Like pretty much everyone of you reading this, the past week has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I go back and forth from “Everything’s gonna be great! We’re all great! This will pass quickly!” to feeling like a worried ball of stress.

Here’s the truth: We do not know where this pandemic will take us and our businesses. Or how long it will last.

But does that mean we should just roll over and wait for it to pass? Absolutely not.

After I took the 2 days I needed to just absorb all the information about the virus and how it’s affecting the world and my community (who are all beauty business owners)… I knew I needed to get to work. Staying still is not an option for me. I still need to help people wherever I can. I still need to operate my business, even though things are uncertain.

So I started taking action, even without knowing whether it was right or not. One of the first things I did was message my friend Abby Warther. She’s a hair salon owner and business educator. Her salon voluntarily closed down this week, one day before it was mandated in her state. And she’s done a fantastic job about communicating with her clients about this.

Abby is the queen of guest experience. And she’s carried on that same compassion and care for her clients, even during this difficult time. She shared with me her 6 steps for how she is communicating with her clients right now - from how she talks about her shut-down to how she’s rescheduling their appointments.

The main thing I took away from our interview was this: we still have a duty to be a positive, bright presence to our customers, even when things are uncertain. And there are so many things we can do to build a relationship with them, even when your doors are closed. So let’s jump in.

Step #1: Send out an email to your list and post on social media

The first step to take, which most of you have already started on, is to make a social media post that you’re closed.

Here is the post Abby made for her hair salon, AW Salon:

But your communications don’t stop there. As we know, we’re lucky if we get 3% of followers to see these posts. Just putting it out there is not enough. Your clients are out there worrying about their own jobs, and can be very distracted right now. So you also need to send out an email.

If you have an email list, email every one of your guests, whether or not they had an appointment coming up in the next few weeks.

In the email, tell them about the next steps you’re taking as a business, which we’ll get to next. Explain why you’re closing and tell them that you don’t know when you’re opening again. And tell them that if they did have an appointment booked that you’ll be in contact with them.

You should also tell them exactly how to contact you in order to reschedule their appointment or book a future appointment. Be clear about this in all your communications, otherwise you’ll likely be inundated with text messages, DMs, voicemails etc. on all your channels. You just want to give them one option.

I asked Abby about what to say on social and in emails regarding a future opening day, when everything is so up in the air, and we don’t know when salons will safely be able to re-open.

Abby said the real answer is “until further notice,” but she did put a date in her communications of March 31st “if possible”. She doesn’t want it to be up in the air and make clients think “we’ll call you when we call you.” Instead, she wants them to know that they’ll be contacted on March 31st, whether or not the business is open again or not at that time.

Step #2: Phone all of your guests in your schedule for the next few weeks

Even though many of us don’t like to get on the phone, it’s so important. Connection is key right now. And connecting with clients on the phone and letting them know that you’re here to take care of them is important for your long-term relationship.

There’s also a hidden benefit: In chatting with clients on the phone you’ll start to feel better. Even if you’re freaking out right now, which you probably are, your guests are going to fill you up with so much love and support on those phone calls that you’ll start to feel that everything is going to be okay. You’ll begin to realize that you’re not going to lose my business or start from scratch again. After the calls you’ll feel a love for them that you never had before.

So what did Abby say on the phone to her clients? She told them, “we’re closed until March 31st. I’d like to reschedule you for a few weeks from now, or if you prefer I have a reschedule list.” That’s step number 3.

Step #3: Create a master reschedule list in Google Docs

The master reschedule list states the guest’s name, the appointment they had scheduled, and their preferred availability for their next appointment. As you’re calling guests and getting them to reschedule for a few weeks to a few months from now, some of them will choose an appointment time. But others of them will say “let’s just wait until this settles down, then we’ll see”. If this is the case, Abby puts them on the reschedule list. She doesn’t want to leave it up to her clients to call her when they think they’re ready to come in. Instead, she wants to call them when their doors are re-open. By doing this, she’s creating a next level of service.

“I’ll put you on my reschedule list and when we reopen you’re my top priority,” is what she tells her guests. This makes them feel extra special and they’re no longer worried about remembering to schedule in their appointment when things go back to normal.

And even just by telling your guests, “I’m making a master reschedule list” they see that there is structure for you, and that you’re organized. You might be feeling crazy and unsure, but you can be that calm, organized person even if you’re not feeling it on the inside.

Then, when you’re open again, you’ll call every guest and tell them, “we’re back open. I know that you love Thursday at 6pm, so do you want to book it in?”

That’s next level service!

Step #4: Jump ahead a few weeks or month and block off some time

Abby recommends that you block off time in your calendar and booking software so that when you do get into the reschedule list, there are actually openings with you.

Abby is typically booked solid for 3 months at a time and guests might be wondering “How am I going to get in, she’s already booked solid?” But Abby blocks off the time so that there are openings for the future as well.

Step #5: If you have online booking, do not turn it off

Abby says that many stylists are freaking out right now because they’re trying to control their schedules without knowing the future, but her advice is to not control it too much. If this situation does go on for a few weeks, clients want to get on her books before she opens back up. So she’s opened up online booking for after March 31st right now to give her clients options.

But what if the salon is closed after March 31st, which is likely to be the case? Abby will just continue the cycle of contacting clients who have upcoming appointments and putting them on her reschedule list, once she knows more information about a realistic re-opening date.

Giving this option of booking helps clients to see and feel that they’re taken care of, and that you’re doing everything you can to get them in.

Step #6: When you return to work, don’t overwork yourself

Many business owners are probably already telling themselves, “When I get back to work, I’ll be working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week!” This is a natural tendency as we’re thinking about recovering lost income.

But it’s important to think about where that going to put you 6 months from now, if you do push yourself that hard. You’re going to overwork yourself and burn out. And you probably won’t be producing your best work.

Abby says: “Your book will be full at your normal schedule going forward. I know we need to make up those lost funds. But take care of your well being so you can have a strong year instead of just a strong few months.”

She recommends looking at what kind of promos and add-ons you can offer to guests when they do come back, in order to maximize your time and make more money per appointment, instead of trying to fit everybody in.

What do I do with my business during this downtime?

Abby’s first recommendation is to give yourself some grace and take some time to process everything that’s happening. It can feel stressful to look at other people’s posts on Instagram and see all the things they’re doing in their business right now, but if you’re not ready that’s okay. Just take your time.

This week, Abby will be coming up with a new social media strategy for her salon. It’s important to show up more real and honest than ever before as ever before, not to beautifully curated. Abby gave the example of showing up in a video with your top knot, sweeping up after your kid’s crumbs on the floor. Show your everyday life and tie it back into what you do as a business owner and what you’re working on right now.

It’s also the perfect time to educate yourself as a beauty professional. Abby has a private Facebook group for her salon team, and she’s doing private classes for them there: She’s showing up every week and teaching a class.

Another way to use this time is to think about what are our weak spot or blind spots. Are there things you are struggling with behind the chair? Or do you need to invest time in your social media strategy or website? Abby has decided to start emailing her list once a week instead of once a month during this time.

The last thing she wanted to share was this: Be a positive presence everywhere you post and communicate as a business owner. Show people that everything is going to be okay and spread positivity. Even if you’re feeling anxious, once you start doing this regularly, and taking steps in your business, you’ll feel a million time better.