Weekly Management Tasks

30-45 minutes

Tutorial 17.3: Weekly Management Tasks

Introduction

While daily routines keep your salon running smoothly, weekly reviews ensure you stay on top of staffing, performance, and forward planning. This guide covers the essential weekly management tasks that help you maintain control of your salon operations.

Setting aside dedicated time each week for these tasks prevents problems from accumulating and gives you the visibility needed to make informed decisions about your business.

Who this is for: Owners, Admins, and Managers responsible for salon operations.

What you'll learn:

Reviewing and planning next week's roster
Processing pending leave requests
Analysing staff performance
Following up on outstanding balances
Reviewing gift voucher activity
Planning for the week ahead

Time to complete: 30-45 minutes (recommended: schedule this weekly)

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Access to Luminate with Manager, Admin, or Owner permissions
Dedicated uninterrupted time (ideally at the end of the week or start of the new week)
Previous week's notes or issues to follow up on

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Review and Plan Next Week's Roster

Ensuring adequate staffing is one of the most important weekly tasks.

Click Roster in the sidebar menu
Navigate to next week using the arrow buttons
Review the current state of next week's roster:
- Are all expected staff members rostered?
- Do shift times align with anticipated appointment demand?
- Are there any gaps that need filling?

Duplicating from the current week:

If your roster follows a consistent pattern:

Navigate to the current week (the week with the pattern you want to copy)
Click Duplicate
In the dialog that appears:
- Select which staff members to include (or use Select all)
- Choose your duplication mode: Repeat for weeks or Repeat until date
- Set the repeat interval (every week, every 2 weeks, etc.)
- Enter the number of weeks or target end date
- Optionally tick Overwrite conflicting shifts if you want to replace existing shifts
Review the summary showing which weeks will be affected
Click Duplicate roster to confirm

Bank holiday considerations:

Luminate will warn you if you're rostering staff on bank holidays
The roster shows bank holidays with visual indicators
Consider whether your salon is open on these days

Handling roster conflicts:

If you're duplicating shifts and there are existing shifts on the target dates, you'll be warned
You can choose to skip conflicting dates or overwrite existing shifts
Always verify the roster after duplication

Step 2: Process Pending Leave Requests

Review and action all pending leave requests to give staff certainty.

Click Leave in the sidebar menu
Use the Status filter to select Pending
Review each pending request:

For each request, consider:

Does the requested date clash with other approved leave?
Will the salon have adequate cover on those dates?
Is this a peak period (school holidays, Christmas)?
How much notice has the staff member given?
What's their remaining leave allowance?

To approve a request:

Click on the leave request to open details
Review the dates, type, and any notes from the staff member
Click Approve
Confirm the approval in the dialog that appears

To reject a request:

Click on the leave request to open details
Click Reject
Add a note explaining why (required for rejections)
Consider suggesting alternative dates if possible

Check leave allowances:

The leave page shows each staff member's remaining allowance
Be aware of staff approaching year-end with unused leave
Plan for carryover implications if your policy allows it

Step 3: Review Staff Performance

Weekly performance checks help you identify top performers and those who may need support.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Staff Performance
Set the date range to the past week (or month for broader trends)
Review the key metrics:

Metric	What to Look For
Revenue	Which staff generated the most? Are targets being met?
Transaction Count	How many clients did each staff member see?
Tips	Are some staff consistently receiving more tips?
Commission	Is commission being calculated correctly?

Questions to consider:

Is performance consistent with expectations and hours worked?
Are there unexplained drops in performance?
Do any staff members need additional training or support?
Should you recognise or reward top performers?

Tip: Look at trends over multiple weeks rather than reacting to a single week's data. Everyone has good and bad weeks.

Step 4: Follow Up on Outstanding Balances

Customers with unpaid balances represent lost revenue. Weekly review keeps this under control.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Accounts Receivable
Review the list of customers with outstanding amounts

Prioritise follow-up based on:

Amount owed - Larger amounts warrant more attention
Age of debt - Older debts are harder to collect
Customer value - Regular customers may deserve more flexibility
Upcoming appointments - You can collect when they next visit

Taking action: For customers with upcoming appointments:

Make a note to collect the balance at their visit
Consider requiring deposits for future bookings

For customers without upcoming appointments:

Send a polite reminder message via the Messages feature
Note any payment arrangements agreed

For very old or unlikely debts:

Discuss write-off options with your owner/accountant
Document the decision and reason

Running export for accounting: The Accounts Receivable report can be exported for your accountant or financial records. Click the export button to download a spreadsheet of outstanding balances.

Step 5: Review Gift Voucher Activity

Gift vouchers represent both liability and opportunity. Weekly monitoring is important.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Gift Vouchers
Review the summary metrics:
- Total Issued - Total value of all vouchers issued
- Active - Number of vouchers currently valid and unredeemed
- Outstanding Balance - Total unredeemed voucher value (your liability)
- Redeemed Value - Total value that has been used
- Forfeited Value - Value from expired or cancelled vouchers

Things to watch for:

Large outstanding balances (potential liability)
Vouchers approaching expiry (opportunity to contact customers)
Patterns in sales (popular as gifts at certain times)

For vouchers approaching expiry: Consider contacting customers with vouchers expiring in the next 30 days. A friendly reminder can drive bookings and ensure customers don't lose their value.

Step 6: Review the Waitlist

Your waitlist represents potential revenue. Weekly review ensures no opportunities are missed.

Click Waitlist in the sidebar menu
Review all active entries:
- How long have they been waiting?
- Have any opportunities been missed?
- Are any entries stale (waiting too long)?

For entries waiting more than 2 weeks:

Consider proactively contacting them
Review if their preferred staff/service/time is available
Update or remove entries that are no longer relevant

Status management:

Active - Still waiting for an appointment
Contacted - You've reached out with an offer
Converted - Successfully booked (automatic when you create an appointment)
Cancelled - Customer no longer wants the appointment
Expired - Entry timed out

Step 7: Check Upcoming Appointments for Issues

Look ahead to identify and resolve potential problems.

Click Appointments in the sidebar menu
Navigate through the upcoming week
Look for:
- Colour services - Do they have valid skin tests?
- New customers - Are their details complete?
- Complex bookings - Multi-service or linked appointments
- VIP customers - Any special requirements?

Skin test alerts: The dashboard shows skin test alerts, but reviewing appointments directly gives you more context. For customers with invalid or missing skin tests, you may need to:

Contact them to arrange a patch test
Reschedule the appointment if there's not enough time

Step 8: Plan and Prepare for the Week Ahead

Finally, look at what's coming and prepare accordingly.

Questions to ask yourself:

Is the roster adequate for the appointment volume?
Are there any special events or promotions this week?
Do we have adequate stock of products?
Are there any birthdays to acknowledge?
Have all pending leave requests been actioned?

Dashboard quick check: Return to the dashboard and review:

Low stock alerts
Upcoming birthdays
SMS credit balance (ensure you have credits for reminders)

Weekly Management Checklist

Use this checklist every week (recommended: Friday afternoon or Monday morning):

Task	Location	Time
Review and plan next week's roster	Roster	10 min
Process pending leave requests	Leave	5 min
Review staff performance report	Reports > Staff Performance	5 min
Follow up on outstanding balances	Reports > Accounts Receivable	5 min
Review gift voucher activity	Reports > Gift Vouchers	5 min
Review and clean up waitlist	Waitlist	5 min
Check upcoming appointments for issues	Appointments	5 min
Plan for the week ahead	Dashboard	5 min

Total time: approximately 45 minutes

Common Pitfalls

"I keep forgetting to do the weekly review"

Schedule a recurring calendar appointment for yourself. Many managers find Friday afternoon works well - you can address issues before the weekend, and the roster is prepared for the following week.

"Leave requests pile up and staff get frustrated"

Set an expectation with staff about response times (e.g., requests answered within 48 hours). The weekly review catches anything missed, but try to action requests as they come in.

"I don't know which outstanding balances to prioritise"

Focus on recent debts first - they're more likely to be paid. Also prioritise customers with upcoming appointments, as you can collect in person. Very old debts (90+ days) may be better written off.

"The roster duplication creates conflicts with existing shifts"

Always verify the target week before confirming duplication. If staff already have shifts on some days, decide whether to keep the existing shifts or overwrite them.

Tips and Best Practices

Block dedicated time - Don't try to squeeze weekly tasks between appointments. Schedule protected time for management activities.
Create a routine - Doing these tasks at the same time each week builds habits and ensures nothing is missed.
Document decisions - When you approve leave, address variances, or make roster changes, add notes. Future-you will appreciate the context.
Share insights with your team - If performance data shows opportunities or concerns, discuss them with staff. Celebrate successes and address issues constructively.
Track patterns, not just numbers - A single week of low performance might mean nothing. Three weeks of declining numbers is a pattern worth investigating.
Prepare for the following week's review - Keep notes during the week about issues that arise. This makes your weekly review more productive.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to do weekly management tasks?

Most managers find Friday afternoon or Monday morning works best. Friday lets you prepare for the following week. Monday lets you review the previous week with fresh eyes. Choose what works for your schedule.

What if I'm too busy to complete all the tasks every week?

Prioritise roster planning and leave requests - these affect staff directly and can't wait. The other tasks can be done less frequently if needed, but try not to skip them for more than two weeks.

Should I share performance data with staff?

This depends on your management style and culture. Some salons share rankings openly to encourage competition. Others prefer private conversations. Consider what motivates your team.

How do I handle a consistently underperforming staff member?

Weekly reports help you identify patterns, but addressing underperformance requires a separate conversation. Use the data to have a constructive discussion about what might be causing the issue and how to improve.

What happens if I reject a leave request and the staff member is upset?

Explain your reasoning clearly and sympathetically. If the rejection is due to business needs, suggest alternative dates. Document the reason so there's a clear record of the decision-making process.

Last Updated: January 2026