The Value of Standing Appointments

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, January 2012

After the chaos/excitement of the holidays, every year begins with a new, orderly salon schedule. At first glance, it may not look that different from last year’s schedule. The salon hours did not change; we’re still open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. We didn’t gain or lose any manicurists; there are three of us and I need to hire another one (that’s a whole other topic). We didn’t add or eliminate any services, and prices have not changed since our last increase in January 2010. Even the names on the schedule are familiar; they belong to clients who’ve reserved standing appointments for the entire year. Standing appointments demonstrate how much these Preferred Clients, as we call them, value our time and services. Likewise, we value Preferred Clients, above all others, for their commitment and reliability. Simply stated, my salon would not be as successful without them.

For 2012, we have approximately 75 Preferred Clients on our schedule. Some are relatively new, while others have been loyal clients for more than ten years. The importance of these clients is obvious; taken together, they account for nearly half our available time and more than half the income generated by the salon, including retail. While value can be quantified by various statistics (service frequency, service/retail/tip dollars, referrals, etc.), those numbers do not convey the qualitative value of standing appointments. They provide structure and stability, and eliminate the seasonal fluctuations that some salons experience. Particularly in uncertain economic times, it’s very reassuring to know that we can reasonably expect a certain amount of revenue during the year. 

More than once, I’ve heard the advice that a client should be pre-booked for the next appointment before leaving the salon. That’s not good enough if you want to secure a client’s loyalty for the long term. Why waste the time it takes to schedule the next appointment every visit when you could make a more permanent arrangement? Not only will this save time, but it also relieves the anxiety associated with either having too few clients on your schedule, or so many that you cannot find time for your best clients when they want an appointment.

To build a salon schedule based on standing appointments, advance planning is required, and the more consistent you can be, the better. Begin by establishing your available hours. For example, I work with clients Tuesday thru Thursday; my employees have different, yet consistent, schedules to cover the remaining salon hours. It’s also important to plan your schedule at least a year in advance. The planning for 2012 began last June (2011) with a completely empty schedule. (We don’t block off holidays until after reserving standing appointments; we reschedule those affected clients later.) A complete list of Preferred Clients (and others who wanted to be) ensured that everyone received consideration. Once it was determined that there wouldn’t be any price, service, or schedule changes, we started filling the schedule and confirming reservations based on seniority. Most Preferred Clients wanted to keep the same schedule, while some needed a change (e.g. adding another service or increasing the frequency interval from three weeks to two weeks). 

Let me emphasize that we offer standing appointments to only our best clients (reliable, cooperative, appreciative, etc.). It’s as easy as saying: “I really enjoy doing your nails, but as my clientele grows, convenient appointments will be harder to schedule. I’d like to reserve a specific day and time just for you. What days and times work best?” Not all clients will be able to commit as their personal schedules may vary too much, and that’s understandable. We also value these “regular” clients because they nearly fill out the remaining time in our schedule, leaving very little time for walk-in clients. Both our brochure and website announce: “By invitation only, Precision Nails offers standing appointments in one-, two-, three-or four-week intervals. Clients with standing appointments receive scheduling priority and other valuable benefits.” There’s no monetary incentive involved; the incentive for the client should be securing the most convenient time on a consistent basis. 

And speaking of incentives, I do not recommend discounts, ever. If getting busier (more clients, more appointments) is that important, you could advertise discounted (why not free?) services and convince yourself those clients will return and pay your regular prices later. However, being busy is not the same as being successful. The “regular” prices have no meaning when a salon continually offers discounts. In fact, the term “discount salon” is a common euphemism for a salon known for poor quality work at lower-than-average prices. Why would any beauty professional want to be associated with that? When manicurists discount their service prices, clients may discount their professionalism. I want clients who can readily afford to have their nails done, not those who need special pricing to justify the experience.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Giving Can Be Its Own Reward

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, October 2011

Nearly every week at my salon, some “great opportunity” presents itself in the form of an advertising solicitation. The companies soliciting my business would have me believe that I need to spend money on advertising to be successful. From print to internet, from AdWords (Google) to Yelp, the options for gaining exposure seem limitless. However, having realized the limitations of traditional advertising (especially print) many years ago, I haven’t wasted my money. For example, when a local weekly paper contacted me to advertise in a special beauty section, I offered to write an article instead. That article, which advised consumers about selecting a reputable salon, proved much more useful to the paper, its readers and my business than any ad would have been. Sharing my expertise costs me nothing and has greater impact.

