Hair salons are juggling safety practices and a two-month backlog of appointments since reopening on May 19. (submitted photo/Platinum Salon and Spa)

By Josh Ryan

Hairy first week

Salons navigate hectic reopening

May 28, 2020 | 4:58 PM

Barbers and hair stylists in the Battlefords have their hands full since opening back up on May 19.

The province set guidelines for select personal services to reopen during phase two of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, however, the primary concern for salon owners is managing the number of clients they can serve. Lisa Lavigne, owner of Platinum Salon and Spa, said it was an interesting and stressful first week. She and fellow staff members are getting used to wearing masks and accommodating a backlog of customers.

“We’re basically trying to fit two months of clients into two weeks,” she said. “Obviously everyone is happy to be back at work, but it’s [been] long days.”

Because of the demand added to the backlog of previously booked clients, owners are working longer hours and spending extra time monitoring all are scheduled accordingly.

“There’s people who were booked a month ago and there’s people who were booked for this week,” Lavigne said. “So, just trying to coordinate everybody and be fair.”

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That doesn’t mean there’s no room for others to try and get an appointment. Lavigne said they’ve managed to fit in a couple of last second calls when there have been openings.

“We still have people that have cancelled, so that always opened up spots,” she said. “We’re always taking new clients.”

Any adjustments to the current state of personal services reopening aren’t likely to change until the province’s fifth phase. Lavigne believes once the backlog eases in the coming weeks, the workload will become much more manageable.

“I went through three weeks of clients in one week, so it was pretty hairy,” she said. “But I think that things are going to start going back to normal in June.”

The other challenge for barbers and stylists operating with masks. Clients are not automatically required to wear PPE, leaving the decision to the business, but employees must still wear masks themselves.

“It’s hard to breathe sometimes, but we’re getting used to it,” Hair Loft owner Ursula Jacobson said. “We’re doing well.”

In the meantime, Jacobson said they’ve restructured their schedule to allow some rest for employees which has created longer wait times for customers.

“We’re having to take breaks in-between,” she said. “For the most part, our clients are very understanding.”

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports