If I were to own _______, I would do this.

After having an experience or after discussing a business with friends and family, I often think about what I would do to make it a better business. Since I do this more frequently than I should admit, I thought it would be great content for this blog. You'll probably notice throughout this and future posts the theme of making the customer experience fantastic.

Today, I went to get my nails done - a basic manicure and pedicure at a place that only does nails. It was my first time using this nail salon, but it was in a newer upscale shopping area and their website looked very professional. I ended up in a chair where the massage function was broken. For me, that is the majority of the reason I get a pedicure, but they didn't offer to change me seats or reduce my price. There was also some communication issue with me and my nail technician (multiple times). I had some questions about the difference in the different types of pedicures and she didn't understand, which could have been a missed upsell opportunity.

As I was sitting there, my mind began to wander as to what I would do if I were to own a nail salon. Well here's what I would do:
1. Make the place warm and inviting (which this nail salon had).
2. Have one of the daily pre-open tasks to make sure all machines are functioning and all equipment is clean. (This nail salon had a technician with some down time using WD-40 on some freshly cleaned nail equipment right next to two customers. Sorry - I don't think something is clean after you spray WD-40 on it.)
3. Have all of my nail technicians speak and understand English very well. You don't have to be American, but if you can't communicate with customers properly, then the customer's experience is diminished.
4. Hire a receptionist so one of the nail technicians isn't taking calls while he's working on someone's manicure. That person could also offer guests beverages, help move people from station to station and take payment while the nail technician's are focused on their art.

I probably won't be going back to this salon, but most of these are easy things to implement and could have really improved my customer experience. As far as nail salons go, I was super impressed by their decor and selection of nail polish colors and types, but that can't overcompensate for language barriers and the cleaning practices of a business like this.

Turn Off Your Electronics

I recently went on a family vacation out of the country and was forced to turn my phone off, travel without a computer and cut off all ties to the electronic world. This meant taking careful preparation to make sure everything was covered. The first day I was thinking about stuff I needed to do when I got back and I had to consciously stop myself. Here are some tips when you decide to take a vacation away from electronics.

1. Realize the work world doesn't stop because you are unavailable. (That was one of the hardest things for me.)
2. But you can prepare to be out by finding backups for all of your necessary responsibilities, especially if you run social media profiles.
3. Make sure your out-of-office (for all email accounts you run) is set-up and says you won't be available by email or cell.
4. Don't tempt yourself by bringing any paper work or business-related items. (I did bring Forbes mixed in with my Glamour magazine.)
5. Relax and enjoy the things outside of work. That may be the beauty of your surroundings, your family, whatever it is - enjoy being away from your office or work.
6. If you can't seem to do number 5, take a couple deep breaths and reread number 1.