In a few weeks you will hopefully be able to re-open your salon. So it is prudent to plan in advance how to keep your staff and your customers safe, and how to manage the expectations and fears of your clients.
Communication
- Keep ALL your clients updated on when you expect to re-open, as well as on the procedures that you will put in place to keep them safe.
- Communicate your adjusted working hours to clients in advance. If you have more than one stylist, consider rotating and scheduling their hours to limit the amount of stylists in the salon at any given time.
- Advise your clients that pre-booking is essential and that no walk-ins will be accommodated, because of the limited amount of people allowed in the salon at any given time.
- Advise clients that they must attend their booking alone, without their children or any friends, unless the client needs special assistance (which must be communicated to and agreed with you beforehand).
- Start taking appointments as soon as the open date for salons have been announced.
- Give preferential bookings to clients that bought vouchers during lockdown.
Organizational preparations
- Ensure that your salon is clean and sanitised before re-opening.
- Re-organise your salon if necessary, ensuring at least 1.5 – 2 meters between workstations, basins, etc.
- Pre-buy your disposables (gowns, towels, etc.), gloves, sanitizers and stock.
- Prepare upfront how you will communicate your hygiene protocols to clients, e.g. will you put up posters to inform them of general preventative measures, will you require signs to sanitising stations, etc.
- Prepare a Dreaded disease policy and work plan in terms of the regulations
- Prepare and pre-print sufficient customer register and health review screening test sheets and have them ready for customers to complete when entering.
- Ensure that all your staff receives the necessary PPE to ensure that they can perform their duties in safety.
- Ensure that all your staff are properly trained on all the health and safety protocols prior to opening of your salon.
Hygiene
- Include a section on sanitising practices to be used in your Dreaded disease policy.
- Ensure that sufficient fresh air are available.
- Sanitise all work areas and tools every morning and between all services. This includes work surfaces, basins, brushes, combs, aprons, capes, etc.
- Consider using disposable capes and towels. If not, a single use policy should be applied and sufficient capes and towels must be available to ensure proper washing and heat drying after each use.
- Offer a disposable bag, locker (if available) or container to customers in which to store personal items (incl. handbags, jewellery, coats, etc.)
- Cleaning and sanitising of share spaces e.g. toilets must be done daily.
- Wash every client’s hair before any service. No dry services and cutting should be allowed.
- Hand sanitizer should be available at each workstation, as well as at critical areas, e.g. entrance, pay point, retail stand, etc.
- Clean and disinfect all surfaces after every service, including mirrors, card machines, etc.
- Avoid the receipt of cash payments as far as possible.
Social distancing
- Customers must wear masks as far as possible.
- Safety devices should be used at all times.
- Minimum distances between clients should be maintained at all times.
- Enforce booking times and do not allow customers to enter the premises outside of their allocated appointment time.
- Remove all newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Try to communicate with your client through the mirror most times, and not face-to-face.
Should your require any assistance with the preparation of a work plan, health screening review or other document referred to here, please send an email to ma*******@ne****.za.
This document is intended as a mere guide for the management of COVID-19 in your hair salon and do not in any way replace protocols and regulations issued by government and do not guarantee health and non-transmission in the workplace.
Source: Pettenon Cosmetics