I consult with salons all over the U.S. and Canada helping to build strong successful nail departments. Many times, I see a lack of add-on services being offered. Although there are many reasons the nail techs are not tallying up the additional services, the reason I hear most often is time, time, time! It’s the biggest issue many nail techs struggle with. They say “We wish we had the time to do these add on services, we just run out of time.” An add-on service shouldn’t take a lot of extra time or include a ton of additional products. Add-ons should be an added value to the service. It’s an impulse item — something fast, easy, and reasonably priced.

While consulting, I found most salons had time differences between the Basic Pedicure and Spa Pedicures they offered. I discovered when techs are busy and booked back to back, it’s impossible to perform the Spa Pedicure because of time constraints. By not being able to offer all of the pedicures, they’ve created a losing situation. First and foremost, the client misses out on the spa experience. We lose out on the financial rewards of the add-on and if your salon tracks additional services, we lose out on that too.

Furthermore, I uncovered that most techs weren’t even offering add-ons. How can we get add-ons services if we aren’t offering them to our clients? Most departments were not consistent as a team. I witnessed only a few of the techs offering add-on services and menus. Clients sitting in the pedicure room were within ear shot and view of other clients who had been offered extra services. I had salon owners tell me that they had received phone calls from clients who were upset because they weren’t offered the menu. They asked, “Do your manicurists think that I can’t afford to do a treatment? The person sitting next to me received a menu right in front of me — why wasn’t I offered one?”

The simplest and most common cause for not getting the add-on service is because we didn’t even offer it. Through discussion with many nail technicians, I heard out why. Here is a list of the most frequent reasons:

New nail technicians:

• They’re working on getting comfortable with offering additional services or menu.

• I found many of them couldn’t explain the services to a client; they didn’t study the services they offered.

• Because they don’t know the menu; they talk too much and lose the client; they stumble over their words.

• They’re finding out how to say things and what verbiage works best for them.

• They feet terrible whenever they’re turned down and take it as a personal failure.

• They look at their own wallet and assume because they wouldn’t pay X amount of dollars for that service, their clients won’t either. Many also assume if they don’t have the money, their clients don’t either.

• They felt uncomfortable with the silence after they ask if the client would like to do an add-on.

• I can barely get through the pedicure and now you want me to do an add-on?

Seasoned nail technicians:

• Many have just given up because they see the same clients often.

• They’ve offered the additional services before and been turned down.

• My clients don’t do additional services, why offer them now?

• What will my clients think of me if I try to offer them a new service?

• I am on auto-pilot and can’t change my routine.

• Add-ons are for the new girls who are building a clientele, I have clients.

• I don’t want to look stupid in front of the other techs, they think I know everything.

• I am so booked, I don’t have time!

• I’m so busy with $30 fills, I can’t do a $50 pedicure with an add-on! (Someone really said that)

Do any of these sound familiar? Have you not offered additional services because you can relate with these nail techs? Next week we’ll talk about how to overcome some of these road blocks and how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Offering add-ons — one more way to help you stand out above the rest and become the BEST!

I consult salons to build strong, successful, money-generating nail departments. I’ll visit your salon onsite, customize your additional services menu, teach you time saving techniques, and increase your add-on your sales. If you would like to schedule technical and business education exclusively for nail technicians contact me at jwilson@summitsalon.com.

— Jill