By now, we should all be getting excited for that feeling of busy season rush – man, does it feel good! Soon, the warmer weather, Spring Break and sunny vacation plans will cue tanners to hit the salons and get some color going.
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Now that your regular customers are coming out of hibernation, let’s keep them coming into your salon even after their event, vacation, etc. Here are some suggestions to set you apart from your competitors. Yes, you might offer different equipment, different lotions or better pricing, but going the extra mile to insure your guests’ ultimate satisfaction will make your salon stand out. Here are a few easy (and cheap!) ways to show your customers just how important and essential they are to your business by giving them a little extra love.
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Birthdays
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Who doesn’t love a “Happy Birthday!” Make sure you have a birthdate on file for each person in your database. It should be a morning routine that whoever opens the store calls each member – active or inactive – with birthday wishes and an invite for a free birthday tanning session. Yes, you can email or text them – but a happy birthday phone call is rare these days. Your guests will remember your thoughtfulness. If they already have a tanning package, offer a free upgrade. The call will make them feel special AND, who wouldn’t want to be tan on their birthday!
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Sweet Treats
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We all love candy! I love tanning at a salon where I find a piece of candy placed on the clean towel on the clean tanning bed. What better way to relax while you tan than to enjoy a sweet treat? It’s another simple way to show your guests some love.
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What are you doing to set yourself apart from the others and make every guest’s overall experience memorable?
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Beauty Bar
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Most high-end salons already offer these items – they give your salon a memorable, spa like atmosphere. Create a “Beauty Bar in a hallway, so that it can be monitored and the items are less likely to end up in a guest’s handbag. A perfect Beauty Bar has all the essentials a tanner would need to leave your salon feeling fabulous. Most popular items include baby wipes, spray deodorant, body spray, hand sanitizer, Q-Tips, cotton balls and make-up remover. This is very easy to create – just place a mirror on an empty wall with a shelf below it, and bam! You have a Beauty Bar!
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The Buddy System
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We know that referrals are key to the success of any business and word of mouth is your best form of advertising. Include an incentive in your referral program that makes your existing tanners want to participate. What I’ve seen work very well in EFT-based salons is the “Buddy Pass.” Those members on your top-tier EFT plan can bring a friend with them to tan anytime at no charge. The catch: the “buddy” only tans in base-level beds and can only come in with a current member. I’ve seen this increase EFT retention, as tanners don’t want to cancel their memberships because they are now tanning with their buddy or family member rather than alone, and you usually can turn that buddy into an EFT member, as well. If not, you still can sell them eyewear, upgrades or lotion. It’s a win-win!
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In preparation for the months to come, making small changes to your salon operation, can have lasting effects on your guests. While you have them coming through your door, make sure you take advantage of every opportunity to keep them coming in. Every tanning salon in your town has equipment and lotion – what are you doing to set yourself apart from the others and make every guest’s overall experience memorable?
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