Ensuring mutual respect and courtesy in your salon and spa

Although the quality of treatments you and your staff provide and the cleanliness of your business says a lot about your brand, nothing speaks louder than how people are treated in your business - meaning your clients, staff and you alike. Mutual respect and courtesy are the foundation for every successful business, but maintaining these qualities takes a lot of work and nerves of steel. Your salon or spa is meant to be a relaxation haven for customers who are in dire need of a new look, a great place to work at for your staff and a business that you can be proud of. So how do you ensure that everyone is respectful and courteous to one another in your business? Start by creating rules!

Respect and courtesy - customers

Customers are tricky, as they bring in all kinds of emotions into your business. Some walk into your salon crying about their ruined look, while others look down upon you, your staff and fellow clients. Whereas some waltz through your doors with a gleaming look on their faces and instantly cheer you up. Obviously, we’re not worried about your rays of sunshine - it’s the troublemakers that we need to focus on.

Remember that although you and your team might be thick-skinned when dealing with difficult clients, your other customers might not. Imagine a client getting their hair washed by one of your hairdressers - they’re dozing off a bit and are in a state of pure bliss. Suddenly they’re brought back to reality when a customer two seats away starts chatting with a friend on speakerphone. This not only ruins that client’s experience but can also earn you a negative review if you don’t do something about this. To properly deal with uncourteous and outright disrespectful clients, you should enforce a customer behaviour policy. By doing so, you reduce the chances of having to put up with oblivious or straight-up malicious people that can compromise your business. The most common culprits include:

• Gossipers: people who spread lies and rumours about other clients, your staff or you.
• Foul-mouthed clients: people who use foul language on your business premises, and/or in their messages sent to your business.
• Inconsiderate customers: people who are overly loud, talk on speakerphone, bother other clients, staff or you.
• Clients who use hate speech: derogatory terms, racist remarks and hate speech based on gender, sexual orientation, religion or personal views.
• Those who use physical violence: clients who physically assault you, your staff or other clients.

Respect and courtesy - staff

For most salon and spa owners, working with a team of specialists can be both a blessing and a curse. They not only provide customers with relaxing treatments and wonderful transformations, but they also represent your business as a whole - and that’s where things can get hairy. Just like uncourteous clients, your staff may also adapt inconsiderate habits, which can lead to negative reviews of your business and verbal or even physical altercations between them and customers, you or even themselves. Although a staff member might lose their cool due to a number of reasons, they need to remember that they’re service providers, and as such, they’re held to a higher standard than a frustrated client.

However, a frustrated employee isn’t necessarily a troublemaker. The bad seeds are those who take no regard for their actions and work without respecting others around them. To properly deal with staff who show no respect or courtesy towards you, your customers or other staff members, enforce a staff behaviour policy that explains what behaviour won’t be tolerated in the workplace. This policy shows your staff exactly what types of behaviours are frowned upon in your place of business - thus, reducing the chances of uncomfortable situations in your salon or spa. This type of policy is primarily aimed at employees who:

• Gossip: either about other staff members, customers or you.
• Talk back: especially to their superiors.
• Argue in public: whether it’s in regards to a dispute due to a disagreement with a client, employee or you.
• Use foul language: whether it's aimed at you, a colleague or a client.
• Are inconsiderate towards others: this includes leaving for extended breaks, arriving late to work, ignoring customers’, staff or your requests.
• Don’t pull their own weight: staff who don’t work as hard as the remainder of the team or simply aren’t team players.
• Use hate speech: derogatory terms, racist remarks and hate speech based on gender, sexual orientation, religion or personal views.
• Use physical violence: those who physically assault you, your clients or other staff members.

Enforcing your courtesy policies

Once you have your policies ready, it’s time to present them. Bear in mind that they’re meant to explain to staff and clients behaviours that aren’t tolerated on the business premises, in order to create a welcoming and professional atmosphere. When it comes to displaying them for customers, you can do so in a number of ways - most salons and spas have such policies posted on their social media fan pages, website or printed and hung up in the business. If you happen to have a client who acts disrespectfully, consider sending them your policy directly via Booksy.

With regards to the staff, you should provide them with both a physical and digital copy as soon as you have them ready. Since your team represents your business as a whole, they should know precisely what type of behaviour is unacceptable in your salon or spa. Additionally, if you hire new employees, make sure that they receive a copy as well. Your business is meant to be a sweet escape for customers and a welcoming workplace for your team - only by mutual respect and courtesy for one another can a salon or spa truly flourish!