As you approach the busiest time of year for your business, the customer service that you and your team deliver to your salon guests is more important than ever. Have you given any thought to ways you can enhance your guest experiences this “busy season”?
Providing exceptional customer service requires much more than hiring someone who claims to be a “people person.” Believe it or not, the use of technology can be a vital tool in ensuring that you provide top-notch service.
The use of technology can be a vital tool in ensuring that you provide top-notch guest service.
Who doesn’t love to hear the sound of their own name? I’m willing to bet that each time that you greet your guests by their first name, it makes them feel important – like a respected patron of your business. You might be thinking, “I’m terrible with names” or that this is an impossible task at a time of year when you consistently (and fantastically) have a line of people at your front counter, which by the way often includes new customers.
The good news is that you don’t have to have a photographic memory in order to greet your guests by name and make them feel valued! When your guest places their finger on a biometrics device, you swipe their driver’s license, or scan their membership card, they aren’t going to be thinking about the fact that you just searched for their account electronically, and that their demographic info is easily visible to you on the screen. Voila! You’ve just been enabled to effortlessly welcome that person to your salon, while making them feel special.
How you make a guest feel before they make a purchase is important; but so is the way they are treated during the sale. Not only should you have a strong knowledge of the products and services you offer, you should also be familiar with your guests’ individual purchasing decisions. Does she love lotions with bronzers? If you have her purchasing history at your fingertips, you can effortlessly recommend the newest bronzer that you just put on the shelf. Or perhaps, you see that she typically elects to turn on the facial lamps in her favorite bed for an additional fee – now, you can suggest that she do so, and she won’t have to remember to ask for it!
A salon with good customer service is one where the guests feel cared for even after they make a purchase. You can show that you are attentive to their needs by doing something as simple as logging a brief note on their account such as “Sue prefers an extra towel in her room” or “John is traveling abroad in April and may want to freeze his EFT membership.” Of course, you gather this info by interacting with your guests.
Long-lasting customer relationships take effort, and are imperative to the success of your salon. Remember that these relationships are invaluable, and that they are NOT built overnight. Having the right tools at your disposal can aid in maintaining relationships with your guests by allowing you to identify with them on a personal level.
