The COVID-19 pandemic brought many small businesses to a screeching halt, going months without being able to welcome customers. Among the most heavily impacted were salons and barber shops, which went months without a single customer sitting in a barber chair for a haircut or a shave.
However, many of these businesses are now in the process of reopening their doors safely, putting their customers first to ensure they get the quality customer service they rely on while doing everything possible to keep them safe from the spread of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 Guidelines
In the United States, barbershops and salons have been given federal guidance on how to properly maintain their business throughout the era of COVID-19 uncertainty. Of course, if you are exhibiting any symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, stay home. That goes for workers and customers alike.
Within your business, encourage social distancing, keep customers apart, and separate chairs in your establishment as much as possible. Some shops, depending on their size, have opted for staggering appointments to limit the number of people inside a salon or barber at a given time. It is important that employees wear masks at all times to protect hair salon and barber customers, who may need to remove their face covering at some point to get a haircut, shave, or other services. Some salons or barbershops have customers sit in barber chairs at either end of the store to maintain a safe distance.
Along with frequent hand washing or use of hand sanitizer, frequently used surfaces within your shop should be disinfected at the beginning and end of each workday, as well as after each customer gets in the barber chair.
Consumer Comfort
For most people, salons and barbershops are a comforting place, somewhere they can decompress and even have a chat with friends. Of course, the ‘new normal’ is putting limits on those conversations, but that doesn’t mean enjoying the experience has to be sacrificed.
Shops should look for the best barber chair to not only give their customers a greater sense of relaxation but also work for barbers and not against them. While a classic barber chair is pretty foolproof, chairs with heavy-duty steel frames and heavy-duty hydraulic pumps have the lasting power that can accommodate having anyone in the chair. Adjustable features allow for hairdressers to measure up and not have to strain to cut anyone’s hair at any size or stature, and footrests or armrests keep customers comfortable while they’re in the barber chair getting a shave.
Hydraulic chairs are able to adjust to customer and barber preference, able to accommodate easy rotation and different positions in a comfortable seat for whoever waltzes into barbershops and beauty salons. For a stylist, a comfortable chair is a great way to keep a customer relaxed and feeling safe in these different surroundings than what they are used to.
Preparing for Anything
Beyond new guidance relating to the coronavirus, barbershops and salons should be fluent in first aid and any kind of emergency training to assure preparedness in such an event.
First aid and CPRAEDcourse are offered through the American Healthcare Academy so that employees are properly prepared for these types of training. CPR training classes give you the information you need to help anyone in the event of a medical emergency. Whether you choose in-person or online CPR training, you’ll have these important skills in your back pocket with certification that can be renewed.
An AED course usually entails recognizing emergencies and deciding when to act. This includes responding to unconscious persons and an understanding of the use of an automated external defibrillator. An AED machine is a portable medical device that analyzes the heart rhythm of a person in sudden cardiac arrest. If necessary, the AED will deliver a shock to help the heart re-establish a correct rhythm. Safety should be key, no matter what time of year and when to make sure everyone can enjoy your business.
