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Section

2Develop and maintain your effectiveness at work

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Unit G8

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What you will learn:G8.1 Contribute to the effective use and

monitoring of resources

G8.2 Meet productivity and development targets

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Level 3 Beauty Therapy

Unit G8

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All salon equipment should be regularly checked and maintained

Develop and maintain your effectiveness at work The resources covered within this part of the unit are:

stock control

tools and equipment

human resources (people)

time.

Tools and equipmentSalon tools and equipment are monitored in the same way as salon and retail products. The main difference is that stocktaking of tools and equipment should be carried out less frequently; tools and equipment should last longer provided they are properly maintained and only used for business purposes. To ensure the optimum life expectancy of electrical equipment you should make sure you are complying with the Electricity at Work Regulations (refer to page 123 for further information).

It is important to monitor the levels of tools and equipment in the salon for several reasons:

To ensure the correct number of working items that are needed for the smooth running of the salon (some may be out of use, either broken or awaiting repair)

To calculate if the levels need to be increased to meet the demands of the salon (if there are more therapists employed, more equipment will be needed)

To make sure the end-of-year audit is correct with regard to items that may be offset against tax due from the business.

If you are aware of any shortages of tools or equipment you should report them immediately to the designated person within your salon. This will ensure the smooth running of the salon and avoid unnecessary problems such as clients being kept waiting because the required equipment is already in use.

Human resourcesThe people that work in the salon should be a valuable asset to any business. However, for the salon to remain profitable, this means employing the right people for the right job and ensuring that they are provided with all the training needed to carry out the role. If this does not happen it may lead to client dissatisfaction resulting in loss of clientele, negative publicity and/or litigation (see the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994, page 12). A therapist carrying out the duties of a junior (on a therapist’s pay) would not be cost effective as the therapist would not be bringing sufficient revenue into the salon to cover their wages.

Think about it

If you employ a ‘Saturday junior’ you need to check your local bylaws. Do you need a licence to employ people under 16?

The table below shows a common resource problem and possible solutions.

Resource problem

Outcome Solution

Therapist phones in sick

A whole column of clients have no therapist

Try to share out the work amongst the other staff (with similar levels of competency)

Telephone clients, explain the situation, then reschedule where possible

Cancel appointments (this should be a last resort)

All staff should have good working conditions as laid down in law, examples of which are the Working Time Directive and The Health and Safety at Work Act.

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TimeTime is another valuable resource in the salon environment. It is essential that all staff make good use of their time at work as time is money! All the services carried out in the salon are priced to include the cost of materials (products, electricity, water, etc.) and the time it takes to complete the service. It is essential that you are able to carry out all salon services in a commercially viable time and, by doing so, you are fulfilling part of your obligations under the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994.

Calculating how much time is needed for individual treatments

For your Portfolio

Your awarding body has set timings for technical services that are deemed commercially viable. Are you aware of these timings? If you are not, you should speak to your tutor or assessor and ask them for this information.

A salon appointments book

time to get undressed

EACH CLIENT NEEDS:

time to discuss aftercare

time to get dressed

time to pay and purchase

productstime for the treatment

consultation time

Good time management involves working out the amount of time each treatment needs. There are a number of things that you will need to take into account.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

TIME SUSAN YASMIN LOUISE HAYLEIGH

9.00 MRSAUSTIN MISS ALLEN MISS BROWN MR SIMONS

PHONE 823181 PHONE 631212 PHONE 761047 PHONE 471151

1/2 LEGWAX ACRYLIC NAILS WEDDING FULL BODY

9.30 MRS WOOLFORD FULL SET PAMPER MASSAGE

PHONE 621148

FULL BODY10.00

MASSAGE

10.30 MRS J. STREET MRS SINGH

PHONE 521683 PHONE 821356

EYELASH PERM EYELASH AND

11.00 MRS K. GAROGHAN MISS COLLINS BROW TINT

PHONE 356987 PHONE 712185

AROMATHERAPY BRIDAL MAKE-UP

11.30 CANCELLED

BACK MASSAGE

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Develop and maintain your effectiveness at w

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Level 3 Beauty Therapy

Unit G8

My story

Time is moneySylvie worked as a therapist in a busy salon. Every Friday she carried out a full column of treatments. The salon allocated commercially-accepted times for each treatment. Despite the amount of work she carried out, she still needed to earn more commission each week (as her expenses were more than her income). On looking through the appointment book, she noticed that the way her appointments had been booked, she sometimes had more than enough time to complete each client. She then realised that if her clients were rescheduled, she could actually do another three clients each Friday and still have a lunch break! Sylvie explained this to the salon receptionist and asked her to reschedule all her clients (as far as she was able) to maximise her opportunities to meet her targets and increase her commission.

• Was this Sylvie’s responsibility?

• Whose responsibility is it to ensure that all working time is utilised to the full?

The table below shows some common time problems and their solutions.

Resource problem Possible causes Outcome Solution

Therapist is continually

running behind schedule

Therapist is not up to speed All other clients kept

waiting, leading to client

dissatisfaction

Enlist the help of other

members of staff to take over

one of the clients or assist

the therapist in order to help

them catch up

Junior member of staff is

not fulfilling their own job

role effectively, causing

unnecessary problems for

the salon

May cause unnecessary

friction between the therapist

and the junior

Junior needs retraining

Instructions from the

therapist are unclear or

poorly timed

Therapist may not meet

productivity targets

Therapist needs retraining

Some common time problems and their solutions

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In some instances, it may be necessary to allow the therapist more time per client when booking appointments, depending on the speed and experience of each individual. It may also be that the therapist needs retraining in certain areas to enable them to get up to speed.

Observation can form part of on-the-job training

Assessment guidance

What your assessor is looking for

You must demonstrate in your everyday work that you have

met the standards for contributing to the financial effectiveness

of the business.

You will have to prove to your assessor that you can

competently:

• Monitor and effectively use resources (human, stock, tools

and equipment and time)

• Set and achieve productivity targets for retail sales, technical

services and development targets for your own personal

learning.

You will be assessed once on your contribution to the

monitoring and effective use of resources. The rest of your

evidence is most likely to come from documentary evidence

that you have assembled in your portfolio. You are not allowed

to use simulated activities as part of your evidence.