Instead of spending to advertise my salon, I prefer to give to promote my salon. One of the most rewarding ways to give is to contribute to worthy causes within the local community. Very few non-profit organizations have adequate resources to solicit donations from small businesses like mine. I make it easy for them by regularly scanning local papers and magazines for their announcements/advertisements. The words “auction” or “door prizes” usually catch my attention. I then contact the organizers to donate a $100 gift card, good for either products and/or services with no expiration date. Even if the upcoming event doesn’t include an auction or door prizes, I’ll donate anyway; organizations can always use gift cards to reward hard-working volunteers and staff members. If I have the time, I’ll drop off a gift card to the organizers for greater convenience; otherwise, I’ll arrange for it to be picked up. Either way, the presentation of a gift card must be attractive. My presentation, which costs less than $3.00, includes a custom plastic gift card in a metallic gift card box (labeled with the salon logo) placed in a metallic kraft paper bag (also labeled with the salon logo) with a brochure and tissue paper. (Instead of paying to have the salon logo hot-stamped on boxes and bags, I save money by buying custom-made labels that can be put on almost anything.)

In exchange for making a donation, my salon is listed in the event program, linked on the organizer’s website and later printed in newspaper/magazine ads thanking sponsors. I may not be able to afford $500-a-plate dinners, but my business can be represented to people who can. And that’s the point.

For tax purposes, I organize all my donation information in a binder filled with sheet protectors. Each event is contained in its own sheet protector, including the donation form and the confirmation/thank you letter confirming receipt. I also keep a spreadsheet updated with the gift card number, the amount, the name of the event, the name of the organization, its tax identification number, etc. Once a donation is made, the organizers know to contact me so I can donate again in the future.

To promote these organizations and their events, I share information with my clients. This encourages them to participate, either by attending, volunteering and/or making donations of their own. Likewise, I encourage clients to suggest organizations/events that I may not be familiar with. Given my work schedule, I don’t have much time to volunteer, but I do make an exception for the Sunset Center (www.sunsetcenter.org), a unique performing arts venue with a rich history in my town. In addition to my time, I also donate money to sponsor the program that’s distributed at all performances. This year, the Precision Nails advertisement will be double its previous size, and still will not include any special offers or discounts. The primary purpose of the ad is to demonstrate support for the Sunset Center, not attract new clients. The ad lets people know that money spent at my salon gets reinvested in our local community.

During past holiday seasons, I’ve shown appreciation to my best clients with gifts. Last year, after losing two clients to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), I didn’t feel giving gifts to certain clients was appropriate. Instead, I donated that money to the ALS Association (www.alsa.org) on behalf of the salon to honor those two wonderful women. The client response to this decision was so affirming that I never plan to buy client gifts again. Each year, I’ll donate to an organization whose cause holds special significance.

You can give in many ways: your expertise, time, money, products, hosting and more. Whatever your interests (education, the arts, sports, health care, disaster relief, the environment, animal welfare, military/veterans, etc.), there are organizations in your local community that need and will appreciate your support. Which organizations you choose and how you support them, if at all, are very personal decisions. If I could make one suggestion, I urge you to consider organ donation. There’s no tax deduction or other financial benefit, but sometimes giving is its own reward. To become a donor in your state, register online at www.organdonor.gov.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Continuing (Mis) Education?

