After securing permits and licensing to provide salon house calls and mobile services, it’s time to design the salon experience for offsite clients. How will you make your house call clients feel pampered outside of the salon setting? Follow these steps and check out these resources to create a relaxing at-home experience for your clients!
Prepare for House Calls with Vagaro Forms
Before heading out to your first house call, make sure to collect pre-appointment information from the client. This will give you a better idea of the new environment that you’ll host your services in. One easy way to do this is with a Vagaro Form. Here’s what you need to know before a house call!
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Where are you performing the service?
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Are there children or pets in the home?
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Will other family members be working?
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Do you have access to running water and electrical outlets?
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Is there adequate ventilation and lighting?
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Is there anything about the household or workspace that you need to know?
Lay the Groundwork
The information you collect helps set realistic expectations for a house call, preventing disappointed clients – and unexpected surprises! After all, it’s easier to pack extension cords and power strips than to discover after arriving that there aren’t enough sockets. Here’s how to set expectations and lay the groundwork for house calls.
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Review your pre-service disinfection routine
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Request a cleared area with counter space for the appointment, and that pets are kept out of the work area
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If they have children, suggest that the kids are set up with snacks and a movie before you get there, to minimize interruption
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If you’re performing a color or chemical service, remind clients to wear appropriate clothing and drape surfaces they don’t want stained
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If you don’t have a way to shampoo, ask haircut or blowout clients to have freshly washed hair when you arrive
The Challenge: Shampooing Offsite
Every client will tell you: one of the best parts of going to the salon is having someone else shampoo your hair. In the salon, you’ve got chairs that lean back, and a sink that’s specifically designed to wash hair. So, the challenge is: how do you deliver that salon perk in someone’s home?
The Solution: A portable shampoo station. If you make house calls a regular part of your service menu, this is an equipment investment that’s worth the money. Not only does it give customers their favorite part of the salon visit, but it’s easier for you to travel between appointments knowing you have what you need to work.
Vagaro’s Top Picks
The Challenge: Cutting Hair at Home
At the salon, your stylist chair makes it easy to get a full 360° view of someone’s head, without asking them to move – or straining your muscles to get the right angle. So, the challenge is: how do you give a great haircut at home, without discomfort for you or your client?
The Solution: Portable styling stools or a hydraulic saddle stool. Portable cutting stools allow you to work just like you would in the salon, rotating, lifting, or lowering the client as you cut. A hydraulic saddle stool lets you to cut hair while seated and the client sits in their own chair – you do the moving, lifting, and lowering.
Vagaro’s Top Picks
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Hydraulic Saddle Stool
The Challenge: Creating a Relaxing Salon Atmosphere
In the salon, your client has a dedicated space for self-care and relaxation. While they’re in your chair, they can disconnect from the stress of work, family, and life in general. At their home, they may be literally surrounded by those things. So, the challenge is: how do you re-create the salon’s atmosphere of relaxation and “me-time” in the home?
The Solution: This is their time, so focus on making them feel pampered. Bring a scented candle, aromatherapy diffuser, or a portable speaker to play music and let clients relax like they would in the salon. Prepare thank-you bags with free product samples and a piece of chocolate. You could also finish off services with a scalp, hand, or neck massage. It’s the little things that create bliss!
Equip Your Mobile Salon Like A Pro
Here’s a list of what to pack before appointments and replenish at the end of the day, as well as websites to equip your mobile salon like the pro you are!
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COVID-19 sanitation equipment: Barbicide, disinfecting wipes, portable sanitizers, infrared thermometers, disposable masks, salon PPE, gloves
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Shears, razors, styling brushes, cutting combs
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Clippers, edgers, guards
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Hot tools: hairdryer, flat iron, curling iron, etc.
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Capes, aprons, color remover for surfaces
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Color and chemical service products, bowls and brushes for mixing
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Salon towels and laundry receptacle
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Styling products
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Extension cords and surge protectors
Where to Find Mobile Salon Equipment
Now that you’re on the go, you’re going to need some mobile furniture! Here are some of our favorite websites to shop.
Pro Tip: If you’re self-employed, equipment is a tax-deductible business expense – so save those receipts!
You bring the know-how – we bring the can-do! It only takes a few minutes to enable our Outcall/Mobile Services feature and update your Vagaro.com business listing to let customers know you’re ready to roll out. Your offsite clients are sure to appreciate our new COVID-Clean touchless payment for a sanitary, convenient checkout.
P.S. If you own or manage a business that charges rent and fees, learn more about how you can do that with Vagaro's new Automatic Rent & Fees feature.
Header Image and Body Images: Giorgio Trovato via Vagaro
Icon: Mia Montemayor via Vagaro