Virtual Appointments Tips & Tricks

To prioritize our health and wellness, the safest thing we can all practice is social distancing. But holding up in our homes and staying six feet away from the next human being makes it difficult to continue business as usual. Luckily, living in a tech-heavy time presents crafty ways for stylists to connect with their clients even when they can’t see them face to face.

With the coronavirus (COVID-19) temporarily changing our way of life, virtual services provide a creative way for stylists to continue to support their clients and bring in revenue. While you safely practice social distancing, here are five Virtual Services you can offer your clients.

1. Live Beauty Coaching

During this time, your clients will have plenty of beauty maintenance they’ll need to take care of at home. Live beauty coaching via Virtual Appointments provides the perfect opportunity for you to hand-hold your clients through their at-home upkeep. From root touch-ups to braid maintenance, eyebrow grooming to nail-care, think about how you can help your clients avoid DIY fails from afar. Virtual Appointments can help your clients get by until their next visit to the salon and give you an opportunity to bolster income. 

Even if your clients don’t have any pressing upkeep to take care of, Virtual Appointments present an opportunity for you to educate your clients on new techniques. Think about how you can help review and improve their daily beauty routines. Or, encourage your clients to use this time to experiment with new styles and master new methods from home. When summer rolls around they’ll be an at-home pamper pro. 

2. Pre-Appointment Consultations

For those services that need to be handled in the sacred space of a salon, you can use this time to take care of Virtual Consultations. Whether it’s prepping your client on aftercare or answering questions before the service, now is a great time to take care of pre-appointment consults. Even free consultations are a great way to drum up future business. The average appointment cost after consultation is almost 3X higher than a standard appointment. Using this time for over-the-phone consults can help you earn more income in the future and help you rebound strong.

3. Product Consultations

Product Consultations allow you to give your clients “non-pushy” recommendations and your best-product advice. Whether it’s glowing skin or deep conditioned hair, Product Consultations can be used to pinpoint exactly which products your clients should purchase to achieve their end goal. Additionally, you can give your clients advice on products they have sitting on their beauty shelf. Use this time to audit and review the products and tools they already have on hand. Or, if you want to avoid color correcting when your client gets back into the salon, use a Product Consultation to create the perfect at-home hair kit for your client. When your client is back in the chair, you’ll know exactly what you’re working with. More exciting news on adding products to come. Keep an eye on our blog posts at https://blog.styleseat.com/

4. Offer a Style Bootcamp

Want to show your clients how to achieve the perfect style repertoire but can’t fit it into an hour 1:1 consultation? Consider offering a multi-week Style Bootcamp. Walk your clients through a new technique, trend, or tool every week to help build their beauty education. Plus, with a webinar format, you can include multiple clients at once and record your Style Bootcamp course for later use. Check out the Olive and June mani bootcamp for inspo. 

5. Create a Style Guide

Maybe you have a client who isn’t video-chat savvy or wants a more permanent resource to have on hand. Consider creating a step-by-step Style Guide. Include all of the techniques, tips, and tool recommendations you would in a 1:1 beauty coaching call and combine them in a format that your client can reference endlessly. You can craft a personalized Style Guide as a PDF and share it with your clients via email. 

How Do Virtual Services Work?

Once you have your Virtual Services in mind, add your 21st-century-services to your Service Menu. Your client can book time as they normally would and you’ll be notified as usual. To ensure your video call goes off without a (technical) hitch, take advantage of tools like FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype. 

To add a category for Virtual Services:

• Tap Menu
• Tap Business & Profile
• Tap Services and Add-Ons
• Tap Add in the upper right-hand corner and choose New Category
• Type Virtual Appointments or Virtual Services or whatever suits your business and tap Save

Add Virtual Services:

• Easily add Virtual Services by creating a preset list of virtual services in the Services and Add-Ons > Add Service section of your account. All you need to do is type in the keyword "virtual" or scroll through the list
• Select the Virtual Services you wish to add to your profile
• You can edit the price and duration and tap Save and then tap Save again
• You can then tap the appointment ( it will have a blue dot next to it) you can edit and add the service to a category here

What Should I Charge for Virtual Services?

To set your price, take a look at your online community and fellow professionals for ideas. For example, StyleSeat Pro and skincare guru, Stephanie Ollikainen, offers virtual Dien Chan Zone Facial Reflexology sessions, customized to rebalance and restore the body and mind for $50 and up.

Whatever you ultimately choose, be sure to make it your own. You know your clients and the skills they value best.