Your Salon and Coronavirus, a practical guide. Unfortunately, the number of Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases is rapidly growing around the globe and has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The health and safety of your salon clients and staff should be a priority. So here is a practical guide to help your salon, spa or barbershop business during this challenging time.

Your Salon and Coronavirus. A Practical Guide.

Before we go any further, one vital thing to remember is “Don’t panic!” The World Health Organisation states “Most people who become infected from Coronavirus (Covid-19) will experience a mild illness and recover.”

Of course, there will be some people at higher risk, such as older adults. Plus, people who suffer serious medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes or lung disease.

Try to remain calm, educate yourself and staff and follow the directives of the World Health Organisation. The World Health Organisation is the leading global source of information, and all nations follow their guidelines.  Try to lessen your anxiety by educating yourself and avoiding media hype. 

Encourage Clients to Reschedule When Unwell.

Before your clients even arrive in your salon you can set the standard you want your clients to follow.

You may like to send out an informational SMS or email to all salon clients.

The idea behind this is twofold. You can reassure your clients that your salon is following and maintaining strict hygiene and infection control standards. Plus you can ask your clients to refrain from attending your salon if they are unwell.

SMS or Email Message to Clients Template

Dear client,

In light of the current in Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we would like to ensure our clients that your health and safety is our top priority.

We want to assure our clients that we are following strict hygiene practices and infection control measures as outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

We also require your cooperation and ask any clients who are unwell to reschedule your appointment until you have fully recovered.

If you have come into contact with a suspected coronavirus case or have travelled overseas in the last 14 days, please call us to reschedule.

Maintaining a safe environment for all our valued clients and staff members is essential to us.

Kind regards,

Salon management.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Konnect makes this task easy. Simply use your SMS or email campaign feature to capture the attention of your clients. 

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Appointment Confirmation SMS Template.

Dear Client,

This is a friendly reminder that your salon appointment with ______ is on _________. 

Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we politely ask that if you are unwell to reschedule your appointment until you have fully recovered.

If you have come into contact with a suspected coronavirus case or have travelled overseas in the last 14 days, please call us to reschedule.

Thank you for your understanding 

Salon Management.

Waive Cancellation Fees.

During this time, do everything you can to encourage your clients not to come to your salon when unwell.

Losing a deposit may deter your client from cancelling an appointment if they feel unwell. So, waiving your cancellation fees may be something you might like to consider during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

 

Extend Gift Cards or Expiry Dates on PrePaid Purchases.

Make special allowances for clients who fall ill, or who have travelled overseas. Extending the expiry date of gift cards or prepaid packages shows your goodwill.

Some clients may not want to attend your salon during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. Encourage your clients to let you know if they have any pre-paid packages or gift cards they want to extend.

Offering some flexibility shows that you care for your client’s wellness. Furthermore, this helps to foster relationships with your clients and cement loyalty. 

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Konnect has great loyalty features.  Click here to read The benefits of a successful loyalty program.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Talk to your staff.

Get your salon, spa or barbershop staff together and reinforce the hygiene measures you should already have in place.

Educate yourself and your team by reading these current workplace recommendations regarding Coronavirus (Covid-19) and your salon from the WHO.

Rather than listening to media hype, it is important to only take advice from the WHO or the government health authority in your country.

Australia – https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert 

USA – Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

UK – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Due to the close nature of salon services, following the correct sanitation, disinfection and sterilisation procedures is a must. Protect both your staff and clients by reinforcing these methods in your meeting.

Educate Yourself and Staff About Handwashing

Make sure your staff are aware of how to wash their hands properly. The WHO recommends that hands should be washed for a minimum of 20-30 seconds. Alternatively, the WHO also recommends washing your hands for the duration of the song “Happy Birthday.” twice. Click here to view the WHO handwashing brochure.

The CDC states that “keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.”

If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands.”

You should also wash your hands;

• Before and after eating or preparing food
• Before making a client a beverage
• After sneezing and coughing
• Before putting on and after removing gloves or other personal protective equipment
• After using the toilet
• When hands are visibly soiled
• When caring for the sick
• After handling money or credit cards

Coughing and Sneezing Etiquette.

By following good coughing and sneezing etiquette, you protect the people around you.

Covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze prevents the spread of droplets. These droplets are the main way Coronavirus (Covid-19) is spread. You should then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash your hands thoroughly.

Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by clients and staff members.

Ensure you and your staff are modelling good coughing and sneezing behaviour in the salon, spa, or barbershop. Encourage your clients to do this by displaying posters in the waiting room or treatment areas.

Maintain Strict Hygiene and Infection Control Standards.

Why is it so important to clean all surfaces in the salon? According to the WHO, surfaces touched by an infected person is one of the main ways to spread Coronavirus (Covid-19), or many other infectious diseases.

Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the salon with disinfectant. Be sure to clean workstations, countertops, doorknobs, keyboards, phones, remotes, chairs and any salon, spa or barbershop equipment. You can use disposable alcohol wipes for this, but the alcohol content must be above 60% to be effective.

Use the disinfectant cleaning agents that are the standard from industry advisory committees in your country. Follow all standard sterilisation methods for equipment that is in contact with skin, hair or bodily fluids as usual.

Be sure to use towels, capes and other personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and face masks once only.

Display Posters Promoting Hygiene.

Contact your local health authority for posters to promote hand hygiene for staff and clients.

The World Health Organisation has many informational posters you can download to promote hand hygiene awareness.

Display these posters in prominent positions to remind staff to wash their hands. Place one on the back of the toilet door, in staff rooms and near workstations.

You can also display precautionary posters in your salon, spa or barbershop in regards to coughing and sneezing etiquette. The WHO recommends making sure you, and the people around you, follow coughing and sneezing etiquette at all times.

Supply Sanitiser for Clients.

Encourage all your clients to clean their hands with hand sanitiser upon entry to your salon, spa or barbershop. Placing a sign on the front door of your salon can help to reinforce this.

Place hand sanitser on the front counter and combine this with a sign or poster, promoting good hand hygiene. 

 

Avoid Touching Your Face.

We all know that we shouldn’t touch our face unless our hands are clean, right? But quite often we don’t even realise we are touching our eyes, nose or mouth.

One study from Australia, as cited in the American Journal of Infection Control watched medical students and found they touched their faces over 23 times per hour! That’s a lot of face touching.

Touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth with contaminated hands one way a virus enters your body. Coronavirus (Covid-19) or any other viruses are easily spread this way.

So, now you see how important it is to wash your hands regularly.

 

 

Encourage Staff to Stay Home When Sick.

The WHO’s advice is to “stay home if unwell and to encourage your staff to do the same. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Follow the directions of your local health authority.”

Encouraging your staff to stay home when unwell show your clients you care about their health. Furthermore, you are ensuring your good business reputation remains intact.

Erring on the side of caution is always a better option than contributing to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) numbers and spreading the virus to your clients.

Encourage Staff to Self Isolate after Overseas Travel.

If staff need to travel at this time, ask them to factor in a 14-day self-isolation period. The health of your clients and staff directly affects the health of your business.

Ensuring staff self-isolate after travel or after contact with a suspected Coronavirus case (Covid-19) gives your business more chance of staying virus-free. 

Confirm and Update Client Contact Details.

Keeping your client contact details up to date is essential. Always confirm your client’s contact details before they leave the salon.

If the unfortunate happens, and you do encounter a confirmed case of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in your salon, you will need these current details to contact every client exposed.

Always document anything out of the ordinary on the client’s card. 

For example, if you do notice that your client is unwell during their visit, be sure to note this on their client card. This information may be useful if anyone does fall ill in your salon.

Do Not Stigmatise or Spread Fear.

According to the WHO, many people are experiencing stigma in the community.

Always treat people with kindness and respect regardless of nationality, travel history or profession.

Educate yourself on the facts and do not spread fear and anxiety among your staff and clients.

• COVID-19 Resources – Australian Department of Health.
• Common Questions – National Health Service – UK
• Share facts about COVID-19 – Centre for Disease Control and Prevention – USA
• COVID-19 FAQs

Conclusion.

Finally, try not to panic. Remain calm but diligent in your infection control measures. 

Stay in contact with your clients during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak and reassure them you are following proper hygiene and infection control measures. Transparency in your practices will help your clients feel safe and comforted.

Always get your information about Coronavirus (Covid-19) from a credible source such as your local health authority, the WHO.

Use your common sense and don’t forget to wash your hand regularly and provide hand sanitiser for clients and staff.

Keep your staff informed and educated on maintaining a hygienic salon environment at all times, even when busy.

Practice proper handwashing, coughing and sneezing etiquette and display posters or signs to encourage clients and staff to do the same.

Avoid touching your face and going to work if you are unwell.

Encourage staff to self-isolate after overseas travel.

Follow the WHO’s advice “If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and follow the directions of your local health authority.”

Confirm and update your client contact details regularly. Document any issues you may come across, but please try not to stigmatise or spread fear among your clients and staff members.

Take care of yourself, your clients and your employees to promote a safe and clean salon workplace

The staff at Konnect are dedicated to helping our valued customers in any way we can. We hope you found these practical tips helpful.

Konnect provides you with the simple, easy-to-use tools to successfully run day-to-day operations in your salon.

Not using Konnect Spa and Salon Software?  Sign up for a free demonstration today.