A Message from Ruksher Malik

A Message from Ruksher Malik, founder of the Pastels Salon Group in Dubai UAE, to salon owners, teams and clients during this tough time…

I know this situation seems very worrying but remember we - as in the entire world – are in this together and soon this time will become a brief moment in history, so try to stay positive and in perspective. Rather than focussing on the negative side, look at the amount of time you now have on your hands. This is unlikely to ever happen again, so why not utilise this gift of time very wisely to upgrade your skill set. Within the past few weeks, I have never been busier when it comes to my personal and professional development. I have been undertaking all manner of educational courses and coaching on topics as varied as social media, hairstyling, managerial and entrepreneurial skills, so that when I get back to work, I will be more skilled than I was and this should have a positive impact on the business.

For staff, my advice is simple. Keep in regular touch with your managers and allow them to guide you on how to use this time productively. For managers, keep in touch with your teams - I touch base with them every day and often send videos to the whole team. During these videos, I give them tasks to do to ensure they can follow a routine and upskill during lockdown. My team have a 4-week plan which includes undertaking seminars to keep up to date on the latest cutting and styling techniques, as well as refreshing their knowledge of the client journey, retail strategies and social media training we have done. I also encourage them to live mindfully and healthily during this time by relaxing, meditating, reading, exercising and spending time - even if it is virtually - with family and friends, as well as having some me-time. This is vital as once everyone goes back to work; it will be hectic.  I have ensured we keep in touch with clients, so they feel like we are there for them. This has been possible with eblasts and by keeping our social media channels active. Each of our head receptionists have the salon mobile phones in their possession so that clients can touch base and ask for advice if they need to. We have also been able to fulfil clients' retail requests with our dedicated bgX store, which allows clients to order the products they need and have them delivered in a few easy swipes.