Years ago, a piece of sound advice was shared with us that continues to be great advice for commercial tanning salon operators, nationwide. It is simple – but profoundly accurate. Here it is: Never decrease your price. Always increase your service to your customer.
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Across the country, progressive tanning salon operators have been practicing this in some form for years. Even today, they continue to find new and exciting ways to give customers more and more service. The higher you go with your level of service to your current customers, the stronger their bond to your business becomes. And the wider you go with your choice of services, the more new customers you will attract for all of your services.
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This point has become more important to operators who have had a fitness center open near them that offers tanning services as part of their low monthly membership fee. In these situations, we see that price matters; but that price is not everything. The tanning business model for most fitness centers is that they just offer tanning as part of the membership – there are no extras involved. There can be a bit of a wait for a session and then once in the tanning room, a customer must clean the unit before and after they use it. We are not knocking this business model; it works just fine for some tanners. For others, it may leave them wanting more … service.
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If you go above and beyond to let them know that you truly care about them as a valued customer, they will see the value in whatever price you charge for your services.
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Professional tanning salons have to be all about customer service. Eye contact and a warm smile when they walk in the front door, a friendly greeting – hopefully by name – at the front counter. And then, the involved interaction with solid input for them as their professional tanning consultant; noticing the details of their appearance and how their tan is looking; asking about their last tanning experience; talking to them about the skin care products they are buying from you and using. If you go above and beyond to let them know that you truly care about them as a valued customer and do all that you can to give them an experience that they won’t get anywhere else, they will see the value in whatever price you charge for your services.
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On top of the unmatched personal service, which goes deep with each customer, are the added services which expand the breadth of your business. It’s what helps to transform a tanning salon into a Sun Spa. In addition to leading the markets that you serve with the best and most up-to-date UV and sunless equipment, it’s the LED red-light and blue-light therapy systems, dry heat IR sauna pods and aqua pods, body wraps, zero-gravity massage chairs or lounges and full-body cryotherapy chambers you offer. For many of these services, the operating cost per session is next to nothing but the perceived value is very high. And while a service like the full-body cryotherapy chamber has a higher cost per session, it is a very unique service that is in high demand and it allows you to attract new attention to your salon.
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So, remember to always offer your customer the highest level of service. In this case, more is always better!
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