There are two types of salon owners – One who simply started a salon because they’re passionate about the beauty space and the other who were freelance stylists and now have their own salon with a talented team.
Any beauty business owner would agree that setting up and running a salon isn’t easy. When it was just a stylist and a chair, life was definitely simpler. Freelance stylists and technicians knew how much product they used, the revenue they made and when their next booking was for.
So, when does the problem arise? The minute you hired your first stylist, or may be your second.
Well, this doesn’t apply to all salons because everyone’s experience is different. However, with time, staff management can become a task. As the years pass, things slowly start falling apart, and you’re bitten by the bug of salon staff problems.
The solution? Staff management software.
Key Takeaways
- Running a beauty business means coming up with a plan to manage salon staff. Without proper staff management, you can hurt your revenue and reputation.
- Staff management software plays a crucial role in managing staff efficiency and business operations.
- Mismanagement in the beauty business can create chaos and can even impact your overall bottom line.
- In this blog, you will learn how to deal with salon staff problems and tips to resolve staff issues.
Common Staff Management Issues Faced by Salon Owners
The Scheduling Nightmare
Every relatively new salon faces this – the scheduling nightmare. Someone called to take an appointment and you simply scribbled it on a piece of paper while someone sent you a DM on social media to book an appointment.
Suddenly, you have two appointments for the same slot and you’ve said yes to both the clients.
Now, what?
This is a sheer case of mismanagement. Two clients walking in at the same time to be serviced by the same stylist can give any salon owner cold feet.
This is a common management issue most salon owners cite. Managing a salon properly doesn’t require much effort, it only requires smart solutions like salon scheduling software.
Clients can view your calendar availability, see the empty slots and book on their own anytime and from anywhere. Every stylist has their own slots. This completely eliminates the scheduling nightmare and enhances staff productivity.
The Blame Game
Another common problem is the “blame game” or “who did what”. Employees in a salon are constantly blaming each other.
Say you have five stylists and each one has a certain role besides their main job, and suddenly you realise you’re spending more than you should on supplies.
What do you do then?
You immediately pull up your stylists and ask them why such a thing is happening because the product can’t literally walk out of the door, right?
When you hold a meeting and ask everyone, that is when the blame game begins and each one starts defending themselves.
To eliminate such issues for good, it’s best to use salon management software that comes with an inventory feature. Each time a certain quantity of a product is used, it has to be recorded, and this way you will always know who used what quantity of which product.
This solves the “who did what” mystery forever.
This Missing Products Fiasco
When you run a beauty business, you need to be very careful of employees stealing, pilferage and thefts.
It’s pretty common in a salon to find retail or backbar products missing, or less cash in the register. Without a formal system, it’s very difficult to say who did what.
For any salon owner, such situations are very difficult and painful to handle.
Whether the stock shrinkage is subtle or prominent, pulling up employees isn’t always easy.
This is a big problem salon owners face. However, with salon software, pilferage and shrinkage can considerably be reduced.
Constant Disorganisation
Another worry salon owners have is constantly being in a state of mismanagement or disorganisation.
This isn’t something only large salon or multi-chain salons face. It’s something even small; boutique salon owners can face.
A few common causes for this include lack of defined roles, poor communication channels, no proper inventory tracking, and weak leadership.
Maybe there is a culprit in a certain team that isn’t doing their job well or isn’t cleaning up their station after a service. Whatever be the reason, intervention is an absolute must and as a salon owner, you need to step in.
When your salon is in a constant state of chaos and disorganisation, your bottom line ends up getting affected in the bargain.
You need to start by fixing booking issues, implementing task start and end times, performance tracking and team accountability.
Unacceptable Employee Behaviour
No matter how good your employees are at their job, conflicts are a part of the game.
From mild arguments to straight-on fights and harassment, conflicts can take any shape in a beauty business.
