ETS Tanning Bed Blog

Last year, one of our biggest customers was having a lot of staffing and technical issues. They went through a period of turnover with their management and they were having a hard time training their people on using and maintaining the beds. Basically, they needed help.

ETS to the Rescue

We did as much as we could over the phones, but eventually we realized that more was needed. So, we decided to fly one of our best ETS Certified Service Technicians down to their salon. He went down and did some extensive, hands-on and in-person, one-on-one training. It was exactly what the client needed.

Because we were working with a chain, he visited each salon in the area over three days and did education sessions on lamps, paneling of lamps, changing lamps, bed cleaning and really just basic tanning bed maintenance. He taught them everything from the simple stuff like not touching the bulbs when you change the high-pressure lamps to more complex tips like how to troubleshoot a daisy chain of tanning beds.

Oh, the bikini tan line – that dreaded tanning side effect that curses beach goers everywhere. So, how do you get rid of it or avoid it all together? You guessed it, by using indoor tanning beds.

The best way to avoid a bikini tan line is to tan indoors in the nude. Tanning salons are very secure, you can usually lock the door and they’re also very hygienic. Most people tan in the nude, the salons expect it and they provide towels and sometimes robes for your comfort. Also, a salon is required to sanitize tanning beds after every use, so they’re clean.

Safe Indoor Tanning

I’m often asked about the proper way to tan. My answer? In a tanning bed!

Seriously though, if you’re tanning at a good salon, they will walk you back to your tanning room and show you exactly how everything on the tanning beds works – the timing system, the radio, the fans, everything.

Or, if you’re tanning on a home system, a good retailer (like ETS Tan) will teach you everything you need to know about your tanning bed from the regular maintenance to the proper way to tan in your system.

People often ask me how to get a darker tan and I always say the key is consistency, good tanning beds and going slow. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, tanning is a process. It’s not a race. You need to start your tanning off slow and build your initial tan up to a good base.

Build From the Base Up

Once you have that slowly built-up base, you can start to work on a rich, dark tan. Trust me, deep tans don’t come from single or occasional "power" sessions – they come from a consistent use of good tanning beds over a period of time.

When I started at ETS Tan a year and a half ago, I didn’t know the first thing about tanning beds. I couldn’t have even told you what an acrylic is. But, what I did come in with is a strong customer service and call center background.

I was a little intimidated at first because the ETS Tan customer service team is and always has been very strong technically and so, yes, I felt a bit like a fish out of water. But, it turns out that the combination of my team’s highly defined technical skills and my customer service skills really worked out.

Why? Because most of the calls we get are from non-technical salon managers, meaning you have to be able to combine good, accessible technical support without ever losing sight of the customer and their experience.

Probably the most common question asked by new tanning bed users (and yes, even experienced tanners) is how often should you tan? I’ve said it a thousand times before and I’ll say it again, tanning is a process and it’s all about consistency when you use tanning beds. So, how often you should tan will depend on your skin type, the type of beds you’re using and your desired tan level.

Getting a Tan Started

It depends on your skin type, but getting a base tan started can take anywhere from eight sessions to fifteen sessions in a traditional tanning bed (3-5 sessions in a high-pressure bed) to develop a good tan. But, you have to do it slowly.

Stop Employees From Sabotaging Your Business

Last week, I walked into a client’s tanning salon. There was a customer looking at lotions without any sales help and no sales clerk in sight. I poked my head down the hall, didn’t see anyone, waited a bit and then finally shouted “Hello? Is anyone there?”

Eventually, a begrudged saleswoman emerged from the back with an apron on, rubber gloves and a spray bottle of cleaning solution in her hand. She snapped off the gloves and huffed “Sorry, I was just trying to get some work done. What can I help you with?”