Hair and Beauty Salon Experience
No matter what subject we are on, we seem to these days be drawn to experience. Your USP’s could include things such as refreshments being offered when a client sits down along with magazines and newspapers are all great but it doesn’t quite cut it these days. It’s all about the client experience, not only when they are in the salon but before and after their appointment.
I watched a program not so long ago “In the Factory” they were making croissants. The croissants were super fresh, once made they had 6 people taste the croissants. Each person had 1 croissant on plate and then one croissant in a paper bag (as you’d get from a bakery) The question was “Which one tastes the nicest – the one on the plate or the one in the brown paper bag?” Baring in mind the croissants were al exactly the same, from the same batch. What do you think the answer was? Which one do you think would be nicer to taste, the one on the plate or the one in the bag? All 6 voted for the croissant in the paper bag. Why? Because the experience was better, a croissant on a plate was just a plain croissant with not much going on. However the one in the bag – tasted better, felt fresher, crunchier and smelt nicer…or so they thought.
So how can we transfer this to the salon? A clients experience of making an appointment, turning up to the salon, having there hair cut and blow-dry, going to reception to pay and then leave can be made into so many different experiences. Lets take a look below at ways through the clients time with you you can change/improve their experience;
How can you clients contact to make an appointment? Do you have…
- A phone
- A mobile
- An active email account
- Live chat
- Online bookings setup
- A booking app
When making the appointment, are there…
- Options to upgrade
- A knowledgable person on the end of the phone
- Someone answering emails with correct spelling and grammar
- Someone monitoring your live chat 24/7
- Your top 10 services listed first on your online bookings and booking app
- An easy way to check availability with a certain stylist
Once your client has made the appointment, do you…
- Send a confirmation SMS
- Send an Email confirmation
- Make a courtesy call 24 hours before
- Give your clients an easy way to cancel/reschedule if booked online
Welcoming your client, do you…
- Open the door when your client arrives
- Take the coat and hang it up carefully
- Offer to take their bags
- Seat them at a clean area
- Let them know if they need to extend there parking you will happily pop to they car at do it for them
- Explain and make sure they know where the bathroom is if they need it while they are waiting
- Show them who their stylist is an set the client know how long they will be
- Offer refreshments, WiFi code, an iPad to use, magazines, newspaper, perhaps your portfolio of your work to look through
5 step through the consultation and hair cut
Taking your client to Front of house / Reception, do you…
- Help them with their coat/jacket
- Offer to help them with any shopping they have to their car
- Create a prescription for them to take home for their hair/skin
- Wrap their products, add in samples, sweets to their bag, give a hair care / skin care plan
Taking payment and rebooking, do you…
- Pre plan the 6/8 weeks so you know the date they will be due in “I can see 6 week takes us to …. I have 2pm available, does this work for you?”
- Remind them of collecting loyalty points
- Make a note of their next appointment for them on an appointment card
- Text/Email their future appointment if they’d prefer
- Inform them of any future events you have schedule in the salon VIP shopping events etc
- Ask if they are happy to see the same stylist/therapist again
Saying goodbye, do you…
- Open the door for your client
- Help your client with their bags
- Take your client to their car with an umbrella if it is raining
- Call a family / taxi if they need a lift home
The above is a guide taking you through each step the clients takes throughout their journey with you. Some of the points you will already do and some you may think are a good idea and others you may know it wouldn’t work in your salon.
If you have any more great ideas that we could add to this post, please do let me know sam@saloniq.com
Back to blog
