Part of running a tanning salon involves gathering information about your clients: their age, contact details, skin type and more.
Knowing your clients inside and out means you can provide a professional, personalised service. More importantly, it allows you to keep your clients safe and comply with industry regulations.
In this guide, we’ll share seven important things you need to include on your tanning salon new client forms. We’ll also explain the benefits of storing your tanning salon client details securely with ActiveSalon.
1. Personal Details
The first questions to ask on your tanning salon client forms are their personal details: name, date of birth and gender.
Recording your clients’ date of birth is particularly important when it comes to compliance. This is because in the UK, it’s illegal for under-18s to use UV sunbeds. We’d recommend investing in good tanning salon software that will automatically check the client’s age before allowing a booking.
2. Contact Preferences
Next, gather your clients’ contact details so you can send them appointment reminders. This includes their address, email address and phone number. You should also ask for details of their next of kin, in case of emergencies.
It’s important to ask which contact method your clients would prefer you to use. This is also a good opportunity to ask if they’d like to receive your email newsletter, if you have one.
3. Skin Typing
Skin type is one of the most important pieces of information required from a client in a salon with UV sunbeds. Questions you should ask include:
- What is your natural skin colour (before tanning)?
- What is your natural hair colour?
- What is your eye colour?
- Do you have freckles?
- How likely are you to burn when exposed to the sun?
- To what degree do you tan naturally?
- Is your face sensitive to sunlight?
Your client’s Fitzpatrick skin type determines whether it’s safe for them to tan, how often and how long for.
4. Medical Information
Some medical considerations can also affect the safety of UV sunbeds. On your sunbed consultation form, you should ask about:
- Pregnancy: according to the NHS, the skin is more sensitive to UV during pregnancy
- Medications: some medications can increase photosensitivity
- Any skin issues or conditions (surgery scars, eczema, etc.)
If you’re planning to use products in your salon, such as lotions or tan accelerators, you should also ask about allergies.
5. Tanning History
Learning about your clients’ tanning history can help you to understand how their skin reacts to UV rays. It will also determine when it’s safe to book their first session.
Ask whether they’ve ever visited a tanning salon before, and if so, when their most recent appointment was. You should also determine how recently your client tanned naturally (through exposure to sunlight).
6. Referral Method
How did your client hear about your tanning salon? This is important to track as it will help you understand which marketing methods are working best. You can then invest more time and money into these channels.
If they were referred to you by an existing customer, leave a space for their name. This is important if you’ve implemented a referral rewards system to encourage client loyalty. (Programs such as ActiveSalon can help you set this up.)
7. Disclaimer
Every tanning salon release form must include a disclaimer for the client to read and agree to. This is a statement that releases you from liability. Your disclaimer should state that the client:
- Understands the health risks of UV tanning, and the possible side effects
- Will wear protective eyewear during their tanning session
- Understands and will comply with your salon’s safety procedures and policies
- Will not hold you responsible for any potential damage to their health resulting from sunbed use
Include a signature box and a space for the client to record the date. Keep this disclaimer stored securely in case you need to refer to it in future.
How to Store Your Tanning Salon Client Details
After gathering your tanning salon client details, you’ll need to decide how to store them. Some tanning salons still use paper sunbed client record cards, kept in a filing system.
However, this is regarded as an outdated and inefficient method. Tanning salon client cards are prone to human error and are time-consuming to sort through. Physical sunbed client cards can also be damaged or lost, which is a data protection risk.
A safer, faster and more professional solution is to use digital software for tanning salons. ActiveSalon’s cloud-based system makes it easy for you to record, search and retrieve your clients’ details – anytime, anywhere.
Starting a Tanning Salon? Discover ActiveSalon Software Today
If you’re opening a tanning salon, ActiveSalon is the perfect software solution. Our comprehensive digital database stores clients’ details safely and securely, in accordance with GDPR.
With just a few taps, you can access each client’s contact information, skin type, signed disclaimers and more. Easily view their appointment history, including the date of their last visit and upcoming bookings.
Because ActiveSalon is cloud-based, your client database can be accessed from any branch of your salon simultaneously. This means you can save money on marketing and offer your clients better flexibility. And with real-time synchronisation, you can ensure clients aren’t visiting multiple sites in one day to circumvent safety policies.
What’s more, ActiveSalon offers many additional features including T-max integration, stock control and full reporting. Try a no-obligation free trial today, or contact us to find out more.
Loukas has been a part of the tanning industry since 2013; what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! As a Director of SolarTrack Systems, his responsibilities don’t just include ActiveSalon, but a variety of different tools and packages.
