156: The Secret to Keeping Salon Clients Coming Back

Ever wondered why clients might not return or provide feedback after a salon visit? In this eye-opening episode, we're sharing our 30 years of industry experience to help you uncover the potential reasons and solutions for this common problem. Learn how to maintain a neutral and welcoming atmosphere, be sensitive to clients' emotions, and provide accurate price quotes upfront – essential tips for any salon owner.

Join us as we discuss the importance of daily actions that can greatly impact your clients' salon experience. Communication is key - we'll teach you how to effectively engage with your clients, ensuring they feel heard and respected. From navigating tricky conversations to time management and building trust and loyalty, this episode is a goldmine of valuable advice to help you create an unforgettable salon experience for your clientele. Don't miss out on these practical insights!

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Transcript

Why Clients Don't Return

Speaker 1 0:00

Well , hey there , welcome to the Salon Ownership Made Easy Podcast . As a former Salon owner , i know how tough it can be to deal with things like hiring new team members , managing your KPIs and fixing everything that seems to break in the salon . It's enough to drive anyone crazy . But don't worry , i'm here to help you navigate the ups and downs of the industry . Let's face it beauty school didn't prepare us for the real world of Salon ownership , but with the right techniques , systems and mindset , you can achieve amazing success . With over 30 years of experience and four successful salons under my belt , including two that hit over seven figures , i've learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn't . So buckle up and get ready for some practical tips and real talk . Let's do this .

Speaker 1 0:49

Today we're going to talk about something that I don't know you probably have thought about before , but maybe you really didn't consider it . Have you ever been doing someone's hair and you just kind of know that they weren't happy , but they didn't say anything ? when you turned them around and you said , here you go , how do you like it ? And they're like oh , yeah , it's fine , yeah , uh-huh , okay . You kind of know that they weren't thrilled , but they didn't say anything , but they just didn't come back . Most clients won't say anything , they just won't . I mean , have you ever been at a restaurant and , um , you know , and you're like I don't know about this , you know the food wasn't good or undercooked or something , something , and the waiter comes by or the manager and hey , hey guys , how's it going , how's everything here ? And you're like , fine , You just don't say anything . Some people say stuff , i mean , but the majority of people just don't give their feedback .

Speaker 1 1:50

Right , let's explore five of the reasons why your clients don't say anything . Or maybe that they're thinking , but they don't say out loud . Okay , and kind of put yourself in their shoes and see how maybe you might handle it differently the next time something like this comes up . Okay , here's the first thing . Their feelings were hurt for whatever reason . Right , it could be that you had conversation that they didn't care for . Maybe you talked about religion or politics or I don't know anything that they , maybe they're going through something with their family and you started talking about , i don't know , maybe somebody in their family had cancer , and you started talking about somebody who had cancer and you didn't know . But their feelings were hurt and you just didn't realize .

Speaker 1 2:52

So the thing to do is to always strive to just maintain a neutral and welcoming atmosphere , and it's really , really crucial to just read your clients emotions . Get really good at reading body language . What I mean by that is that you need to be real sensitive . If they bring up a subject of I don't know politics , let's say , because that's a hot topic and you don't agree with what they're saying , you do not When you're standing behind the chair . I would not recommend disagreeing with them Now . You might disagree in your head , but you need to be very neutral , be indifferent and change the subject . Get it back on their hair care , how to style their hair , anything , the weather , for God's sakes , anything other than what this uncomfortable conversation could be . And that includes even if you have a co-worker having a conversation with their client with an earshot of your client As a team member . You need to have some kind of like code word or at least something , an eyeball that you can look at your co-worker and say , yo , that's no , no , we don't talk about that In our salons . We never talked about , we were not supposed to talk about religion , sex , politics . Those are just three things that we just don't talk about , because they can really start an uncomfortable environment because so many people disagree on so many different things . I think the number one reason that people don't come back to the salon has nothing to do with their hair . It's that they either overheard a conversation , their feelings were hurt , end of story .

Speaker 1 4:47

The second reason I would say is that they were surprised by the cost . How often does that happen ? And if you have somebody who works at the front desk , or if you've ever worked at the front desk and you went to go check somebody out and it was a couple hundred dollars and you see their jaw drop to the floor , they might not say anything , they might pay it , but I guarantee you they probably won't be coming back . So what do you do in this case ? if they're surprised by the cost , you price quote up front . You know , you have your consultation and you tell them exactly what it's gonna cost . Or ballpark Always , always discuss their budget .

Speaker 1 5:32

Maybe they came in and they wanted a full balayage , full like makeover . You know they're showing you this Instagram picture and they want it And in your mind that's gonna be I don't even know a couple hundred dollars , but their budget is 75 bucks . They're gonna be very disappointed if they get up to the front desk and they don't have the money to pay for it And they're too embarrassed to say so . Ooh , nobody likes surprises when it comes to money . So just let them know what you can do within their budget . You don't have to say no . Don't say no . Don't say um , oh , sorry , then sucks to be , you Can't do that today , you can't afford me . Don't do that . Don't be that person . Say hey , i get it . Say this is what we can do for that amount of money . It might be just a few face framing highlights , but you can always do something . Okay , the number three reason They just didn't feel heard .

