The holiday season is almost here and that means most barbers are going to be slammed for the next few months. Everybody wants to look their best at the parties and, as a shop owner, you want every new customer and loyal client to have the best experience.

Being busy is great, but success comes with its own set of challenges. Let’s talk about some of the main issues barbers face during the busy holiday season and ways to prepare to ensure your business runs smoothly.  

Key Challenges Barbers Face During the Busy Season

It’s hard to complain when your appointment book is full. Still, it can throw a wrench into your usual routine and workflow in the following ways:

• New customers – It’s great to see new faces, but first-timers at your shop aren’t going to be familiar with your business or your booking process. A distinctive brand, clear policies, and a streamlined booking process–without the need to text or call, ideally–are all part of creating a welcoming environment for new clients—and can help turn them into returning customers. 

• High demand – There’s only so much time in the workday. You want to get as many clients in the chair as possible, but you also want each haircut to live up to your shop’s standard. 

Make the most of your busy season by booking efficiently and not setting aside any more time than necessary for each cut. Additionally, during times of high demand, you can’t afford to wait for late or no-show clients, so consider setting up automatic text reminders to make sure those clients that are always 15 minutes late know to show up on time. And, consider changing your policy to auto-charge for no-shows. 

• Scheduling woes – Your barbers will likely want to take time off during the holiday season. Unfortunately, this is when you need them the most. A barbershop management tool for the whole shop can prove invaluable when balancing multiple schedules with conflicting time-off requests. This helps every customer find a time for a haircut before the holidays, even when their usual barber is out.

• Time management – The more clients you have walking in the door, the more difficult it is to juggle cutting hair alongside all of the administrative work of running a barbershop. Fortunately, barbershop management technology can help you consolidate all those time-consuming, manual tasks into one place, freeing you up to build better relationships with your customers. 

Tips For a Successful Holiday Season 

Challenges are meant to be overcome, though. Here’s some tips to keep in mind that can help you get ahead of the rush and ensure your business maximizes every moment: 

• Learn from last year’s busy season – Think back to last year’s holiday rush. Are you happy about how you handled the increased workload? What can you improve upon? Learning from the past is a common trait of successful business people. If you struggled with the volume of bookings during the busy season, for example, consider implementing an automated management system to help. 

• Streamline your booking process – Make it clear how to book appointments no matter where customers find you. Get a booking link on your website, Google, or through your social channels. Customer retention starts with making every aspect of the barbershop experience as seamless as possible, and that starts with booking an appointment. Customers find that direct online booking is the most convenient approach, so make it easy for them to use your services by offering this option.

• Plan for high demand and walk-ins – Identify your busiest hours during the week and make sure your staff scheduling aligns with those times. Additionally, it’s important to set a clear walk-in policy so that you know how to handle last-minute drop-ins before they drop in.

• Offer grooming-related gifts – Make it easy for your customers to pick up gift cards or grooming kits as gifts for their loved ones while they’re in for a haircut. Retail is a key but oft-ignored element of a barbershop’s revenue, so making the most of the gift-giving season is a smart idea for your bottom line.

• Keep the holiday momentum going – Turn new customers into loyal regulars through deals, promotions, and effective advertising. For instance, you can automate text messages and email reminders with SQUIRE, a business management solution, to keep customers updated on special offers and bring them back in for their next cut.

Make Being Busy Better with SQUIRE

The holiday season is guaranteed to be busy, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to strengthen relationships with your existing clientele and bring in new customers. Going into the season well-prepared lets you capitalize on this opportunity and further build your business. And SQUIRE can help. 

SQUIRE is an all-in-one business management system that can help set your business up for success, especially during high-volume times of the year. 

By collecting booth rent, running numbers, booking appointments, and more, SQUIRE helps take the stress out of barbershop administration and lets you focus on what matters most: attracting new customers, fostering client loyalty, and increasing your overall revenue. Request a demo today!