Making Technology Work for You

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, August 2011

While writing this article on my laptop, I’m willing to acknowledge that technology makes it possible. If I had to hand write, it just wouldn’t happen. I have neither the patience or time necessary to draft and edit using only pen and paper. And my handwriting isn’t all that legible anyways; there are times when even I cannot read my own notes. My typing skills aren’t much better than my hand writing, but at least I can read what I’ve typed.

The work of a licensed manicurist does not require any particular technology skills, but those skills are very relevant to the work of a salon owner. My responsibilities would be overwhelming if it weren’t for technology. There’s so much to do that I can rationalize my dependence on technology as productive rather than addictive. I manage my business using a smartphone, a laptop and desktop computers, printer/fax machine, internet access and numerous applications. All this technology gives me the control and functionality I need to:

• Track finances
• Pay bills
• Report taxes
• Communicate through email, texting, and phone calls
• Design marketing materials
• Plan travel to shows and other industry events
• Promote our salon and services
• Research new products, techniques and sources
• Order supplies
• Network with other businesses
• Write content for articles, blog, etc.
• Maintain a website
• Develop and deliver presentations
• Keep client and employee records
• Schedule clients
• Control inventory
• Sell products online
• Process credit card transactions
• Donate to charitable organizations
• Analyze performance reports

In my twenty years in the nail industry, technology has proven itself the best investment I’ve ever made in my business. While not infallible, overall it’s more reliable than most people I know, including myself. Choosing which technology to invest in, and how much time to spend using it, depends on your needs. Many years ago, while still working alone, I chose to make what most manicurists in my position would consider an unnecessary and expensive purchase, salon management software. After all, most salons at the time used large appointment books and pencils (and lots of erasers) to schedule clients. I don’t doubt that many salons till do, despite the obvious limitations. Even without any immediate plans to work with or employ other manicurists, I understood that I needed the same technology that larger, more successful salons use, and it was more affordable than I expected.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that salon management software transformed my business. Clients recognized that their money was being reinvested to improve their salon experience. The efficiency of the scheduling process was the most obvious improvement. No more counting every four pages to schedule a monthly standing, or hand-writing appointment cards. The software does just about everything (email appointment reminders, online scheduling, integrated credit card processing, gift card tracking, automatic remote data storage, etc.) except self check-out. Years later, as my business grows and the software evolves, I appreciate the technology even more.

Not every investment in technology has been worthwhile. When I designed my current salon, I had satellite radio receivers installed at each station so clients could listen privately wearing headphones. Music played throughout the salon on an additional receiver. What a waste of money! Clients wanted to interact us, not isolate themselves. So I ditched the service as soon as my contract expired and have been much more satisfied using Pandora on my computer. Sometimes simpler is better.

A simple and often underutilized technology, voicemail has replaced a receptionist in my salon. We don’t answer the salon phone while providing services because our clients deserve our full attention. However, just hearing a phone ring makes some people anxious, even when it’s not theirs. Last holiday season, I silenced the ringer to reduce disruptions. Not only did our clients seem more relaxed, we were too so the ringer has stayed off. We can discretely retrieve and respond to voicemail messages between clients. Existing clients know its best to schedule in advance and notify us of any changes via email. But potential clients don’t know any better, so a detailed outgoing message informs callers that we don’t answer the phone while providing services, and that more information about our salon and services can be found on our website.

Speaking of our website, it eliminates the need for any other advertising, as far as I’m concerned. Twenty years ago, I was paying the phone company for an ad in the Yellow Pages. Every year, I was encouraged to purchase a larger one, like it was some kind of contest. Thanks to technology, I haven’t paid for print advertising in more than 15 years. A well-designed and regularly updated website is the most cost-effective way to reach potential clients. If you don’t already have one for your salon, get one, but do yourself a favor, and have yours professionally done. Like most technology, you don’t need to understand how it works, just how to make it work for you.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Clients Behaving Badly

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, July 2011

One of my most popular classes, “Clients Behaving Badly” begins with a simple, but powerful, statement: Bad clients are not worth having. If this class were an interactive discussion about the worst clients ever (read: bitch session), this statement would be considered a logical conclusion. However, the class does not focus on bad clients. Despite the title, I share strategies on building a clientele based on the premise that bad clients are not worth having. Clients form the foundation of your salon business; the stronger the foundation, the stronger your business.

