I’ve just experienced six fabulous weeks touring part of the globe, and I’ve had some interesting customer service experiences.

Some places had fabulous surroundings and ordinary customer service, others had the reverse, and some managed to achieve top marks in both areas.

The one thing that really stood out, however, wasn’t the ‘place’ but the people. Times when people went out of their way to offer assistance – totally unexpectedly.

It reminded me that given everything else is good, what people really remember is other people and their actions – both good and bad.

This, of course, applies equally to your business.

Developing your team to deliver that exceptional service that clients simply don’t get elsewhere.

Implementing the things that only an owner/manager can.

All the little extra things that you can do to make your clients experience in your salon special are important, but not necessarily difficult or expensive, to provide.

Before I began writing this article, I’ve thought back over all my experiences in salons to what made them either great or totally disappointing, and I’ve made a ‘great’ and ‘not so great’ list to share with you.

 

My ‘great’ list…

I once visited a therapist who used to massage my feet and pop on warming booties during my facial. No matter how busy she was, she never skipped this little pampering step, and I loved it. I was very sad when she moved to a new location that was too far away for me to visit.

After she relocated, I went to a salon that always gave me a warm scented foot bath before my facial, during which time we had a casual catch-up where she asked about my current needs and concerns. Dimmed lights, candles, soft music, and a warm foot soak, and I was already totally enjoying my experience before my facial even began.

My current salon provides home-made biscuit bites with a cuppa. They are always delicious, and I look forward to that part of my visit. Just something small but special.

In the same salon, every therapist and stylist in the front area greet me by name and with a smile when I arrive. It feels great to be part of that salon family.

Another salon I visited provided all the little extras in the treatment room. Comfortable chairs, jewellery bowl, mirror, mineral makeup, comfortable treatment gowns and a cosy blanket to snuggle under during my treatment.

When I look back over my ‘great’ list, I really don’t see anything extraordinary or expensive. Rather, just a simple collection of things any salon can do to make their client’s experiences just that bit more memorable.

 

My “not so great” list…

One thing stands out above all the rest on my ‘not so great’ list. It’s when my therapist engages in a conversation with another team member about something totally irrelevant to me.

I find it so rude, and it makes me feel like I don’t matter one bit. This is definitely something that should be eliminated in your salon if you see it happening.

Second on my list is when the therapist talks all the way through my treatment. Especially when she is using my time to try to sell me something. There’s a time for selling and a time for treating the client, and they’re not the same time.

Let your clients enjoy the time they’ve paid for, and keep the sales pitch until later.

Finally, it bugs me a lot when I go to a new salon and they don’t bother to take my details or do a consultation. How do they expect to know what I want if they don’t ask me at least a few questions? And not taking my details kinda tells me that they don’t care if I come back or not. Some salons I’ve visited haven’t even bothered to find out my last name. Really?

If you want your clients to have a more memorable treatment in your salon, ask yourself today what you can do to make that happen. After all, it’s often the small things that can make the biggest impact.