Customers are looking for an escape. A way to pamper themselves, but also have a 5-star experience that’s memorable. Delivering consistent high-quality beauty salon customer service is not always easy. It takes planning, dedication, and attention to detail. There is no doubt that customer service at a salon can make or break the experience. A lot of people think that having good customer service doesn’t really matter, but it does! In this blog post, we are going to discuss how you can improve your salon’s customer service and what steps need to be taken in order for you to do so.
What is Salon Customer Service?
What is your definition of exceptional customer service? Does it go beyond typical standards of service? Beauty salon & spa customers demand a higher level of personalized care and attention. Customers need a relaxing ambiance, with peaceful and aesthetically pleasing interior design. They need good music and an overly friendly staff.
It should feel like the perfect experience, one that they will want to repeat. Your goal is to help them look and feel better as soon as they enter the salon. All while connecting with the team, feeling pampered and well-taken-care-of. As you offer that personalized touch, you become someone they trust. A friend, a listener, and even a coach. You are the person they need right now, and that’s an awesome responsibility. That’s why it’s so important to have quality salon customer service training with your staff.
Why is Salon Customer Service Important?
You accomplish excellent salon customer service by listening to your clients. By delivering the personalized experience they need and expect.
It’s not hard to determine what your client needs. However, it’s not always easy to put them at ease and to get them to open up. As you engage with customers, you need to create a safe place for them to feel at ease. An atmosphere that is therapeutic.
Beyond chatting about life, you’re also educating your clients about your products and services. You are helping them understand how they can achieve the level of well-being and happiness they most desire. You’re also sharing beauty tips, ideas, and recommendations.
Salon Client Satisfaction
You want and need your clients to be happy and satisfied with services. And when something doesn’t go according to plan, you need to make it right. A sincere apology is great, but then you should look at other ways to address a client’s disappointment. You can’t ignore the situation and hope it just goes away.
We have all heard the saying the customer is “always right.” In beauty salons and spas, an unhappy client can severely impact your business. We beauticians and cosmetologists are in an image-focused industry. You must respond to any complaint by listening, providing positive feedback, and offering a smart solution. It will make you better and will garner repeat business.
Referral Generation
Salon referral generation is what it’s all about. When a client is happy with your services and products, he or she will tell family, friends, and acquaintances. If you play your cards right, you could leverage significant business from one satisfied client. Of course, that’s not the only reason you should deliver high-quality salon customer service.
Now more than ever, you need diversified marketing strategies. Salon referral generation is a cost-effective way to build relationships. All while capturing the excitement and satisfaction that clients are feeling at the moment. It is the ultimate form of organic marketing. New salon referral-generated leads will not only make an appointment, they’re more likely to become repeat clients.
Brand Reputation thru Salon Customer Service
As a beauty salon owner, you are building and maintaining a brand. Exceptional customer service is a big part of that effort. A great way to strengthen your brand is by listening to your customers. You can learn a great deal about opportunities for improvement by listening to your clients and addressing their concerns.
You can make or break your salon brand reputation by how you treat your customers. If you treat them well, they may help you build your brand as loyal and repeat clients. The brand is as much about what people say as it is about your mission and value statements. You show who you are (your ethics) by actions as well as words.
Conversion Rate
Salon customer service helps to guarantee a better conversion rate. That means more people will actually book appointments. It also means they will stay loyal because the word will get out that you treat your clients right. There are many factors that can affect your conversion rate. One of the biggest is how you deliver on customer service. Exceptional service makes you stand out above the rest.
Your clients could go to other salons and spas, but they choose you. If you don’t know why they come to you, you should find out. Ask your clients as part of a conversation or even filling out a survey for the chance to win a prize. Based on client feedback, you can improve your customer experience. This will generate a higher conversion rate and more revenue in your salon.
Here’s 9 Overlooked Ways to Deliver Exceptional Salon Customer Service
As we’ve seen, salon customer service is important to your growth and success. There’s a lot of little ways you can interact and connect with your clients. Often on a personal level to build trust and to ensure they are satisfied. With your friendly and upbeat attitude and even your smile, you create a memorable impression for your clients. However, there are many unique ways to achieve great customer service. Here are nine overlooked ways to win over clients.
