MENU
SEARCHStrategies for SuccessNo matter how great your front desk staff is, you still have to have a system of accountability in place. Kristi Valenzuela, head of the Front Desk Division for Summit Salon Business Center, gives owners six ...
Kristi Valenzuela, head of the Summit Salon Business Center's Front Desk Division, with client and co-trainer Amy Naoum, co-owner of Salon Naman in Rock Hill, South Carolina. (photo credit: Rhiannon Mack)
Rhiannon Mack
Strategies for Success
No matter how great your front desk staff is, you still have to have a system of accountability in place. Kristi Valenzuela, head of the Front Desk Division for Summit Salon Business Center, gives owners six “strategies for success” to make sure the new systems they’ve put in place stay consistent.
“It’s a system within itself,” Valenzuela says. The strategies are:
Hire qualified people: Valenzuela recommends looking for a candidate with customer service and/or sales experience. “It could be someone from McDonald’s or the mall,” she says. In the interview, she advises asking lots of questions about the former workplace like: “What was expected of you in customer service?” “Did you meet your sales goals?” “What did you love about sales?” “What did you hate?” Did you ever win employee of the month award?”
Then Valenzuela says the owner needs to ask herself, “Is this person a great candidate to increase revenue at my front desk?” The owner is also responsible for being clear in the interview about expectations—everything from dress code to sales goals. Once the person is hired, monitor them closely the first 30 days. If they aren’t following instructions, Valenzuela says to “let them go with love,” because after 30 days you’ll be more attached and it will be harder to fire them.
Train them. “It must be the same for every new person who touches the desk,” says Valenzuela. Because of the inconsistencies she saw in salons, Valenzuela came up with a DVD series for new hires. “Many salons have purchased it before we get there,” she says. “It’s also highly recommended as after-care—it’s a return on their investment.”
Tracking. “The tracking piece is going to track the five different initiatives—it’s accountability,” says Valenzuela. This piece is a simple PDF download owners can purchase on the SSBC site with weekly and monthly sheets.
Goals. Clear goals should be set for upsells, referrals, etc. The Front Desk Division helps suggest goals based on the salon’s current performance.
Rewards. With the five profit principles comes a system for front desk staff to get paid rewards according to what they hit in their goals. These can be paid out in gift cards, Starbucks cards, money, etc. “Find out what motivates your team,” says Valenzuela. “But it must be paid out the first week after the month they hit it. They must be rewarded as soon as possible. And if you have a regular salon meeting, reward them in front of everyone.”
Coaching/mentoring: Valenzuela recommends figuring out who will take on this role, first. Then the coach needs to figure out why someone isn’t meeting goals and help them be consistent. “You must be tracking and coaching,” she says. “As soon as you don’t coach, they don’t think you’re watching.
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
