Janet's journal see your salon as your clients do

Although November is a month when the salon starts getting busy -- everyone is buzzing with excitement about Christmas -- I warn you not to rest on your laurels or let your guard down. Cast your eye around the salon and look at the finer details. As it’s these that can make or break you converting a new client into a regular client. I mean scrutinising thing like your towels, for example. There is nothing worse than having a treatment with scratchy, frayed and poor quality towels. It is a pet hate of mine and detracts from the experience and pleasure of a treatment. Towels don’t cost the earth and they make the difference between a good treatment and a great treatment. Really, think about how long you have had them, go on. Take them out of the cupboard -- touch and feel them, look at the edges. If they are not tip-top, replace them immediately. Salon treatments are all about luxury and pampering, and if a client has spent what to her is a large quantity of money, then she deserves top quality. Many suppliers and product houses offer good prices on branded towels -- which reinforces brand loyalty and subliminally continues to sell the products to the client. Salon posters and promotional material are another bug bear of mine, especially tatty ones. I like to refresh these periodically. Having the same ones year-in, year-out, is dull from a visual point of view. By rotating them, it gives a fresh look to your salon. And again, cast a firm eye over the quality. Are they faded or torn at the edges? If you have any doubts, then bin them and get some more. Again, this is where your friendly sales reps come in handy. Speak to them and see what they can offer. You also need to look at the salon as a whole. Does the paint work look out of date? How about the skirting boards? These are simple remedies that can be resolved when the salon is closed. A quick coat of paint freshens up the salon and is an easy option to revitalise your decor and business. I am not suggesting that you spend a fortune on interior decoration either. Simple colours, indeed plain walls are a great starting point from which you can add to with colour and retail items. This allows you to easily change the colour scheme. You many even be inclined to opt for a fancy wallpaper (flocked is terribly in vogue at the moment) on one wall. Great for fashionable salons in city centres, but make your choice with care, as after seeing it every day, you may end up hating it. Removing wallpaper is much, much harder than putting it up...