Barber shop - staffing issues

[samuel5]

Hi all

I’m with my friend who owns two barber shops and has had two of his barbers leave this week and is really worried about his business as it’s gone very quiet.

I’ve told him not to worry as times are not normal.
He wants to know the perfect formula for paying his barbers as paying them a set wage does not work.
He is now offering them 50:50 but it is not working out well.

Any other barbers can give any advice please?

Sorry if this does not make much sense we have had a few pints! I cannot give him much advice in this sector!

Thanks

Sam

 

[MBE2017]

Cannot help on any particular pay scheme, but he should be worried if he is quiet, in my area barbers are booked weeks ahead, stacked out. On the first day back after lockdown my small barber of three guys had a que outside of approx 15 clients waiting at 8am, the old boys didn’t realise they needed to book now, so most left unhappy.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I’d suggest that talking with the barbers would be a great starting point

 

[Mr D]

Barbers gone quiet?
Don't think I've seen a quiet one yet - weeks of backlog still to get through looking around.



Seriously, a set wage for employees does work. Perhaps the pay or the working conditions do not suit? Get into partnerships and things can get VERY messy quickly.

One option some end up doing is renting a chair out - disadvantage is the customers may follow the individual when they leave.

 

[SFH0791]

Tell him to register for Booksy.

My barber said he was very busy but now it is starting to go quiet.

 

[Opinion87]

I'll second or third some of the above. My barber has been slammed.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Were the two barbers who left the best barbers, who customers liked, and therefore the customers followed them to the new place of work

I thought all hairdressers hired out the seats rather than a fixed wage although 50/50 seems very expensive, but not in the trade so dont know the percentages, but a £10 haircut and I have to give you a £5 seems poor value

 

[Bob Morgan]

'Barbers?' - How vulgar having to go to a shop and deal with 'Trade!' My Valet deals with my grooming on a daily basis!

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I'll second or third some of the above. My barber has been slammed.

There are lots of places now where there is a saturation of barbers. My own barber is 'old school' and keeps relatively busy although he only works 4 days a week, mainly because of loyal clientele and the fact that he is a dying breed. Not everyone wants their cut by a surly hipster with zero people skills.

Elsewhere I notice some open from 6am or working 7 a week to make a living.

 

[Mr D]

There are lots of places now where there is a saturation of barbers. My own barber is 'old school' and keeps relatively busy although he only works 4 days a week, mainly because of loyal clientele and the fact that he is a dying breed. Not everyone wants their cut by a surly hipster with zero people skills.

Elsewhere I notice some open from 6am or working 7 a week to make a living.

Now that is an idea - cater to those finishing night shifts. Open at 6am so they can get a haircut then go home and shower.

 

[RobinBHM]

Some barbers opened at midnight the first day could open.

If it's quiet, is it not established?
Maybe you need more marketing....try local Facebook groups, next door, do google my business etc etc.

 

[MBE2017]

Not used my barber since lockdown, his shop on the main town road is the second oldest business that has been running continuously since starting over 60 years ago.

I bought some Wahl clippers on offer for £12, the wife is a trained hairdresser, so now I doubt I will be going back. I don’t like having to book, or wear a mask. Too busy to book and know when I will be free in a couple of weeks time.

My barber was a fair price at £9 per time, but he is now £10, most around my way want £15 a time.

 

[billybob99]

Been paying £15 for years, but every time I go in for a hair cut, I hear "merry christmas".

£15 a year isn't that bad I guess.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

My barber was a fair price at £9 per time, but he is now £10, most around my way want £15 a time.

Mine went from £11 to £12, I gave him £20. He's not had any income for 3 months whilst mine has increased, call it guilt money if you will.

 

[MBE2017]

Been paying £15 for years, but every time I go in for a hair cut, I hear "merry christmas".

£15 a year isn't that bad I guess.

Being a hippy, my hair grows so fast I get a haircut every 2/3 weeks, no signs of it slowing down, no thinning either. They should be paying myself really, since they can make a wig from my offcuts on each visit.

 

[ExoPaul]

If your friend has TWO barber shops and they are both quiet and no bookings then something is seriously wrong as that is not normal when other places are booked out 1-3 months in advance.

I would think that the main focus of suspicion is the two barbers suddenly leaving after 3 months on lockdown. I would strongly doubt they decided to give up working when they will be desperate to get back and earn a wage. I would think either they have been poached by another barbers, or more likely, have decided to set up on their own and take the contacts to all your friends business along with them. While your friend has been sat with his shops shut for 3 months, I wouldn't be surprised if the two barbers were not moonlighting, cutting hair against lockdown rules to then set up their own business knowing that people will be desperate to get haircuts.

