Salons prepare for costly cuts
Cost of precautions that owners implement could be passed onto clients as service fees
When Toronto hair salons are given the all-clear to reopen, Tyler Moore knows his three Parlour Salon locations will be full.
That is, as full as safety guidelines will allow them to be. During the COVID-19 closings, Moore has been handling most of the calls from clients. Among the more common — and urgent — cries for help? Root touch-ups.
“People are getting very desperate,” he said.
During the lockdown, Moore has been looking for guidance from other countries and provinces that have successfully reopened their salon doors. For the first few weeks, he said his salons will take extra precautions as they figure out what works and what doesn’t.
“I think we’re going to go over and above,” Moore said. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Physical distancing will be paramount, he said. The plan now is for all three locations to limit the number of stylists to five, except Ossington, which will have five stylists per floor (usually it’s 12).
That means every second station or more will be empty. Stylists will be able to switch stations so that each one can be disinfected after each client, hopefully resulting in less wait time between appointments, Moore said.
Personal protective equipment will
also be important for stylists, and clients will be asked to wear masks, which will be provided if customers don’t have their own. And of course, disinfecting every surface will be crucial, Moore said.
Whether or not to use blow dryers is still a big question, he said, amid concerns they could potentially spread droplets. For now they will limit the use of Blow dryers unless told otherwise, and will monitor provincial guidelines in the event they must stop using them altogether, he said.
Jeff Alford, president and CEO of the CBON Group, Canada’s largest supplier of professional infection control products, said communication will be important for salons, spas, esthetic services and more if business owners want their clients to feel safe enough to come in.
Just what kind of personal protective equipment will be required could vary from business to business, such as the need for sneeze shields in nail salons. The closer a worker is to the client, such as for waxing, the more the business will want to ramp up equipment, he said. Businesses that offer massages, facials and hair removal may face the most challenges.
As well, businesses will need to disinfect everything each time it’s used, he said. These measures, plus the protective equipment, may add to the costs for businesses, and Alford said business owners shouldn’t be afraid to let their prices reflect that.
For example, if a business puts a “safety fee” of $2 to $5 on every bill, Alford believes clients will understand.
“We did a survey and we found that, generally speaking, the vast majority of Canadians were quite comfortable paying a safety fee, as long as they saw the protocols being followed,” he said.
Alford recommended businesses look into screening clients, such as asking them to fill out a questionnaire to determine whether they could have been exposed to COVID-19. Salons could be a big point of contact tracing, he said — most collect the email addresses and phone numbers of their clients and, after all, most people go to a salon at least once a year.
“We’re telling the salons that they can be a very positive force,” he said.
Dino Tolentino, owner of Salon Solis, said clients should expect a small increase in prices due to the measures salons have had to take, including purchasing protective equipment for both employees and clients as well as a much larger volume of cleaning fluids and disinfectants. They’ve been preparing for reopening by disinfecting the entire salon and stocking up on the supplies they will need.
Hair salons are a “volumebased business,” said Tolentino, and businesses need to make sure opening is financially viable. Like Moore, his salon will have no shortage of clients. Tolentino said he’s fielding calls every day about appointments, which he can’t begin booking until the government puts out its guidelines.
One thing is for certain: When salons are given the green light, Salon Solis will be ready.
“People are really anxious and that’s the feeling that I get from most people,” he said. “They’re ready to go.
“I mean, we’re going to be flooded with phone calls once they open the gates.”
Both Moore and Tolentino said communication with their clients will be key as their salons prepare to open.
Moore wants his clients to know that his salons are doing everything they can to keep them safe, and that they are open to any suggestions or criticisms. “Everybody has to understand this is going to be a learning curve,” he said.
“We want to make sure everybody feels safe and they know exactly what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”
“People are really anxious and that’s the feeling that I get from most people.”
DINO TOLENTINO SALON OWNER