Should SOPs be laminated or kept in a digital system?

Both, used for different purposes. Laminated cards at the point of use — at each styling station, at the shampoo bowl, at the color bar — are faster to reference mid-task than opening a digital system. Digital SOPs are easier to update, share with remote or new staff, and version-control. Use laminated cards for the procedures that never change (sanitization checklist, color mixing ratios, shampoo station checklist) and digital for everything policy-related (cancellation, pricing, guest handling).

Who should write the SOPs?

Your top performers should write the procedures they've mastered — with your guidance on format and scope. The person who does the task best is the one who knows what makes it work. An SOP written by the manager about a process they don't perform often misses the critical steps that experienced practitioners have internalized. Ask your senior stylists to document their own workflows for color mixing, color removal, and client consultation. Review and format; don't rewrite.

How often should SOPs be reviewed?

Core SOPs (sanitization, safety, legal compliance) should be reviewed annually at minimum and whenever the relevant regulation or product line changes. Process SOPs (color mixing, open/close procedures) should be reviewed when you change product suppliers or when a recurring error suggests the SOP isn't capturing the right steps. Don't review SOPs on a fixed schedule if nothing has changed — unnecessary reviews create revision churn without improving the procedures.

What should the cleaning checklist cover?

The cleaning checklist should be split: between-client checklist (2–3 minutes, at each station) and end-of-day checklist (15–20 minutes, full salon). Between-client: sanitize tools, wipe styling station, sanitize chair contact points, restock consumables. End-of-day: color bar inventory reset, bowl and brush sanitize cycle, floor sweep and mop, front desk close, cash drawer, appointment confirmation for tomorrow. Post the between-client checklist at each station; post the end-of-day checklist at the front desk.

Should you have separate SOPs for guest-facing and staff-facing procedures?

Yes. Guest-facing SOPs cover the client experience: consultation scripts, how you handle complaints, how you present pricing, how you follow up after color appointments. Staff-facing SOPs cover internal operations: color preparation, equipment maintenance, opening procedures, supplier orders. Mixing them in one document means staff see the complaint handling policy every time they look up the color mixing ratio. Separate the two and link them where they overlap.

Hair Salon Operations Manual: The SOPs That Survive Staff Turnover

The best hair salon SOPs are written by your top performers before they leave — not after. A color mixing SOP written by your lead colorist while she's still working captures 15 years of institutional knowledge in 2 pages. The same SOP written after her departure from memory and gaps takes three times longer and misses the details that made her work consistent.

Why SOPs Are a Staff Retention Tool, Not Just a Training Document

Most salon owners think of SOPs as onboarding documents. They're more accurately described as knowledge infrastructure — the mechanism that makes your salon's quality independent of any single person's tenure.

A stylist who knows their technique is documented and used to train others feels valued and legacy-building. A stylist whose knowledge lives only in their head has more leverage over the business. Write the SOPs while your best people are in the building and they become a tool for everyone — including the people who wrote them.

What SOPs Does Every Hair Salon Need?

The minimum viable operations manual for a hair salon:

Minimum viable SOP set for a hair salon with 3+ stylists. Zatrovo benchmark, 2026.

The color mixing SOP is the most valuable and most commonly missing. When a lead colorist leaves, their formula book goes with them unless it's been systematically documented. A formula binder — with each client's name, service history, and exact mixing ratios — is both an SOP and a client record. Clients who change colorists mid-service have worse color outcomes when no formula is on file.

How Do You Write the Opening Procedure SOP?

Opening procedures should take 15–20 minutes and cover everything needed before the first client arrives. The checklist format:

15 minutes before first appointment:

Unlock and disable alarm
Turn on all station lighting
Turn on music (volume at __)
Confirm first 3 clients are checked in on booking software
Restock reception retail display
Restock coffee/water service (if applicable)
Check towel supply — order if below __ count
Spot clean front windows and mirrors
Unlock register / verify cash drawer opening balance ($__)

5 minutes before first appointment:

Open booking system for the day
Check for any same-day cancellations or appointment changes
Confirm client notes are pulled for first stylist's appointments

Post this checklist at the front desk. Laminate it. The opening procedure should take the same amount of time whether it's performed by your experienced receptionist or a stylist covering the desk.

How Do You Write the Color Mixing SOP?

The color mixing SOP has two components: the general procedure and the client formula records.

General procedure:

Verify formula from client record before mixing
Protective equipment on (gloves, apron)
Set bowl and brush on color mixing mat (not directly on station)
Mix developer to color in the documented ratio (record any adjustments)
Document any formula changes with reason in client record before service begins
After service: note processing time and any observed result in client record

Client formula records should include: client name, service date, formula (brand, shade number, developer volume, ratio), processing time, and result notes. Store in your booking software's client notes or in a physical binder with alphabetical tabs.

How Do You Write the Sanitization SOP?

Between-client sanitization is the highest-frequency SOP in a salon — performed 30–60 times per day per stylist. It needs to be fast, complete, and non-negotiable.

Between-client checklist (2–3 minutes):

Remove all used tools from station
Wipe styling station surface with EPA-registered disinfectant
Wipe styling chair headrest and armrests
Replace used towel/cape with fresh
Sanitize scissors and comb in barbicide or equivalent
Restock consumables (clips, pins, spray bottle)

Laminate this checklist and mount it at each station. Review it during each new hire's first week — not as training, but as confirmation they've read it. Have them sign a log confirming they've done so.

How Do You Handle Client Notes as an SOP?

Client notes are an SOP, not optional. A client who returns and finds that the salon has no record of what was done to their hair last time loses trust in the business — and eventually leaves.

The minimum client note after every service: service performed, products used, processing times, any observations (scalp sensitivity, color lift discrepancy, cut length in inches). Takes 90 seconds. Pays back every time the client returns.

Build client note completion into your opening checklist for the following day: "Confirm all client notes completed from yesterday" as the last item.

For the full hair salon operations and scheduling playbook, see our hair salon front desk training guide, hair salon scheduling guide, and running a modern hair salon guide.

Zatrovo

Run your studio on Zatrovo

Run hair salon scheduling, client notes, staff management, and automated reminders on one platform.

Start 14-Day Free Trial