Rather than entreat you, as many would, to provide better customer service, I encourage you to provide quality services to better customers. There are far more consumers/customers/potential clients than beauty professionals, and this gives us a tremendous advantage. That advantage is the power of choice. Choosing who to serve and who to refuse/refer elsewhere may seem incompatible with providing good customer service. But what’s truly incompatible is the misguided notion that we’re somehow obligated to serve/please everyone. No one can demand service from you, though some may treat you as if they could. That’s as absurd as the notion that the customer is always right. Your value as a beauty professional lies in your expertise; clients pay you for being right. When having the clients you want makes giving them what they want that much easier, why not actively pursue the ideal clients for your salon business?

“The purpose of a business is to create a mutually beneficial relationship between itself and those that it serves.” (John Woods). Many beauty professionals consider client relationships one of the most rewarding, yet most challenging, aspects of their work. Every client is a relationship; some will flame out within their first and only appointment, while others may last through hundreds of appointments over decades. It’s not reasonable to expect that every person who contacts your business will become one of your best clients. (Likewise, not every person you meet will become your best friend.) Communicating what your salon offers to and expects from clients encourages compatible potential clients to contact you, while discouraging others from wasting your time.

Building relationships requires effort and resources that should not be wasted on those who don’t respect you as a beauty professional. When reflecting on my own clientele, I keep this in mind: “I don’t build in order to have clients. I have clients in order to build.” (Ayn Rand). The following statement, posted several years ago to my salon website, summarizes my approach to client relationships:

We believe that receiving a salon service should be a safe and pleasant experience for the consumer. Conversely, we believe that the beauty professional providing the service also deserves a safe and pleasant experience. Our salon does not suit every consumer, nor does every consumer suit us. To be blunt, we will refuse service to those who do not.

After 17 years of providing nail services, we have more than enough experience to know who best suits us. Our ideal client exhibits these qualities:

• insists on trained and licensed professionals;
• respects our time;
• expects a clean, organized salon environment;
• appreciates quality more than convenience;
• enjoys our salon experience;
• schedules in advance;
• values our professional opinions;
• encourages our efforts to improve our skills;
• supports our commitment to the beauty industry;
• and refers family and friends.

Within an industry that treats consumers and professionals as disposable, Precision Nails thrives because we respect ourselves and value our clients, particularly our Preferred Clients (those with standing appointments).

As expected, this statement generated some insightful discussions and prompted some (less than ideal) clients to seek services elsewhere. Mission accomplished.

When clients behave badly, it’s time to question your judgment and evaluate your contribution to the problem. The reason why clients behave badly is very simple - because you let them. You continue to schedule them even as they arrive late or miss appointments entirely, criticize your work, complain about the price, etc. What’s the incentive for good behavior when you keep rewarding bad behavior? Serving your clients should make you feel good about yourself, professionally and personally. I sincerely hope that you wouldn’t tolerate an unhealthy professional relationship anymore than you’d tolerate an unhealthy personal relationship. You deserve better, but unless you’re willing to act, you’re not likely to get it.

My best advice for losing bad clients? Simultaneously change your schedule and raise your prices (even minor changes will do). If you haven’t already done so, develop salon policies and procedures and be prepared to enforce consequences. Give your clients at least a month’s notice that you’ll be canceling all future appointments to rebuild your new schedule. Reward your best clients by giving them priority as you fill your new schedule. Do NOT schedule bad clients; when they realize that you’re no longer willing to tolerate their behavior, they’ll go elsewhere. Who you choose to serve, and when, is your business, literally.