However, as a beauty business owner, you need to draw the line and establish what is okay and not okay. If a fight between employees turns ugly, it can harm the reputation of your salon and affect the customer experience of the client who is sitting in the chair.
That is why offering proper training or training on a regular basis is of paramount importance to salon staff.
Besides beauty-related education, teaching them basic manners and etiquette is also important. It’s referred to as the grooming business for a reason.
Let them know how staff tardiness can disrupt schedules or even frustrate clients. Have a policy for late arrivals. Employee check-in and check-out can be adequately tracked on your staff management software.
Commission Tracking is a Task
The performance of your employees is directly proportional to the success of your salon business. Thus, keeping them happy is important.
A major problem salon owners face is overseeing the performance of every individual employee and tracking their commissions.
Managing a salon business is no mean feat. Between taking financial decisions, stocktaking and appointments, overseeing the performance of every employee might seem like a huge task.
Hiring a floor manager to oversee every employee’s performance isn’t one of the best options.
So, what’s the golden solution?
A salon staff rostering software that keeps an eye on your employee’s performance, tracks their commissions and gives them enough creative freedom.
By incorporating a specialised cloud solution, you can considerably improve the performance of your business. Here’s how it works:
- Helps you create a dedicated profile for every employee
- Sets their work schedules (They can access it too to monitor their progress and track their commissions)
- Generate detailed performance reports
- Record late arrivals, checkout time and absence
- Automated commission system
- Generate commission reports at the end of every month
The goal of staff management software is to improve salon efficiency at every level.
Thus, these were some of the common problems faced by salon owners.
Now, let us look at how you can go from chaos to clarity just by incorporating the right technology.
Step-by-step Framework to Maximise Staff Efficiency in your Salon using Software
When chaos becomes the order of the day in your salon, it’s important to come up with an immediate action plan. Here’s what you can implement:
Assign Defined Roles
Every individual in your salon should know what is expected of them. It might sound basic but is the most important salon management tip.
When you assign tasks to a specific role, everyone will know what has to be done. There will be no blame game, and every person is accountable for their own tasks.
The foundation of strong staff management relies on the following key employees – the salon owner, the floor manager, front-desk manager, stylists, technicians and junior employees.
During team meetings, communicate each one’s role precisely so that there are no hiccups later on.
Instead of writing the tasks on paper, enter them in your salon management software.
Ditch the Manual Salon Register
Manual salon registers are actually killing your profits rather than enhancing it. Therefore, ditch it!
A notebook may have worked for you a few years ago. However, times have changed, and you too have to.
You need a system that can help you scale and open in ten other locations. With a proper system, bookings are never lost and your staff can see their schedule clearly.
Track Staff Contributions
You will be surprised to know that your staff members may actually be contributing to your revenue indirectly.
You should be tracking what each employee brings to the table. This will also help you commission them accordingly.
A few metrics you should track are – how much revenue they’re bringing in, their average ticket size, the amount of retail they’re upselling, are clients interested in rebooking with them, and client feedback.
Real data will help you have real conversations with your employees. It even tells you which employees need more training over the other. Always remember, it’s not about creating toxic competition. It’s all about balancing the act.
Do Everything on the App
Lastly, salon efficiency often starts with better processes. Simplify shifts and scheduling with an intuitive salon staff roster.
You can create optimal staff schedules, ensure time is used adequately, and track the performance of every employee. The software also comes with a built-in communication tool that helps you communicate with every employee, and manage their payroll and commissions.
When your staff/employees are empowered digitally, you can protect your business from anywhere without being paranoid.
In Summary
One of the most challenging aspects of being a salon owner is managing staff. The best part is that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
If your team members are on the same page and want to succeed, you will be able to sail through the roughest of seas.
Salon360App is a new team member that every salon owner should employ. It will boost your salon efficiency, incorporate smoother workflows and help you build a more profitable enterprise.
Ready to boost your staff morale like never before? Explore a free demo of our app.
