Autumn apprentices - get them started!

Autumn time is a popular time for new apprentices starting in the salon, and with the credit crunch biting, it’s important to get them as productive as possible as quickly as possible. Salon Smart Education Expert Chris Moody shows you how!

As this impending recession starts to bite many people will be thinking long and hard over recruitment, and those who choose to recruit will be wanting to get their young apprentices as productive as possible as quickly as possible.

There are no hard and fast rights and wrongs to setting up a plan, but the starting point is to ask yourselves some key questions:

What skills will help this young person become most productive in my salon?
A usual place to start is the shampoo basin. Consider turning your apprentice into a “Shampoo Expert”, someone fluent in customer care at the basin, cleansing and massage technique, shampooing, product knowledge and usage, with the ability and confidence to select the right products and recommend home care products.

After this you may want to move on to in-salon treatments. Again aim to make your apprentice an “expert”.  Having an apprentice who can work under their own initiative when shampooing can save you time and effort, and having one who can also confidently and correctly apply treatments can start earn you money.

Should I let my apprentice loose on a blow-dry?
There are many salons out there that choose not to use an apprentice to blow dry and finish clients. That’s fine, but there are two distinct advantages to getting your apprentice blow-drying as soon as possible.
It’s very beneficial to have someone on hand who can take over, help out or fill in during a busy period. It can allow the stylist more time to concentrate on the hair cut, or even take another client, plus it’s valuable back up.