Holiday season might be the most exciting time, but for salons it is a time for stress. This is because, during that time, there is a huge foot fall, which is much more than it is usually there on the regular days. Hence, this is the time when the salon can reap the benefits of so much clientele.
However, there is a flip side attached to this as well. With so much rush, it is important that salons are well prepared in advance, and take corrective measures. There are plenty of factors which one needs to keep in mind, when planning ahead for holiday season.
Here is a comprehensive checklist for holidays for the salon:
1. Scheduling of Clients- You should consider going for this feature if you haven’t explored it yet. The scheduling allows one to keep the chairs and treatments empty. It would also allow clients to self–book appointments, so the receptionist is free to help other clients in the salon.
2. Go for Deposits- You should value your time during the holiday season and recover all the financial losses for cancellations and no-shows. Before allowing any clients booking, you should take deposits as there are minimum slots available during the holiday season.
3. Early Bookings- There are several people wishing to look perfect during the holiday season. As the demand is highest during the season, one should remind their clients to book as early as possible, or they might lose out on golden opportunities.
4. Correct Software is a Must- No doubt; you might have made the best possible salon software to run your business. If not, then you should go for a software trial before the festive season runs in.
5. Inventory Management- One shouldn’t allow their stock to be depleted during the holiday season. They can also check if the distributor is allowing online ordering, and that way, the store can be kept updated.
6. Reminders and Confirmations- It is undoubtedly another must-have feature that will help one save time during the holiday season, and there are no more calls for confirmation or manual email texts. Easy automation can help one set their schedule
7. Robust Marketing Plan- Salons can keep the holiday emails ready and schedule the deployment on time. By doing so, salons can focus on their clients in no time.
8. Gift cards are a Great Option- It is a brainer during the holiday season, but gift cards indeed make gift giving easy. One can order customized gift cards before the holiday season kicks in, or you might miss out on a fantastic opportunity
Hence one needs to ensure that they offer seamless services during the holiday season. Specially during these peak hours, salon can actually make or break their reputation and revenue as well. All it takes is a proper strategy in place, which includes everything right from inventory management, bookings, marketing etc.
Starting to prepare well in advance, can save a lot of time and efforts in indeed for all the salons.