Loosening Up Tippers in a Tight Economy - [read]
Why do you go to the dentist? My mom goes for her paraffin dip (and, I assume would tip for it). Loosening up tippers (and shoppers for that matter) in this tight economy is going to mean going beyond the norm and beyond the overused phrase, ‘exceptional customer service’. “Exceptional customer service” is supposed to be the norm at so many businesses that what is supposed to be ‘exceptional’ is now the norm – get it? So how do you set yourself and your salon apart in this “exceptional” world? - 12monthsofmarketing.net

12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa includes thousands of ideas for going beyond the norm and creating a truly exceptional client-centered business. Available exclusively from Salon Services & Supplies - 800-251-4247 or in your nearest Showroom location.

How to S.A.V.E. an Angry Customer - [read]
How much preparation time to you spend training employees in how to deal with angry or dissatisfied clients? If it’s less than forty percent, it’s not enough. In the S.A.V.E. customer service method, a whopping 40 percent of employee training concerns how to take care of an angry, dissatisfied customer with the purpose of retaining the relationship. Here are guidelines and the summary on how to S.A.V.E. an angry customer from Jay Goltz’ training manual.
- nytimes.com

1 Stylist, 20 Questions - [read]
Our featured salon this month is the only salon to be found in Seattle’s up-and-coming Georgetown neighborhood – Helmet Head. We chatted with Helmet Head co-owner Heather Tubbs about her life in the biz, her salon’s personality and how they’re getting ready for the upcoming holiday rush season. - read more

3 Questions that Lead to Self-Improved Leadership - [read]
When you hit major transition points—job changes, failures, meltdowns, or simply surprisingly frank feedback—spend time and resources to work on developing yourself. While the positive impact of your efforts at self-development isn’t on any balance sheet, the healthier, more insightful choices you make will go directly to your bottom line. To practice, prepare answers to the following self-coaching questions. - businessweek.com

The Case for Rational Optimism - [read]
Sure, it has been a harrowing storm. And now is no time to discount the dangers that still exist. There's a misconception that pessimism is prudent because you can never go wrong by assuming the worst - but opening your mind to optimism can help you seize the opportunities ahead. Optimists see the recession as a forest fire that clears out dead brush, making room for new growth – fertile ground for the inventive. Why it’s smart to be optimistic: - businessweek.com

What to Do When You're Stuck in the Middle - [read]
Even optimists feel anxiety. Perhaps you are a visionary leader, intrepid innovator, or enthusiastic entrepreneur determined to make the best of it, recession or not. But your new projects are stalled like the stock market and the traffic jams. Welcome to the miserable middles of change. This is the time when Kanter's Law kicks in. Everything looks like a failure in the middle. Everyone loves inspiring beginnings and happy endings; it is just the middles that involve hard work.- boston.com

6 Ways to Get More Training on the Cheap - [read]
Professional technical education is an irreplacable part of your business - helping to keep employees interested, innovative and motivated. Given the state of many budgets today,business and other non-technical training and development may be simply out of financial reach. But there are ways to stretch and multiply training dollars and time, from cross-training to pairing to bringing in free lectures from vendors and distributors to maximize employee engagement and let employees know that you are personnally invested in their personal as well as professional development. - cio.com

Pricing Stragety: Mind Your Nines and Zeros - [read]
When it comes to pricing, nines and zeros tell the story.  Do you want to be known for providing good quality for the price, or would you prefer to be known as providing the best quality service in town, bar none? - openforum.org

Help Clean the Planet - Hairmats for Humanity! - [read]
DID YOU KNOW? Cut hair can be recycled into mats used to clean oil spills, among other things. Taking the hairmat concept and running with it, Matter of Trust, a San Francisco nonprofit established a network of salons across the country, from which they collect hair clippings. Hairmats generated from the project are used to clean up oil spills all over the world. Recently, however, Matter of Trust has been unable to have the hair processed into mats due to economic and other issues – leaving them with 18,000 pound of unprocessed clippings in storage! Get in the know, and then get involved and help to restart this valuable recycling effort. - salonservicesnw.com

“Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate
as knowing what to do next."
-Herbert Hoover, 31st US President.