A – Appreciation
Whether this is your first year in the tanning industry or your 50th, you’ve undoubtedly looked forward to this season. Your salons are filled with new and existing guests, and there is no better time than the present to show your genuine appreciation for their continued support. Every person who comes into your salon represents residual income – not just theirs but their friends’ – because happy customers tell others. Let your guests know how much they mean to your business, always with a smile. Little things go a long way toward making your guests feel appreciated. Always remember that retail is detail!
P – Planning
Plan an event! Free Tan Weekend, Tan Fest, Customer Appreciation Days, etc. This is the perfect time of year for an event since salons experience the most foot traffic. Throughout the spring, a lot of people will come into your salon to prepare for spring break or an upcoming wedding, and if they receive more value tanning at your salon as opposed to the place down the street, they will choose to tan with you. I know a salon in a small Kansas community that does a very successful free tan weekend every year in April. They make it a community event by serving hamburgers and hotdogs to anyone who stops by; they also have specials on packages and products, and people can use any tanning system that weekend for free. The owner plans for this by letting his customers know about specials and promotions two weeks in advance so that they make sure to tell their friends and family. It’s also advertised heavily on Facebook and Twitter to make it a big deal.
R – Reputable
People don’t do business with businesses, people do business with people. Making sure your salon has a great reputation is crucial to its longevity. As word of mouth and social media help to spread information at record speeds, it’s important that your salon strives to maintain a positive reputation with your guests and in your community.
I – Implement
We just talked about how to appreciate your salon guests, how to plan an event during your busy season, and remembering to create a positive image for your business within the community. Now it’s time to implement these practices. Is there an area on which you can improve? What steps do you need to take to make the most of this busy season? If you’re having trouble planning your special customer appreciation event or need ideas for referral programs or how to best spend advertising dollars, use your resources. Product distributors as well as your lotion manufacturers are capable and willing to offer advice that has been proven successful in helping salons grow and improve.
L – Loyalty
Creating loyalty with customers and staff is an important aspect any business needs to understand and master in order to succeed. Your salon is most likely seeing more people now than it has in the last few months. Building loyalty with each guest helps ensure future business for years to come. Establish a customer experience so enjoyable that they want to tell their friends and family. Loyalty creates repeat business, which in turn creates more revenue.
