19 March 2024

Back Room Blues? Eufora Business Team tips for your salon

Back room blues in your salon? Hair salons are often stereotyped as hotbeds of gossip. Eufora Business Team Trainer, Donna Rodrigue, shares 5 ways to help detrimental salon gossip in its tracks.

Have you got the Back Room Blues? Hair salons obviously provide an escape from the stresses of daily life. They can provide a refuge where guests can indulge in a little self-care while enjoying the company of stylists and other guests. However, the “escape” often stops at the backroom door. Why? Most owners will tell you that backroom gossip is one of the biggest detriments to building a healthy salon culture.

Back Room Blues

Gossip in the salon can take many forms: from harmless chatter to malicious rumors. Some view it as an innocent pastime, but gossip can quickly turn nasty and harmful. That when the Back Room Blues set in, damaging both relationships and reputations in the process. It creates a negative vibe in the salon and often creates an unhealthy workplace. Incredibly, this is something that most guests will pick up on! It can even lead to losing guests, low morale amongst the team, and staff turnover. Three things that no one wants in their salon!

One of the biggest challenges in controlling gossip is that it often occurs behind closed doors.The Back Room Blues can start when stylists and other staff members feel comfortable sharing juicy tidbits about guests or colleagues when they think no one else is listening. This can create an “us vs. them” mentality, where employees become disgruntled with each other. So, what can salon owners do to combat this problem? Eufora Business Trainer and Salon Owner, Donna Rodrigue, shares her top five ways to ban Back Room Blues below.

Five easy steps

  1. Set clear expectations. Salon owners should make it clear from the start that gossip will not be tolerated in their business. This should be included in the employee handbook and discussed during the hiring process and staff meetings. Setting expectations early on helps establish a culture of respect and professionalism that discourages gossip.
  1. Lead by example. Salon owners should model the behavior they want to see in their team. If owners participate in gossip, or allow it to go unchecked, they send a message that the behavior is acceptable. By setting a positive example, owners can model a culture of kindness and integrity that encourages others to do the same.
  1. Create a positive work environment. The salon should be a place where employees feel valued and supported. Owners can create a positive work environment by offering training and development opportunities, recognizing good performance, and fostering open communication. When employees feel happy and fulfilled in their work, they are less likely to engage in gossip.
  1. Encourage open communication. Salon owners should encourage open communication between employees. This means creating a safe space where employees can voice their concerns and opinions without fear of retaliation. By promoting open communication, owners can prevent small issues from turning into big problems that fuel gossip.
  1. Address gossip head-on. When owners hear gossip or rumors, they should address it head-on. Have a private conversation with the employee involved, explaining why the behavior is unacceptable, and outlining the consequences if it continues. By taking swift action, owners can show that they take gossip seriously and intend to stop it to promote a positive work environment.

Rodrigue advises all owners to take the proactive steps necessary to eradicate Back Room Blues in order to foster a salon environment that is a great place for stylists to work and thrive. Consequently, it will also be a great place for guests to “escape” and enjoy the salon experience.

If you want to dive deeper into more topics from the Eufora Business Education Team, please visit eufora.net, and check out the many online learning resources.

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