Systems
Successful barbering businesses are built upon good systems. A system is a standard way of doing something the same way every time and getting a consistent and predictable result.
In this chapter you will learn:
Barbering requires you to build a brand. Your own personal brand is being built from the moment you start cutting hair. People you’ve never met will know about you, your service and your work ethic. Know that word travels fast about you everything from your skills at cutting to whom you may be dating will circulate in your community. As social media advances and clients have the ability to instantly post reviews about you or your service and your shop:
*How having systems for you affects your client’s experience.
*Why you need systems.
*What areas of business requires systems.
THIS IS HOW IT WORKS:
A client comes to you for a cut. You know this is your opportunity to win another possible life time client. So you give them your best service. You break out a fresh clean drape, use your best manners, and even offer them a refreshing beverage. Your consultation is professional, attentive and thorough. Your focus is completely engaged on your client experience. You blow your client away with your service; after leaving the shop all they are thinking is “Wow, I think I just found my Barber.” The professional service you give is great; your customer service was outstanding! But the service, the service was amazing! They want to tell everyone about how great you shampoo. They’ll rave about the pleasing scents of the oil you use to exfoliate their skin in the hot towels you put on their face. They’ll steal glances of themselves every chance they get to look at how good their hair looks; think about how masterfully you used your shears. They’ll brag about how you used the straight razor to give them the closest shave, precision line that they’ve ever had! They can’t wait to get back into your chair.
HOW TO LOSE A CLIENT
Visit 1:
So know you think you got this person hooked on your service. The big tip you received, how the two of you exchanged contact information. The way they insisted you give them more cards so they can pass them out to their friends and family has you feeling confident.
Visit 2:
Things start slowly declining. You might be out of refreshments so you don’t offer them anything. But everything else is stellar and lives up to your client’s expectations aside from being a little thirsty, things are great.
Visit 3:
Still no refreshments, the haircut, shampoo, and shave still was great but this time you spent half the time talking over your client to the barber next to you, talking about everything from music, sex, politics, and business. Then the other fifty percent of the time you’re on your cell phone. Hair cut looks great but something feels different to the client.
Visit 4:
Still no refreshments, no shampoo or hot towels today you where 20mins late getting him into the chair. And while he waited patiently you are showed no hustle to get him in the chair faster or no effort to make sure he was comfortable while he waited. You haven’t been to the beauty supply to re-up on shampoo or razor blades, so again they won’t get all the services they may be expecting. This time you use clippers and barley even use your shears. You use an electric shaver rather than a razor to give them a close shave. This time you spend 90% of the entire time on your phone. You even take a short smoke break in the middle of the cut. The hair cut is still great; but when the client leaves this time he knows that was the last time he was going to get cut by you!
TIP: THIS WILL MAKE YOU MORE MONEY INSTANTLY SO REMEMBER THIS IS HERE. IF YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECITIATE PEOPLE YOU WIN. AT OUR CORE WE WANT TO BE ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATED. ESPECIALLY WHEN PAYING FOR A SERVICE. THE MOMENT YOU STOP SHOWING THAT FOR YOUR CLIENTS THEY ARE GONE. THE MOMENT YOU DO FOR ALL PEOPLE YOU WILL DRAW AND KEEP MORE CLIENTS AND BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM FOR YEARS. WHEN THEY WALK INTO THE SHOP AND YOUR RUNNING BEHIND COMMUNICATE THAT IMMEDIATELY. AND APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING BEHIND, SHOW CONCERN ABOUT THERE SCHEDULE AND THEIR TIME. TIME IS OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE THE ONE THING WE CAN NEVER GET BACK. CHUKA ONCE TOLD ME “YOU CAN’T WASTE TIME.” YOUR TIME ESPECIALLY AND DEFINITELY THE TIME OF OTHERS, WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE, BY SHOWING THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THEIR TIME THAT IS WASTED, WILL MAKE PEOPLE NOT MIND WAITING ON YOU. WE MIGHT NOT REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID OR HOW GOOD OR BAD YOUR HAIRCUT WAS; BUT, WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE US FEEL. LIFE IS A FEELING PROCESS, PEOPLE LEAVE OR STAY WITH BARBERS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN WITH FOR YEARS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY ARE MADE TO FEEL.
What happened!?
People like going to a place where they can get satisfactory consistent service. By being consistent you give them the purchasing power to choose their experience. When you start changing the experience for whatever reason you take away their ability to choose the quality of service they expect, and are subjected to whatever you choose to do that day. People hate not knowing what to expect.
Systems help you be successful
Systems allow you to plan perform and execute to a standard that is consistently improving your business. Systems in place will help you keep adequate inventory and supply, track your income and expenses, Cut faster, and much more.
Simply put you’ll be doing the same routine actions in your business to ensure your success.
System: any formulated, regular, or special method or plan of procedure.