1. Provide a Welcome Gift
Everyone loves presents, but your welcome gift is more than just a “thank you.” The welcome gift can include trial-size samples and a gift certificate toward your other products and services. Whether you use it as a special promotion or a standard welcome for new clients, that gift helps to make your client feel special. It encourages them to come back for more and be part of your tribe.
2. Personalized Client Orientation
It’s easy to assume that everyone has been to a salon or spa. That may be true, but you should not assume that your new client will know what to expect. Even if the client has been to other salons or spas before, you’re offering a different, more personalized experience.
You can wow your new client by giving them a welcome tour and answering all her questions. Help them understand how you plan to make them feel extraordinary. You’re also helping them to feel at ease and eliminate any uncertainty and discomfort. With a comprehensive client orientation, you build trust and begin to forge a lasting connection with your new client.
3. Client Questionnaire
If they made the appointment online, ask them to fill out a questionnaire as part of the scheduling. You can also ask them to fill it out when they come in for their first appointment. Ask about favorite beverages, music, pet peeves, preferred nickname, scents they love (and hate), allergies, and health concerns. Keep those details in your client records, so you can review it prior to their appointment.
Even if you aren’t good at remembering faces and can’t remember every detail, those notes will help you develop great rapport. Offer the client a favorite drink and personalize the environment with favorite scents and sounds. As you solidify your relationship, send “I missed you” notes as a friendly reminder.
4. Signature Consultation
The client consultation is an essential strategy that can DOUBLE the average ticket value AND get 85% retention. We recommend using a well thought out script that your entire team learns to use. Once you have it dialed in, your clients (and staff) will love it.
In my salon, we called this our Signature Client Consultation. It was the most important thing we implemented as a team and had an enormous impact on the business. You want to have your team all be on one page, and a signature script will achieve that goal. It will create a bridge between the front desk, the team in the back, and of course your customers. You’re expanding your brand and positioning the team as a group of experts. This will build confidence in your staff and clients. And in turn, you’ll be gaining higher productivity and retention.
5. Client Ritual
Each client should get used to having a ritual or two. It could be a neck massage, facial treatment, special touchpoint, or any other personalized service. Figure out what your client likes and be prepared to deliver the relaxing services they’ve come to expect. Show your client you’re paying attention to the details. Let them see that you remember what makes them feel good.
6. Home Care Recommendation
The focus of many salons and spas is to focus on offering products and services on-site. But an important part of your client consultations should include home care recommendations. Clients love how you make them feel at your salon, so make sure they also get that feeling at home.
As part of your client consultation, review your client’s beauty profile. Identify the nuances of their skin, hair, and other health factors. Then, offer specific recommendations complementary to an ongoing consult-and-treatment relationship.
7. Shipping Options for Salon Customer Service
Your consult and recommendations are personalized, so you may not have all the products available immediately. With flexible shipping options, you can deliver the products you’re recommending in just a few days.
Set up a re-order program for a personalized beauty package. Make it so your client will never run out of the products she needs. Use the opportunity to follow-up with the client, schedule an appointment, and consult with them to see if adjustments are needed.
8. Client Perk Box
One of your goals is to help your clients feel special and appreciated. A great way to accomplish that is a perk box, which you can give your client as a thank you gift for being your client. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive, but you can include special details. Things that show you remember their favorite scents, flavors, or product preferences.
A perk box can also be used as a special “Thinking of you” gift when you find out a client is going through a hard time. Offering a personalized care package shows a client your team cares about them. Be sure to include a signed note.
9. Offer a Membership Program
A membership program is a great way to encourage repeat clients while offering a discount for their loyalty at your salon or spa. You can also offer special membership benefits to show your thanks for their continued business while using technology to ensure convenience.
A membership program also has the side-effect of encouraging clients to use your services more frequently. Greater consistency helps clients to see better results while giving you better forecasting abilities for your staffing and supply needs. We work with all our Salon Cadence clients on implementing a membership offer for their clients.
In conclusion, salon customer service is vital to the long term success of your salon. A customer who leaves happy and satisfied is more likely to come back again!
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