How to get your hair clients to come back
Covid-19 is continuing to have a massive impact on all areas of our lives. And that means your clients might be booking in less, or staying away altogether.
We chatted to Roz Colthart, owner of The Salonpreneur and the innovative workspace Salon Studios and Hannah Murphy, a business, marketing and mindset coach, to get their top tips for encouraging your clients to book in.
Hannah says, “People coped for months without a hairdresser and some are thinking they can continue to do so. The good news is there are lots of ways you can encourage them back, without cutting your prices.”
Go back to basics
Are you finding clients are booking in less due to Covid-19? Or have they moved to another salon or mobile hairdresser who charges less? Roz recommends sitting down and going back to your marketing basics. “This world is about leaving no stone unturned. Look at your environment: who is your competition and how easily can your clients switch to someone else. What are you doing for client loyalty? Go above and beyond.”
Doing your market research means you’ll spot if there are any obvious reasons your clients aren’t booking in, and if there are any changes you can make in your business. For example, your competitors might be offering promotions, or sharing regular updates on how Covid-compliant they are.
“More than anything else, building a relationship with a client will always sell you. People will spend the money - you’re not just selling a service, you are selling a whole experience.
Build on your client relationships
Our last Beautiful Britain Report found when it comes to customer loyalty, clients value a good relationship with their hairdresser as more important than price.
So use this to encourage them to book back in. Hannah, who helps run her family salon, Hill Head Hair and Beauty says, “More than anything else, building a relationship with a client will always sell you. People will spend the money - you’re not just selling a service, you are selling a whole experience.”
She recommends setting up a private Facebook group for clients where you can post anything from ‘how to’ videos to all your latest Covid-19 measures to reassure clients if they are nervous. She adds, “You could do Facebook Lives so your clients can actually chat to you as well. It’s all about building that relationship.”
You may want to introduce a customer loyalty scheme to encourage people to book in. Read more about how to keep your customers loyal.
Invest in good booking software
Are you struggling to get clients to book in for their next appointment? Roz says, “People don’t like to be forced into making an appointment so why not say you’ll send them a text reminder if they don’t want to book there and then.”
She recommends having good processes in place, along with good booking software. “This will help you follow up with your client and make sure you’re sending those booking reminders”, says Roz.
Offer alternatives to their normal services
If your customers aren’t coming back because they’ve been made redundant, think about ways to offer them that feel-good factor for less. But that doesn’t mean dropping your prices to get them back through the door.
“Offer clients an alternative to their normal service if they have money worries”, says Hannah. “Give them an option - maybe instead of a full head of highlights you could offer a T-section for example. You can also upsell a product in that. It’s about making them feel good about themselves.”
Create packages
If your clients are leaving longer between their appointments, that’s where upselling comes in, says Roz. “If someone is now coming in every eight weeks rather than every six weeks, you want to make as much money from that person as you can. Think about how you can work harder with the clients you’ve got. One way to do this is create packages and encourage them to spend more. Each time they visit that little incremental spend will add up.”
Why not check out these hair and beauty treatments to promote in January.
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