Salon Operations, Retail, Booking Systems and Financial Transactions
Bookings and scheduling
A booking system must capture client details, service, duration, practitioner and any special requirements. Understand how to manage cancellations, no-shows, waitlists and double bookings, and how service duration affects revenue. Accurate scheduling includes buffers for set-up, cleaning and consultation. Know how to handle a client who arrives late or requests an add-on when time does not permit.
Retail and product knowledge
Retail is part of professional service: recommending suitable home care supports treatment outcomes. Candidates should understand product features and benefits, contraindications, and how to make honest recommendations without pressure. Know stock control basics - rotation, expiry dates, storage conditions and reorder points - and how to handle returns under consumer law.
Financial transactions
Handle payments accurately: itemise services and products, apply GST where required, issue receipts, and process cash, card and gift vouchers correctly. Reconcile the till, secure cash, and understand refund and cancellation policies. Protect client payment data and follow privacy obligations.
Traps to watch
Questions often test whether a deposit is refundable (depends on policy and consumer law), whether you should upsell a product the client does not need (never), and whether a verbal booking is binding (record it properly). Another trap is failing to reconcile takings at shift end.
Rule of thumb
Every transaction should be traceable: a record of what was sold, to whom, at what price, and how it was paid - if you cannot trace it, you cannot reconcile it.