Whether you are new to an area, need a change or your salon or therapist is no longer available there may be a time when you are on the hunt for a new place. And this can feel daunting right? In some cases its one of the most difficult situations when it comes to a wellbeing decision. Especially if you have been seeing the same hairdresser or beauty therapist for many years and they know you, know how you like things and most importantly know what you don’t like. So here are my tips from 20 years’ experience of the industry on what to look out for if you are on the hunt for a salon to visit.
How easy is it to get any appointment?
Often it feels like getting an appointment anywhere these days is a mission filled with cryptic hoops you have to jump through and of course we don’t want to wait 12 weeks to get an appointment for an eyebrow wax that should have been done last week. So getting same day appointments can be really useful as a one off however a salon that is continuously available for same day appointments for an endless list of treatments means one of two things either they don’t take bookings and work on a same day policy or (and more likely) clients are not valuing them enough to book in advance. This could be for many reasons and I am not here to tell you what that would be for any particular salon I would just ask this; for what reason are you not booking in advance? When we value a service and enjoy the experience we receive we want to continue to have this over and over again and to secure that fulfilment its imperative that you book in the future.
Is their booking system easy to navigate?
How easy is it to book an appointment? Do you have to WhatsApp them and wait a week for them to get back to you? Do they have an online booking system? Even if they are a small independent salon they will want your booking experience to be effortless for you. If you have to call several times to get through and are unable to leave a message this highlights that maybe they haven’t thought to invest in this area of the business and if not what else have they not thought of?
Is their social media transparent?
Social media is a great way to see into the virtual window of a salon, to get a feel for it and see if the staff look friendly. When looking at a beauty salons Instagram is it the same pictures of nails over and over? Can you see what the salon looks like? Do you know who the owner or manager is and is there any information about the team? All this is fantastic information for you to get to know the business before your first visit. Especially if visiting a new salon makes you nervous or anxious, seeing who you may be greeted by and what the reception looks like can help calm those nerves and enable your experience to be much more enjoyable
Are their prices low?
We all love to get a deal, but a deal that questions how they can charge so cheaply? When extremely low prices are seen in the beauty industry it suggests they may not value either themselves as a therapist and their skills or they aren’t valuing the industry that they work in. To offer a high quality service takes time, good products, advance knowledge and skills and this has a cost to it. Can you get your set of nails that take over an hour for the same price as a visit to costa, there is a reason for that? Does the therapist take an interest in you as a person? We have all been there, that long nail or waxing appointment and the therapist says absolutely nothing to you. Just does the appointment and takes payment and whilst they may do a fantastic job they are not valuing you as a client. When we visit a salon in our spare time and spend our hard earned money on feeling and looking good its important to feel as if the salon you choose appreciates that.
Ultimately when you leave your visit from a hair or beauty salon do you feel good? Yes a great treatment, customer service and comfortable surroundings are extremely important but when you walk back to your car how do you feel? Energised? Relaxed? Still smiling from the relaxed conversation? Deeply calm that the school pick up will be a breeze? If you don’t it may be time to find yourself a salon that really appreciates YOU as the client.
