The old saying, “silence is golden” is used on many occasions – most commonly, when someone speaks out of turn, or about another person or situation. I think we can all agree that sometimes, we wish our salon guests would keep this in mind before they cause a scene in our lobby, or write a bad review about our business on Yelp or Facebook. Of course, we can’t make every customer 100 percent happy, even though we try. Sometimes, you have a customer you just can’t please and unfortunately, that’s life and that’s business.
Although we wish those salon guests didn’t throw fits in our lobby or bash us on Google, they are doing one thing right: they are voicing how they feel.
This month, I want to talk about the salon guest who DOESN’T complain. Of your customers who may have had a bad experience, the majority will fall into the category, “not complaining, not saying a word; but also, just not coming back.”
So, what is better? Losing a customer with no warning and no opportunity to correct the situation? Or, listening as guests express themselves to you or your staff? I understand having unhappy customers is not what we want, but in reality, it’s going to happen. Let’s talk about ways to identify “quietly unhappy” guests and ways to make them feel valued and appreciated.
Small Talk
You may not think this is a big deal, but it is. Remembering little details about a guest like her name, where she works, what her weekend plans are/were, and making conversation goes a long way toward creating and maintaining customer loyalty. At the salon where I get my nails done, they always ask about my family or how my recent trip went, or even talk about a house project they know I’m working on. It may seem minimal; but as a customer, it makes me feel valued. It’s almost as though I’ve made enough of an impression that they remember me, remember what I like, and enjoy chatting with me. Taking that extra time for a little small talk with your guests will go a long way.
When They Go “Ghost”
So, you had a tanner who came in twice a week for months, now you don’t ever see her. Did she go to a different salon? Did she stop tanning altogether? Did she move away? Instead of wondering, make it a point to pull database reports of any regular guests who haven’t come in that month, and give them a call. Not an email or a text; an old-fashioned phone call to let them know you miss seeing them at the salon. Invite them in for a free tan that month. You never know, that could be the gracious push they need.
Membership or Service Downgrade
The idea is to upgrade every tanner into your best bed, right? So, what do you do when they want to downgrade their service? First, you want to identify the reason. Is he not getting the results he wants? Is that bed never available? If it’s neither of these, then maybe he’s not feeling the value of your services. If that’s the case, try to add some sweet touches, like a mint placed on the sunbed pillow, or a “thank you” card in the mail a couple of times a year with a lotion coupon as thanks for being a valued customer. Offer them a free lotion packette when they feel their tanning results are stagnant. These little touches aren’t a huge investment, and in the grand scheme, they’re minor in comparison to losing a customer for good.
So, here’s my tip for this month: just because they don’t complain doesn’t mean they’re 100 percent happy. Treat every guest with as much care as you would the one who wrote that bad review about your business. You never know what someone else is thinking; make sure you go so far above and beyond for every guest that they can’t possibly feel neglected or unappreciated.
Just because a guest doesn’t complain doesn’t mean she’s 100 percent happy.
