It’s date night. You worked hard all week and nailed your goals … it’s time to celebrate, and you’ve chosen a restaurant for dinner. You and your (insert: wife, significant other, BFF, family member here) get dressed appropriately and drive to the location. You salivate as you begin to consider the culinary options and, perhaps, the wine selection. Seated at your table, you begin perusing the menu and have a few questions for the server. “I’m thinking about the bone-in ribeye. Can your chef prepare it ‘Pittsburgh’ style?” you ask. Your server leaves to check with the kitchen and quickly returns. “Our chef just started today,” he says. “He has no idea what Pittsburgh style is.” Uh, okay. You pass on the steak and consider pasta. “What about the Fettuccine Alfredo? Is it prepared al dente?” Your waiter replies, “There’s nobody named Al working here.” Exasperated, you go for a glass of the grape. “Bring me a nice cab, please,” you suggest. The server replies, “I’m sorry that you don’t seem to like our restaurant. I can call you a cab, but don’t know if it will be nice or not.” Arrgghh! Are you kidding me?
Answering a guest’s questions with confidence prepares them for a premium experience each and every visit.
Such can be the frustration when trying to select goods and services these days with inexperienced help. Now, shift this concept to a tanning salon business. Having seen the ad you recently placed in the local online newspaper, a mother and her 19-year-old come to your facility. They’d like to try indoor tanning, but mom has a few questions first. “How does the tanning process work?” Your staff replies, “you just lay on the hard plastic and you get a tan.” Huh? Slightly confused, the mother proceeds to say that she’s heard about rising skin cancer rates and asks if it’s caused by tanning indoors. “I’m not sure,” offers your employee. Mom then asks if you can get HIV from laying on that “hard plastic.” Your staff’s response: “I hope not!” I can guarantee that those potential customers will fly out the door a lot faster than they came in.
If you have chosen to be a member of the indoor tanning community and own a salon, you certainly owe it to your staff and guests to offer the best possible experience. It begins with having factual information on indoor tanning – knowing what to say and what NOT to say when a guest has questions. Answering with confidence prepares your guest for a premium experience each and every visit.
Sun is Life® Training & Certification is offered both online and in a classroom version to help you and your staff get where you need to be. Our online version is available 24/7 and designed to allow at-your-pace learning and promote knowledge retention. The classroom session is being offered at some of the industry’s biggest expos (see below) to allow you and your staff to access this info face-to-face in an engaging fashion. Don’t let your team head into the peak season with only a “deer in the headlights” look to offer guests and potential customers who have questions! Give them the tools to succeed with Sun is Life! For more info, visit sunislife.com.
A Sun is Life Basic Operator Certification classroom session will be presented at the National Tanning Expo in Nashville, TN on October 21, 2023. Register at nationaltanningexpo.com!
