Holy cow … it’s January! AKA almost Busy Season! This is the tanning industry’s favorite time of year – seasonal tanners are returning to the salons, you’re hopefully selling more products and services, and your staff is trained and ready to take advantage of all the sales opportunities given to them.
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During Busy Season, things I commonly see overlooked are the small details – things that can add up to big things when grouped together. It’s easy to get slammed and hurry to wipe down a sunbed so you can quickly get the next guest into her room. It’s common to see Suzy Tanner walk into the salon, skip the friendly greeting and just let her know her tanning room is ready. It’s typical to forego trying to push the “featured lotion” to the guest in front of you because there is someone waiting behind her for their session.
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But I want to remind you … by not taking the time to focus on these small details, they will quickly add up to become big details that differentiate you from your competition.
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Bed Maintenance:
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During Busy Season, it’s more important than ever to have working, well maintained and clean equipment for every guest who walks through your door. This means making sure all the lamps are functioning, and that even though someone is waiting to use a bed, you take the time to wipe down not only the acrylic shields, but also the top, the chair, the shelf and anything else in the room. Being busy is not an excuse to offer your guest a tanning room that looks any less clean and appealing than it would if traffic in your salon was slower.
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Rewarding Your Regulars:
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Your year ‘round tanners are your lifeblood! Make sure that even in busy times, they are made to feel important and rewarded for their loyalty. When I was working behind the counter, my regular guests were my best salespeople. If you’re talking to a potential new tanner in the salon and one of your regulars is waiting, incorporate them into your conversation. If you know that Suzy Tanner loves your high-pressure bed and she has great color, point out to the new customer that Suzy loves her results from the HP bed. Typically, this will inspire your VIP tanner to jump in and tell the potential customer how great your salon/equipment/lotion is.
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Skip the “do you want fries with that?” When you’re slammed, it’s easy to just ask a guest, “do you have your lotion and eye protection?” and send her off to tanning room No. 3. Let’s pretend for a second you weren’t busy; would you ask that same question in that same way? Probably not. You would take the time to ask about her results, make recommendations for new (or add-on) products, or tell her about a special you are running. We learn in preschool to wait in line – your guests understand that they have to wait for the person ahead of them in line, just as in any retail business. Don’t rush the person you’re currently serving just to get to the next one. Make sure that every guest receives your top-notch, full attention and dedicated service.
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My advice for Busy Season: breathe … don’t rush through everything and always remember that people may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Make sure every guest leaves your salon happy and wanting to come back.
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If you don’t focus on small details, they will quickly add up to become big ones.
