by using these learnings to move forward toward success.
Recalibrate Attitudes
There seems to be a newfound willingness to listen and respond within the industry. “As business owners, we need to lean into the leadership dynamic, be more purposeful in what we want and expect,” says Allyson King, co-owner of Hair & Co BKLYN, whose New York salons faced some of the most extreme COVID restrictions in the US. “The key is to focus on the outcome and work out how to get there, not the other way around.”
Streamline Services
In the struggle for a competitive edge, salons introduced increasingly elaborate services. Complicated, difficult to price, and often inconsistent, these service menus were a burden on salons.
Salons have taken the opportunity to simplify those services, making the dialogue between stylist and guest more straightforward. At Hair & Co BKLYN, treatments have been incorporated into specific services such as balayage, rather than treated as add-ons that the stylist had to sell to the client. Using Vish makes that conversation even easier as it shows the exact cost of the color, ensuring the ticket is uncomplicated and transparent.
Lean Into Tech
Having Zoomed our way through lockdown, the industry is ready to embrace innovation by implementing tech-savvy touchpoints. At Ruiz Salon, owner Heath Smith has moved all consultations online, with a pre-appointment questionnaire filled out by the client and a script for stylists that actively encourages up-selling. “It actually saves time, enabling me to schedule one less guest care team member each day,” says Heath. With more time and fewer distractions during these consultations, stylists are selling more add-on services and products. Ruiz Salon has also introduced QR codes, posting them on mirrors and windows to provide instant access to online booking and other salon information.
When it comes to getting into the chair, providing clients with the service and experience that they’re accustomed to is the top priority. Vish helps stylists and owners leverage their mixing time with intelligent technology. Head to the back bar at Ruiz Salon and Hair & Co BKLYN and you’ll find the Vish Color Bar, a Bluetooth scale connected to the Color Bar App that meticulously measures and weighs formulas, so you can keep your focus on the customer. And with several salon benefits, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what the system is capable of.
Revive Education
“One of the biggest areas of change is education”, with a hybrid model continuing to become more prevalent, says Lupe Voss, who was an educator and salon owner long before launching her own color line, Color Space. But online learning is best used as a supplement to face-to-face learning rather than a replacement. Lupe provides in-person training, which is supported by further online learning. But whatever model is used, Lupe, Allyson, and Heath all agree, that education is still the most important investment a salon can make. “You can invest small,” argues Heath, “but you will still get big returns on motivation, skill levels, and loyalty.”
A New World is Waiting
In recent talks with these three insightful salon owners and educators – Hair & Co BKLYN co-owner and Beauty360 Consulting co-founder Allyson King in New York; Color Space co-founder Lupe Voss in Redlands, CA; Ruiz Salon owner Heath Smith in Austin, TX – a sense of optimism for the industry is strong, especially when it comes to color. It’s evident that now is the time to implement these tips to move forward with success.
Want more details on how you can set up your salon for success? Book your demo today.
