IT ALL STARTS WITH THE CALL…
How is your receptionist when she answers the phone? Is she rude and abrupt? Does she know all the stylists names and their prices in your salon? Does she refer to clients by their first name on the phone? These personalized touches make all the difference and let the client know they are valued.
This personalized communication transcends the phone call and goes into their salon appointment. Make sure every client is greeted when they enter your salon. They should be offered a place to put their coat and maybe a magazine to read or something to drink while they wait for their stylist.
Once their stylist brings them back into the salon, it’s great if they chit chat with the client on a personal level. Was the client telling you at their last visit that their son went off to college? How about asking them how college is going and if he made the transition okay? Did they just do a big chop of their hair at their last appointment? Ask how they are liking their new length. Making someone feel special and that you remember things they’ve shared with you goes a long way and is free marketing!
Another way to boost revenue of an existing client with little effort is selling them on hair care products, give them the run down on what products would be best suited for their hair, starting with shampoo and going all the way through their finishing product. When you use your words in such a way that you are helping them versus upselling, it has a more genuine feel and they are more likely to purchase a product or two that you recommended. After all, everyone wants to be able to recreate their salon look at home so why not show them the products and tools to do just that?
Make sure if they ask your professional opinion about something and you don’t know the answer, that you tell them you’ll look into it and get back with them. Nothing can be more frustrating than going to someone for help only to be told that they don’t have an answer. Make sure that doesn’t happen and follow through on your word by getting in touch with them after you’ve found the answer.
After their hair is done, do your stylists rush them off and quickly get their next client in their seat? Clients notice this and it’s looked upon in a negative way. They go from being pampered and seemingly the only one they are focused on, to being rushed out because the stylist is behind and they need to get going on their next client. It’s not the client’s fault that they are running behind. Perhaps they could spend 1-2 minutes with client while they are preparing to check out. Have your stylist ask the client if they had any other questions and let them know that they are appreciated by thanking them for their business. Again, it’s in the words we use that are clients free loved, valued, and appreciated so don’t let your customer service fall short right at the very end.
These might seem like simple things to implement and in fact, you may be confident that your team is already doing them, but take a good, hard look at you may be surprised where they could step up their game and improve their communication with your clientele.
Need help bringing clients into your salon? That’s what we do! Reach out to us for more information on how to get started taking your business to new heights.