Speaker 1 6:32

You know , when I talk to people who have gotten their hair done at other salons and they're disappointed in their hair cut , it's not like it's a bad haircut , it's not like it's a bad hair color . They just didn't feel heard . They say something like they just didn't listen to me or they just did what they wanted to do . How many times do you catch yourself , as a hairstyle , standing behind the chair , looking at your guests and you're already conjuring up what you want to do in your head ? That's not a good thing to do . You need to get eyeballed eyeballed to them . You need to repeat back to them what you've heard . You are a professional and it's your responsibility to ensure that your clients feel heard and understood . So just take the time . Just take the time to listen and engage and have a meaningful consultation . I think they would appreciate that .

Speaker 1 7:24

Alright , the fourth reason They felt disrespected . Respecting your client's time is essential , right ? So if you're running late , you need to tell them . Or if the services take longer than expected , clients may feel disrespected . I don't know about you . I don't have five or six hours to spend in the salon to get my hair done , oh my gosh .

Speaker 1 7:48

So if it's gonna take a while , you need to tell them upfront , say , wow , this may take them a little bit to get you there , because honoring their time and communicating it clearly it helps to build trust and loyalty . The worst thing you could do is say , okay , let's tackle this , and 10 hours later they're still in your chair . Trust me , no one has that kind of time on their hands . If it took that long , you better believe I wouldn't be back . I mean , it might take two or three services to get to their goal . I would rather it be that way and maybe a couple hours at a time than 10 hours in one sitting . But ask them , maybe they have all day , maybe they want it , maybe they have a I don't know a wedding or high school reunion and they really just wanna look phenomenal And they're willing to spend the time . But if you don't tell them upfront , respecting their time And that's another thing too is when their appointment starts and you're with someone else .

Speaker 1 8:55

You need to respect them . I mean , have you ever been somewhere and you've been waiting and nobody's even telling you what's going on And your appointment time's come and gone and you're just like hello , does anybody even see me here ? That's how your clients feel . If you're running late , you need to at least excuse yourself . Go over to them and say hey , i'm just running like five , 10 , 15 . Maybe you're running an hour behind . You need to let them know and give them the opportunity to either reschedule or wait for you . It's okay , just respect their time , okay . And then the fifth one is they just didn't feel appreciated . Yeah , i know We used to say pretend , like everyone has a sign on their head that says make me feel important , because that's really what it's all about .

Speaker 1 9:45

You need to make every single person who sits in your chair feel like they're the most important person in the room , because guess what They are ? They really are . And sometimes it's just the small things that we do that make a big difference . Like , maybe send a thank you note or just a text , just checking in on your guest after they had a big color service or a brand new , fresh haircut , just text them and say , hey , i was just thinking about you . Are you having any difficulties dialing your new haircut ? If so , i invite you back in . I'll give you a styling lesson , right ? You can do things like that .

Speaker 1 10:23

Or if a client gives you a gift because we have wonderful clients , right , and they love their hairstylists . So if they give you a gift maybe for Christmas , a holiday , your birthday how about sending them a handwritten thank you note ? Wow , getting something in the mailbox and a thank you card ? That just wow , that leaves a lasting impression , believe me . And then just showing your appreciation for them , thanking them for their time , thanking them if they referred their friend to you , just thanking them and remembering that they're the lifeblood of your business , right ? Just remember effective communications , the foundation of exceptional service , and it's just really the little things . It just takes a little tiny bit more to go above what people even expect . Just being mindful of these potential issues , it'll help you improve your client relationships and , ultimately , the success of your business .

Speaker 1 11:28

So just keep them in mind and see what you can do to better yourself the next time you're behind the chair , because the last thing you want is your client to leave the salon disappointed . Because I guarantee you , they will tell everybody . They will tell everybody . When somebody's disappointed in a business , they tell at least 11 people I think there's a study somewhere And when they're happy with the business , they might tell one or two people . I just love my hair . Oh my gosh . They don't shout that from the rooftop .

Speaker 1 11:58

In fact , i've heard people say I'm not gonna tell anybody where I get my hair done , because my style is to get all full and I won't be able to get in . That's the last thing we want . But I can guarantee you , when they're disappointed , they might not say anything to you , but they're gonna tell everybody And you don't want that , do you ? Well , hopefully these tips helped you in some way . Maybe it made you think a little bit If they did share this podcast with your hairstylist friends , let's get together and just really elevate our industry

Daily Actions for Improvement

Speaker 1 12:30

Again .

Speaker 1 12:30

It's the little things that we do every single day behind the chair , and it has nothing to do with hair , believe it or not . Until next time , remember when you know better , you do better . Thanks for hanging out with us on today's podcast . We hope you found it interesting and learned something new . If you liked what you heard , hit that subscribe button so you don't miss out on future episodes . We're always open to your feedback and suggestions for topics to cover in the future , so don't be shy . Drop us a line on social media or shoot us an email . Thanks again for listening and we'll catch you on the next one .