How to Keep your Clients Coming Back
The beauty industry is extremely competitive so it’s important to understand how to increase client retention to ensure long term business growth. It has been proven that finding new clients can be much harder and more expensive than simply keeping your existing clients continually returning... so how do you do that? Here are a few tips to help you keep your clients coming back for more:
1. Re-Book and Pre-Book
Encouraging your clients to book their next appointment almost always guarantees a long-term relationship. Most beauty professionals assume you should ask your clients to re-book during the checkout process. A much better strategy is to start planting the seed during the service. Consider giving your clients suggestions, such as “This color is going to look so great on you, we should definitely get you in for a 6 week touch up to keep it looking fresh!” You can also suggest your clients pre-book multiple appointments in advance to ensure they can get in to see you during your busier times. These suggestions let the client know that you are looking out for them which will encourage trust and keep them coming back!
2. Make a Great First Impression
This one is SO Important and often times underestimated. Here are a few tips to provide a great client experience:
Be on time! Having your client waiting more than 5 minutes past their appointment time is not going to make a great first impression and will most likely have them turned off before the service even starts.
No matter how hard your day has been, do your best to be friendly, polite and professional.
Ensure the salon, waiting area, and bathrooms are clean.
Play relaxing and appropriate music during the service.
A great client experience starts with a great consultation. Providing your client with a thorough consultation is absolutely vital to client retention. Your work may be beautiful but if it isn’t what your client wanted or asked for, they won’t be happy and most likely they wont be coming back.
The value of a great first impression is priceless but don’t make the mistake of providing a wonderful experience to a first time client then let your service slide with each subsequent visit. You may get comfortable with your clients over time but you should also make it a priority to provide them with a great experience every time.
3. Engage with your Clients Outside of the Salon
There are lots of ways to engage with your clients and make them feel special! Utilize your booking app to log small details about your clients such as their birthday or other specific details they may have mentioned. Many booking apps include marketing tools such as promotional texting that will allow you to easily send out thank you messages after a service or prompts for your clients to follow you on social media. You should also consider sending out promotional texts or emails when you have special promotions going on or even if you have a last minute appointment opening.
4. Create a Loyalty Program
Who doesn’t like to receive free gifts and discounts? Consider creating a loyalty program for your existing clients to get them more invested in your business. Tons of top brands and stores implement loyalty programs because they WORK (Ulta Beauty Points, Kohls Cash, Sephora Beauty Insiders, etc…). When clients earn points or rewards that lead to discounts or free services they are much more likely to return!
5. Ask for Feedback
Lastly, a simple follow up text the day after their service asking if they are satisfied can go a long way and also provide you with valuable feedback you can use to improve your client experience even more! Asking first time clients for feedback really shows them that you care about them and their experience.