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, September 2011

Whether your state requires continuing education or not, any discussion about it presumes that the basic education provided in beauty schools produces licensed manicurists capable of working competently and safely. If this were true, why do so many licensed manicurists lack basic skills and fail to follow heath and safety regulations? And if it's not true, what will a few hours of continuing education accomplish after hundreds of hours spent in beauty school? California, Oregon and Washington do not currently require continuing education, but in states that do like Ohio and Texas, are manicurists more informed and consumers safer?

Our careers as nail professionals begin with beauty school, where we can spend as few as 200 hours (Ohio) or as many as 600 hours (Oregon, Texas and Washington) to qualify for the licensing examination. These variations in time confirm the fundamental problem with time-based curriculums: the quantity of time is valued more than the quality of the instruction and the competency of the student. To suggest that beauty school students spend all their time in technical instruction and/or providing services (practical operation) defies reality. Beauty schools rarely devote more than 90 minutes to direct instruction during the day, nor can they possibly supply enough clients to keep students busy.

Some states have considered increasing the hours required in hopes of improving compliance and consumer safety. For example, California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology recently proposed an increase from 400 to 500 hours. As an expert educator, licensed salon owner and manicurist, I strongly opposed this proposal. Requiring more hours would likely discourage individuals from becoming students, produce a significant financial burden on those who do and unnecessarily delay their entry into this profession, without ANY guarantee of increased competence or consumer safety. Given the time already wasted in existing curriculums, why would school instructors need more time? Students could learn how to properly disinfect equipment, including what can and cannot be disinfected, in 60 minutes or less. The failure of licensees to follow health and safety regulations after they leave school suggests that either they didn’t learn what to do or weren’t convinced that it wasn’t optional.

As long as "nail care" is considered distinct from "health and safety,” students will dismiss the latter as unimportant when in fact it should inform everything they do. These are NOT separate subjects; beauty schools should teach nail care procedures based on acceptable health and safety practices. To be very simplistic, "nail care" is what licensed manicurists do, and "health and safety" is how it must be done. A well-designed manicuring curriculum must be based on scientifically accurate information and promote best practices, not perpetuate misinformation and low standards. I consider the competent performance of the following tasks fundamental to manicuring, regardless of "trends:"

• shaping the nails (trimming, filing and buffing);
• conditioning the skin surrounding the nail (eponychium, not "cuticle");
• conditioning the skin of the hands and feet (exfoliating, moisturizing and massaging);
• smoothing (not removing) calluses;
• applying and removing polish;
• applying and removing artificial nails, including natural nail repairs;
• and most important, doing all of the above in a manner that protects the health and safety of consumers and the licensee.

Manicurists who have not been trained properly are more likely to deviate from accepted standards of practice, like performing pedicures on clients with questionable health conditions. While students, they likely worked on many elderly and/or unhealthy clients who should have been refused service and referred to a medical professional. It's unfortunate, and potentially very dangerous, that the most inexperienced practice on the most vulnerable with little or no direct supervision. Manicuring students need to understand the scope of practice of their future license, and how to determine who can safely receive nail services. Students should realize that making money is not worth risking a client’s health or losing their license.

In my experience as an expert witness, I’ve observed that many consumer complaints involve pedicures, but another common problem is the improper use of drills/electric files. In California, using a drill is not prohibited, but it’s not included in the manicuring curriculum or licensing examination either. If it were included, the thought of students practicing on clients without the proper training or supervision makes me wince! Given how many complaints arise from drill damage, this may be one of those instances where special certification through continuing education should be required, like in Colorado.

The exceptionally poor work done by some manicurists undermines our professionalism and poses a serious risk to consumers.The average consumer mistakenly believes that a manicuring license proves technical competence. Why do states allow incompetent individuals to obtain licenses? Has the focus on “safety” obscured the benefits of requiring licensees to demonstrate quality work? If we continue to accept mediocrity as our standard of practice, we will continue to produce an incompetent workforce incapable of meeting the demands and expectations of consumers.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.