Partnering
To Take Your Coordinator
To The Next Level
From Inspire
Magazine, Fall 1999
Many salon owners
who consult me ask for ways to make a salon coordinator/receptionist
position profitable. Tight budgets, they say, don't allow them to offer
salaries that attract stable, responsible employees.
There may be many
reasons why different salons have low profit margins. But in my experience
there is only one underlying cause: The owners are not committed to
making a profit. They treat their businesses not as businesses but as
hobbies. The goal of a business is making money.
But let's assume
your salon is committed to profitability. How can the position of coordinator
more than pay its way?
One way is to regard
the coordinator as your partner. Hire someone who is willing to invest
in your vision for the salon. Look beyond the everyday tasks involved.
You want someone with attitude and energy. You can teach the rest.
Think of the new
employee as a long-term investment. Provide education, nurturing, encouragement,
and rewards.
The salon coordinator
is the first and last person with whom clients interact. Since hairdressing
is a business of building relationships, pay attention to the relationships
your "partner" is building with clients and staff.
Does the coordinator
truly want to serve clients' needs? Is this "partner" knowledgeable
about services, pricing and scheduling? Can this person handle a difficult
client and turn a complaint or a suggestion into a revenue generating
idea? Will he or she support management decisions and influence others
to do the same? In short, are the coordinator's goals aligned with the
goals of the salon?
The coordinator
is the caretaker, negotiator, and troubleshooter of the salon. As the
liaison between stylists and clients, the coordinator performs dozens
of services that are absolutely necessary in today's marketplace. But
it is impossible to quantify or put a dollar value on such intangible
services.
The salon coordinator
also controls the flow of clients by:
1. Booking all appointments
in accordance with productivity goals.
2. Profiling new
clients to determine the most suitable stylist for each.
3. Handling day-to-day
business transactions at the front desk.
When employees act
like business partner's everyone's opportunities increase, partnering
broadens every job description and focuses everyone's thinking on the
prosperity of the business. Partners learn all they can. And they work
for benefits beyond ordinary compensation. Partnering and profitability
go together like scissors and comb. I invite you to explore the possibility
of allowing new ideas to energize your business.
