Unit 203 - Client care and communication

• Beauty therapy
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Unit 203- Client care and communication

Establishing the clients needs, aims and objectives for their treatment plan

Session objective

• To introduce communication techniques used in consultations
  
• To develop questioning techniques
  
• To recognise good and bad consultation techniques
  
• To write a ‘distinction’ level treatment plan for your practical assessments
  
• To make ‘distinction’ level recommendations for your client
  

Session aim

• To establish good rapport with clients
  
• To gain information of past and present state of health and lifestyle.
  
• To identify clients needs and expectations
  
• To agree a treatment plan
  
• To fully explain procedure
  
• To listen to clients questions
  
• To explain all information of consultation and treatment details are confidential
  

Define the term Rapport?

To establish good rapport with clients...

• Refer to your client by their name as much as possible
  
• ALWAYS introduce yourself to the client
• Positive body language
  
• Don’t put up barriers to communication
  

What does rapport mean?

 Another word for rapport can be relationship. You must build a professional relationship with your client.

Eye contact

Making eye contact helps both people focus on the conversation and read facial expressions. This can improve understanding. And improving understanding can significantly improve communication between two people

Clients body language

Your client's hands can give you clues about how they're reacting to what comes up in the session. Trembling fingers can indicate anxiety or fear. Fists that clench or clutch the edges of clothing or furniture can suggest anger.

Record cards

Record cards are an essential part to any service offered within the salon to gather important client information and to ensure correct care of your clients prior to treatment.

Personal presentation

Personal presentation is how you present yourself in everyday situations. This is a communication skill that is essential in gaining employment and being part of a workplace environment. What you say and do are part of your personal presentation, as well as your outward appearance.

Client communication

If you don't communicate well, it can lead to missed opportunities, no referrals, lost sales and even lost customers. Effective communication is important, so clients understand what's going on and how it affects them. This will help maintain customer loyalty and ensure repeat business

Professionalism

Good professional standards will give credibility to our industry, build confidence and increase clientele. CHERISH A GOOD REPUTATION!

Salon environment

A healthy work environment is good for employees, but it's also great for your salon! Healthy workplaces have been shown to have higher productivity, and see a higher return of customers and help to build a good reputation!

Therapist body language

Smile and Make Eye Contact

This will make the client feel welcome and at ease. Show you are actively engaged and listening. Make eye contact. Strike the right balance so they feel relaxed and respected.

Try to position yourself at the end of the courch when perform a consulation so the bed is not a barrier for your body language. 

Key points for a professional consultation 

To gain information of past and present state of health and lifestyle

• This will be completed by completing or reviewing the record card
  
• Using questioning techniques (open and closed) to gain the client's history.
  
• Use positive body language to ensure you come across as non-judgemental, especially as some information can be sensitive
  
• Gain relevant information only
  

How do we communicate?

Verbal

Non verbal

Body language

Tone of voice

Facial expressions

Sign language

Listening

Hand gestures

How do we communicate?

How important is verbal communication in the beauty industry?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

It is essential, in the hair and beauty industry, to have good verbal communication skills. This will make sure that-

Your clients are happy

You do not make any mistakes during the treatments

The business runs efficiently

List two types of questioning techniques

Open question usually start with.....

Who, What, Where, Would, When, How

Can you think of any others?

1. Why
2. Describe
3. Explain
4. All of the above

ADVANTAGES OF OPEN QUESTIONS	DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN QUESTIONS
Gain more information to help you with your treatment plan	Take longer to ask and answer as there is limited time during a consultation
Can build a rapport (professional friendship) with the client	Can appear nosey
More professional
ADVANTAGES OF CLOSED QUESTIONS	DISADVANTAGES OF CLOSED QUESTIONS
Quick to answer	Limited information gathered- may not get enough information to successfully decide on a treatment plan
Non-intrusive (not too nosey)
Easy to think up and ask

The best consultation should have a combination of open and closed questions

Tone of voice

• How you talk is more important that the words you use.
  
•  When face to face, your words are just 7% of your communication, voice tones are 38% and body language is 55% !
  
• On the telephone your body is invisible – words become 27% and voice tones become 73% of your communication.
  

What could the therapist have said to communicate more professionally?

What are your thoughts on the therapists communication?

Deaf or hard of hearing client 

• Body Language will be used more
  
• Written communication
  
• If known, sign language, but be aware the signs are different for different countries
  

Visually impaired clients

Remember to explain thing better as they will not see any actions or body language.

 

Assist with any signing of paperwork

Read any instructions/terms and conditions to a the client and ensure they understand.

Situations when communication has to be adapted?

Non English speaking client

Body language

Actions to go with words

Speak more clearly and possibly slower as some words in other languages can be similar

DON’T Speak louder as they are not deaf so volume will not make any difference!

The importance of  identifying clients needs and expectations 

It is important that you establish realistic expectations for the clients.

This means that if they wish to look 10 years younger this will not happen with one facial treatment.

In this instance you can explain that their skin/nail condition can be improved with a number of treatments and following homecare advice over a period of time.

What questions can be asked during a consultation regarding current routine?

• What products do you currently use on your skin/nails/hands/feet?
• Describe your current skin routine?
• both of these establish how much time a client has to spend on their skin and how much concern they have.

On a business level it allows the therapist to spot opportunities for retailing and giving after care advice

This may also raise concerns regarding allergies to products

What is a treatment plan?

Why should you discuss the treatment plan with the client before starting?

Why should the client sign the treatment plan?

A diagnosis

To have a chat and a catch up

The client doesn't need to sign the treatment plan 

This lists what you will be doing for the client today and why you are doing it.

Just in case they are not happy it can be changed prior to the treatment starting

If your client was a regular client should you always do a treatment plan even if you are doing the same treatment week by week?

Task

Task

• 1 x person to act as the client.
  
• 1 x person to be the therapist.
  
• Complete a consultation in your pairs.
  
• Use your new knowledge on client communication to perform a professional consultation roleplay.
• THIS IS A TIMED TASK AND SHOULD TAKE NO LONGER THAN 15 MINUTES.