This is why you should focus on your front of house in the salon

Published 16th Oct 2019 by laurahusband
This is why you should focus on your front of house in the salon Front of House staff are crucial to the smooth running of your business, says the National Hairdressers' Federation's Hilary Hall Front of house staff are usually the first and last people your clients see and who they are likely to speak to on the phone. "A properly trained front of house team working in a well-designed and welcoming reception area will make a huge difference to how both existing and new clients feel about your salon," says Hilary Hall, NHF/NBF chief executive. The team will also be dealing with cancellations, complaints and tips – which must all be dealt with correctly to ensure the smooth running of your salon.

Decide the key front of house roles in the salon

"Ensure your reception team are properly trained to carry out key roles," says Hilary. "They should be familiar with your allergy alert testing procedures and be aware when clients will need to have an allergy alert test before booking a hair colour appointment." Find out more about the NHF/NBF's allergy alert testing toolkits by visiting nhf.info/allergy-alert-system. Reception staff should also be able to handle complaints as and when they occur. "Make sure front of house staff are familiar with your complaints policy and know how to react if they are on the receiving end of a complaint," Hilary stresses.

No-shows and late cancellations

No-shows and late cancellations are an inevitable part of salon life but they can eat into your profits. “The front of house team need to be aware of your no-show and late-cancellation policy and be able to explain it to clients. They can also help to reduce no-shows by building relationships with clients. If clients feel valued by your salon, they’ll be less likely to let you down.” NHF/NBF members can download a free guide to handling no-shows and late cancellations by going to nhf.info/no-show-guide.

Create a clear tipping policy

Have a clear tipping policy in place as tips will often be handed over to your receptionist. There are different ways of handling tips so make sure your team understand how they’re dealt with. Head to nhf.info/tipping for a free member-only fact sheet.

The art of a good goodbye

“Your front of house team should invite your clients to book their next appointment before leaving the salon and make sure they know about any special offers or discounts that are relevant to them,” says Hilary. In addition, the reception team can help to boost retail sales by offering a client the products that were used during their appointment. “You can also keep a basket of impulse buys at reception. For example, travel-size products in summer or ready-wrapped gifts at Christmas,” suggests Hilary. A guide on how to provide an outstanding client experience can be downloaded by NHF/NBF members: nhf.info/client-experience-guide.

More support from the NHF/NBF

For less than 75p a day, the NHF/NBF offers a wide range of legal, employment and financial help plus brilliant ideas for managing people and boosting your business. NHF/NBF members can call the membership team for free information and advice about any aspect of running a business.
Visit www.nhf.info/join or call 01234 831 965. Join the NHF/NBF before the end of October 2019 and quote HJO25 to get £25 off your membership fee. This is a sponsored post by the National Hairdressers' Federation. 
laurahusband

laurahusband

Published 16th Oct 2019

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