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EYEWEAR VIEWS
SALON OWNERS DEBATE THE BENEFITS OF SELLING VS. LOANING EYEWEAR.
By
Nicole M. Brechka
A self-proclaimed sun worshipper, Lynn Roodbergen became addicted
to indoor tanning in the early 1980's, visiting as often as twice
a day and usually neglecting protective eyewear. Several months
ago, she noticed damage in her right eye, and believes that her
days of tanning without eye protection are the culprit. Today,
I know how bad tanning without protective eyewear is for you, says
Roodbergen, owner of South Beach Sun Club in Bradenton, Florida.
But I didn't know that 20 years ago. The whole industry knows a
lot more about eye protection now that we did then.
"I would hate to think that a client got an eye infection
because an employee didn't properly disinfect the eyewear."
Over the past 10 years, the indoor tanning industry has changed
its opinion about eyewear, and this shift in awareness has elevated
this tanning accessory to a new level. From disposable to designer
styles, eyewear is now big business. Today's salon owners fall
into two categories: those who sell and those who loan eyewear.
Several factors play a part in which option a salon owner chooses:
- Where your salon is located.
- What type of clientele you have.
- What your competition offers.
- How you structure your retail
sales goals.
- Your comfort level with customer liability issues.
Both selling and loaning will get eyewear into your customers
hands, but each has its particular benefits. To help you make an
informed decision, we've asked some salon owners to help us take
a closer look at these two options.
Super Sales
When it comes to eyewear, some salon owners believe that sales
are the best way to go. Indeed, there some definite advantages
to adding protective eyewear to your retail area:
- Increased profits I sell eyewear for several reasons, but
one of the most important is that it really boosts my sales," says
Lin Miranda, owner of Lin's Tanning Boutique in Tuckerton, New
Jersey. Miranda notes that eyewear profits can multiply exponentially
based on the number of clients your salon tans. At approximately
25 cents profit per pair for disposable eyewear and between $2
and $4 profit per reusable pair, the return on your retail investment
can be significant especially if you have a large client base.
- Increased customer safety While money is a strong motivator,
Miranda says the main reason she sells eyewear is customer safety.
Eye infections can be passed from customer to customer if eyewear
isn't properly disinfected. Selling eyewear helps protect against
salon liability because clients are responsi–ble for the
care and maintenance of their own eyewear. Roodbergen also feels
more con–fident selling eyewear because of her concern about
human fallibility. ÒYou hope and trust that your employees
will disinfect everything the way you want them to, but many
times they don't, she says. In general, if a client gets an eye
infection
from a pair of loaned eyewear, the fault lies with the salon.
I would hate to think that a customer of mine got an eye infection
because one of my employees didn't properly disinfect the eyewear.
- Lower Replacement Costs The main reason that Roodbergen
switched to selling eyewear was the cost of changing disinfection
solution and replacing loaned eyewear that disappeared. ÔIt
amazed me that customers would steal something inexpensive as eyewear," she
says. "Over time, it got expensive to replace the missing
pairs. But once I started selling eyewear, I was able to stop
worrying as much about eyewear theft I even saw a difference
my end-of-year
profits."
- Avoiding the "gross factor." When you try on
an article of clothing, do you ever wonder who has tried it on
before you? Most people like to think that they're the first and
only person to wear something– regardless of how well it
might have been cleaned. "I make it a point to tell clients
that I don't loan eyewear because I want them to feel comfortable
and protected," says Miranda. If a client forgets to bring
her eyewear, Miranda offers her disposable eyewear for 50-cent
charge.
Loan, With Interest
Some salon owners believe that, loaning eyewear makes more sense
noting that eyewear sales aren't worth risking client good will.
Here are a few advantages that make loaning eyewear a viable option:
- Improve your reputation If your salon faces tough competition,
providing loaned eyewear at no charge could be the service extra
that drives new customers to your salon. "Customers are usually
thankful that they don't have to pay for eyewear at your salon
if they're charged at the salon down the street," explains
Mark Green, owner of Tanimation in Linthicum, Maryland. Jody Cook,
owner of Coconut Cove Tanning in Dayton, Ohio, agrees. "If
you force customer to purchase eyewear, you may alienate some customer
who don't want to pay the extra charge." Many salon owners
also believe that charging a fee for this tanning necessity can
make your salon appear cheap. "People don't want to pay any
more than they have to for goods and services, no matter how insignificant
the price," says Green. "And I'm not going to quibble
with my clients over 30 cents."
- Increase client usage Salon owners who loan eyewear
insist that it's the best way to ensure that all clients actually
use
it. If part of their check-in process is receiving a pair of
eyewear clients are less likely to slip by unnoticed without
it. "When
it gets busy, it's easy to over look a customer," says Sergio
Sciortino, owner of Soleil Salon Tanning in Hawthorne, New Jersey. "That's
why I make sure all clients get protective eyewear when they check
in for their tanning rooms. I can't ensure that if I don't loan
eyewear to every customer." Although theft can be a problem
salon owners say the best way ensure loaned eyewear stays in your
salon is to track it carefully. Petronella, owner of Anytime Tan
in Clearwater, Florida, hands eyewear to customers as they enter
a tanning room and collects it as they leave. "Be honest with
your customers and let them know up front that eyewear theft can
contribute to increased tanning costs," explains Green.
- Meet state regulations You have an obligation
to provide eyewear for tanners whether or not your state is regulated,
but
the penal–ties for failing to do so in regulated states can
be high. Although regulations don't mandate whether you sell or
loan (except in Texas, where you must loan), owners who loan feel
that this option makes enforcing state requirements easier. Janice
Albritton, owner of Lakeland, Florida-based The Sun Room finds
that it's easier to meet her state's regulations for supplying
eyewear to each customer through loaning, although she does offer
some eyewear for sale. "Since my salon is in a regulated state,
I don't feel that I'm meeting my obligations by just selling it," she
says.
Whichever option you choose, the most important factor in your
decision should be customer safety. "I damaged my eye because
salon owners, in the past, didn't educate customers about the dangers
of tanning without protective eyewear," says Roodbergen. "Today,
I make sure no customer enters a tanning room without eyewear."
Article from Today's Image , March 2001
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