By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Nail Services in the Spa Environment

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, June 2011

What role do nails play in the day spa industry? Apparently, not a very significant one. With the industry focused on skin care, massage, wellness, etc., nails don’t receive much attention. That’s obvious whether reading a typical menu of day spa services, or a list of exhibitors and classes at a spa show. Very few day spas target nail clients, and very few nail product manufacturers target day spas. This leads me to conclude that despite the popularity of professional nail care, nails may be the most neglected aspect of the day spa industry.

Many day spas attempt to function as both a spa and a full-service beauty salon (remember those?). How often do the words “spa and salon” appear together? Enough  already. Typically, a day spa relegates its beauty services, like hair, nails, waxing and makeup, to the “salon” area of the facility. But it’s difficult, if not impossible, to maintain separate spa and salon areas, and have them impart the same sense of “spa.” Nail services performed at a day spa rarely offer an experience any different or better from what clients can experience at a traditional beauty salon. So why bother offering the services? And why would nail clients frequent a business that doesn’t prioritize what they want most?

Having attending numerous spa/beauty shows, I’ve concluded that spas, whether they be resort, destination or day, treat nail services as a necessity for guest convenience, but not as legitimate profit generators. There’s a presumption that while facial/massage/body treatments can command $2 per minute, if not more, nail services cannot. I could take offense that the time/training/skills of nail professionals are not regarded more highly within the day spa industry. (I have a hard enough time convincing nail professionals to charge at least a $1 per minute for themselves!) But as a salon owner who employs licensed manicurists to provide services in a clean, upscale salon environment, I’m grateful. It’s easier to compete when the competition doesn’t understand the market and its potential.

The word “spa,” when used, must be used with caution. Attaching “spa” to the name of any service or business raises client expectations, except when that word appears in neon. (Neon tends to lower my expectations, but increase my appetite.) But what exactly does the word “spa” mean anyway? Like so many words overused in the beauty industry, it lacks meaning. For me, it translates as more complicated, more time-consuming and more expensive, none of which appeals to me as a consumer.

Raising expectations can be a good thing, as long as they’re met. Clients would expect to pay more at a day spa than they would at a beauty salon, but they also expect a better quality service. But as most people would acknowledge, paying more does not guarantee a safer, or better service. The bottom line: any establishment that offers beauty services is required by law to meet minimum standards for health and safety, regardless of how much the services cost.

A salon does not need to be a spa to offer quality nail services. The environment does not ensure quality; it’s the professional performing the services that matters most. Nor does a salon need to make its services more “spa” to charge more. Adding unnecessary steps or overpriced products to the procedures does little to improve quality. It’s hard to justify increased service prices without commensurate results. For example, using expensive facial products for pedicures would likely do nothing except add to product costs, and lower the profit margin.

While spas advertise facials, massages and other treatments with elaborate descriptions, nail services often get a one-line mention as if everyone should know what to expect of a spa’s “signature” manicure or pedicure. Again, perhaps I should be grateful because if more detail were included, it may read something like this:

Your extremities collect stress that must be released to achieve optimal wellness/improve your mood/soothe your soul/balance your energy. Experience the ancient traditions of the [insert name of indigenous people here] who have passed along their unique nail care rituals for hundreds/thousands of years. Utilizing the incredible healing power of [insert name of indigenous plant/mineral or popular landmark here], our nail experts [read: any available employee] will revitalize/nurture/replenish/restore your hands and feet with our custom-blended, organic, natural products, available for use at home to extend your journey of enlightenment.

On a side note, it’s disappointing to realize that many spas have not moved beyond “gentleman’s” manicures and pedicures to gender-neutral services. Instead of being inclusive, which is no doubt the intent, naming services according to gender makes it seem somehow unnatural for men to have their hands and feet cared for/groomed.

In the future, day spas may realize the value of nail services for generating additional revenue and increasing client loyalty. In the meanwhile, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned about providing quality nail services at every spa/beauty show I attend.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.