Do What Is Possible

It all comes down to this:

Do What Is Possible

By Christine Pusateri, Christine Pusateri Solutions, Niles, IL

Iam sure we all have stories of how we are surviving this mess we are in, and I am certain that some time down the road we will look back and remember these times and wonder how we got through.

At this moment however, it’s pretty scary.

Just trying to get permission to open was a unique experience. Add to that, we’ve been extra careful not to be infected or have clients become infected. On top of all this, there is the additional cost of having the right protective equipment on hand.

We need to be hyperdiligent in our sanitation methods and have plenty of masks and gloves and disinfectant, to make us and our clientele feel as safe as possible.

We have had clients come in with their own cans of Lysol to spray in our rooms when we exit, just to make sure.

Crazy times!!

We are continuous in washing our capes and combs and brushes. Add to this the fact that the supply chain is GONE!

We are located in a suburb, bordering Chicago. Many of our long-term clients have left the area for good. Clients who would spend a few months in a warmer climate, have made their homes in Florida, Tennessee and Arizona their primary residence. It has hurt us quite a bit. And the traditional client who would c ome in every three weeks to a month now comes

“Be honest with your clients. Tell them the problems we are facing.”

How do you sell a client when a custom system can take up to a year? How do you keep a longtime client and let them know pricing has really escalated? Add to this the fact that stock systems are all on back order and some quality has declined. We are left to fend for ourselves and figure out how to survive in all this volatility and keep our clients happy. IT’S A MESS!

I can only attest to what we are doing at Solutions to keep sane and working. The truth is, some days I feel like MacGyver. What he does with duct tape and string, I do with lace mesh and poly glue. We are doing our best to keep old systems alive while we wait on all the backorders, and to find systems that work for our regular clientele.

I am lucky to have a great ventilator as an employee and friend. She has been nothing short of miraculous in repairs and hair adds. Luckily, I had a good supply of stock when the shortage hit. We have had to color down systems and add gray to achieve the color we need to get our clients through this crisis.

My search for stock is ongoing as we have several clients on contract who get four systems a year. This is a major issue we are facing. Where do we get the systems?

I have bought a lot of systems from many suppliers just to have them, just in case. They are not bad. We been pretty lucky so far as my staff is very creative and we have even surprised ourselves a few times.

The main advice I can give is to be honest with your clients. I’ve learned not to quote on customs reorders. I tell them the price will be higher, but I will only raise prices based on my costs. We have found most of the clients get it. They know we are honest, and I will take a hit this year. But we will survive. I did not quite lose 25% last year, but I do feel the pain so far in 2021.

We have tried to extend some help to our friendly competition if we can. I believe in “WHAT GOES AROUND…”. If we have a system to spare that they can work with, or if they a need a hair add, we do our best to try to help.

We are all in this together and I have known many of these good people for a long time and I respect them.

It all comes down to this: Do what is possible. Hopefully, we will get our systems made soon with some regularity. Eventually, the prices will stabilize and the quality will get better. Reach out to other people in the field and see if they can help you or you them. Be honest with your clients. Tell them the problems we are facing. MacGyver the problems if you can and let’s get through this together.