A beauty business will not go anywhere if employees fail to maintain good relationships with the clients. People who visit beauty salons often come not just for the procedures but also for the overall experience and treat it as a way to escape from real-life problems for a bit.
So, the question is, what can beauty salons do to improve relationships with their customers and improve retention. There are quite a few different strategies, and this article will cover 8 methods worth considering.
Show Positive Attitude
The first idea on the list is a positive attitude. People are less likely to visit a beauty salon that has a negative aura due to unhappy employees who cannot put on a smile for their customers.
Meanwhile, when you are greeted with someone happy, you instantly associate the establishment with positivity and feel more welcome.
An all-around positivity is a great asset to have, and beauty salon managers should constantly remind the staff that they need to be positive when interacting with the customers.
Automate Appointments
It is common to book an appointment via phone call or by visiting a beauty salon in person. However, more and more people are looking to simplify the process by automating it.
Automation benefits both beauticians and customers. For the former, it is easier to manage a schedule, and the latter can look at the available time slots and pick one that fits.
Tools like Watalook come with additional automation features, such as providing automated appointment reminders to reduce no-shows.
Providing flexible appointment booking options will be appreciated by clients, and they will be more likely to recommend your establishment to their friends and family.
Be Mindful of Different Customer Types
Keep in mind that not all customers who visit a beauty salon have outgoing personalities. Some are introverted, and they are less likely to engage in a casual conversation. Such customers want to sit through the procedure, pay for it, and leave without socializing.
After working for a while and getting to know customers, beauticians will memorize what each person is like. The important thing is to remember this when you have a customer for the first time.
If you see that they are unwilling to respond, you should not push because doing so will make the customer uncomfortable.
Request Feedback
Asking customers for feedback directly is a great approach because you show them attention and indicate that you value their opinion. Moreover, speaking to customers directly and inquiring them about what could work as a means to improve the salon can also lead to some great ideas.
However, since the focus is on improving relationships with customers, it is where you should focus and kindly ask for their feedback.
Thank the Clients
A simple thank you can go a long way, though it is often underestimated. Basic etiquette is expected, but not everyone is capable of it. As such, customers who come might end up pleasantly surprised to encounter staff that is smiling and thanking them for coming.
Individually, such small gestures might not seem like a big deal, but they make a greater picture that leaves a positive impression on customers.
Exceed Their Expectations
Not every worker is willing to take the extra mile to accommodate their customers. At the same time, if you have to choose between those who are willing to put effort into their work and those who are negligent, the choice is pretty clear.
In the beauty industry, there might not be that many opportunities to exceed a customer’s expectations, but they exist.
For one, if a client is late for their appointment and a salon is about to close, working overtime is a prime example of taking the extra mile.
Share Knowledge
If there are experienced beauticians working in a salon, take advantage of their knowledge. Customers are likely to seek advice, and if there is someone inside a salon who can provide that, they should.
Sharing knowledge by creating various tutorials and uploading them on social media or a salon’s personal YouTube channel is another excellent idea.
Customers who see the effort from the staff to record makeup or other beauty tutorials will associate the salon with one that has true professionals. In other words, sharing knowledge does more than just improve relationships with customers. It also builds authority.
Leave Great First Impressions
A smile and a warm hello to welcome customers are the early steps of leaving great first impressions. What follows next is important as well.
Beauty salons should make customers feel welcome right off the bat. In addition to greetings, customers who end up waiting for their turn would also appreciate something like magazines or snacks.
Free Wi-Fi is worth a shout as well, given how many people are on their smartphones these days. Instead of wasting cellular data, customers could connect to the salon’s network and use the internet.
