By Stephanie Jaynes, Marketing Director at WellnessPro Insurance
A new client shows up for their first appointment. You perform the services they requested, excited about growing your client and feeling like you made a good impression. But they don’t rebook.
You can’t make a living on one-and-done customers. You need repeat customers. But just how can customer retention strategies benefit your business? And what practical things can you do to keep clients coming back? Read on to find out.
Why Customer Retention Matters More Than Ever
New clients are expensive. Some studies suggest it costs five to 25 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. And even if you pay the price for a new client, they’ll generate about 67 percent less revenue than your loyal customers.
Loyal clients book services more frequently, spend more at each visit, refer more friends, and leave more and better reviews. By investing in the clients you have, and worrying less about the clients you don’t, you can spend less money doing business and make more money.
Here are five beauty salon client retention strategies to build a loyal customer base.
1. Make a great first impression.
The moment your client walks through the door, they’re forming an impression of your business. Their snap judgments influence what they think of your brand, products, and employees for years to come. So make those first few seconds count!
A few client retention tips to implement on that first visit:
- Impress them with your ambiance. Your space should be clean and welcoming. Pay attention to lighting, seating, smells, and decorations. Nothing kills a bad impression like stiff seating or bad odors.
- Make sure you or an employee gives them a warm greeting.
- Give them a little gift, like a welcome card, snack, sample, or even a complimentary add-on service.
2. Be a friend.
When you’re in the service industry, you’re in the relationship industry. You can do hair, skin, nails, or massage better than anyone else, but you won’t retain existing customers if you don’t build genuine relationships.
So if you want to build a loyal customer base, be a friend. Keep notes about your clients’ preferences and big life events. Simple things like remembering their favorite shampoo or texting them on their birthday will personalize their customer experience, showing them you care beyond the chair.
3. Schedule before they leave.
You know your date had a good time if they’re planning your next one before the first one’s even over. A simple and often overlooked client retention strategy is rebooking before your clients walk out the door.
At the end of each appointment, confidently recommend when your clients should come back for another service. It helps you and your clients manage your schedules better. It also prevents a would-be loyal customer from simply forgetting to book their next appointment—not because they didn’t want to, but because life got in the way.
4. Give ‘em the perks.
We all like feeling special and in the know. One of our favorite salon client retention strategies is to make customers feel like they’re in the club.
Great client retention programs give customers exclusive benefits, like birthday discounts, referral discounts, or early access to new services or special events. Playing favorites with your clients makes them more likely to play favorites with you by booking services more often and sending friends your way. Give your clients value and they’ll give you value right back.
5. Keep in touch.
In this digital age, we have so many connections and so little time.
Stay top-of-mind by communicating with clients between appointments. Automated texts or emails with follow-ups, reminders, promotions, and helpful content are great ways to maintain long-term relationships with customers. By showing you’re thinking of them, you can even prevent customer churn, or loss of clients.
Customer retention doesn’t happen by accident.
You may want loyal clients to fall into your lap, but they won’t. That’s why every salon owner should fine-tune their client retention strategies. By focusing not just on the service in front of you but on your clients’ future appointments, you’ll develop a happy and healthy client list.
Here at WellnessPro, we offer professionals like you affordable insurance to protect your business against accidental claims. Scan the QR code to take 15 minutes to get coverage today.