What your friend needs to do is:
- Find new barbers.
- Advertise heavily that they are open for business.
- Consider turning one of the two barbers into a hairdresser and hire some hairdressers to capture both sexes.
- Contact all old customers and invite them back for a 10% discount and drop leading questions as to why they have not been back since re-opening to see if they have gone elsewhere and where to? (Play sherlock).
- Contact any hairdressing/barber colleges and try and recruit new staff. Offer them a start in the business.

 

[SillyBill]

Not a business I'd like to be in once the initial stampede dies down. I doubt I will ever go to a barbers again. Doing my own buzz cut with a beard trimmer worked perfectly fine for me. 2-3 months later I am probably about a month away from needing to repeat the process. Not saying we're a huge demographic but if 2-5% of people now decide to cut their hair at home, either themselves or partners then that adds up over a year.

 

[Mr D]

Not a business I'd like to be in once the initial stampede dies down. I doubt I will ever go to a barbers again. Doing my own buzz cut with a beard trimmer worked perfectly fine for me. 2-3 months later I am probably about a month away from needing to repeat the process. Not saying we're a huge demographic but if 2-5% of people now decide to cut their hair at home, either themselves or partners then that adds up over a year.

A few will not care about look that much.
Most appear to have requirements that need a professional to do it. Though a chunk of hairstyles can be done by family members without training.

Hair trimmer and do yourself with a couple of mirrors or do yourself and get someone else to just run it over areas that need it. Short and good for several months. Plus haircare is easy.

 

[SillyBill]

A few will not care about look that much.
Most appear to have requirements that need a professional to do it. Though a chunk of hairstyles can be done by family members without training.

Hair trimmer and do yourself with a couple of mirrors or do yourself and get someone else to just run it over areas that need it. Short and good for several months. Plus haircare is easy.

One of the beauties of working for yourself is the quality of ones haircut is not beholden to some clause in the Company handbook. I did mine at 1am in the morning after a bottle of wine with a beard trimmer running low on juice, extension cord had to get drafted in. Wife said it looked alright mind .

 

[Mr D]

One of the beauties of working for yourself is the quality of ones haircut is not beholden to some clause in the Company handbook. I did mine at 1am in the morning after a bottle of wine with a beard trimmer running low on juice, extension cord had to get drafted in. Wife said it looked alright mind .

Wife works for an external company, has me cut her hair every year. Hair trimmer, 10 minute job. No idea why she would have to pay someone else 50 quid for that.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Perhaps someone could explain why so many men are like sheep nowadays (Must follow what everyone else does,) and all have this stupid looking short back and side, Why are modern men scared of being individuals

 

[Darren_Ssc]

...and all have this stupid looking short back and side, Why are modern men scared of being individuals

It's low-maintenance, nothing to do with being a sheep.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

Not saying we're a huge demographic but if 2-5% of people now decide to cut their hair at home, either themselves or partners then that adds up over a year.

Having tried cutting my own hair, and resorting to a zero all over as the only way to make it look acceptable, I will never try this again if at all possible.

I also enjoy the banter and it is only a few quid at the end of the day.

 

[Mr D]

Perhaps someone could explain why so many men are like sheep nowadays (Must follow what everyone else does,) and all have this stupid looking short back and side, Why are modern men scared of being individuals

Perhaps wanting something cheap and simple?

Not that bothered about what their hair looks like except tidy.

Men - we can have the same hairstyle for decades.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It's low-maintenance, nothing to do with being a sheep.

Baa Baa Baa

 

[Opinion87]

Perhaps someone could explain why so many men are like sheep nowadays (Must follow what everyone else does,) and all have this stupid looking short back and side, Why are modern men scared of being individuals

Ahhh yes, the 35 million odd males in this country must have different haircuts else they're sheep.

Next you'll be saying people are sheep for wearing a coat when it rains. Absolute melon.

It's low-maintenance, nothing to do with being a sheep.

This.

 

[billybob99]

I have never owned a coat or an umbrella.

Don't talk to me about scarves either.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Ahhh yes, the 35 million odd males in this country must have different haircuts else they're sheep.

So glad you agree

Next you'll be saying people are sheep for wearing a coat when it rains. Absolute melon.

No sheep already have a coat on most of the time a woolen one

This.

 

[Ds1874]

I just opened a barbers the day lockdown lifted, The most likely reason his shops are dead is everyone rushed out the first few days and got a haircut. My first 4days in business I done around 120 haircuts. The following weeks I dropped to between 5 and 10 a day with a small rise for the schools going back. That is with no regular clients whatsoever in a shop that was last used as a video shop in the 90s. I wouldn't look into other barbers being booked a week in advance as anything other than their regulars are booking up, if you go on the likes of booksy they most places are doing 45min appointments so in a day they are probably doing about 8-10 clients, but I've spoke to a few people that have said they are dead aswell. As long as he can cover his outgoings the money will roll in again.